Shop Healthy, Be Happy: Grocery Store Tips and Tricks / Nutrition Looking to lose weight? Try our FREE Calorie Counter ?  |  Log In Articles All Articles Nutrition Fitness CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT LOG IN WHAT IS FITDAY? FITDAY PC PREMIUM DIETITIAN SERVICE ArticlesFitnessNutrition HomeNutritionShop Healthy, Be Happy: Grocery Store Tips and Tricks Shop Healthy, Be Happy: Grocery Store Tips and Tricks Between the trendy buzzwords, the vast number of choices and the amount of time you'd rather not spend reading nutrition labels, even the savviest of shoppers can end up overwhelmed in the grocery store. But, going in with a few tricks up your sleeve are guaranteed to make healthy shopping a little less overwhelming and a little more successful.



Bring a list.

And stick to it! Healthy decisions start before you even walk through the front doors of the store. Planning ahead can not only keep you from throwing in unnecessary items (hello, cookies!) but can also save you time and money. Have everyone in your family help contribute on the list as well. Kids (and adults too) are more willing to try new foods when they help pick them.

Start with the perimeter.

Do the bulk of your shopping in the perimeter of the grocery store where the more wholesome fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat and fish reside. Aim for meat or fish items that are 95 percent lean or higher, low-fat dairy and a variety of fruits and vegetables. While the junk food tends to lurk in the center aisles, that is also where you will find many other healthful additions to your grocery cart including beans, frozen fruits and vegetables and whole grains. But, as a general rule of thumb, take your time loading up on whole, nutritious items on the perimeter and then make your way through the middle to get specific items on your list.

Buy a few health foods in bulk.

Items such as meat, nuts, yogurt and some grains can tend to run on the higher end, price wise. To get more for your money, try buying these items in bulk. Whether this means a large tub of Greek yogurt for the week or a big bag of quinoa and almonds to last you a few months, your wallet will thank you. Meat is also a great thing to buy in larger amounts, allowing you to freeze any extra. Ground turkey, for example can be turned into chili, turkey burgers or a hearty spaghetti sauce. Plus, buying in bulk helps keep your pantry stocked with basics, ensuring you always have a plan B when scrounging up dinner ideas.

Don't forget the frozen aisle.

Studies are showing that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthful, if not more, as some of the fresh produce sold in supermarkets. Fruits and vegetables that are picked for freezing are usually processed when they are at their peak ripeness. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables that are destined to be shipped to the fresh-produce sections around the country are typically picked before they are ripe. Shortening the ripening process gives them less time to develop a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals.

The fewer the ingredients, the better.

If you stick to that general concept while grocery shopping, you're automatically starting at a healthier place. This will help to eliminate added sugars, fats and preservatives and focuses on the most wholesome version of the food.

Be wary about big nutrition claims.

Advertisers design their packaging to sell. So taglines like "no cholesterol" or "no sugar added" are meant more to draw you in than to represent the truth. A lot of these claims are not regulated and therefore the extent to which they apply is often left up to the imagination. For example the word "lite" can indeed mean fewer calories, though there is no standard set for exactly how many calories you are saving. If you're wary of a certain item, take a peek at the nutrition label - those numbers can't lie.


How To Replace Saturated Fat In Food

Sarah Dreifke is a freelance writer based in DeKalb, IL with a passion for nutrition education and the prevention of chronic disease. She holds a Bachelor of Science in both Dietetics and Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she is working towards a combined Master's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics as well as a dietetic internship at Northern Illinois University.

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Train Your Brain to Prefer Healthy Food / Nutrition Looking to lose weight? Try our FREE Calorie Counter ?  |  Log In Articles All Articles Nutrition Fitness CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT LOG IN WHAT IS FITDAY? FITDAY PC PREMIUM DIETITIAN SERVICE ArticlesFitnessNutrition HomeNutritionTrain Your Brain to Prefer Healthy Food Train Your Brain to Prefer Healthy Food Many people struggle to eat healthy, stay physically active and lose weight. One of the hardest parts of eating healthy is that you are constantly surrounded by junk food. Every time you turn on the television you are inundated with ads for delicious-looking, high-calorie foods. Driving down the road, you are flanked on the left and right by fast-food joints and restaurants, begging you to stop in. Our environment makes it difficult to stay on track with eating healthy, and those unhealthy foods taste soooo good!

But what if you could train your brain to actually prefer healthy foods over junk foods? Wouldn't that make it so much easier to eat the kinds of foods that are good for your body? Well, even though it sounds too good to be true, it may be possible to train yourself to crave healthy foods over those high-fat, sugar-laden, calorie catastrophes. New research out of Massachusetts General Hospital and Tufts University shows promise in rewiring your brain to desire lower-calorie, healthy foods rather than higher-calorie, nutrient-poor foods, essentially showing that it is possible to turn the tables on the addictive powers of junk food for good.

