What grade of fuel do you choose when you go to the pump to fill up your car: ethanol or no ethanol?
Did you know that in the long run it can cost you more money in terms of gas mileage and maintenance if you use ethanol? In some cities, you really don't have a choice as the only option is ethanol and you have to go out of your way to get non ethanol gas. Fuel is expensive so most people just buy the cheapest and don't think about the long term consequences. Many consumers don't realize that buying the wrong octane for your vehicle or using ethanol may be a
good way to save on a car's running costs, but the short-term savings won't come close to offsetting the cost of repairs to a damaged engine.
I'm not an automobile or fuel expert and this article is not about debating the pros and cons of ethanol. I've been told by others who are experts that using ethanol can lead to long term problems with the fuel system due to the way it is manufactured and yes, you do get less miles per gallon, so I'm using this as illustrative purposes only.
People who really care about their cars choose to pay for the higher premium, ethanol free fuel because they do look at the long term cost. When you spend tens of thousands of dollars on a new vehicle (or even a used vehicle) you spend the money on changing the oil, filters, other fluids, tires because you want to take care of your investment. It's cheaper to maintain than to replace.
Your body can be compared to your vehicle - you get out of it what you put into it. Are you eating more fiber fortified or vitamin enriched foods than the natural product? There has been a growing awareness of how much processed foods we eat and how this may affect our long term health.
Food companies enrich foods by adding nutrients in order to replace vitamins or minerals that have been lost during the manufacturing process. For example, refining wheat to make
white flour removes several B-complex vitamins and iron that are contained in the part of the grain that's removed. Flour becomes enriched when those nutrients are added back in before it's packaged. Food manufacturers can claim their product is enriched if it "contains at least 10 percent more of the
Daily Value of that nutrient than a food of the same type that is not enriched."*
There are also more and more fiber-enriched food products appearing on store shelves. You can find fiber-enhanced yogurt, toaster pastries and muffin mix.** But are these foods as good for you as naturally occurring fiber and vitamin sources? There is still debate and neither side of the issue is unbiased. I have to ask though how is eating fiber enhanced toaster pastry better for you than eating an apple or any other natural
high-fiber food source?
Let's look at the apple. It has 4.4 grams of fiber (with skin), vitamins and antioxidants while Metamucil, a fiber supplement, has 3.4 grams of fiber and added dyes. Is taking Metamucil really any easier than eating an apple?
One of the biggest complaints from people I hear is, "I want to eat healthy but I can't afford to." Processed and fast food is cheap and may seem to be easier but in the long run it will cost you. It will cost you in time that you have to take to see doctors, money you will spend on medication and other costs associated with later health issues. Sadly, people are being diagnosed at younger ages than in the past with serious health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol issues, blood pressure problems.
You can take the time and money now to prevent later health issues or you can take the time and money later to deal with the health issues. So are you going to take the long view or the short one?
*
http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/enriched.htm
**
http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/10/are-fiber-fortified-foods-as-good-as-the-real-deal/#HEshwx5FrVirLkAR.99
