If unhealthy is not available you can’t eat unhealthily!
It seems losing weight is the trending topic this month. And why not? The soaring obesity and increasing health issues call for dire attention to this traumatic situation. Today, obesity is the number one culprit for a cluster of health conditions including diabetes, arthritis, depression, heart diseases, strokes, and even cancer. Thanks to the rising awareness and the healthy campaigns by the government and film stars, influencers, and athletes, people are indeed turning towards a healthy lifestyle!
Recently, one of my patients asked me about the process of weight transformation. Does it start at the gym or from the plate? I smiled and replied, “It starts at the grocery store!”
The practice of healthy living starts with healthy eating which roots back to your grocery store habits. Research has proved that grocery shopping habits are essential to the success of your weight loss goals.
Here are 8 smart shopping habits that can transform your body and elevate your living!
Persist to the list
The old-school habit of writing a list still works its charm! Keeping the necessary items in focus blurs the unnecessary impulses that you make while strolling through the smartly decked aisle. Shopping without a list often ends up in picking items you neither need nor want. Just because they are in offer or discounts or looking really appealing, you fall for the trap and fill your cart with an unhealthy wrap!
Trust the locals for the best proposals
Supermarkets are a hoax. No doubt the ‘everything under one roof concept sounds and feels good, but it beguiles the visitors with charming tactics making them buy more than desire, and eat more than crave! Going to the local shop with a list in hand is the best way to go grocery shopping. And our ancestors were masters of this craft!
Drop your hunger and anger before lifting the bag
Research has proved that hunger and anger adversely affect one’s capacity to make rational decisions. You are more likely to pick up unhealthy junk and packaged foods when you are not in the right frame of mind. The moment you lose control over your mind, the tongue takes charge of your shopping!
Shopping is no child’s play
It is suggested to leave the kids at home if there is someone to support them! Kids often get demanding and throw a tantrum in the grocery stores to get their hands on unhealthy snacks. The more they feast on unhealthy food, the more they will crave unhealthy stuff. This will disturb the eating habits of your entire family.
Watch the watch
Yes, there is an ideal time to go grocery shopping! It’s either after breakfast or after lunch. That’s when your stomach is full and the queues are empty. The more you linger in the store, the more items you tend to pick up! Never go grocery shopping without having food, not only you will pick up unhealthy but there is a good chance that you will end up feasting in the food court!
Read the labels
Labels are written for a reason, but we are too lazy to care! Read the labels, and check the expiry date, the calories, and the contents before stocking your stack. Often marketers highlight the words ‘no sugar’ or ‘fat-free’, but it needs a more hawk-eyed look to watch the catch.
The stock for guests
Indian households have a habit of stocking items for uncalled visitors. The biscuits and cookies, the cold drinks, and sweets are present at all times just to be presentable. In most scenarios, when the doorbell does not ring, you end up eating it all! Stop stacking for the guests, indeed turn to healthy recipes like fruit salad, idli, dosa (keep the batter ready, it’s also available readymade), vegetable soup, and vegetable stew, and get creative in the kitchen!
Avoid the aisles
The aisles especially at the center of the stores are stuffed with stuff hard to resist. The cheese balls and bingo’s, nachos and potato chips, biscuits, and cookies, are all things unhealthy but appealing. So, ditch the aisles and keep your temptations in check!!
Make the first simple shift in your grocery habits and see the transformation start. Once you get the hang of healthy nothing else can tempt you, because being beautiful is addictive!
Also Read: Hot water and weight loss connection
