3 Things to Avoid At The Grocery Store
Jul 18, 2022
You've heard me talk about how important having the right environment is for success. For most people, once an item reaches the fridge or pantry, relying on willpower can be very difficult. When it comes to food, your long-term health will depend on what you buy consistently at the grocery store.
One of the strategies we employ when we’re shopping is something called perimeter shopping. This is when you remain focused on buying as many fresh (or frozen) fruits and vegetables as well as healthy protein sources. Most grocery stores are laid out with these items around the perimeter.
Here are a few things that we specifically make sure to avoid when we are grocery shopping.
Industrial seed oils
We've talked about industrial seed oils before, but it’s important to emphasize their effects on your body and inflammation. The most common oils we try and avoid are:
- canola oil
- cottonseed oil
- corn oil
- soybean oil
- other vegetable oils
The reason to avoid these is that they are very high in omega-six fatty acids and overconsumption of these oils leads to systemic inflammation.
Instead, focus on:
- olive oil for dressings and seasoning
- avocado oil for cooking/frying
- butter (organic/grass-fed is best)
- coconut oil is great in baking or for frying
- ghee (for those who are dairy sensitive)
Instead, try and consume foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. These would include:
- cold water fatty fish
- omega-3 fish oil supplement
- flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds (to a lesser degree)
Packaged and processed foods
While I find it impossible to avoid all of these items, we try and limit them and make the best choices available. Some of the things you should avoid:
- sugary breakfast cereals
- granola bars
- potato chips
The combination of the oils mentioned above and added sugar make most of these snacks problematic with regular consumption.
Looking for a suggestion for a healthier snack? You can try:
- popcorn is a better choice than potato chips
- organic corn chips are better than Doritos'
- clean protein bars instead of granola bars. You can find more info on protein bars in my previous blog post here
Sugary or artifically sweetened drinks
This may seem obvious to most people, but I still find a lot of families consuming too many calories in the form of liquid sugar. You'll want to avoid:
- pop (diet pop too)
- ice tea
- fruit juice
- sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade or others containing dye and artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose
just under half of the total daily calories consumed by Canadians in 2015 came from children and youth being the highest consumers 😢. Alarmingly, this is leading to many health issues including dramatic increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of giving up certain habitual foods and drinks but by avoiding these 3 things, I can promise you long-term improvements in your health. It's also important to keep in mind that the occasional consumption of some junk is not the problem. It’s what people do regularly, day in and day out, that will make the biggest difference in how their body looks, feels, and functions. So don’t think of this as all or nothing. Think about what changes you can make TODAY that will have the biggest impact over time.