Eight Tips To Save At The Grocery Store And Still Eat Healthy!

According to a new national poll of more than 1,000 women, published in the June 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine (from the publisher of Consumer Reports), 57% of respondents said their main reason for not eating a healthy diet was cost.

How sad because it is possible to eat healthy on a budget!

I realize that your budget may be limiting you. I’m sure you want to stick to your budget so you can keep your household finances in order. A healthy bank balance plays an important role in reducing stress in your life!

However, let’s put this into perspective. You’ve heard it all before, how you can’t put a price tag on your health. Yet you aren’t sure how to get around it. You know that when your health is compromised, it is difficult to have the energy you need for the good things in life. Poor health can negatively affect every area of your life — time with family or friends, your performance at work and more.

The financial costs of illness can be steep! A major illness can destroy a carefully kept budget due to loss of wages, high medical bills, and sometimes even bankruptcy.

With all that said, you can’t afford not to eat healthy! The best part about it is that it is possible to eat healthy while staying within your budget.

Here are eight tips for eating healthy without breaking the bank!

1)  Make a list!  Plan your meals for the week and make a list. This keeps you from wasting food and money. For more meal planning tips, check out Meal Planning Helps You Lose Weight.

When planning, alternate the meatier dishes with meals that offer less meat with lots of veggies and healthy grains. This will help you stretch your dollar and increase your fiber intake.

Include other needed household items on your list, like toiletries and cleaners. Then, go to the store weekly. This will limit impulse buying exposure to one trip per week. After awhile you will get so good at making your list that you will add things to the cart by choice, not by impulse.

2) Compare prices! Not all stores have the same prices for the same or similar items.  I shop Trader Joe’s for a huge part of our list. The remainder I buy at our specialty markets and Nob Hill Foods. Trader Joe’s has a great selection of healthy foods, and the majority of their products are priced lower than their competitors. I only buy at Nob’s or specialty stores what I can’t find at Joe’s, plus the items I know are priced better elsewhere. Get to know the different stores in your area and their price differences. If they are close together, consider making multiple stops on your shopping day.

3)  Buy the store name brand! Many store’s have their own brands now which cuts costs significantly. Often times it’s the name brand food with a different wrapper. Read your labels and make sure you are avoiding trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) and high fructose corn syrup. Organic foods are becoming more and more available under the “store brand” labels, so always check to see if your store has that option.

4)  Shop in season! Fruits and vegetables are always less expensive when they are in season. When you buy out of season you are paying for the extra shipping. Consider freezing seasonable fruits and veggies while they are less expensive and save them for later.

5)  Know your source! Local farms and ranches may opt out of the Organic label because of cost. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t growing and raising the food in it’s purest form. Visit your local butcher ,produce stand, bakery, and other specialized food shops. Often times you can buy natural foods that are antibiotic, hormone, and pesticide free without the hefty “organic” price tag. Ask the local farmer how the food is grown.

6)  Chop your own stuff!  I chop my own garlic. celery, onions, carrots, and other types of root vegetables. This allows me to buy organic and save the money I would be paying someone else to cut my vegetables for me.

7)  Watch the extras! Limit things like cookies, chips, sodas, and sugary cereals. Consider these foods to be treats. Try substituting fruit, oatmeal, and water.

8)  Get creative! Buy foods that can multi-task! I always have yoghurt on hand and use it for snacks, in place of sour cream in recipes, or to make smoothies. Only buying one product for multiple uses is great. I know I will use it up rather than watch it grow mold. Throwing away food is like throwing cash away.

Have a question or a money saving tip you’d like to share.  Please leave a comment below. I’m looking forward to talking to you!

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is Sugar Bad For You?

Every time you turn around there’s another article or TV special telling you sugar is bad! It’s enough to make you want to throw your chocolate chip cookie right out the window. Before you chuck the cookie or feel guilty for eating it, let’s look at this from a more moderate perspective.

I do agree that too much added sugar in our diets contributes to obesity and may even be toxic. However, I don’t agree with blaming the nation’s obesity and health issues on sugar alone. Processed foods, lack of sleep, stress, a sedentary lifestyle, and over-sized portions are all contributing factors as well.

Let’s face it. Most of us like a sweet treat now and then. And, that’s okay. The concern is that most Americans are getting too much added sugar in their diets. Things like sodas, energy drinks, and even coffee drinks are responsible for the majority of the sugar consumption.

Yes, you can eat your sugar and be healthy too!

1)  Treat it like dessert!  Read your labels. If sugar is in the first three ingredients on a label then consider that food like a dessert. Try substituting fruit for added sugar in cereals and yoghurt. Add a teaspoon of honey or agave nectar if it’s still too tart.

2)  Moderation is key!  For example, the American Heart Association statement recommends that women limit themselves to about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, or about 100 calories. Men should aim for about 9 teaspoons a day, or 150 calories. Just how much sugar is that? A 12-oz. can of regular soda contains eight teaspoons of sugar, or about 130 calories.

3)  Drink more water!  Try substituting water or plain iced tea for drinks that have added sugar. If you like carbonation then consider investing in a soda machine and make your own sparkling water.

