IF IT GOES IN YOUR CART, IT WILL GO IN YOUR STOMACH

HEALTH--without it, you have NOTHING.  It doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter where you live, it doesn't matter what kind of car you drive....what really matters is, How Healthy Are You?

In my opinion, there are 4 DRIVERS OF HEALTH....
#1.  DIET
#2.  EXERCISE
#3.  REST
#4.  PURPOSE

For anyone that knows me, of course DIET is my #1 Driver....it has EVERYTHING to do with our health.  Exercise, we all know is important...we all should be getting at least 30 minutes a day of some sort of vigorous exercise, (enough to make us sweat...not "kill" us, but at least sweat).  Rest is more important than many people realize...without the proper amount, our bodies cannot "perform" what they need to do at night while we are sleeping, (studies show lack of sleep doesn't allow us to lose weight).  And the last Driver is Purpose.....I think we all need to find our "purpose" in life....we ALL have one...my happens to be NUTRITION!

For optimal health, the foods that MUST NOT GO IN YOUR CART are:

• Salt
• Sugar
• Meats/dairy (anything with a face or a mother)
• Oil
• Salad dressings with oil
• Cereals with sugar
• Frozen dinners
• ALL processed foods
• White flour
• White pasta

Let's face it, there are plenty of temptations when eating outside of the home, we just can't bring this stuff in the house or we will inevitably eat it.  

Three RULES for SHOPPING:

1. Buy at least 80% of your calories in the  FRESH PRODUCE aisle with one exception...whole grains, oatmeal and legumes that come in a package.
2. Don't believe anything on the FRONT of the package...that information is solely for SELLING their product.  A prime example is 2% milk....That doesn't mean 2% fat, when you do the math, it's 37.5% calories from fat.  NO ONE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT COW'S MILK ANYWAY...
3. Packaged goods:  Look at the nutritional labels--check out:

• % of calories from fat...the TOTAL FAT for the ENTIRE DAY should be less than 20% of total calories.
• sodium:  The total milligrams of sodium should be LESS THAN the total calories per serving.  
• avoid any cholesterol, saturated fat and sugar
• list of ingredients:  my rule...no more than 5 ingredients and you should know what each ingredient is

Let's take a look at the nutritional value of a Whopper...I know you can't buy this in the grocery store, but this is a good example of the nutritional content in fast food:

• Calories=1070....630 calories from fat...more than 59% of fat...well above the 20% for the entire day!
• Sodium= 1500 mg....more sodium than calories
• Saturated fat=27 gr....goal for the day....ZERO
• Cholesterol=185 mg...goal for the day...ZERO
• Sugars=11 gr

Of course, this Whopper also comes with lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion...total calories=14.

When you are eating a diet for VIBRANT HEALTH, weight loss is a FRINGE BENEFIT.  Weight loss comes automatically.  Eating for your health results in weight loss.  However, many WEIGHT LOSS DIETS out there are extremely UNHEALTHY....there is a huge difference.  

We need to change our way of thinking.  When we eat for our HEALTH, everything else falls right into place, including reaching your ideal body weight.  It really is that SIMPLE!!!

So, LOAD your grocery cart with all kinds of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.  There are all kinds of recipes out there to choose from.....right now you don't even have to cook in the heat....there are zillions of salads to make loaded with vegetables that are in abundance right now....

There really is no EXCUSE to put your health off any longer......

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