Time Management
Drumroll, please…
Today I did my first ever pull-up! This was an incredibly exciting moment for me. After boot camp this morning, I stopped by the park near my house and climbed onto the play structure. I took hold of the top part of the firemans pole and then let myself drop so I was just hanging there, and then- I pulled myself up to a proper pull-up!
(And then I lowered myself down and I was done. Good Lord you need strong arm muscles to do those things!).
My arms are now sore but happy. Such a beautiful morning! Any milestones you’ve recently accomplished? Shareshareshare!
Food vs. Money
I love to buy as much natural food as possible. The majority of my grocery trips have me buying pretty much only fruits, veggies, milk, and sometimes eggs, yoghurt, and cheese. However, these kinds of shopping trips really add up in terms of cost. When you’re paying $5 for a bag of apples and that bag is gone within a few days, thats a lot of money feeding my addiction for apples (thank you darling parents for feeding me!). For things like frozen mixed berries, you can get the no-name brand for a lot cheaper and there’s no difference in taste- but there isn’t really a “no-name brand” when it comes to fresh produce. Sure, galas are cheaper than macs, but in the long run they’re still all pretty expensive (and besides… I HEART the macs). And what about asparagus? My love affair with asparagus is frequently forced to be discontinued until it goes on sale again.
The problem with all of these costs is that it also relates to lesser nutrition. Button mushrooms don’t have a great abundance of nutrients in them, but they are considerably cheaper than shitake mushrooms. And if you aren’t a total health nut, then you’re likely to not want to bother spending a great deal of time searching for the best deals on nutritious food in the grocery store. It’s easier to pick up some cheap boxed and heavily processed food than to go on the hunt for something that will do more good to your body. So society continues to load up on artificial foods and mounds of sugar and salt, all in the name of saving money. Disgusted with the high price of organic produce and meats, the majority of the population is going to ignore them entirely. The reverse of this one is that people will buy processed foods labelled “organic”, such as cookies and cereals, thinking that they are choosing a somewhat healthier version. (Not true). And our status of nutrition takes another huge dip.
It takes effort. And it takes some time and careful planning. But in the long term- and that’s what we should all be looking at- it’s really worth it. I was talking to my grandma the other day on the phone and telling her about my butter-making experiences, and she started telling me all about how she used to churn butter. That was simply the way things worked. So why is it so difficult for us to re-learn how to do things like cook for ourselves and navigate our way through the grocery store? I’m not suggesting that we all go out and buy butter churns and start churning our own butter. I’m suggesting that we start looking at real food and considering how we can incorporate it into a meal rather than just grabbing a Lean Cuisine frozen meal from the grocery store.
All it requires is a little time management; some organization to get our priorities straightened out. Because I’m pretty sure that most people would agree that a major priority is to enhance the quality of life for people everywhere. And what is improving our health (and saving money on large-scale factories and health costs and similar) if not enhancing our quality of life?
Is anyone else thoroughly distressed with the rising costs of food, the harmful effect on our nutrition, and the ridiculous amount of food that we waste in throwing out?
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Congrats on the pull ups…those aren’t easy!
Awesome job on the pull up! That’s a true sign of strength!
I agree with you about the cost of eating healthy. It’s definitely harder and more expensive to eat good things, but it is worth it in the long run.
Hoorrraaay for the pull-up! That’s a great accomplishment! And I totally agree with you about the cost of eating healthy. Try feeding a family of 5 that way!
Congratulations on the pull-up, Sagan…I bow to your upper body strength!
Feeding a family healthy foods while staying on budget is no easy feat. Add to that the fact that you’ll pay more to have a salad instead of french fries with your restaurant meal and it feels like the odds are stacked against us sometimes.
hooray for the pull up! that is awesome!!
and are so right about making the time to create healthy meals instead of buying prepackaged stuff. i am guilty of doing that, but am trying to make an effort to stop.
I’m with ya. Great post. I dont know if it is because I live alone and am a light eater, but I find that eating clean is LESS expensive that crappy processed stuff. I eat really plain though, too. So maybe that’s why.
I’m hoping that as more people change how they eat, hopefully the prices will go down.
Food is ridiculous right now. gas too. and burning gas to go buy food=bad news.
congrats on the pull-up! that is sooo exciting!! thats honestly a huge deal, way to go!!
Great job on the pull-up!
The Bag Lady agrees with you about trying to eat good food. It is more expensive, especially in the winter, to buy fresh produce. But if you aren’t buying all the crappy processed stuff, you are saving on that.
Keep on experimenting with making things yourself – it’s great to read about!
First off, congratulations on the pull-up! That’s awesome!
Yes, it is frustrating seeing the price of food, especially produce (and many times the produce doesn’t even look that great).
I agree it takes some planning and budgeting in order to keep the grocery bill down yet still eat healthy foods.
I don’t have much of a yard, but I would love to have a garden! Yummier, fresher produce. Farmer’s markets might also be worth checking out to see if the cost of produce is lower.
To your questions at the end, YES! But it IS worth it, so I just have to do my best. Really, it is a treat. Some people drop $70 on a massage- I spend that in good, natural food.
Congratulations on the pull up. Wow!
WOO HOO On the pullup.
love,
M., who is definitely spending WAY MORE THAN SHE SHOULD on food but tells herself she is saving a TON on medical bills in the long run.
Like everyone else, I’m so distracted and impressed by the pull-up that I’m having trouble getting worked up the way I usually do about the high cost of eating healthy. Well said, though.
Anyway, congratulations, that’s so cool!!!!
Thanks, everyone!
Charlotte & Dara- I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to eat healthy with a big family- that’s really amazing how you manage to do it!
P.O.M. & Bag Lady- You’re so right, some of that junk food is REALLY expensive when it all adds up and people don’t notice it.
Kelly- Totally agree about the gas prices. It’s ridiculous. Hurray for bikes and the summer!
Susan- I love farmers markets. I’m super excited because one will be opening near my house for the summer.
Ashley- I’m with you; I spend so much money on quality food rather than spa type indulgences!
MizFit- that’s my reasoning too:)
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
I hear ya. I can’t even look at the organic stuff sometimes, it is so pricey.
a) good work on the pullup, now you’ll never need to be rescued.
b) I always thought apples were cheap! I eat at least 1 a day, sometimes 2. I buy whatever is the cheapest at the store though. Plus I think it is cheaper than “junk” food like packaged apple sauce or something. The exception is eating out, healthy salads are much more expensive than a big mac or something.
fab job on the pull-up. That is exactly one more pull-up than I can do. 🙁
Wow, an unassisted pull-up? I have trouble doing the ones with my trainer helping me haul my big fanny up there. 🙂 Way to go!
I’m so blessed to have a budget that allows organics, but I still feel an enormous sense of frustration over the costs of them, frustration on other people’s behalf. And don’t even get me started on the quality of conventional produce in the inner city! I just wish I had some solutions. Any solutions.
Excllent and thought-provoking post!
(loved your comment. when are we getting together for volleyball?)
Randi- exactly! I can rescue myself now:)
Cammy- thanks for stopping by! And solutions are really difficult to find for these problems.
MizFit- we’ll form our own team. We won’t even need an opponent because the ball will consistently hit the net rather than go over it! This plan is flawless.
YAY! for the Pull up! that is so great! Keep at it, can’t wait for the day that I read that you did 10!