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Environment matters: What you eat depends on where you live
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We have often been told that in order to avoid overeating we must simply not purchase alleged trigger foods. But for some folks, buying healthy foods amounts to more than just a feat in willpower. A new study by John Hopkins University published in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the kinds of food you have access to are largely dependent upon where you live.
The study measured and compared the availability of certain healthy foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk and whole wheat bread, in grocery stores of lower and higher income neighborhoods. Researchers found that poorer people tend to live in areas with less access to healthy food, while wealthier people have much more access to fresh produce and whole, real foods.
This study is just one more piece of evidence that shows how important our environment is when it comes to our health and diet. For instance, if a grocery store is predominantly stocked with processed and highly refined foods such as white bread, cookies, snack cakes, and syrup-laden fruit cocktail “juice,” then it comes as no surprise that the kitchens and dinner tables of the people shopping there will be full of these unhealthy items.
So what should you do if you find yourself with little access to healthy food? First, you can try and bump up the amount of physical activity you engage in by walking or biking whenever you can. Secondly, you can make a once-a-week trip to a grocery store that may be more distant than your neighborhood convenience mart but offers plenty of fresh produce, lean protein sources and quality dairy. Even though you might have to travel a bit more than usual, that extra step will prevent you from having to rely on a dinner than comes out of box or in a wrapper. Also, visit a farmer’s market near you. Prices are usually lower on fruits and veggies, and produce is always seasonal and fresh. Lastly and most importantly, you must make your health a priority. In this sense, traveling a bit farther to get fresh groceries and taking the time to prepare them won’t feel like a burden.
Your health depends on it and you deserve it.
