Coupon trap
Oh, joy! I always look forward to the tons of ads and coupons in junk Tuesday mail. I’ve touched on the subject before, but it may be helpful to re-address it.
Don’t be fooled by the glossy, colorful ads, and the endless coupons claiming to save you money. Ladies and gentleman, those sleek ads and coupons are marketing at it’s finest.
It’s a trap, a set-up. No matter how they spin it: Buy one get one free. Two for three. Save .50 with card and coupon. These boxed packaged so-called food items have very little when it comes to nutrients and are filled with not-so-good stuff. So, while these items may seem like a convenient, value they are not.
Think about it: If it’s been boxed and/or packaged it was likely made in a factory, traveled on a conveyor belt, and then shipped hundreds of miles to the store. If it’s been boxed and/or packaged it’s full of additives, preservatives, fillers, and other stuff to extend it’s shelf life. If it’s been boxed and/or packaged it’s so-called food. It’s all convenient. It’s all nicely packaged. It’s all wrong.
Beware. The bigger the company (Nabisco, Frito-Lay, Coke, Pepsi, Quaker, etc.) the more suspect you should be of their products. These food giants have more advertising money than your local farmer and so they use it to entice you to buy their so-called boxed packaged food.
Reminder: Real food does not boast any claims. Real food: Fresh vegetables, fruit, grains, lean protein, nuts, and seeds may be on sale, but it’s very unlikely that you will find coupons for these items. Real food speaks loud and clear for itself. Real food resides in the perimeter of the grocery store or better yet your garden, local CSA, or Farmers Market.
So, before you eagerly clip those coupons to save, please think twice.
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Chrisetta Mosley
I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!