How To Grocery Shop For Health

November 5, 2014 / ktbuchs87

If you are the regular grocery shopper for your family, you probably have your routine down pat. You know exactly where to go, what to get, and what aisle everything is in. I know for me, I can pretty much grocery shop on autopilot and get everything I need in less than 30 minutes. But when you decide to make a big change in the way you eat, the grocery store suddenly turns into unknown territory. You’re now hunting the aisle for foreign ingredients and wondering whether lacinato kale and curly kale are all that different from each other. It can be frustrating to try and navigate your store and have no clue what to buy. I thought that I would share a few tips from my own grocery shopping routine to help you get in and out quickly and healthfully!

Plan Meals First

I always start my grocery list with a menu. During the week, I stick to simple meals that stay generally the same, I just change the flavors/seasonings based on what I have on hand. I save my new or more complicated meals for the weekend when I have more time. Once I have a menu written out, I can add the ingredients I don’t have in my kitchen to my list. This way you aren’t left wondering what ingredients that meatloaf dish needs while your standing in the grocery aisle. Meal planning is also a great way to start eating better. When you have a plan, you can stick to what you need and steer clear of the impulse buy in the chip aisle.

Use this template to plan and write out your list. Or find another one you like better online!

Change Your Route

Speaking of the chip aisle, wave good-bye. You probably have a specific route you take through your store and probably include a few less than healthy aisles. If you want to start eating better, I suggest changing your route. I personally like to start in the produce aisle. I fill my cart with all of the fruits and vegetables I will need for the week and then I move on to the other items I need in the store. I also don’t wander up and down each aisle, I go to the specific ones I need and avoid the temptation of the less than stellar aisles. For me this includes the aisles for tea/coffee, canned goods for diced tomatoes/tomato paste/tomato sauce, dried goods like rice and beans, and the frozen foods section for fruits and vegetables. While there are healthy things in the aisles of your store, your best bet is the produce section and the frozen food aisles. However you choose to eat, make sure you are shopping for those things and try to avoid the food aisles that have nothing you need.

Consider Multiple Trips

I know this might not be a popular tip for everyone, but consider making more than one trip to your grocery store or going to multiple stores. I do this for two reasons. One, I am fairly frugal with my grocery budget and I want to make sure that I am getting the most for my money. There are some stores that have better deals on food that I buy regularly and it is worth it to me to go to a few different places. My rotation of stores right now is Jewel, Aldi, and Whole Foods. Between those three I am able to get good prices on all of my food and eat healthy on a budget. The second reason I suggest multiple trips is that stores stock their products at different times of the day/week. I try to get to the store on the days/times that they restock the produce so I can get the best pick. Also multiple trips tend to save you money because you can buy only what you need instead of overstocking because you only go once. Again, I know that some of you are too busy for multiple trips during the week, but give it a try and see if it works for you.

Just Ask

If you’re totally changing the way you eat, chances are there are going to be some food items that you are unfamiliar with. Rather than just wandering around and getting frustrated, ask a worker. I have found that most of the time they are happy to help and it cuts down on wasted time to just ask someone for help. Plus if you get a really great employee, they can help you with how to prepare and eat that ingredient. So don’t be afraid to ask!

Grocery shopping is a vital part of eating well and it is disheartening when you feel lost. It can feel easier to just give up and go back to your old habits because you know what to do. Don’t give into the temptation and slip back to your old ways, try these tips and give yourself some time to get used to your new way of eating. Soon you will be flying through the store with ease and will be on your way to eating a healthy meal!

Our Food

November 3, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I came across this post about a woman from Nigeria coming to the United States for school and trying to learn how to eat well. I found it fascinating because it really shows how different our food system is compared to the rest of the world. While the whole post is really good, there were a few points that stuck out that I wanted to address here on my blog.

The first was how she learned to view food in Nigeria. In her house, they called junk food simply junk because that is exactly what it was. This is a simple idea but I feel like it is really substantial. Food is meant to nourish our bodies and give us fuel. It provides necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that allow us to function properly. Therefore anything that doesn’t meet those standards shouldn’t even be called food. Just what are we teaching young kids when we call candy, chips, soda, or any packaged product food when we qualify it as junk? We are telling them that it is in some way allowing our bodies to work the way they should and that isn’t what happens with Pop-Tarts and Oreos. It should be no surprise that we are confused about what food is healthy when we teach them that packaged and processed food can be part of a “balanced” diet.

We are spending more money on eating out than cooking at home.

