“Most people don’t have that willingness to break bad habits. They have a lot of excuses and talk like victims.” -Carlos Santana 

This quote is so perfect for a health and fitness blog; I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. It encapsulates the vast majority of interactions I’ve had with people who come up with the endless “Reasons” they can’t eat right and get healthy. They talk like victims.

In a sense, they are right. We are all victims of horrible misinformation and an effort to mislead us through the education system based on studies funded the sugar, grain, and corn industries. However, science is righting the wrongs of the past and we now know that it is sugar that is the real enemy. Sugar is found in grains, dairy, beans, and soy. Refined sugar made from cane or corn are especially bad to humans. Some doctors even go so far as to call it a toxin to humans.

Living a healthy lifestyle requires us to break bad habits. Those bad habits include eating foods made of grains, beans, soy, dairy, and anything with added or processed sugar. It also requires us to create a new relationship with food and to learn to disassociate food with celebrations and social events. We put too much emphasis on eating at social gatherings, and it is easy to either overeat or eat foods that contain ingredients that are bad for us in large quantities.

Don’t be the victim. Take responsibility for your health, and eat right. Get some exercise. Most importantly, reevaluate your relationship with food. If it’s not making you healthy, kick it to the curb like you would a bad boyfriend/girlfriend. It’s not worth the trouble, your health, or your life.