The consequences can vary from bad to worse. For me it was a trip down the highway with the sirens blaring, the lights flashing and the paramedic feeding me nitroglycerin. That trip was not fun, as a matter of fact, it was down right scary. But it did get my attention!

Being a young man of sixty five I wasn’t ready to pilot a rocking chair just waiting to die. I wanted to live, be productive and enjoy life. So I decided that if I wanted to live – I’m working on Methuselah’s record – I needed to make some changes in my life.

What I needed to change the most was what I put in my mouth. They say you are what you eat. Eat junk and you will have an unhealthy body. Unless I have a good reason to change, I can be very stubborn. So here’s a list of the reasons I came up with to make healthy food choices.

1}Say Goodby To All The Chemicals

Read the label of that food you are about to serve your family. Look at all the preservatives that are used to keep it from spoiling and better yet look at all those ingredients you can’t even pronounce let alone know what they are.

I have always wondered why they use a name for sawdust that we don’t understand if the stuff is so good for us. You don’t suppose they don’t want you to know they’re putting sawdust in your food do you?

That is one reason I am all for making healthy food choices. All the different preservatives and chemicals that are contained in processed foods couldn’t possibly be good for you.

2)I Want To Savor The Flavor

One of the biggest reasons for making healthy food choices for myself is the flavor. I like to taste food! I like the robust flavor of fresh fruits and vegetables. Canned vegetables don’t have much taste, they tend to be pretty bland thats the reason for all of the recipes that have them swimming in mushroom soup or cheese sauce. You need something to add flavor.

Try some fresh green beans. They are loaded with flavor, delicious to savor and best of all they are loaded with good for you nutrients.

Take an acorn squash, wash it and stick it in the microwave for two to three minutes. When the skin is soft, split in two, scrape out the seeds, add a little butter to each half and you have a food that is so good for you and the best part is it tastes fantastic.

3}I Choose To Eat To Live Longer

Reports of obesity and all the health problems it causes are all over the news these days. From children to adults this problem is getting worse as people turn to fast food for their lunches and dinners.

Obesity puts a terrible strain on your heart, making it work twice as hard to function properly. Causing high blood pressure and all sorts of complications that cannot be reversed unless you lose that weight. Obesity is also directly related to diabetes, which is also on the rise here in America.

Eating healthy makes me feel better and have more energy. If you eat healthy, studies show that you can live longer and have less health issues than someone who does not.

I would like to live to enjoy my grandchildren and one day, their children. I choose to eat healthy. If eating healthy can make you live longer, I choose to eat to live longer.

4}I Choose To Eat To Be In Health

If making healthy food choices helps me to stay in vibrant health then I choose to make healthy food choices. All around me I can see the evidence of making bad food choices. You can too. Just go people watching at any mall or a busy street corner and you’ll be overwhelmed at all the results of making bad food choices.

The great thing about making healthy food choices is that you can start anytime. Like right now! I didn’t until that ambulance ride got my attention. Making healthy food choices is now an everyday occurrence. Every day it gets easier to make those choices, to say no to unhealthy food and to live a healthy life style.

5)I Want to Enjoy My Family

If Making healthy food choices allows me to live longer and be in healthy so that I can enjoy my family then I choose Healthy Food. I have eight children, eight grand children so far and a fantastic wife.

Whats important is being able to spend lots of quality time with my family to let them know I love they so.

I want to be able to spend a lot of time with my wife. When you both work and you’re taking care of the kids you don’t get to spend a lot of quality time with your spouse. By making healthy food choice now I hope, The Lord Willing, I’ll get to spend a lot of quality time with her.

Those are five reason that I choose to make healthy food choices. There are more reasons but you get the idea. Making healthy food choice is a matter of life and death. I choose life! I want to live! What better reason could there be for making healthy food choices!

If you would visit a local grocery store, you would find numerous aisles of different foods. If you would go to a restaurant, you would find pages after pages of menus. With so man food choices, you probably are finding it hard to stick to your “healthy foods only” diet. To make sure that you would go home with a bag full of healthy food choices, here are some tips that you should definitely take note of.

Shop Only When You’re Not Hungry

Go to the grocery store only when your stomach is full. This does not need much explanation. Doing your grocery when your stomach is empty would definitely tempt you to buy anything that catches your fancy. You’d be practically throwing your “healthy food choices” list out of the window. It is best to do your grocery shopping after you have eaten your breakfast in the morning or your dinner in the evening.

Choose Canned or Bottled Products Carefully

First of all, if you are going to buy meat, vegetables and fruits, do not buy those that are packed with oil. If you need to buy these food products, make sure that you buy those that are packed in water. Chances are the water will likely reduce the calories in meat products. Do not buy products that are labeled “hydrogenated”. These products practically scream, “Fats!” You need to have a discerning and careful eye when it comes to sneaky wordings in packages. This is one way to make sure that you only end up with healthy food choices.

You should also avoid products with high fructose or glucose content. Many products like juices and soft drinks are loaded with high fructose content. When you see these words “high fructose” in a grocery product, you should definitely stay away from it. These words basically mean that you would be drinking something with 100% pure sugar in it.

Many manufacturers add high fructose to their products in order to save money. Unfortunately, this causes obesity and diabetes. Examples of this are pancake corn syrups. This is why it is very important that you first check product labels before you buy anything. To be able to make healthy food choices, you need to make sure that you are making informed choices.

Buy Organic Meat and Poultry

When purchasing meat products like beef, pork and poultry, you should definitely consider opting for organic products. These are free from growth hormones, steroids and other chemicals. When buying poultry, you should look for free range chickens because they often tastes delicious than caged chickens. You should also get skinless chicken because bad cholesterols and calories in chickens are concentrated on their skin.

When buying organic foods, it is better to buy them locally. Not only will you help your community’s economy, you will also save energy. This is the additional bonus you get from making healthy food choices.

Make Wise Grocery Product Choices

First of all, you should make sure that you opt for low sodium prepackaged foods. If you are too busy and you have to resort to buying frozen dinners and canned foods, make sure that you get packages with the lowest sodium count. Making these simple healthy food choices will ensure that you will avoid various illnesses like hypertension or cardiac problems.

If you are one of those people who would like to avoid dairy products, you can opt for food alternatives like broccoli. This vegetable is packed with calcium, so you would still be getting the nutrient despite the absence of milk or cheese in your diet.

When buying breads and cereals, you should opt for whole grain foods. Also, make sure that you always read the labels and get products that are low in fat or zero in fat. You can still give in to your sweet cravings without necessarily placing yourself at risk of developing diabetes.

Eating healthy involves making healthy food choices. You need to make sure that every food that gets into your grocery basket is healthy for you and your family.