Brenda Skidmore's Health Tips

For well over a year, a sluggish economy in the United States has many self-conscious consumers finding creative ways to cut back on compulsive spending habits. As prices for goods and services rise faster than than potential customers wages, it is becoming apparent that high fuel prices over that last several years is, finally, having its predicted effect. Unnecessary spending is slowing down, and it may not be bottoming out any time soon. How far down will it go, no one seems to know for sure. The only thing economists have to go on is the past.

But, there is a bright light glowing in this predictable economic phase that negative soothsayers were not counting on. I think it is encouraging, and says that as a society we are recognizing, that we' are all in this sinking ship together. The trend is showing that even those who do earn a better than average wage are finding it a productive move to cut back, by joining forces with those who don't. A new way of thinking is beginning to emerge that says, it doesn't look good to spend money (which you may or may not have) on things you don't really need. Those who do have the bucks to spend on luxury items are getting a kick out of not buying. Personally, I think its cool too. This is how consumers can wield their power in getting manufacturer's attention.

Do you suppose that tougher economic times might, actually, be doing many of us a lot of good? Quite possibly, this obsessive need that has been driving many of us to keep up with our neighbors is beginning to catch up with us. How many of you are discovering that less is better? Less clutter, less worry, and less trash piling up. Having it all, or thinking we need it all has left a lot of people feeling smaller and empty inside. By concentrating on the material things in life, what has old and mindless spending habits done for the other missing elements we haven't had met in our lives and relationships?

Funny old thing, hard money times can be a real good teacher. In more ways than one.

In relationship to this web site's focused area of interest, where might the high prices of food be a good thing? If you can think of some that I have not, please feel free to post a comment here. The restaurant industry is singing the blues too. Actually, they have been one of the hardest sectors hit in this economic squeeze-play. According to a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association the industry, as a whole, has fallen off by about 49 percent in 2007. The largest decline has been noticed during the evening dinner hours, and lunch being affected by 2 percent.

This doesn't take a brilliant mind to figure out. No doubt, leaner economic times means paychecks for the average, or below average, wage earner is going to have to be budgeted more wisely for family necessities. A roof over their heads, reliable transportation, and heating and air conditioning homes is going to take center stage before entertainment in watching movies out at a local theater, and evenings of dinning out. Especially, if it was an excessive activity before the money crunch.

High fuel prices equate to to higher grain prices. Higher grain prices equates to higher food costs. Can you imagine what it costs a farmer to plant 1,000 acres of corn or wheat? How much do those big tractors, combines, and pickups and grain bed trucks cost to fuel up? A bushel of wheat and corn has hit all-time record highs this last year. Add to that unpredictable shortages due to droughts or floods in a growing season and, well you get the picture.

If you are a health minded sort of person, you should already know that these two grains (in their over processed form) are the largest sources of unhealthy food infiltrated into our food chain. There is no nutritional value in white flour or high fructose corn syrup. But, everybody is worried how much more their donuts and soda pop is going to cost them. By the time these two, heavily government subsidized, food commodities hit your supermarket chain, or restaurant kitchen, you have paid dearly for all that unnecessary food processing twice. Once at the check out counter, and a second time in giving you diseases you did not want or ask for.

Cheap food is not really cheap, because the eventual trade off is giving more of your hard earned money to the health care industry. And, we all know how expensive it is to cover up illnesses and diseases that really are nutritional deficits. Hard economic times may influence wiser food choices. I certainly hope it does. Moore effort into eating healthier meals at home, taking healthier home lunches to work and school, and researching healthier eating habits may have a productive outcome to high food prices. When the, supposedly, cheaper food is perceived as not cheap any more, and healthier food is not that much more expensive then good things may happen in the end.

Certainly, when families don't have the extra money to entertain themselves outside the home as often, they could use their computers to do some healthier eating research. Skipping out on the daily 'Starbucks" lattes, or weekend outings that just seem to require extra 12 packs of sodas to fully enjoy those weekends is NOT going to be missed on most people's waistlines.

Investing in a good drinking water filtration system for the home saves several different ways. It is a much healthier beverage to be consuming on a regular basis, saves on expensive bottled water purchases, and helps save the earth by not dumping tons of plastic bottles in landfills. How much crude oil does it take out of your gas tank to manufacture all those plastic water and soda bottles any way?