What's Good or Bad?

Many times in my quest to feed my family just a little healthier all the time, I find myself learning that my perception of how good for us something is can be wrong. My hot cocoa powder, for example, is gluten-free. I've been using the same stuff for years and didn't know that.

Since I was a child, I've known a fun "game" to play, that I recently shared with my husband. He was jokingly arguing with me that bacon is healthy because it makes him happy. After a "mom" look, I grabbed him by the hand and led him to the kitchen for something that would get childish delight and "do it again!" demands.

You need a partner for this. Hold your right arm straight out in front of you, palm up. Have a partner put a small amount of something in your hand. Something that you know is good for you, like a small piece of fruit or vegetable. Hold it closed in your hand and, trying to hold your arm up, have your partner try to push your forearm down lightly. You probably won't have too hard of a time keeping your arm up.

Next, remove the healthy item and put something in your hand that's not healthy - like white sugar or coffee grounds. Do the same. I'll bet that you have a much harder time keeping your arm up!

In my husband's case, I was accused of voodoo and paraded around the kitchen to keep pushing on his arm with every little thing. Things he thought were good for him, his body knew better. I've seen someone particularly weak to a food they were allergic to, even though it's healthy for others (strawberry).

So when in doubt, give this a try. If nothing else, it's a learning experience about the things you keep in your home, and you might find a product isn't what you thought it was.