Really!  Another errand on the “to do” list, and you are telling me that it can enhance my health??

Yes, I am, and here are just a few of dozens of reasons why:

  1. Park as far away from the store as you can. This may be different for different people depending on health conditions.  Park one space further away from the store with each visit to slowly increase cardiovascular endurance.  Find a cart in the parking lot to push into the store.  This increases your exercise output for the day, and you did a nice thing for the store’s clerks.  Acts of kindness are healthy, too.
  2. Shop after you have eaten and feel full so you are less likely to purchase something you should not. An empty belly often results in impulse purchases that may not be the healthiest.
  3. Search for a healthy recipe option online. There are many free recipe websites to look at.  Choose a favorite childhood dish you miss and find a healthier version of it.  Have your children pick a meal and let them help you make it.  They’re more apt to eat healthier if they take part in the preparation.  Make sure all recipe ingredients are on the list so you don’t have to make a special trip to the store, possibly picking up unneeded items.
  4. Shop mainly around the perimeter of the store and avoid those inner aisles with the tempting, unhealthy foods. You should be filling your cart with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts.  Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.  Plan your meals for the week and create a list to shop from.  Read the signs for each aisle and shop only in those aisles with ingredients on your list.  Get in and get out.
  5. Find a reason to say thank you to someone and express appreciation, and a reason to do something for someone to appreciate you. Daily listing of all the things you are thankful for are linked with a brighter outlook on life and greater sense of positivity.  Gratefulness is linked with optimism, which is linked with better immune health.  Acts of kindness create an emotional warmth, which releases a hormone known as oxytocin, and protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.
  6. Try one new healthy food you have not tried before. Read about it.  Start with something easy and already appeals to you.  Search for a recipe starring this ingredient.  The bulk section is a great way to try a new food, as you can purchase a smaller amount to see if you enjoy it.  A new fruit or vegetable is also a great way to introduce new foods to your palate.
  7. Drink at least 8 ounces of water on the trip. Water can suppress appetite naturally, regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, and transports nutrients and waste throughout the body.  When you drink water more often, you will feel satiated, leading to weight loss from over-eating less often.  Find out more about the importance of hydration by reading on of my previous blogs and watching the posted videos.

Before you pull into the checkout line, pull over and do a final cart check.  Make sure your cart is full of fruits and veggies, lean and plant proteins, whole grains (if you tolerate grains), and good fats like avocado, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, wild salmon and fish that are lowest in toxins and dangerous metals on the website www.ewg.org, nuts, and seeds.  Take a deep breath, put a smile on your face, be grateful for the day, and walk back to your car, excited about the items in your cart!  You are only as healthy as your last trip to the grocery store.