January 3rd, 2012 by Isabel North
I’m sure many of you have made New Years Resolutions as we begin 2012 and one of the most common ones include losing weight and being healthier. For most people, this involves fad diets and gym memberships; after all, these were always on my list and they always made their way to the backburner by the end of that year.
What I’ve learned over the past few years is that losing weight and being healthier have more to do with a lifestyle change than anything else. I’m happy to say that “being more healthy” isn’t on my resolutions list anymore because it’s something that I just do as part of my life now. Eating whole, organic foods is part of my weekly routine of grocery shopping and cooking and losing (or maintaining) weight is just a result of this regular routine of eating healthier. No fad diets, no spending hours on end at the gym (who has time for that?).
So in order to help you make your New Years resolution of being healthier stick around for life and better yet, on a budget, I thought I’d share a few tips:
Reduce processed foods – If it’s boxed, bagged, canned or jarred and has a list of ingredients on the label, it’s processed. Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for “safety” and convenience reasons. And scary as it seems, about 90 percent of the money that Americans spend on food is used to buy processed items.
Now I know it’s very difficult in our busy lives to totally eliminate processed foods, but if you can make your own beans rather than buying them from a can, you are already eating healthier. Most of the time, these processed foods come with a list of ingredients to preserve their shelf life and enhance their flavor and they are laden with sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives. These ingredients provide no health benefits and can be a hindrance to a healthier you and even losing weight.
Read ingredients – I know it might be difficult to eliminate ALL processed foods (after all, I’m going to be churning my own butter), but if you can reduce the amount of processed foods AND learn about the foods that you are buying in a box, can or jar then you can have a good combination of health and convenience My rule of thumb is if I can’t pronounce or if I’ve never heard of the ingredient, I don’t buy it.
I also try to stick with certified USDA Organic brands and read their ingredients. Usually the list is short and I know what is in it. I’m not saying that buying organic brands guarantees health; there are plenty of organic brands that are guilty of being just as unhealthy as their unorganic counterparts, but what I’ve learned is that organic brands help facilitate the process of elimination of brands much easier. I started learning how to read ingredients by buying a little pocket book on Amazon that had a whole list of them so while I was shopping, I would look them up and see what it was that I was looking to buy. After a few shopping trips, I no longer needed the pocket book and I knew which brands I could count on and stuck with them.
Eat more whole foods – When you eat more whole foods, you are starting the process of reducing the amount of processed foods and when you begin to eat more whole foods, you will quickly notice a healthier you (weight loss, skin glow, better mood and sleep, etc). So what do I mean by whole foods? To me, eating whole foods means eating foods that don’t have additives but are instead exactly as they come from the earth.
Examples of this include buying fresh fruit and vegetables instead of canned and eating more whole grains. I can’t even remember the last time I bought a can of corn or green beans. Instead I go to the produce section of the grocery store, buy them whole and either steam or roast them at home. The flavor is a huge difference and it’s much more nutritious than the canned variety.
Other examples include, fresh baked bread (either at home or from a bakery) rather than a bag of bread, using raw honey or maple syrup as a sweetener instead of sugar, make your own beans instead of buying them canned (it’s so easy!). I also try to avoid oils that didn’t come from a natural source. The culprits are usually vegetable and canola. Instead I cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil. If you like to cook with butter, stay away from margarine and try a grass-fed variety and use it in moderation.
Shop local – If you shop local, you can save money on eating organic, whole foods. There are a few ways to do this. One of the most common ways is your local farmer’s market, which can offer you many of the whole, organic fruits and vegetables you’d find at your natural food stores. For example, just this past weekend I bought 1 lb of sweet potatoes at the farmer’s market for $2, while that same pound cost me $2.50 at the grocery store. I can’t always buy everything at the farmer’s market because of where I live; the climate doesn’t allow our farmer’s to grow strawberries year-round. But I get as much as I can and just wait to eat strawberries again when they are in season. Another way to buy local is to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA’s are a great way to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here is the gist of how a CSA works: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of fruits and vegetables, but other farm products may be included. You purchase a share (aka a “membership” ) and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. It’s a great way to build very fresh, organically grown food and building relationship with a farmer where you get to visit the farm and actually SEE your food being grown and harvested.
Buy in bulk – No, I don’t mean buying at Costco or Sams. I mean shopping in the bulk bins at your health food stores. You’d be amazed at how much you can save rather than buying in a package. You can buy everything from a huge variety grains and rice, salt and nuts. You can even get fresh ground nut butters, coffee, and honey.
Grow your own garden – This is the best and most cost effective way to eat healthy on a budget. What better way to go back to basics than growing your own food? Since you are growing the food yourself you know that you are safe from pesticides and other harmful chemicals that are often used on larger commercial farms. Depending on where you live, you can even consider raising your chickens. You can have fresh eggs from the laying hens and meat when the time is appropriate. Your organic chickens will provide you with a lot of nutrition and protein.
Hopefully, these tips give you some ways to start the New Year for a healthier new you… for life. Happy New Year and Cheers to good health and happiness in 2012!