In my opinion, the building block of health is a good diet. Every time I'd go to the doctor about something, they would write me a prescription. And those medications are good for a temporary situation (like an infection), but if you go to the doc and describe a list of less concrete symptoms, they'll give you a script and send you on your way. Not one doctor that I know asks first, "What do you eat?" The best way to go about treating mystery or chronic illnesses is to take a complete blood profile and ask the patient to keep an eating diary for at least a week. Then the patient returns and the diary is analyzed, and suggestions are made on eliminating foods that cause problems. After dietary changes are made, the patient returns for another complete blood profile.

Most people would rather take a drug than make dietary changes, though. I have had to spend a lot of time in the grocery store lately reading labels. I knew I'd have to invest a lot of time up front to learn what I am allowed to eat. But I am willing to do this because I want to feel healthier. There were a few surprises I found at the store:

• Kretschmer Wheat Germ - Good for you, right? The plain flavor is, but the 'honey crunch' flavor has NO honey in it. It's corn syrup.
• Cheez-it crackers - Sugar included. Snack foods tend to contain sugar even if they are salty by nature. Best to stick to plain potato chips and nuts.
• Grocery store sushi - if it has a sauce on it, then it usually contains corn syrup. Stick to plain maki like california, tuna.
• Sugar free ice cream - contains maltitol syrup and other sugar alcohols, which aren't especially good for you and cause gastic distress in many.
• Yogurt - The only yogurts (besides plain) that I eat are Activia Light and Dannon Light. Both contain artifical sweeteners, which aren't great, but I can't give up all of my food pleasures.
• Cereal - 98% of all cereal has too much sugar in it. Those "Smart Start" boxes by Kellogg's? Hahahaha. You might as well be eating Fruity Pebbles because it has less sugar. Granola cereals? Should be called "Sugar with a little bit of oats in it." I have been trying some cereals in the health food section; add some agave nectar if I want to sweeten them. Hot cereals are a good choice if you buy the plain oatmeal and NOT the little flavored oatmeal baggies, even the ones that say 'reduced sugar'.
• Need to sin? Dark chocolate. The darker the better.
• Peanut butter: GIF, Jiffy, etc - full of sugar. "Reduced fat" peanut butter should say, "Plus 35 different chemicals and more sugar!" on the label. Only choice here is natural peanut butter, which contains peanuts and salt.
• Kidney beans: This shocked me. Most kidney beans on the shelf contain sugar or corn syrup. I looked through all the cans and found one brand that doesn't (I think it was Bush).
• Dried fruit: I want this to be my new 'candy'. However, it is candy. The majority of dried fruit contains added sugar, especially pineapple and all berries. The only ones I found au natural are apricots, bananas and raisins. Whole Foods carries a few more dried fruit in their bulk section that don't have added sugar. I bought cherries there, and discovered that the added sugar makes them taste good. Oh well.
• Energy bars: Carefully read through the ingredients to find sugar or corn syrup listed. Many of them do. Clif Bars and Luna Bars are good because they contain brown rice syrup or cane juice as the sweetener. I also like Bumble Bar.
• Salad dressing: I'm using balsalmic vinegar and olive oil on my salads because it tastes better. Processed dressings usually contain various preservative chemicals and of course, CORN SYRUP.
• Frozen dinners: I avoid this aisle like the plague. Some women at work eat these things for lunch and once heated in the microwave, they smell like funky chemicals. Ugh. Nasty.

Hanging out in the grocery store reading labels was a huge eye-opener. The American diet is full of processed foods and sweeteners - no wonder we have an obesity problem and have made drug companies rich. There isn't enough time in the day to ensure that everything that goes in my mouth is a whole food. However, a lot of food manufacturers are responding to demand for healthier food products, so it isn't entirely impossible to eat on the run and still maintain a healthy diet.