The Grocery List

You have probably heard it a time or two before, and it is true- when grocery shopping, try and stay around the outer ring/square of the grocery store. This is where you are usually going to find your whole food sources. Meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, etc. There are a few exceptions to this, i.e. nuts, coffee (if you like), and your grains (these need to be complex, and limited in consumption in my opinion- we'll talk about this more later). Now lets discuss these food sources in further detail...

• Meats- protein is the essential building block of muscle. The more lean muscle you have, the less fat you have, the better off you will be, and you will have a higher metabolism (muscle is highly metabolic). The right meats are full of lean protein and very low in everything else, which is what we want. I was watching an episode of Dr. Oz one day, and he made a wonderful statement when he said "stick to animals with two legs or less." Reason being, two (or no) legged animals have less saturated fat. Best examples are chicken, turkey, and fish. Make sure chicken and turkey are the skinless, white meat variety only. If it is ground, make sure it is over 90% fat free. Fish is amazingly high in protein and low in fat, with the exception of salmon which is full of HEALTHY monounsaturated fat (a great source of omega 3 oils that are generally lacking in the American diet). Stick with fish that is low in mercury (usually the larger fish are high in mercury because they consume smaller fish, which have consumed smaller fish....you get the idea). 

• Vegetables- vegetables need to be a staple in your diet, because they provide you with carbohydrates for energy, but not in large quantities, and in my experience, are not stored in the body the way grains tend to be. Of course it goes with out saying that they also provide much needed vitamins and minerals. Stick to dark, leafy greens when possible. Spinach, and broccoli are great choices because they are nutrient dense. There are many other great options as well. When trying to slim down, vegetables will be your primary source of carbohydrates, not grains.

• Fruits- fruit packs a vitamin punch, but when trying to slim down I recommend keeping fruit intake to the first half of the day. Even though fruit contains all natural fruit sugar (fructose), some fruits still have a lot of sugar in them that you do not want in excessive amounts. There are many great fruits to choose from, and I recommend berries, melons, papaya, peaches, and citrus fruits. Just remember to indulge these earlier in the day. *side note- often looked at as a vegetable, the avocado is a wonder fruit. High in monounsaturated fat (the good stuff), and a good balance of carbs and protein. Just don't eat too many in a day, an average avocado has around 320 calories!

• Dairy- many people are not dairy fans. I love milk and cheese. Dairy has great things about it, mainly the protein and minerals. But it can be high in saturated fat, so dairy really should be limited to low/no fat products, and if trying to slim down, I would limit intake of dairy altogether.

• Eggs- If you have heard of the "incredible, edible egg," this is a true statement. Eggs (whole) are a complete protein. They offer the most bio available protein of any food source, meaning they have the most protein the body can absorb and use. When I eat eggs, I will usually mix a few whole eggs with a few whites. There are conflicting ideas on whole eggs. Yes, the yolk contains all of the saturated fat- but it also contains half of the protein, and all of the unsaturated fat, vitamins, and minerals. Yes, the yolk is very high in cholesterol- but I am of the school of thought that thinks if you do not have a pre-disposition to high cholesterol, it will not affect you negatively. So get the best of both worlds- have a whole egg with all those egg whites you are eating!

• Grains- simply put, grains, potatoes, rice, etc. need to be of the complex carb variety when consumed. Again, if you are trying to lose weight you may want to think about severely limiting these foods, and relegate them to the first half of the day. By complex, I mean whole wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc... Complex carbs are low glycemic; they offer sustained periods of energy and do not cause a spike in blood sugar. I will dive in to this more in a later post.

• Nuts- try to make it a point to eat a handful of nuts every day. One of the best sources of unsaturated fats, they are also a great source of protein. Stick with unsalted, unflavored nuts. Almonds are one of the best choices. Pistachios are my favorite. If you need them to be lightly salted, make sure it is sea salt. Like the avocado, watch your portions- nuts are high in calories so if you are monitoring your calories, they will add up. 

I apologize for the lengthiness of this blog post, but let it be a reference guide for you. Bookmark it, use it, and it will help assist you in making smart decisions at the grocery store. Now that the Grocery List is up, my next post will dive in to finding the healthiest sources of all of these foods, and help people that are non meat and dairy eaters. Yes, I am talking about all naturals, organics, vegetarian, and vegan options! Thank you for tuning in, and until next time...