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GROCERY SHOPPING 101
GROCERY SHOPPING 101
Go into your kitchen; open your cabinets and pantry. Take everything out and put it on the table. Next, open your refrigerator and do the same thing. Take a good look at what’s there. This is what your organs, bones, muscles, dreams and realities are made of. We absorb everything we put into our bodies regardless of its ability to make us healthy or sick, strong or weak.
Below is a handy guide to healthy shopping. Many people eat poorly simply because they shop poorly. Supermarkets are set up like casinos. It is a maze of marketing and strategy, so when you walk into any store, always have a plan.
As soon as you enter most markets, you will see the produce section, which houses the fruits and vegetables. Always start your shopping here and only pick up items from your list. I have made one for you to use as a reference.
GROCERY LIST
FRUIT
Strawberries
Blueberries
Apples
Oranges
Mangos
Avocados
Bananas
GREEN VEGETABLES
Baby spinach
Green peppers
Asparagus
Broccoli
Kale
Zucchini
Brussels sprouts
COLORED VEGETABLES
Tomatoes
Red peppers
Onions
Beets
Carrots
Corn
Sweet potatoes
GRAINS
Oat bran
Quinoa
Brown rice
Pasta
Ezekial low-sodium bread
Buckwheat
Amaranth
NUTS
Walnuts
Cashews
Pistachios
Almond butter
Peanut butter
Hazelnuts
Pecans
LEGUMES
Black beans
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Red beans
Fava beans
Lima beans
FATS
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Peanut oil
Grapeseed oil
Coconut oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Hemp oil
DAIRY/NON-DAIRY ALTERNATIVE
Almond milk
Coconut milk
Feta cheese
Havarti cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Rice cheddar cheese
Almond cheese
ANIMAL PROTEIN
Eggs
Salmon
Tuna
Chicken breast
Ground turkey
*These items should always be on hand: Purified water, green tea, basil, oregano, fresh garlic, thyme, paprika, sea salt, pepper, rosemary,
cayenne, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon.
BUYER BEWARE
While shopping, remember that product labels are designed to attract you. They are a sales tactic. For instance, many people confuse nonfat vs. fat products.
Nonfat does not necessarily mean less calories or “better for you.” Often nonfat foods have more sugar in them than their regular-fat counterparts. And certain so-called “sugar-free” foods are often sweetened with suspicious chemicals. (Google danger+splenda and see what pops up.)
You must read the ingredients.
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THE NUTRITION FACTS LABEL
Most people glance at a product and only look at the calories. Some go a little bit further and compare the fat, carbohydrate and protein content.
Many don’t even consider the fiber content, but the key concern really should be with the fine print: The ingredients. That is where you actually find out what you’re eating.
Protein, carbohydrate and fat quality will differ drastically depending on what the item is made of. You only find this through the ingredients, which are listed in order of their quantity in the product. That means the first ingredient on the list makes up the largest amount of the product and so on
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The Importance Of Hydration
Hydrate for health
Keeping yourself well hydrated is a key consideration for achieving optimal health and maximising exercise performance. Our bodies consist of approximately 60 percent water and a drop of just a few percent can result in adverse symptoms. The reason for this is water is needed to control body temperature as well as for the delivery of nutrients and excretion of wastes. Water also forms the medium in which the body’s many chemical reactions occur.
How do you know if you are hydrated?
Despite common misconception, thirst is actually an imperfect measure of how well hydrated you are. By the time you are thirsty you can be already dehydrated by half a litre or so. Therefore, thirst cannot be relied upon to monitor hydration status. A better way to keep check on your level of hydration is by monitoring urine output. The motto here is, ‘Don’t go for gold!’ When fully hydrated your urine should be clear and odourless – although vitamin B2 can give a bright yellow appearance.
What is the best way to stay hydrated?
On average your body loses approximately 2.5 litres of fluid every day, which equates to around eight glasses or three standard drink bottles, which is why we should aim to drink this much each day. Obviously your fluid requirements increase substantially in hot weather and during times of high activity. During such times your fluid intake should increase accordingly. During exercise fluid loss through sweating is often in the order of 800 millilitres (mL) to 1.4 litres per hour (approximately three to six glasses), although sweat rates of up to three litres per hour have been recorded. It is desirable to match your rate of fluid consumption with your rate of sweating. It’s interesting to note that voluntary drinking only replaces about two-thirds of the body water you lose as sweat. Therefore, making a purposeful attempt to stay hydrated is necessary. For this reason the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that during exercise individuals drink a minimum of 150 mL (just over half a glass) every 15 minutes.
Obviously, in order to keep hydrated you need fluid to be accessible, so be sure to keep a drink bottle on your desk, in the car and with you when you exercise.
What should I drink?
There are a variety of beverages available on the market, so which one should you drink? The answer to this question depends on several factors, including the occasion in which you use them, as well as personal preference. Plain water is always a good hydration option. However, many people find plain water boring as it lacks taste appeal and so they don’t drink as much as they require. If this is the case, drinking a flavoured beverage can provide a greater incentive to keep hydrated. Also, plain water does not replace electrolytes that can be lost in sweat. This may be an important consideration if you are perspiring heavily for a long period of time.
Sports drinks like Gatorade® and Powerade® have been specially formulated to do two things. Firstly, they ‘put back in what the sweat takes out’ which includes water and electrolytes. Secondly, they provide energy for exercise – typically around 150 to 200 calories per bottle. If you are exercising for an extended period of time (e.g., longer than one hour) this energy has been shown to delay fatigue and improve exercise performance. However, if you do not exercise for long periods of time or you exercise to manage your body weight, the calories in sports drinks may not be desirable. For example, it can take 30 minutes or more of walking to burn off the calories in a bottle of sports drink.
Spring Clean Your System
Have lots more energy, better-looking skin and bright eyes by giving your liver a good clean out.
Spring symbolises new life and fresh starts for the wardrobe, garden and for you. In Chinese medicine, the liver is the organ of spring. It gives the marching orders to all the organs in the body, including your skin, so giving it a good clean out will certainly put a spring in your step.
It’s easy to give your body a fresh start. Just set a starting date, write a food plan for a two week cleanse and make time for shopping to ensure you have all the right fresh foods at home.
• Start each day with fresh lemon juice in a glass of hot water.
• Eat less dairy produce.
• Drink a fresh veggie juice before breakfast. To sweeten add green
apple only.
• Eat no more than one serve of red meat each week.
• Have lots of green vegies sprinkled with lemon to help the
absorption of iron.
• Avoid eating processed or pre-packaged food.
• Wok-fry or steam your meals instead of roasting.
