Convenient Living Vs. Cognizant Living

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For most of us living in the age of convenience, we’ve grown accustom to waiting for nothing. Some of the best examples of how convenience is a primary dictator of our behavior are evidenced in our food culture. Packaged, ready-to-eat “food” is available on most corners of most cities and towns on the shelves of gas stations and convenience stores. Vending machines provide many people their fare for a given meal on a regular basis. One can spend less than three minutes in a drive-through window to feed an entire family. It isn’t just evidenced in fast food culture; convenient living has caused the entire restaurant industry to flourish, an industry that provides a convenient alternative to cooking at home.

By now, everyone either knows or is coming to the realization that all this convenience is coming with a hefty price tag. Consider the state of health for the average American. Obesity is epidemic, and as a result, heart disease, diabetes and cancer – all diseases with a link to weight problems – are also pervasive in our society. They types of foods associated with restaurants, fast food chains and convenience stores are the types of foods crammed with sugar, hydrogenated and trans fats, salt and preservatives – the very foods associated with obesity. The argument could certainly be made that convenience has been complicit, if not a primary culprit behind, our collective societal health problems.

Despite the fact that convenience has become a fixture in our society, we can all take a step back to look at what it leads to. Yet, it is so engrained in our lifestyle, most people simply don’t change. It isn’t that they don’t know that they should, but convenience is just too… well, convenient.

But, what if, for a time, you made up your mind to be cognizant of everything that passed through your lips? Sure, having one fast food meal, one snack cake, one soda isn’t going to ruin your health. But what if, for a month, you decided to be aware of the fact that one can turn into week’s worth, a week’s worth into a habit and a habit into a lifestyle, that health is a culmination of all the decisions you make on a regular basis?

That is what we challenge most people to do with the Kaufmann 1 Diet. Try it, for thirty days. For a month, become aware that the food choices you make have a cumulative effect, and if chosen poorly could create a lifestyle whose end result might not be the kind of health we’d all like to enjoy. For a month, instead of reaching for the quickest, easiest thing, make a cognizant decision to reach for only foods that promote health. We think the Kaufmann 1 Diet is a good place to start. It includes lean meats (preferably grass fed, pastured, wild caught and organic), eggs, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, vegetables, limited fruits – all good stuff. Try juicing some greens, carrots and garlic and drinking plenty of fresh water.

If after a month of living in a cognizant way you feel much, you may find convenience wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

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