when did eating become so complicated????

i remember growing up, when eating did not seem so hard.   as kids, we lived on butternut, WHITE bread.  we drank GRAPE CRUSH & KOOL-AID.  sides were CHEETOS!!  our dinner rotations were always spaghetti nights with WHITE pasta, hot dog night (no such thing as turkey dogs), meatloaf night, pizza night, etc....  yes veggies were found on the dinner table and 98% of the time, it came from a CAN.  there was always dessert.  weekends came with lots of dunkin doughnuts and trips to the ice cream parlor...wow!!!!

and yet, neither me or my siblings ever had weight problems, skin problems, behavior problems, etc....

my parents had the rule of if it was still light outside - get out there and stay out until it was mealtime.  there was NO sitting on the couch watching tv.  we always were involved in sports - may not have been any good - but we were always moving.  on the weekend - it was a family affair outside...if it was lawn care weekend -you bet, everyone had a job to do.

then things changed.......

we were told, go sugar-free, fat-free, don't eat white flour products - only eat whole wheat breads and pasta.  diets soda is better now, it has artificial sweeteners that made it taste like the real thing...not like radiator fluid  - aka Tab (oh god, i used to drink Tab by the case!)

now it is time for no carbs, limit protein, eat lots of protein, no carbs after 6pm, eat breakfast, don't eat breakfast, no red meat, eat red meat...

and just recently...DON"T eat whole wheat products...they add all kinds of gluten, bad for your gut...better off eating the white pasta!!!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

and now we enter the new wave of eating - "CLEAN EATING".

this one for the most part seems pretty easy - no refined sugars, no processed foods, basically no junk....

oh wait, there is also PALEO - the newest concept.  i have not done enough research on that one yet...since quite frankly i am sick of it all!!!!

every time i turn around, another health expert is changing the rules....

i am thinking maybe i should just go back to the basics, feeding my family food from the core food groups like always.  keeping us all engaged in active activity....no sitting on the couch, no video games, etc.  granted, i will most likely not feed my kids butternut bread and kool-aid, but things just seemed so much simpler and easier back then.

i have been keeping a food journal for myself.  it is crazy...trying to eat clean and healthy, making sure i have the right mix of good carbs and protein.  getting enough veggies, no carbs after 4pm, drink at least a gallon of water everyday....  then late at night, i get hungry...REAL HUNGRY, i make bad, bad choices and blow it all to hell.  then i start all over again the next day.  it's no wonder why so many of us struggle with the whole "eat right" concept.  i think there are just TOO MANY RULES!!!!

thinking my new way may just be to fly by the seat of my pants...use common sense & good judgement.

whew...i needed to vent this today.

there just has to got to be a better way.....