Grocery Shopping for Health

Everyone knows that losing weight and being healthy relies on two basic factors, exercise and the foods you consume. It is easy to focus on exercising at Club One Fitness in Severna Park/Millersivlle, but it's what you eat before and after you walk through those doors that may be hindering your progress. That is why we would like to give you a few helpful hints on what to look for when shopping for groceries.

When grocery shopping around 80% of the food you buy should come from what is on the outside perimeter of the store (although the Safeway where I shop near our health club in Severna Park has some yummy healthy stuff in the middle) This means you spend less time going up and down the aisles and more time shopping for the essentials. All the major foods you should be eating, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat are located on the perimeter of the store. By sticking to this plan you avoid the temptation of buying all the junk and filler foods that are found in the aisles.  This plan should also help you reduce the amount of time you spend shopping for food each week.

Grocery shopping can be confusing at times with companies throwing out unfamiliar words or phrases that lead you to believe that they are healthy choices. To make things simpler you should look for key "buzzwords" on products. For instance, when buying bread, cereal, or crackers try and find ones that says "100% Whole Wheat." This means that it is higher in fiber and essential nutrients. Do not be misled by products that advertise things such as "multigrain" or "whole grain." Chances are that they are mostly composed of bleached flour that has little nutritional value. Another buzzword to look for is "zero trans fat." Trans-fat, in simple terms, is the worst type of fat there is. Many products may appear to be healthy choices but when in doubt check the nutritional facts and ingredients.

While what you eat is highly important, what you drink is even more so. The number one thing you should drink if you're trying to lose weight or just maintain is water! However, because water isn't the most exciting beverage there are now several sugar free low cal additives you can use to change that. These travel size packets make it easy to stay hydrated while on the go. Sports drinks are often high in sugar and unnecessary calories. You really should only be consuming sports drinks if you are working out hard for 2 hours or more. But if you must have a sports drink, have a low calorie version. You probably won't drink milk while exercising, but it is still a great source of calcium and vitamins. Choose skim milk over 2% to reduce the amount of calories you are consuming. Soda, is almost always on the "don't list." Considered to be full of "empty calories," (no nutritional value) soda should be consumed sparingly.

Now that you are armed with the tools to be a smart shopper it is only a matter of time before you attain your fitness goals. So have fun and don't be afraid to try new foods!