“The
foods you bring home from the store and put into your cupboard
directly affect your health.” Jackie Keller
When
I began losing weight, one of my first assignments was to clear my
cupboards of all the foods I shouldn’t eat. Next was to
purchase the right kinds of foods, bring them home, and organize
them.
Plan
your menu for the week, and then make a market order.
When
you shop with this in hand, you are less likely to buy impulse items.
To make a market order, fold an 8.5 by 11-inch sheet into thirds
vertically (from the top to the bottom of the paper), and then in
thirds again horizontally (from side to side of the paper), making
nine squares to write in. Starting with the top squares write
“produce,” “dairy,” and “meat.”
In
the middle squares write “frozen,” “canned,”
and “dry goods.” Across the bottom squares go “household
supplies,” “miscellaneous,” and, “other
errands.”
Market order.
Under
each heading I list everything I need. I check the newspaper or
internet for sales on produce and other grocery items. This will save
money as well as calories. At the store, shop the fresh produce
aisle, then meat, dairy, cereal, bread, and so on. You may do it in a
different order. It doesn’t matter, as long as you stay away
from the areas where you may be tempted to buy unhealthy foods.
Try
to buy the most nutrient-dense foods with the least amount of added
sodium, and check labels to make sure they fall into your prescribed
program. Wherever possible, avoid processed foods. I watch for sales
on lean meat and buy in quantity. At home I cut it into individual
portions (4 ounces per serving raw and 3 ounces cooked) and freeze,
thawing in the refrigerator a day or two before using it.
Whole-wheat
bread, which I also buy in quantity and on sale, freezes well. I save
about 50 percent on both my meats and breads. I usually pass on foods
without labels, except meat or produce, as the sugar, fat, and salt
content are unknown.
One
of my favorite activities is visiting farmers’ markets during
the summer and fall. The only way I could have fresher food is to
have grown it in my own garden. I enjoy meeting the farmers who have
nurtured the crops and asking them questions about their produce.
Each
time I go, I bring home new techniques for preparing and storing my
purchases. If you don’t have farmers’ markets in your
area, look for roadside produce stands or locally grown produce in
your favorite supermarket.
If
you will take care about what you buy, it will benefit your health
and your weight in so many ways.
You
will find many more healthful ideas on how to take care of yourself
in my healthy living book: Tipping
the Scales in Your Favor. Permanent
weight loss is not a diet; it is a lifestyle change. There is no one
"magic bullet." Instead, it's a matter of consistently
incorporating a number of steps that include exercise, eating right
and accountability.
It's
like leading a symphony: You've got to have all the instruments
playing at the same time or you don't get the results. In Dian's new
book, Tipping the Scales
in Your Favor, she
shares step-by-step what she did to lose more than 125 lbs. and keep
up an active lifestyle.
The
pages of the book come alive with practical tips, healthy recipes,
more than 175 beautiful color illustrations, and her refreshing and
honest story of the journey. For
more information, go to www.DianThomas.com,
and
check out the book on the right side of the page.
Dian Thomas was blessed with the good fortune to be born near and raised in
the remote, breathtaking Manti-La Sal National Forest in southeastern Utah,
where her father was the forest ranger. She took the skills she learned in the
outdoors and turned them into a New York Times best-selling book, Roughing It
Easy. Her appearance on the NBC's "Tonight" show with Johnny Carson
boosted her into the national media scene, where she became a regular on
NBC's "Today" show for eight years and then ABC's "Home Show" for six years.
After more than 25 years of media exposure and 19 books, she now shares her
practical insights and wisdom with audiences who want to savor life.
A former Relief Society president, Dian is currently serving as a visiting
teacher. Visit her website at www.DianThomas.com