A study by the Saint Louis University School of Medicine was presented recently in Washington, D.C on the effects of eating fast food.

Now, I am old enough to remember the first McDonalds and Burger King built in our neighborhood with happy nostalgia. It was a special treat when my Dad stopped on the way home from church for burgers and fries and colas for the family. Another rare but precious memory for me was when my folks came home from the grocery with a six-bottle pack of pop. They weren't 32 ouncers.. or even 16 ouncers.. but delicious, cold, glass bottles holding 10 ounces of sweet heavenly elixer. With 4 kids in the family, that meant one bottle for each kid and Mom and Dad.

So what's wrong with fast food and pop now? Its all about the difference between an occasional treat and a regular diet. The study I just mentioned, offered rats (oh.. those poor things) a diet equivalent to a typical supersized McDonald's meal for 16 weeks. Guess what? Yep, they all got sick. They showed signs of diabetes, liver disease and of course obesity.

Now it is time to look at your habits. Do you eat fast food every day for lunch? Is soda pop always available in the fridge for the kids? Is eating out a treat or a habit? If so, you are eating like those rats in the study. Dr. Brent Tetri says "A high-fat and sugar-sweetened diet compounded by a sedentary lifestyle will have severe repercussions for your liver and other vital organs. Fatty liver disease now affects about one of every eight children in this country. The good news is that it is somewhat reversible - but for some it will take major changes in diet and lifestyle."

Let me say that again, "FATTY LIVER DISEASE NOW AFFECTS ABOUT ONE OF EVERY EIGHT CHILDREN".

Consider these changes.

Walk more. Don't fight for the closest parking spot to the building, go to the back.

Drink more water. I like 2oz of Goji Gold with 8oz of filtered water over ice.

Eat at home. Try cooking big on the weekend, so you don't need to stop for fast food on the way home from work. You have leftovers in the fridge!

Take healthy snacks to work. I always have a bag of Goji Berries at my desk.

If you need a pick-me-up, drink a small (4oz) glass of juice. Healthy Blend is my choice.

Eating Healthy,

Tim