Health at a low, low price

In what seems now as my previous life as a university professor, I have often remarked in classes, when appropriate contexts arose, that students will gain a lot for the rest of their lives if they learnt a couple of things that are not necessarily explicitly stated in undergraduate education: money management, and health and wellness management.

Think about this: Some of our greatest stresses, worries, come from those two aspects of life.  A personal budget crisis, a family not having enough, is a nightmare.  Problems with physical and mental health are not only big challenges by themselves but put pressure on one's cash flow, which can drive one into helplessness if they do not have the money.

I particularly warned them about the combination of cheap calories.  In my early days, I used to have a presentation slide on this issue.  We humans are wired for sweet taste, and will easily be tempted by the inexpensive sugary foods and drinks, I reminded them.  When working with a limited budget, those cheap foods would appeal a lot, but we have to deal with it like how Ulysses dealt with the Sirens. 

But, most students, perhaps all of them, did not care about such remarks from me.  An old man ranting in a strange accent.  What does a geography professor know about these things, when biology and business professors assured them that they were set for the rest of their lives if they focused on biology and business.  And, of course, when liberal education had been gutted so that students couldn't care about Ulysses and the Sirens, I was nothing but a Cassandra whose prophecies were never to be believed!

A documentary that we watched a couple of nights ago noted that a 12-oz can of Coca Cola has 39 grams of added sugar in it.  Here in the US, it is a rare few who are familiar with grams of the metric system.  It was helpful when viewers were provided with an image of 39 grams of sugar in a cup.  It takes about 13 teaspoons to add up to 39 grams.  Imagine consuming 13 teaspoons of sugar in 5 minutes!  And then we wonder why there's an obesity crisis here in the US and throughout the world!

But, the sugary calories of Coca Cola are cheaper than the wholesome calories in an apple.  There is no work of slicing or biting into the apple either.  Sugar is a devil in disguise.

Dinner last night was rice and daal with a side of raita.  A glass of tap water to drink.  Eating such simple but nutritious foods is perhaps why we do not feel the inflation that is reported all the time in the news.

The following two parts of this chart here tell the story about inflation and foods all by themselves:

A burger with Coca Cola is a lose-lose choice: Waste of money and bad for one's health.  Being money smart by eating home-cooked beans is healthy for the body too!

Of course, such a healthy approach has its downsides; but that's my problem! ;)