The other reason that so many of us have a hard time eating well is that we are constantly sold on food advertising. We love our buzzwords like ‘all natural’ ‘organic’ ‘gluten-free’ and ‘locally sourced’. These words mean virtually nothing when it comes to whether we should eat something or not. Yes, organic and gluten-free are regulated terms but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. Organic candy is still candy. In the article, the author writes about being confused by all these words stating, “Wasn’t food by definition healthy? If the food wasn’t healthy, then why call it food?” Great question! It’s so simple, yet we have complicated it so much by relying on convenience foods. We need a package to tell us what is healthy to eat instead of just eating food that needs no advertising. You don’t have to wonder if a bunch of broccoli or a bushel of apples is good for you. Real food will always trump processed food.

When she came to the United States, the author was in good health. She never worried about her weight and had no other complaints. After awhile, she started to experience so many of the complications that come with a Western diet, even though she was trying to eat as close to what she grew up with as she could. After going to her doctor and doing some searching they realized all the pesticides and chemicals used to treat the food we normally eat, was causing her ailments. Her doctor stated that it was really common for immigrants to experience these problems when they come here. This made me realize two things. One, we really need to work on growing food that doesn’t need to be treated so much just to reach our tables. I won’t claim to have the answer to that problem, but I do think it starts with us as the consumer. Our money talks and by placing our money in food systems that are sustainably and thoughtfully grown, we can start to change the tides. I know that this won’t happen overnight and that it is tough to buy all organic all the time (I don’t have the money to do that either), but we have to start somewhere. The second thing it made me realize is that we shouldn’t all eat the exact same diet. I am a firm believer in what works for me might not work for you when it comes to eating. The microbes that digest our food are all different. Hence, an immigrant from Nigeria is going to have a hard time digesting the food we eat here just like I would probably have a difficult time digesting the food they regularly eat in Nigeria. It’s ok to not have a cookie cutter diet and eat what “everyone else is eating”. You need to find what works for you and stick with that no matter what your neighbor is eating. Respect your body and it will serve you well.

There are a lot of great talking/thinking points in this article, like the fact that in most other countries packaged food is way more expensive than regular food and only the really wealthy can afford to purchase it. Yet it is the exact opposite here. Packaged food is cheap and easily accessible while it costs a fortune to buy organic food. While it is still possible to eat well on a budget, it is a little more difficult. I also really like the authors simple rules to eating well here in the states. Buy food that you know where it came from, avoid packaged food as much as possible, and cook your own food. We don’t have to make being healthy a complicated process, simple steps such as these can make a huge difference in your health.

Try changing some things in your diet and see how much better you can feel. Check out some of my other posts on eating well or making small changes, and start making a difference today. You can do it!

How To Start

October 23, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

You’ve decided to be healthier, now what? Obviously you need to totally overhaul your life and daily routine, because what you have been doing isn’t working. But changing everything seems like a huge and daunting task and you’re feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you’ll start next week… Sound familiar? This is a really common problem. People want to be healthier but they get stuck on the getting started part. It feels like their whole life has to change and that is a lot of hard work. So how do you get started? Small. Yup. Start really, really small. That might seem counterintuitive to being healthier, but it is actually a lot more successful than you might think. When you change small things in your life over a longer period of time you have a higher chance of actually sticking with those changes. What are some small changes you can make to be healthier? I’m glad you asked! Here is a list of ideas on little changes you can make to your eating, exercising, and daily life that will help you on the road to being healthier!

Food/Drink

Eat out less. Do eat out more than three times a week? Are you always getting fast food for your lunch? Try cutting back just a little. If you eat out four times a week, cut down to three. If you are always buying your lunch, try making and bringing your own just a few days a week. By making just a small change you will be saving not only calories, but money as well. Plus you will be able to control exactly what you eat when you make it.
Eat slower. Many of us are really busy and tend to eat either really fast or on the go. This tends to make us eat more because our body isn’t really registering that we’re eating a meal. Try and slow down when you’re eating. Really taste the food, take small bites, and enjoy the meal. The slower you eat the chances are greater that you will feel fuller sooner. This little trick can help you stop eating more food than you need.
Eat less. Try eating a smaller portion of food. If you normally make and eat a big pot of spaghetti, try eating half and saving the other half for lunch the next day. You don’t have to do this for every meal, just start with one and then keep adding more meals. You’ll eat less and be able to have leftovers for lunches and dinners during the week
Make one healthy swap. If you normally eat white rice, try brown rice or quinoa. If you usually eat white bread, try whole grain. If you usually eat flavored yogurt, try plain greek yogurt with cut up fruit. Try a lettuce wrap instead of sandwich bread or adding an extra serving of vegetables. Little food swaps like this can save you calories and get you used to eating better quality food. Again, you don’t have to change everything you eat. Start slowly and over time change more and more things.
Add a glass of water. Try drinking one more glass of water than you normally do each day. Switch one of your sodas/juices/lattes with a glass of water. Water is super important and most of us could be better at drinking more.
Keep a food journal for one day. You don’t have to obsessively write down everything you eat every single day, but pick a day and write what goes in your mouth that day. At the end of the day, see what you’ve eaten. Having it all in front of you can help you see where you need to improve your eating habits. Maybe you snack way too much in the afternoon because you don’t have enough to eat for lunch.

