How do we, as women, want to respond? You can make a better choice right now. You can empower yourself by saying aloud, “I choose to break my old paradigms about dieting right now.”  The following reference article lists some healthy foods that make it easy to break old paradigms.  But first let’s explore the roots of group consensus.

Understanding the Roots of “Genetic” Societal Beliefs

Diet myths are a collective group of family experiences, which turn into beliefs and are then handed down for generations, in a metaphorically similar way that genetic traits are handed down. Through family connections, everyone has generally accepted diet myths. They are often built upon a consensus of group responses to life experiences and group wishes, rather than true wisdom. In accepting and embodying diet myths, false knowledge is distorted as truth and passed on for generations.

One example of this is reported in Ellen Ruppel Shell’s book The Hungry Gene. The chapter called “Spammed” highlights the disastrous effects of group consensus on diet after World War Two.

Natives on a tiny South Pacific island of Korsrae were influenced by the perceived status of eating imported American fast foods. In time, their diets evolved from ones based on island-grown whole foods (fresh fish, breadfruit, mangoes and papayas which had kept their ancestors healthy for a millennium) to ones based predominately upon canned Spam®, turkey tails, sodas, and beer.

Most of those children now have abscessed teeth and the adults expect to die in their fifties from diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease as a direct result of eating the imported foods. The nutritious breadfruit, mangoes and papayas that once ensured native good health now rot on the ground. 

The best education combines knowledge and experience, and bears fruit in hard-won personal wisdom.

We understand experience. But knowledge and wisdom are often confused in relation to diet myths. Knowledge can lead to wisdom when it is combined with awareness-—when an individual is open to change with additional information and experience. Wisdom is the culmination of vast stores of knowledge based on experience (yours and others). It grows out of logical thinking, helping you understand how to make the best use of your knowledge and experience for the highest good of yourself and the world around you.

How do you take experience and knowledge to the level of personal wisdom? One way is by combining them with the practice of the techniques, exercises, and activities shared in my tips and tools. By digging at the logic and psychology upon which most of the diet myths are based, you’ll discover true human needs are buried there. With awareness, you’ll understand better the true source from which diet myths spring and the real reasons why they seem so irrefutable. Using that understanding with this book, you can expand your viewpoint to allow for the whole truth.

10 Healthy Foods Under $1

Even with rising food prices, it's possible to shop for healthy foods without spending a fortune.

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Most of us don't need to hear it or read it ... we have felt it in our wallets every time we've gone to the grocery store. But just because food prices are rising doesn't mean you can't make healthy food choices.

The good news is that many foods that are good for you are also cheap. Here is our list of the top healthy foods you can find in your grocery store for under a dollar.

Prices may vary based on the store, location, and time of year.

1. Apples

Great for: Snacks, green salads, main dish salads, and fruit salads.

What's a serving? 1 large apple.

Price per serving: About $1. Apples sell for about $1.99 per pound, and an extra large crisp apple weighs about 1/2 pound.

Nutrition Info per serving: 117 calories, 5 grams fiber, 17% Daily Value for vitamin C, and 7% Daily Value for potassium.

2. Bananas

Great for: Snacks and fruit salads, yogurt parfaits, and smoothies.

What's a serving? 1 banana.

Price per serving: About 45 cents. Bananas sell for about $0.89 per pound, and a large banana weighs about 1/2 pound

Nutrition Info per serving: 121 calories, 3.5 grams fiber, 14% Daily Value for potassium (487 mg), 20% Daily Value for vitamin C.

3. Baby Carrots (in bags)

Great for: Snacks, casseroles, stews, veggie platters, and side dishes.

What's a serving? About 1/2 cup or 2 ounces raw.

Price per serving: 19 cents. A 16-ounce bag costs about $1 on sale and contains about 8 servings (2 ounces each).

Nutrition Info per serving: 27 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 200% Daily Value for vitamin A, and 7% Daily Value for vitamin C.

4. Canned Beans

Great for: Green salads, casseroles, stews, and chili. Types of beans range from 50% less sodium kidney beans and black beans to white beans and garbanzo beans.

What's a serving? Each can contains about 3.5 (1/2-cup) servings.

Price per serving: About 28 cents. You can buy a 15-ounce can for about $1 on sale.

Nutrition Info per serving: About 120 calories (for kidney beans), 7 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, and 6% Daily Value for calcium, and 10% Daily Value for iron.

5. Canned Tomatoes

Great for: Italian and Mexican recipes, chili, stew, and casseroles. Flavor options range from no-salt-added sliced stewed tomatoes to diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil.

What's a serving? One can contains about 3.5 (1/2-cup) servings.

Price per serving: About 28 cents. You can buy a 14.5-ounce can for about $1 on sale (often less for store brands).

Nutrition Info per serving: About 25 calories, 1 gram fiber, 10% Daily Value of vitamin A, and 15% Daily Value of vitamin C.

6. Oranges (extra large navel oranges)

Great for: Snacks, green salads, and fruit salads.

What's a serving? 1 large or extra large orange.

Price per serving: 40 cents for a large orange and 79 cents for an extra large orange. Oranges sell for around $0.79 per pound, and a large orange is about 1/2 pound, whereas an extra large orange is about 1 pound.

Nutrition Info per serving: (for an 8 ounce orange): 106 calories, 5.5 grams fiber, 10% Daily Value for vitamin A, 200% Daily Value vitamin C, 17% Daily Value for folate, 9% Daily Value for calcium, and 12% potassium.

7. Pears

Great for: Snacks, as an appetizer with cheese, green salads, and fruit salads.

What's a serving? 1 large pear

Price per serving: about 45 cents for a large pear. Pears sell for about $0.90 per pound, and a large pear weighs about 1/2 pound.

Nutrition Info per serving: 133 calories, 7 grams of fiber, 16% Daily Value for vitamin C, and 8% for potassium.

8. Lentils (dry)

Great for: Soups and stews, cold bean salads, and casseroles.

What's a serving? 2 ounces (dry)

Price per serving: 14 cents. A 16 ounce bag sells for $1.12 (on sale) and contains eight servings.

Nutrition Info per serving: 195 calories, 14 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, 24% Daily Value for Iron, 10% Daily Value for magnesium and potassium.

9. Pearl Barley (dry) Daily Value for calcium, plus active cultures such as acidophilus and bifidus.

Great for: Soups and stews, cold salads, and casseroles.

What's a serving? 2 ounces (dry)

Price per serving: About 12 cents. A 16 ounce bag of dry pearl barley sells for about $0.94 and contains about 8 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving: 199 calories, 9 grams fiber, 2.5 grams soluble fiber, 6 grams protein, 8% Daily Value for iron, and 11% Daily Value for magnesium.

10. Yogurt (plain, low fat, or fat-free)

Great for: Smoothies, yogurt parfait, dips, and dressings.

What's a serving? An 8-ounce or 6-ounce container is usually a serving.

Price per serving: 60 cents. This is usually the price for an 8-ounce container of plain yogurt.

Nutrition Info per serving: (for 8 ounces of fat-free plain yogurt): 130 calories, 13 grams of protein