Just a second ago I was downstairs watching a movie with my sister, and when the commercials began to drone on during the break something caught my attention, and basically infuriated me. A Dunkin Donuts commerical to be exact, a Dunkin Donuts commercial promoting their new 400 calorie breakfast options. I wish I could post the link but unfortunately its not online yet. The commercial played out in an office, one man was having what looked like a green smoothie while the other was eating a Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwich. The man with the sandwich proceeded to mock the man drinking the smoothie and asked him “What is in that?” the man with the smoothie replied “grass” then sandwich man told smoothie guy to head over to Dunkin Donuts, he could get a ‘manly meal’ for only 400 calories. Then Dunkin cuts away and tells you, the consumer, to hurry in and indulge in their sandwiches because they are only 400 calories or less! It seems innocent enough but with that small seed of calories planted in your head next time you eat a food like that you are thinking “hey only 400 calories not too bad” NOOOOO!!!!

It is time to wake the people of America UP! STOP COUNTING CALORIES! CALORIE COUNTING IS USELESS! The longer you count calories, the longer you will stay the same. The diet industry in America is a strong tycoon. They have brainwashed society into thinking you can become healthy without one lifestyle or food change. There are pills, diet plans, shakes, and intense workout plans sold at high costs looping in person after person, and one thing with them does stay constant, they over promise and under deliver. Let me ask you a serious question reader, do you really think an over processed, chemical infused, grease ridden, salt overloaded, pre packaged, frozen and re heated piece of crap worth 400 empty calories will recharge a body the same way a green vegetable smoothie filled with vitamins, fiber, and a plethora of nutrition will? The answer is no, it won't, and it never will.

Calorie counting is the worst thing you could do to improve your health. Plans like nutrisystem and jenny craig (who the heck even IS jenny craig!?) Will leave you malnurished and unchanged. Why? Because their plans focus on calories and not a lifestyle. Calories are relative, there is a difference between 400 calories of crap and 400 calories of vital and healthy nutrition. These plans take the normal crap foods you eat everyday and just cut them into tinier portions and then mail them to you and steal your money. Lasagna is still lasagna no matter how you slice it and ice cream with fake sugar is worse for you than homemade ice cream with real sugar.

The point is, when you are eating right, you don’t have to count calories. You never see someone pick up a bunch of spinach and ask “gee, how many calories are in this? Think I should eat it?” Because spinach is a superfood and has everything you need to work toward living a healthy beautiful life. People don’t question healthy foods, and they shouldn’t. What was really sad to me is how STUPID Dunkin Donuts thinks its consumers are, who could watch that commercial and actually buy into the thought that a green smoothie with fruits and veggies is less than desireable compared to 400 calories of, of, well of what? We have no idea what is in their sandwich and I’m sure if you googled it you would be surprised at how much goes into a sandwich of theirs. Artificial colors and fillers, salt, and nitrates. They sure aren’t fresh and they sure aren’t healthy. I don’t care if they are 20 calories, they have little to no nutrition and chemicals that are toxic to the human body.

One month ago I was miserable. I was thin, sure, but I was uncomfortable, bloated, my skin was awful, and I felt like I was 19 going on 65. I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I worked out some, I ate pretty good I thought, I watched my calories, and that was the problem. Rather than making a radical change to my lifestyle and adopting a diet full of vegetables and alternate healthier ways of getting my nutrition I just ate the foods that I was used to and tasted good but ate them in smaller and smaller portions. Now I was starving myself and getting no nutrition from the little bit food I was eating! MISERABLE! I can tell you today that after I did some research and changed my diet and eating habits I am completely different, a new person, 30 days and my body is halfway to being the strong digestive motor I need it to be.

I understand I am starting to sound like a commercial myself but If they are going to be passionate about tricking the population into buying their empty calories and chemicals I will be just as passionate about getting people to hear the alternate side that promises the health they search for. I’m not talking about the superficial health the plans promise. They promise a fake health, you may be thin on the outside but your inside will be riddled with toxins and void of nutrition. You will look great but feel awful and you wont be able to enjoy the new you. I am talking about real health, healthy inside and healthy outside. A strong body fueled by real foods that give you real vitamins and minerals. This is a big change and you will have to commit to it, most people don’t want to retrain their tastebuds but its worth it. If you really want to be healthy and live your best life, stop counting calories and start counting how many greens you consume in a day. We In America have grown so accustomed to convenience that pouring mashed potatoes out of a box and heating up noodles and cheese in a pan is normal, it saves us time sure, but the only thing it saves us time on is time to groan and complain that we are unhappy and unhealthy. I understand making every meal is a lot of work and going out with friends can feel awkward when you pass on ordering fake food. But at what point do you say enough is enough and take control?

My final plea and wish for you reading this is that you will be able to shut down the lie of the fake health empire and realize that true health comes at a cost. The cost isn’t 29.99 a month for fake small portioned food to be delivered to your door, the cost is breaking the chain of complacency and learning how to make quinoa or a great salad dressing minus the oil and salt. I wont lie to you, adapting this lifestyle will be hard in the beginning and it will be more time consuming than running through a Dunkin Donuts, But with this new year coming and many healthy resolutions starting to blossom in your mind, don’t believe the lie and don’t take the easy way. Do your research and take control of your body, because you only get one! And just for the record, I doubt cavemen counted calories.

Here is a great resource, a book that helped me adapt my healthy lifestyle, I HIGHLY recommend it.