Exercise

Walk. If you have never exercised or haven’t exercised in a very long time, walking is a great place to start. Add just 10 minutes of walking to your day and work your way up from there. Once you’re able to walk for a good distance, start adding other exercises. Maybe jog for a few minutes or do some crunches. Keep building from there and soon you will have a pretty decent workout routine.
Move more in general. Little things can really add up throughout the day. Park your car farther away from the building. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Walk over and talk to your co-workers instead of sending them an email. Maybe you can’t fit in a 30 minute workout everyday, but you can move more and every little thing helps
Enlist a buddy. Find a friend to take walks with you or try a new class together. Having someone else to keep you accountable makes working out more of a priority and can make it more fun.

Daily Changes

Get enough sleep. Sleep is really important for good health. It is when your body is able to shut down and recover from the day. Muscles are repaired during sleep along with other tissues and brain functions. Try going to sleep a little bit earlier at night, even just fifteen minutes can make a big difference.
Stop negative talk. Talking bad about yourself will get you nowhere fast. Putting yourself down won’t make you healthier, it will just beat you down. Try saying one good thing about yourself everyday. Yes, you might feel silly at first but it can really have a positive effect on your mind and attitude.
Limit TV time. If you normally spend your entire evening in front of the boob tube, try and cut down. Instead of four hours of TV a night, try two and go read a book, exercise, mediate, take a bath, anything but sitting on the couch. I get that watching TV is a relaxing and brainless activity many people enjoy after a long day, but there are better more productive things you can do that will help you unwind even better.

All these things might seem like insignificant ideas that won’t amount to much. But doing a lot of little things like this will add up over time. As you start to get used to each new habit, add in another and then another. Soon you will realize that you have changed all of your unhealthy habits for healthier ones and that it seemed like you did so without much effort. You can’t just magically get healthier overnight, it takes time and dedication. Start small, go slow, and you will get there before you know it!

Your Words

October 14, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. We’ve all heard it, we all try to believe it, but if we’re really honest with ourselves, we know it isn’t true. Words can hurt. Once you say something, it’s out there forever and you can’t take it back no matter how hard you try. You can try to let words bounce off of you and pretend that they have no effect, but after awhile they can start to wear away at you. Your strong exterior starts to crack and hurtful words seems to slip right through those chinks in your armor. For some, it might feel like the sticks and stones would be better than the words. We can’t control what other people will say about or to us, but we do have the power to control our own words.

Today’s post isn’t a lecture about watching your words and being careful what you say. I want you to think about the words and things you say about yourself. When we talk about words, it’s often in regards to what you’re saying about those around you. We don’t spend much time thinking about the words we use to describe ourselves. We don’t think about the things that we say to ourselves day in and day out and we really don’t think about the consequences of those words. Take a moment, what are the words you use about yourself?

Lazy. Self-conscious. Nonathletic. Over-eater. No willpower. Failure. Those were words that I often used in the lowest moments to describe myself. I was always negative and had a hard time seeing any positive when it felt like I had failed for the millionth time. High school was a rough time for me self image wise and in my quest to try and be like everyone else I constantly put myself down. I was my own worst enemy because by using all those negative words I was only hurting myself. How could I succeed when I couldn’t even talk well about myself? While my self-esteem got better as I got older, I would still find myself talking negatively to myself. If I felt tired during a workout, it was because I was being lazy and unmotivated. If I ate something I deemed bad, it was because I had no willpower. I failed to see all the good things that I was doing. Sure, I could fake being proud of myself sometimes but there was always something I could be doing better at and I zeroed in on the negative. I had trained my brain to only talk trash about my body.

