Health Misconception: It's TOO expensive

I hear this a lot in my clinic, "I would really like to do ___, but it's too expensive." You can fill in the "blank" with a number of things such as: exercising, eating organic foods, coaching, preventative health care for the entire family, etc. Everyone has a "blank" they would like to do, but don't; and being too expensive is an easy excuse to use. Now, I am not being flippant and disregarding the fact that many people have lost their jobs and that money isn't tight in most households, especially with Christmas right around the corner. Money is tight in EVERY household, no matter how much you make you could always use a little bit more money. However if you really want something bad enough, you find a way to get it. It's all about prioritizing what is important to you and budgeting for those priorities. I am not here to say which priorities are more important than others, because that depends on what you want out of life.

The one "blank" I would like to focus on this week is affording healthy organic foods. I would be a complete hypocrite if I told you to eat only organic foods, because I don't eat organic foods 100% of the time, however I do eat them about 90% of the time and don't break the bank doing it. Organic foods can cost more, but if you knew that spending more money today on better quality foods would save you more money in the future on doctor's bills wouldn't you do it? I do recommend that you choose organic whenever possible, if it's not an option choose locally grown, which we have a variety to choose from here in CO. The best way to fill your house with nourishing foods is to plan ahead! Don't just show up at the store and start shopping from scratch not knowing yet what you want to cook for your upcoming meals; this is a recipe for disaster and spending a lot of money. Plan out your weekly meals ahead of time; actually sit down and write out what you want to eat and what you already have in pantry, that way you don't buy something you already have. I plan many of my meals around items I already have in the pantry or freezer and I pick recipes that share ingredients so things do not go to waste. Having a list also saves time at the store. Stick to your list and you will be amazed at how much money you can avoid spending on things you don not need. Another helpful tip I have found to work is to take a calculator and add things up as you put them in your cart. Weighing your produce and only buying what you need is another simple way to save money and not buy too much that goes to waste. These tips will allow you to choose better quality foods to feed to you and your family!

Here are a couple of websites where I find some of my healthy recipes:
www.vegweb.com
www.elanaspantry.com


I hope this information helps you shop smarter and healthier! If you have any questions about this information please feel free to email me at DrAudreyHBC@yahoo.com

Blessings,
Dr. Audrey