Combat the Fat and Tailor Your Supermarket Habits For the New You!
I’ve been meaning to write about this topic for awhile, but the last time I did was in 2014 when I blogged about eating out of one grocery store. At the time, I wrote that we all deserve healthier food options and newer recipes to enjoy — and sure enough it sounded good on paper. Fast-forward three years and here we are again at a crossroads of new opportunities to change our habits.
This week marks National Nutrition Month where obesity rates in America have spiked amongst children, teens, and adults alike over the past five years since 2008 with 30% more overweight people than underweight members of society.
How did we get here? The simple answer is that many of us have been eating crappy food for far too long. This is why we see a high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, and low-fiber diet being consumed by everyone from celebrities to athletes to even pregnant mothers in the media.
The problem with these types of diets is that they don’t serve the body well over time… And it only takes a few bad habits over time to really take a toll on our health. Time to change things up and start eating whole foods again! We all deserve better.
Here are 6 tips you can implement right away to start making a difference in your health and those of those around you:
Buy organic food… Period. Don’t just buy the healthier options, go all the way with more fruits and vegetables. I recommend Organic Avenue for my family as well as other brands like ORGANIC CHOICE . Get in to the habit of buying food in bulk — if it’s not a staple in your pantry, you’re going to be throwing it out eventually. Try to avoid purchasing junk food and instead make any snacks or meals from scratch at home. Everything that you can make yourself is going to be more nutritious and possibly even cheaper than buying it pre-packaged. If you’re unable to cook fresh at home, at least try making something less unhealthy. Look for healthier options in your supermarket… You should be able to find some good food choices in most places, but I highly recommend Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for their vast inventory of healthy foods. If all else fails, there are plenty of other supermarkets that have frozen options… Don’t be afraid to use coupons! Supermarkets have all sorts of deals that you may not know about. The only way to find out is to ask a lot of questions. Be social and you’ll hear of all sorts of ways to save money on fresh food. Also, if you’re in the mood for frozen foods, I recommend Trader Joe’s or Organic Avenue as both companies have great options for healthy meals. Think ahead and plan a month of meals. You’re going to have to spend some time planning ahead and making food for those busy weeks when you won’t be able to make it to the supermarket. Utilize a meal planner like mine and you won’t end up eating junk or wasting money on take-out. Avoid fast food… I’m not even sure if I really need to say this, but you need to avoid the temptation of fast food. It’s basically just bad for your health and super expensive too — usually you’ll also be paying for extra unnecessary calories from sauces, toppings, and extras. If you find yourself in a bind or on the road unexpectedly, there are plenty of options to grab a healthy meal at home (or make one). There are so many healthy alternatives out there that it won’t be hard to find something that suits your needs. Don’t go too crazy with exercise though… Have some portion of the week where you don’t workout at all. Exercise is great for your health but you need a rest day every now and then. Also, aim to exercise at least 3-4 times a week for no longer than 20-30 minutes. Sometimes less can be more, especially if you’re just starting out.
As I’ve said before, we all deserve healthier food options that are less expensive and easy to find at home. In fact, bring it up with your local supermarkets and let them know about your concern over a lack of healthy foods. They may not know how important it is…
I’ll be posting more tips in the future to help you get ahead of the game with good health while on or off the field. And if you have any other ideas you’d like to share, please go ahead and leave me a comment below.
Article by: Yuki Yamamoto
Business Development & Marketing Manager at Organic Avenue
Click here to join the Organic Avenue community on Facebook ! We are always looking for more ambitious individuals that want to take their nutrition, health, and fitness goals to the next level. Contact Us Today! ! We are always looking for more ambitious individuals that want to take their nutrition, health, and fitness goals to the next level.
This blog post is linked up with : Nutrition Month . Crock-Pot Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes . Cornell University Food & Brand Lab . Whole Foods Market Blog .
Copyright © 2017 Organic Avenue. All Rights Reserved. DISCLAIMER: The statements on this blog DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE. Everything written by Organic Avenue employees are the opinions of the writers only. Do not rely solely on information found on this website to treat or prevent any medical condition, illness, infirmity, physical or mental condition. See your physician for all medical and health questions you may have concern them specifically trained to diagnose and treat such conditions. This is for educational purposes only. Please see your physician for all medical advice and questions You Should Know About .
Conclusion
As you can see, eating fresh foods doesn’t have to be hard. If you eat a few meals at home, prepare some recipes in advance, and avoid fast food, it shouldn’t be too difficult to eat healthy. It just takes a little bit of effort and time on your part.