I've written many times about how, healthy eating is cheaper than junk food. But what about in a country where vegetables expense and low income earners earn less than Australia.
Two television programs tackled the topic of the obesity of impoverished Argentina's. Surprisingly they both ended up with the same solution, despite one been done by a british expert and the other being done by 2 obese brits with no nutrition training.
The Argentina Obesity Crisis
Both programs attributed the problem to the diet
Beef
The joke I've made about flying Argentina airlines is that the hostess comes up to and says "would you like beef with your beef sir". Yes the Argentinians love their beef, however the quality of the cut depends on your income, with poor people eating the poorest cuts.
Vegetables
Are expensive, they are pretty much non existent in the diet of the poor. And not in ready supply in poor areas due to a lack of demand
Soft drinks
A popular product with the poor Argentinians. Featured heavily in their diet.
The Argentinian Solution
The nutritionist determined that the only place to get the money for the vegetables was to cut out the soft drinks. She also encouraged them to grow some vegetables, in the modest amount of land they had with some innovative solutions to the land space problem.
However what the 2 obese brits did was more interesting (
Fat And Fatter on ABC), they went and brought vegetables and cooked some food for a Argentinian family. The Argentinian mother said "you spent on vegetables what I spend on soft drinks". Though she didn't realise it, she answered her own question on how to pay for vegetables and demonstrated that being poor in a country with expensive vegetables doesn't prevent you from eating vegetables.
What you should do
Not be deterred by the price of vegetables, the pricing may refine your selection, but it should never deter you from purchasing them.
What if you did nothing
Hey those couple of dollars you save can buy you more soft drinks and don't those soft drinks make you feel good.
Riding
First time back on a track bike since January (before my accident). Raced the opening round of RAW at Dunc Gray Velodrome, where the held the 2000 Olympics.
Warmup race: Dropped, the pace was high and at least I wasn't the first to be dropped.
Three lap screamer: Got second wheel of the line, the first guy controlled the pace, keeping it slow, then sprinted with just under 1.5 laps to go. I wasn't able to hold his well and 2 riders went around me, resulting in 4th, a single point.
Points race: Was in the thick of it but didn't loose any points. A team mate sprinted off a got one of the wins (5 points), then rolled off. What he didn't realise was that if you get lapped, you loose 20 points :)
Combines: The first few riders went off at typical pace and after they rolled, we ended up with a really slow rider on the front, I had 4th wheel. 1st and 2nd wheel rolled together and 3rd wheel went for it, I went to and got his wheel, he did about a lap and rolled, I went for it. After 1/2 a lap, with 5 to go, I looked around and there was no one, so I decided to have some fun and kept gunning, pulling the gap out to about 50mtrs. Crossing the line with 2 laps to go, I only had 20 mtrs, so I knew I was going to be caught on the last lap, so I rolled and retried.
So this first time on the track bike showed me what was in me and what was missing
Classes
Join me on Monday 1.10pm for Ride30 at Pitt st.
Fitness First
Rockdale Mon 6.00am Ride
Pitt st Mon 11.30am RPM
Pitt st Mon 1.10pm Ride30
Five Dock Mon 5.45pm RPM
Rockdale Tue 6.30pm RPM
Top Ryde Wed 5.45pm Ride
Walker St Thu 6.00am RPM
Pitt st Thu 12.20pm RPM (covering for Stuart)
YMCA
