#18. Junk food Monday, October 26, 2020 Elmer's glue is edible. So I glue a lot of my foods together. Like granola bars. DIY and delicious: simply glue together a clump of your favorite breakfast cereal and wait for it to dry. Other times, I glue the bologna onto my sandwiches. It's the best way to keep it from sliding around. And on really, really special occasions, I make s'mores out of Nestlé bars and Wonder Bread. The crust is nearly graham, the white is nearly marshmallow. But I always, always glue my s'mores together. Otherwise everything just falls apart. I'm kidding, obviously. And obviously I have a point. This point: "Edible" does not mean you should put it in your mouth; it just means you can. And yet we continue to eat way more junk food than we should. For plenty of reasons, but none of them good. By junk food, I don't mean Oreos, Twinkies, and peanut butter cups. It's hard to get fat on those because they take no one by surprise; everyone knows the perils of excesses. So Halloweenly indulgences are uncommon. And only common indulgences expand a waistline. Like granola bars. And breakfast cereals. And white bread. And America. Those are the real junk foods. So secretive in their mischief, so comforting in their convenience. You'll stop after one apple fritter, but welcome a Trojan Horse of fruit juice, pasta, and whole wheat crackers. That's how so many of our bodies lose the battle for health. Okay. Let's talk tips. Tip 1) "If it fits your macros..." At least you're being conscientious. Counting your crackers is a start. But replacing the daily junk with foods that provide real nourishment will accomplish your goals much faster. Tip 2) Be honest about your food choices. What would you rather eat: a granola bar or some Oreos? Some plain bread or cotton candy? They aren't that different, so if you're going to get junky, you might as well enjoy it. Tip 3) Not every food choice has to be perfect. Improvement in nutrition corresponds to improvement in health and physique. And continued improvement, given adequate time, eventually arrives near enough to perfection. So it's better to stay focused on daily progress.