4)  Cook from scratch! Processed food usually has sugar added for flavor and/or for preserving food. When you cook your own meals, you control how much sugar goes into the meal. It is not uncommon for me to use honey or raw sugar in a stir fry recipe. However, it’s a measured amount.

You don’t have to become a gourmet cook. Choose 20 minute recipes from magazines like Health and Cooking Light.

5)  Choose wisely! Start tracking how much sugar you eat daily. Pay attention to the foods you really enjoy and which ones you could live without. Treat your daily sugar intake like a bank account and decide how you want to spend it. Substitute non-sugar choices or a piece of fresh fruit for the foods that are not that special to you. Make it worth it!

6)  Avoid high-fructose corn syrup! There’s a lot of controversy about this one. However, I personally believe that the chemicals in high-fructose corn syrup are suspect, and I tell my clients to avoid it. I believe our bodies will do a much better job of metabolizing food that hasn’t been altered with a bunch of chemicals. There are so many other “natural’ sweets that you can substitute. Why take the risk? If you see this ingredient on the label, put it down!

7)  Use it before and after exercise! A great time to consume sugar is when you will use it most. A piece of fruit before a workout is really good for fueling your workout. Low fat/high sugar is great after a high intensity workout. This would be the time to eat that yoghurt with the honey or evaporated cane juice!

Hopefully this will help you treat sugar with respect rather than be afraid of it. Avoid a lot of added sugar and use natural forms of it in moderation. You don’t have to eliminate it entirely, just know you don’t need a lot of it!

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you have a favorite sweet treat you’d like to share.  I love to hear from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer

 

 

Proper Rest Helps You Lose and Maintain Your Weight

With today’s fast paced lifestyle, rest can often seem like more of a luxury than a necessity. But, did you know that proper rest is critical to permanent weight loss?  When I say “rest,” I’m not just talking about sleep. I’m talking about resting your mind as well.

Here’s how lack of rest makes you fat.

Without proper rest, you become fatigued and lose enthusiasm and energy. You may become overwhelmed, leading to emotional paralysis. In turn, this will interfere with physical activity. Your mind will search for an escape such as sitting in front of the TV with a bag of cheese puffs. Or, another common statement I hear is, “My subconscious thinks I deserve that giant bowl of ice cream because I have been working so hard.” Soon you will see the needle on the scale creep up slowly but surely.

Maybe you know you have been burning the candle at both ends. You’re thinking, “yeah, but this is just temporary.”

The human body can handle about three months of being in the pressure cooker and then you need to back off and get your balanced life back. If three months is what you mean when you say temporary, you can probably get away with it and plan a vacation for when you are finished. If temporary has no end in sight, you are at risk of weight gain and serious health issues.

When I first started my personal training business, I was working about 60 to 70 hours per week. It was a thrill in the beginning. However, over time I began to “burn out.” I became overwhelmed and depressed. So depressed I didn’t even want to get out of bed. My health began to deteriorate. The good news is, it forced me to cut back on my hours. That was the best thing I ever did for my mental, spiritual, and physical health.

Here are six tips for proper rest and life balance.

1)  Take a long weekend! Schedule a long weekend with your spouse every three months. Do this if you are single as well. Unplug from technology. Choose somewhere that you can drive to and avoid airport hassles, which would interrupt your relaxation. If budget is an issue, try camping or a staycation — and act like you are out of town. If you have kids, ask another couple if they would like to trade weekends with you and watch each others’ children.

2)  Evaluate! Write your top five to ten life priorities in order of importance. Then, look at your calendar and see how much time is being devoted to each. Is there a balance? Is there something that should be put on hold for awhile? Depending on what that list looks like currently, that may even include formal workouts and temporarily switching to lifestyle activity for your exercise. You can learn how to add lifestyle activity into your day with Lose Weight Living Your Life.

3)  Get help! Outsource tasks. If you are trying to be a do it yourselfer for everything, it doesn’t allow much time for rest. For example, you can hire a business assistant, pay a teenager to mow your lawn, assign chores to your children, and have your car washed professionally. This will open up time for your priorities.

4)  Get some exercise! If you are lacking rest, moderate exercise can help you sleep. However, this is not the time to attend boot camp style workouts. Moderate activity such as lifestyle exercise, walking, and light strength training is more appropriate. This is called active rest. You are still moving and burning calories. However, your body is not being over stressed either.

5)  You have permission to pamper yourself! Get a massage, a manicure, a facial; play golf, or go to a spa — whatever small time out you can take that rejuvenates you! Make sure it’s on your calendar. I get a manicure/pedicure every three weeks, and spend the day in the city getting my hair done every six weeks. These little treats help me rest and relax.

6)  Find water! There’s something about water that feeds your mind, spirit, and soul. Maybe that’s why so many singers write songs about escaping to an island or the coast. When I want to relax, I head to the beach or a lake. A pool works as well. Schedule a weekly swim, or plan a full day at your local beach or lake. You’ll come home renewed!

I’ve shared my personal strategies for getting rest and leading a balanced life. Use this list and feel free to add to it. Get creative! I’d like to hear your personal favorites for rest and relaxation.  Let me know by leaving a comment below. I really enjoy hearing from you!

To your health!

Jennifer