I want to eat healthier BUT….

• my business meeting starts at 8:00AM.
• the kids need to get to school.
• parking on campus is killer trying to get to my class.
• I don’t know how to shop healthy.
• when the funds are low anything goes.

Is this you? Believe me, I completely understand. In fact, I use to say those exact same things. Not having enough time, resources or information are infamous barriers to eating healthy. But with swimsuit season fast approaching and Nurse Alice as your coach, its time to shake it off and get back in the game. Let’s start with some healthy shopping fundamentals.

NEVER go shopping hungry. You will buy things you don’t really need. You run this! Don’t let your tummy run you. If you do have the munchies, stop and grab a quick healthy snack to hold you over until meal time.

When you shop… stick to the outer perimeter of the store. If you haven’t noticed already, after you walk in the grocery store, all the fresh fruits and veggies are along one wall of the store. Then the meats, fish and poultry are along another wall. And finally the breads and grains are along that last wall. Most of your healthy shopping should occur in these areas.

Only travel down grocery isles with a purpose. Caution: this is where the sugar, sweets, fats and high calorie items live. Why do you think stores put the chips, cookies and sodas on isle end caps? Because they want to entice those smart enough to stay away from going down isles. This is not the time to go window shopping because 9 out of 10 times, you will end up with extras in your cart. This will cut down on your spending as well. Keep the extras in your wallet and off your thighs and love handles.

Don’t get scammed by the sale. Reading nutrition labels are critical to healthy living! Would you rather save 10 cents now by purchasing the sale item or cut down on tons of extra calories and fats for only an additional 10 cents? To each is own however just remember that when you can’t fit into that fly dress or sports coat for that annual extravaganza. I bet you’d pay top dollar amount to get into those clothes then.

Now this will sound crazy simple but many of us DON’T do this. Buy food because it’s healthy for you not just because it tastes good. The underlying concept you need to understand is that not everything that tastes good is good for you. But don’t get it twisted – there are a lot of healthier choices out there that taste great. The trick is finding out what those foods are for you. Adopt the mantra: Eat to live. Don’t live to eat.