The Study

Scientists have long speculated that once a person's reward system in the brain becomes addicted to high-calorie foods, it sets that person up for lifelong habits of unhealthy eating and subsequent weight gain. However, researchers also theorized that people can reverse this conditioning that occurs over time after repeated exposure to highly-palatable junk foods.

In the small study, published in September 2014 in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, 13 participants (both men and women) who were categorized as being overweight or obese were split into two groups -- one group was enrolled in a weight-loss program and the other (control group) was not. The weight-loss program centered on a portion-controlled diet of low-glycemic index (GI) foods high in fiber and included education on behavior change. The diet was roughly 50% low-GI carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat, and included 40 grams of fiber daily. The diet group also attended support group sessions and communicated with a dietitian weekly via email.

The study lasted six months. At the beginning and end of the study, both groups had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans done on their brains. What the MRI scans revealed was exciting for the researchers: in the weight-loss group, areas of the brain's reward center exhibited changes correlated with addiction and learning, showing a heightened sensitivity to healthier foods lower in calories. Additionally, the MRIs found a lowered sensitivity to the high-calorie junk food. This demonstrated that those in the weight-loss program had an elevated desire for the healthy stuff with a simultaneous decreased desire for the junk food.

How Do I Get Started?

Here are some simple, easy pointers to start a sort of "re-circuiting" of your brain to help you activate that reward center when you eat healthy foods.

Keep healthy snacks around. We most often get cravings for junk food when we are famished. Don't allow yourself to get so hungry that your willpower diminishes.Don't keep high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods in your house or at your office. Out of sight, out of mind.Allow about three weeks for your body to adjust to your new healthy-eating lifestyle. Your taste buds will adapt.When you feel like a junk-food craving is about to hit, distract yourself with an activity that will keep the temptation at bay -- go for a walk, call a friend, clean your house, anything. Cravings usually pass within about 20 minutes.


Freakin' for Freekeh

Kari Hartel, RD, LD is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian and freelance writer based out of St. Louis, MO. Kari is passionate about nutrition education and the prevention of chronic disease through a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Kari holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University and is committed to helping people lead healthy lives. She completed a yearlong dietetic internship at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL, where she worked with a multitude of clients and patients with complicated diagnoses. She planned, marketed, and implemented nutrition education programs and cooking demonstrations for the general public as well as for special populations, including patients with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, and school-aged children.

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Suheily Rodriguez
North Whales, Penn.
Age: 27
Growing up Puerto Rican, I ate meals that were mainly rice-based and filled with fried plantains and pernil (roast pork). My saving grace: I was active—a cheerleader and a gymnast. But once I graduated from high school, the number on the scale shot up. Two pregnancies later, I weighed 236 pounds. The worst part: I couldn't walk for long without my ankles and knees throbbing. Still, it wasn't until I saw the few photos I was unable to dodge from a trip to Puerto Rico in December 2011 that I was forced to confront my size; it was staring me right in the face. Though I had tried and failed to lose weight before, I decided to give a healthy lifestyle a go one last time.

No more drive-throughs
Starting in March 2012, I cut back on carbs, eliminating my daily helpings of rice, bread and pasta. Then I added more fruit and vegetables to my diet. I also traded in fast-food stops for home-cooked meals, feasting on spring-mix salads topped with chicken breast, salmon or tilapia every day. Within three months, I knocked off 10 pounds. Next I got a handle on my portions, serving my meals on my son's mini plates.

After: 140lb
Dress size: 2
Sizes lost: 8Home-gym slim
Thirty pounds lighter, I was ready to sweat. The problem: I was too embarrassed to go to a gym. So I built a home one, where I exercised an hour a day six days a week. I dropped another 25 pounds by September. Just as exciting, I was able to fit into size 6 jeans! This motivated me to kick up my training intensity. I started using ankle weights while on the treadmill and when doing leg exercises. That really helped me firm up. One year after committing to getting fit, I reached my goal. Even better, I no longer want to hide when a camera comes out.

Secrets of a 96-pound loser
A doable diet and exercise plan were the keys to Suheily's makeover. Try her tactics, and find even more at health.com/weight-loss-stories.

Flat-belly trick: Eat yogurt
When I have more Greek yogurt (I like Yoplait's tropical flavors), even for just a week, my tummy is instantly flatter.

Fitspiration: Massiel arias
I stumbled across her on Instagram (@mankofit). She posts great workouts and fitness challenges.

Workout must: Electronic dance
I listen to Tiesto's podcasts; the fast pace makes me push harder.

Go-to meal: Kimchi jjigae
It's a Korean stew made of kimchi, tofu, chili pepper, pork belly, red pepper paste, sesame oil and scallions, and it's pretty low-cal, too.

Suheily Rodriguez, 27, 5'7"

North Wales, Penn.

BEFORE

236 lb.

DRESS SIZE: 18

AFTER

140 lb.

DRESS SIZE: 2

TOTAL LOST

96 lb.

SIZES LOST: 8

As told to Rozalynn S. Frazier

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