How Is Convenience Affecting Your Health?

There I was...immersed in music while cooking my favorite curry, when I realized "Shoot! I don't have any coconut milk."

Nothing is more disruptive to me than needing to leave my house tor grab an ingredient while in the middle of the cooking flow.

I decided to go to one of the mini marts that are "conveniently" located near my house instead of the "task" of driving to the grocery store and all that is involved in that...

I quickly found the can of coconut milk thinking, "how bad can this actually be? It's just coconut milk. What else could actually be in this thing?" 

When I looked at the ingredients I saw "polysorbate 60" as one of the 4 ingredients listed.

I had no idea what that was so I looked it up on the spot. (Thank you Phone, Wifi, and Google)!

The very first thing that appeared was "Safety issues. According to the Journal of National Cancer Institute," "The Journal of Nutrition" and the FAO Nutrition Meeting Report Series, polysorbate 60 can cause detrimental reproductive effects, organ toxicity, and cancer in high doses."

I placed the can back on the shelf, thanked the lovely clerk, and ran the hell out of there. Needless to say I ended up "inconveniencing myself" and going to the grocery store with the healthier, organic option (joyfully at this point, might I add).

The inconvenience I'm referring to is time, and the "effort" of getting there. 15 minutes is all it took for me to go to the store, and get the option that wouldn't harm me or anyone else ingesting my fully organic meal. Introducing one ingredient that is not organic, affects the whole entirety of the rest of the meal which is organic. It was not worth it to me.

If we string together moments of convenience, 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there, what does that actually lead to? What does your body end up taking on, and accumulating?  

It dawned on me that it is things like this that we need to be conscious of. This is the conversation with myself that I never really wanted to have..."how is convenience affecting my health and my life?"

Please note that moments of "convenience" can accumulate and lead to the severe and significant inconvenience of disease and illness.

Are there convenience-based decisions in your life that are impacting your health on any or all levels?

What are the shortcuts that are being taken? Popping pills like advil instead of dealing with the root of pain? Taking a puff instead of healing the root of anxiety?

Of course there is a time, a place, and wisdom to choosing convenience here and there...as long as it doesn't become a bypass, bandaid, or way of life.