Nutrition: How Do I Decide What To Eat? My Body Tells Me (Essay Sample)

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Nutrition
The world we live in have us extremely privileged, we are continuously surrounded by countless options on where to eat and what to order. This can sometimes be overwhelming because of the extreme temptation. Food is always being advertised and it may become difficult to say no. When it comes to choosing what to eat, I stay away from looking at my labels. In my opinion this does not work. If I start looking at labels too much, and continue to count calories, I become obsessive. Not allowing myself to enjoy anything because I am pre-occupied with every single health factor that is tied to that food. Eventually I get cranky because I deprive myself from foods I really enjoy and end up giving up, throwing away all the progress I had made. This is why I now take different approaches.
How do I decide what to eat? My body tells me. If you pay close attention, you will notice that your body reacts to the different things you eat. For example, after eating a large burger or deep fried Oreos, I feel gross. My stomach feels bloated and I feel sick. On the other hand, after I eat a grilled chicken salad, I feel light and satisfied. Knowing healthy from unhealthy is not difficult. We are not ignorant; we choose to ignore the issue. Based on what I have learned in this class and in my anatomy class I know what should and should not be eating, I think we all do. When I am choosing what to eat I try to pick foods that are more natural, lower in the food chain. This means they carry more energy so we need fewer amounts to feel full. Something we should pay attention to on the label that is more important than calories is sugar. Sugar is terrible, it has no nutrients and contributes to type two diabetes. So many things contain so much sugar, juices and candy are loaded. The tricky thing about sugar is that it is hidden in the label; disguised under ingredients such as fructose, corn syrup etc. Another common misconception is that diet foods are better for you, they are not. Diet or low fat foods and drinks have even more sugar so they can continue to taste good. When choosing foods and drinks it is important to be aware of how your body reacts to it, the amount of sugar it contains, and of course the amount you are consuming to avoid over eating.
I of course need to better my eating habits. I plan to do this by eating more natural foods, more whole wheat and whole grain. I want to steer away from processed foods and red meat replaces it with fish and natural ingredients...