Lenora Andrews

I watched a free video on Youtube named Globesity. They discussed how our food choices have changed over the years. The fast food and snack industry markets to children and adults and those "food like" items are the cheapest but provide very little nutrition. Fast food restaurants permeate many neighborhoods, and fresh food is not nearby for many.

What I got out of it and want to share: I encourage everyone to take control of their food choices and try to incorporate small changes into your life today; try new fruits, look up healthy recipes online, and eliminate soda. It can start with awareness: Did you know that there are 39 grams of sugar in one can of Pop (which equals 10 teaspoons=tsps of sugar)? The recommened daily allowance for sugar is 6 tsps for women and 9 tsps. for men. Also, we can try healthy alternatives such as swapping chips for skinny popcorn, try baking foods instead of frying; or try using an air fryer. We can also say "no" when we are focusing on doing better but someone at work is offering us candy, cookies and other unhealthy snacks. Bring your own snacks: skinny popcorn, boiled eggs, cut vegetables, fresh fruit, or a serving size of healthy nuts. Try drinking water, making healthy smoothies, and other healthy beverages in place of soda.

Please take control of your health starting today.

I have learned to be thankful for everything even the challenges as my faith in God always gets me through them each time. I recognize the individuals that surround me are all important and share a role in the growth of my life. Positive words of reinforcement are appreciated. I am grateful when someone says something positive to me and see other's respond back in the same way. It is an uplifting way to pay it forward.

We have DTE Energy for our electric company in Michigan and they have recently increased their pricing. DTE impacts the environment by producing carbon emissions from it's fossil fuel energy generation. I have seen T.V. commercials that state that they are actively working to reduce the impacts by investing in clean, renewable energy sources and reducing carbon emissions by the year 2050. I will be watching to see what improvements are being made.