The Good, Bad and the Ugly about Grocery Shopping….

The Good, Bad and the Ugly about Grocery Shopping….

I will never forget the amount of overwhelm that I felt nearly 10 years ago when I first started eating consciously. What I mean by that is…when I started actually PAYING ATTENTION to what I was consuming…

I remember grabbing my grocery cart and going through my normal routine of going through the produce area first. I realized that all I ever really grabbed was bananas. How sad is that??? All those other wonderful fruits and vegetables were jealous that I kept going with the old standby! The only reason why I bought those was because my husband at the time used them for his smoothies.

Then I would snake my way through the aisles looking for our usual staples and brands that we’ve bought for years …mindlessly hoping to get through this chore as I had a little baby with me that wasn’t going to be well-behaved for long.
Then I started exploring nutrition and natural health… while educating myself heavily on ingredients and chemicals… those that were not so bad and those that were not acceptable to consume. That’s when grocery shopping became overwhelming. I felt like I couldn’t buy ANYTHING off those shelves. Items that I had eaten for years such as, Stove Top Stuffing had MSG in it… (Look out for Monosodium Glutamate) and so did most of my favorite soups, sauces and chips! As I put item after item back on the shelf… I continued strolling my empty shopping cart through the store wondering if I was going to come home with any food at all!
Then I discovered an area that brought me SOME comfort. A natural food selection! Who would have thought that all of those boxes that looked so unfamiliar before could end up being my saving grace!? I don’t recommend eating a lot of processed foods, especially if you have certain challenges in your diet…but occasionally we will want a pancake or your child will want macaroni and cheese. The good news is this special area will have your natural nut butters, Annie’s Mac n Cheese, Whole grain pancake mix, organic honey and many other products that are easier to transition over when moving your family’s diet to a healthier lifestyle choice.
No one wants to give up their comfort foods so I always suggest to changing UP to a better more alternative choice. Chances are you won’t miss those junk foods anymore as you detoxify (that’s right, some foods are chemically induced to make your brain react to them as if they were a drug).
I don’t want you to feel like I did, overwhelmed and confused as I grocery shopped. I want you to feel empowered and in control with confidence that you are feeding your family and YOURSELF the very best!

So I’ve created a cheat sheet for you to take to the store. I call this the GOOD, BAD and the UGLY.
If possible only buy GOOD… but I know realistically to keep the whole family happy you’re not going to start feeding them a Kale diet starting tomorrow or they may trade you in for a different mom and or wife. So… I believe in the 80/20 rule. When your diet is primarily made up of a great quality food, you’re allowed to have some other food choices that aren’t considered fuel for your body. I’ll tell ya a secret… eventually… you just won’t crave it anymore. The thought of eating chemically dyed and flavored pretend food just won’t appeal to you anymore.

So here we go!!!

The GOOD!

1) FIBER FOODS:
Sources: Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans.
Eat fiber rich foods RAW as often as possible, raw foods contain Live Enzymes!
Some Tips: Keep fruits and veggies washed and ready to snack on in the fridge or on the counter. This will keep you from grabbing those chips in the pantry. Add berries to your morning cereal to increase your fiber intake. Add Seeds to salads …such as chia seeds to Greek yogurt with some honey. Try out veggie burgers and other substitutes for meat to enhance your fiber intake. Try whole grain bread such as Ezekiel bread…. Use more beans, brown rice instead of white …make mega fiber muffins and pancakes. Fill a large bin with raw nuts and dried fruits for snacking.
2) Omega- 3 Fats are AWESOME!!
Sources: Flaxseed- you can find the meal kind that’s already ground up so that you can sneak it in cereal’s, baked goods and smoothies. Tuna, Cod, Mackerel, Salmon, Halibut, Pumpkin Seeds, Walnuts, Alfalfa sprouts, soybeans, free range chicken and free range chicken eggs.
3) Unsaturated Fats (2 types – Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated)
Mono- are almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, avocadoes, canola and olive oil
Poly– Sunflower seeds, pine nuts, safflower oil, sesame oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, fish
4) WATER
Drink ½ your body weight in ounces per day. If you weigh 125 lbs., you should drink 62.5 oz. a day.

The BAD!

Saturated Fats- Adults should consume less than 7% per day
Sources, Beef, pork, Poultry, Bacon, Butter, Cheese, Coconut, and Palm oils, milk, cream, deli meats

THE UGLY!!!

1) Transfat
BIG NO NO! This is what scars your arteries and causes cholesterol to stick to the walls!!
Sources: Any food that has partially hydrogenated oil or shortening in the ingredients listing. Some of the following to look out for, cookies, crackers, pastries, bagels, donuts, peanut butter, fried foods, coffee creamers, soups, fast food, candy, margarine, salad dressing, cereal bars etc. Note: you CAN find trans-fat free items BUT…be smart, look in the ingredients listing. The FDA allows the food companies to market a big label that says “NO TRANS FATS” on the outside, as long as it’s less than 5% hydrogenated oil in total. Educate yourself to be more powerful and more conscious then the average shopper. After all, you’ve read this far, you might as well start making some better choices, right?

2) Sugar “the enemy”
To find the # tsp. of sugar in each product, divide grams by 4. – 4 grams = 1 tsp.
I encourage you to look at the items that are in your household right now. Don’t forget to divide how many servings it contains as well. For example soda… it’s INSANE how much sugar it contains, and that’s without discussing the chemicals that you’re drinking as well.

From Good to bad is a listing below:
Stevia – no processing (GOOOOOD)
Raw Honey and maple syrup- no processing (remember, the more natural form that it has, the more easier it is for your body to recognize it and digest it properly)(GOOOOOD)
Sucanat- is “sugar cane natural”- goes through only 2 processing’s, great for baking! (1:1 Ration for sugar) (GOOOOD)

Raw Sugar goes through 17 processing’s
White sugar goes through 37 processing’s
Artificial Sweeteners (aspartame, NutraSweet, equal, splenda etc.) Although they are great to use as a pesticide if you have an ant problem, but by no means DO NOT INGEST IT! Synthetic lab created garbage is no excuses for God’s Natural Design… these are the worst! In fact…I think the FDA should put a skull and crossbones label on the outside.

Bottom line is …that you need to start somewhere and this simple guide was an outline that I took while grocery shopping over 10 years ago so I could feel EMPOWERED to make the right decisions for me and my family… I want YOU to feel powerful too…and eat consciously.

Remember this … you DON’T have to be another health statistic. You CAN control your health up to 80-90% with great choices. Start making YOU a priority TODAY!

Love and Hugs!
Karie Millspaugh

Wellness Coach