Prudence and Madness

I’ve already been going to the gym at least 3x a week for the past few months. However, I’ve noticed that I haven’t been losing as much weight as I hoped I would (1-2 lbs/week). Then I decided to cut out the meat and the rice from my diet (which I’ve been planning since the start of the year). I’ve tried eating green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, cottage cheese, skim milk, eggplants, wheat bread, and wholewheat pasta only, with moments of weaknesses when I ate tuna and chicken (I’m sure there would be violent reactions among the vegetarians out there), and, for a while, been successful at it. Yep, I’ve been trying hard to be lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Darn, it’s hard…and expensive.

But how could it be more expensive, if you’ll be eating less food and without meat?

Let me illustrate it to you, then.

Our daily diet is mostly centered on rice and meat (chicken, fish, beef, and pork) and so, the common marketplace will sell these. Every meal will always have rice and, without it, meals can seem quite incomplete. The presence of rice in my daily diet is what I’m trying to eliminate. So I have to look for ways to prepare vegetables for my consumption, without having to have rice with it. But there isn’t much variety in the way vegetables are cooked, the Filipino way.

My saving grace? Olive oil.

Olive oil is commonly used in vegetarian recipes and is an important component of salads and pasta. I use olive oil mainly when I make my own and less expensive version of pesto sauce (basil leaves, cloves of garlic, cottage cheese, olive oil). And so it’s permanent fixture in my grocery list. However, a 250 ml bottle of virgin olive oil cost around P110-P150, depending on the brand. And, of course, me, the forever kuripot person, will try to save by buying the P110-worth bottle or buy the 500ml one. In comparison, a 250ml bottle of canola oil (the cheapest one, I think, is SM bonus) is worth around P38-P50. That is half the cost of the olive oil! But, then, you’d say, why don’t I just buy the canola oil? I tell you, then, if you are in your right mind and if you’ve got that real taste for good food, you wouldn’t even think of putting canola oil in your salads and pasta. Believe me. I’ve tried. And so, I’ve to spend that much for olive oil.

Another permanent fixture in my grocery list is wheat bread. It is healthier than the white bread because of its higher fiber content and less sugar. Half a loaf costs about P41. A whole loaf of the ordinary sliced white bread only costs about P30-35. Now that is big deal. I practically eat wheat bread everyday and so, my consumption for this food is enormous. I’ve to spend for this one, too. Same goes for wholewheat spaghetti. A 375 gm package costs about P60-P100, depending on the brand. A 500 gm package of ordinary spaghetti just costs about P40-P50.

Cottage cheese contains less salt and fat, compared to cheddar cheese. One cup is about 240 gms and it costs between P90-150. Ordinary cheddar cheese, of the same weight (about 1 bar) cost only around P30-P40.

Yoghurt is my replacement for my ice cream cravings. A cup of yoghurt costs around P33-P70. A cup of ordinary ice cream costs only P15.

A visit to your friendly neighborhood fast-food restaurant can show you the huge difference in the prices of healthier foods and the prices of cholesterol-laden junk foods. Fried chicken and rice are usually offered as a value meal and prices range from P50-P70, with drinks. Vegetable salads’ prices range from P80-P110, without the drinks. So, if you’re the average Filipino, who’s holding onto hard-earned cash, you’d go for the cheaper, cholesterol laden lunch to save money for paying the bills and other house expenses.

In summary, the healthier options in food are the more expensive, compared to the usual, less healthier items that eat everyday.

It’s already hard having to set aside more money for these healthier foods. But to convince the other members of my family (my mom and dad) to do the same, that is almost next to impossible. They would stubbornly not give up their tocinos, longganisas, and instant noodles. Neither would they exchange white rice for brown rice, arguing that the latter has a bland taste. Not wanting to share in my “diet”, I have to buy my own food, eat my salad while they feast on fried chicken, pork chops, boiled rice, mashed potatoes, etcetera. That can really be a test of self-discipline and strong will.

And, of course, a proper diet should always be accompanied by proper exercise. It is advised the one should have an active lifestyle, meaning, at least 30 minutes of physical activity everyday. One can achieve this through different kinds of exercises, like brisk walking, swimming, jogging, or more commonly, playing sports. But for people living in the cities, with all that harmful emissions from smoke-belchers even right outside their homes, it would be impractical to head outdoors to perform daily exercises. The solution, so far, is to enroll in fitness gyms. But memberships in such gyms do not come cheap. Most would charge P2,000-P2,500/month and, in some, there can be other additional charges, joining fees, etcetera. Memberships in sports club charge almost the same. So, how can anyone who’s just earning basic pay ever afford that, in the face of increasing prices in goods and other services? For most Filipinos, this aspect of healthy is almost always sacrificed.

With all that said, how can we expect the average Filipino, earning average to less than average income per day, to spend more on healthier foods when there are foods, though less healthy, which are cheaper? How can we expect the average Filipino to stick to this new healthy diet when the other members of his family refused to change theirs because this would mean more expenses and less “satisfaction” with food? How can we expect the average Filipino to spend more on gym or sports club memberships to have regular physical activity when he has barely enough to pay for his bills?

Sad to say, in times like this, health is often set aside for the sake for survival.