Sound familiar? Like I said, words can hurt, especially the words we say to ourselves. With each jab and insult we say to ourselves, we’re only hindering our progress. Maybe you believe that you need to be tough on yourself or else you won’t see any results. I fully believe that there are times that we need to push ourselves but it should never be at the sake of talking smack. You wouldn’t call your best friends a loser for missing a workout, why in the world would you use that same word for yourself? Words are powerful and we need to start using them to our advantage. If you call yourself strong, you have a much better chance of feeling stronger and getting stronger. If you call yourself motivated, you can bet you are going to feel more motivated.

The words that come out of your mouth can either pick you up or bring you down. Stop beating yourself up with your words, it’s unacceptable. We all have flaws and more often than not we are very aware of what those flaws are. There is no need to constantly voice your problems to yourself over and over again because it will get you no where. You will just feel worse than before and are more likely to give up. If you can’t even talk nice to yourself, what’s the point. You deserve to be talked highly of and you are worthy of good words. Will you always be perfect and feel worthy of those words? No, but it’s in those times of struggle that you need those uplifting words the most. Today, start letting positive words enter your vocabulary. Use your powerful words to make yourself better and to keep moving you forward. Be your biggest cheerleader and watch how your outlook and life can change.

How To Stock Your Kitchen

October 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87

For some of you, eating healthier is a whole new ball game. You’ve never done it before and now you’re wondering what to buy at the grocery store and what to keep on hand in your kitchen. You were used to shopping and eating one way and now that needs to change. You can’t continue buying junk food and expect to lose weight or be healthy. But what do you buy? What are things that “healthy” people fill their pantries and fridges with? I am going to share four simple things that I always keep around and are easy to incorporate into meals for healthy dishes.

Fruits and Vegetables

Let’s just start with the obvious one and get it out of the way. Yes, I always have fruits and vegetables in my kitchen. For the most part I buy what’s in season because it’s cheaper and tastes better, but I also buy carrots, bananas, frozen vegetables, and potatoes year round. If you want to eat better, start adding more of these foods into your meals. Your mother was right, eat your vegetables because they’re good for you!

Grains and Beans

At the moment I have a variety of beans, including chickpeas, pinto, black-eyed peas, and split peas, on my shelf. I also have two kinds of oatmeal, millet, quinoa, brown rice, pasta, popcorn, and polenta. All of these are great add ins to many meals as well as a food foundation to top with sauces, vegetables, meat, and more. Most of the grains that I keep on hand are very easy and quick to cook so they can be made for a tasty week night meal. I like the taste and texture of dried beans better than canned, but they do take longer to prepare because you have to soak them to cook them. If you don’t have the time to do that, there are plenty of good brands of canned beans. Just make sure to read the ingredient list and rinse them well before you use them. The other reason that I like having a plethora of beans and grains on hand is that they are cheap. I buy all of these things from the bulk bins at Whole Foods and most are less than $2 a pound. If you don’t have a store with a bulk section these foods are still cheap. You can get a one pound bag of lentils or brown rice for .99 cents! That is some good and cheap eats.

Canned Goods

I always have at least one can of tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes on my pantry shelf. These can be used for stews, soups, sauces, toppings for meatloaf, salsa, or anything else that you can think of for tomatoes. I buy the no sodium added kind and make sure that there is nothing but tomatoes on the ingredient list. These are also pretty cheap because I buy the store brand at Jewel. One other canned good that I usually have on hand is full fat coconut milk and pumpkin. Again these can be used in so many dishes, from sweet to savory and can be found for fairly cheap prices if you look around.

Herbs and Spices

I have a huge herb and spice collection and it is bound to get bigger. I love making my own blends, like taco seasoning, and trying out new flavors in dishes. Herbs and spices are a very important part of my cooking because they help take food to the next level. Many people complain that healthy food is bland and boring, but it doesn’t have to be if you have a handful of spices around. Try classics like oregano and basil, or branch out with spices like curry or garam masala or berbere or harissa. Experiment with different flavors and find ones that you like the best and kick up your meals a notch. I’m fortunate to live in Chicago near The Spice House and buy most of my seasonings there, but Whole Foods sells theirs in bulk as well and many grocery stores have a large and good selection. As with any food though make sure you read the labels because some companies add in chemicals to keep the spices from clumping in transit.

There you have it. Four staples of the Dawson household. I use these things on a daily basis to create healthy meals and they are a good starting point for stocking a healthy kitchen. Of course I have more than just this food in my house, but I would say that most meals that I make are based on or incorporate these foods. Don’t feel overwhelmed if you are just starting out. Build your healthy kitchen slowly and find things that you enjoy and will use regularly. There is no wrong way to create your own healthy stock of food!