A friend of mine recently moved from Taiwan to Los Angeles with her 1 year-old baby and husband. She told me she feels trapped in her tiny apartment in Torrance, and has since gained 2 lbs after relocating. Because she does not have a car, she really can’t go anywhere until her husband comes home from work. She also expressed that once she leaves her neighborhood and arrives at the main road, there is really no pedestrian walkways. “It gets quite noisy and dangerous for me and the baby,” she complained. In Taiwan or cities like New York, pedestrian pathways are everywhere, which makes walking around much safer and easier to get from place to place.
I think it is unfortunate that the current U.S. suburban living environment does not encourage people to lead active lifestyles. The mass transportation system is simply not convenient. I once timed myself on the bus going from North Redondo Beach to North Hollywood. It literally took me 2 1/2 hours to go from point A to point B! While there have been recent updates to our mass transportation system such as the Expo line, more direct bus routes and bike pathways, I still feel there is additional work to be done.
Similar to our physical environment, the food environment in America make unhealthy foods more accessible than healthy food options. There are many areas in Los Angeles that are considered “food deserts,” where fresh fruits and vegetables are simply not available. Likewise, we have restaurants that serve us too large of portions and grocery stores that sell too much junk food and sweetened beverages in bulk. My son once noticed the price difference between a 1 oz. bag of Cheetos and a family size bag of Cheetos. He said to me, “Mommy, it is cheaper to buy the large bag.” I said to him, “Yes, it is cheaper for your wallet, but not wiser for your body.” For these occasional treats more doesn’t mean better.
In order for people to stay healthy, it has got to be convenient. Most of us prefer to function in autopilot mode, so if we want to live healthier lifestyles we need to change our daily routines and/or modify & enhance the environments in which we live in. Starting today, make healthy choices the easy choices. You can do this in a variety of ways. For example, you can incorporate exercise into part of your daily routine, just like brushing your teeth. Park your car further from the front entrances of stores when you run your errands, or take the stairs instead of the elevator when at all possible. As far as food is concerned, when dining out ask your waiter to pack half of the meal before it even arrives to your table. When grocery shopping try to purchase food items in bulk and then portion them into mini ziplock bags as soon as you get home. And more importantly, stock your pantry with only healthy foods so that you always have the option to nourish your body with high quality fuel.
Make healthy choices the easy choices! If I can do it, you can do it!
