When it comes to achieving any fitness based goal, whether weight loss, weight gain, or improved physical performance nutrition plays an extremely big role. In my opinion it is actually more important than the exercise itself. That is the reason I devote so much time and effort to help modify people’s nutritional habits. You could go to the gym everyday of the week for two hours and still see marginal results of you aren’t eating properly.

The number one issue with American’s is the quality of the food we eat. Fast-food and ready-made meals seem to be the norm in most people’s homes. We live in a world of convenience. If it takes too much thought people will rarely do it. This is definitely the case with trying to purchase healthy food from the grocery store. People can have great intentions but quickly become overwhelmed by all of the choices. I have devoted a few other articles to successfully navigating the grocery store, but this time I am going to lead you through the grocery store and actually help you pick out everything you need.

Your average grocery store will have 20 plus aisles full of food. There are probably hundreds of thousands of different products, each one with colorful and attractive labeling trying to entice you to purchase the product. Companies are starting to recognize the trend of individuals becoming more health conscious so they will add phrases like “with calcium” or “helps lower cholesterol.” For the average consumer who doesn’t have the time to devote to sorting through all of the different literature on nutrition nor has the ability to discern between every single product in the store they can be easily influenced and attracted to these company’s claims.

The good news is that the days of confusion are over. Let’s walk through each of the sections of a grocery store and pick up the food you will need to produce healthy and delicious meals. Looking back to one of my original posts, http://www.higher-endeavors.com/blog/2006/09/11/a-trip-to-the-grocery-store/  I discussed the idea of only shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store. The same idea applies here.

I would generally prefer shopping at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or any other health food store because they will have a lot greater selection of natural, unprocessed foods. But, it is possible to work with whatever grocery store you have at your disposal.

The first place to start when entering the store is the produce section. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are a great source of vitamins and minerals yet they don’t add lots of calories to a meal. It is imperative that the majority of your carbohydrates come from fruits and vegetables, but more on that later. There are hundreds of different kinds of fruits and vegetables that it would be impossible for someone to dislike all of them. Have an open mind and be willing to try some different things.

Let’s start with fruit. The best fruit you can eat are berries. Berries have an extremely high antioxidant level which will help improve your health and ward of serious disease. An easy way to determine antioxidant level is to evaluate the thickness of the skin; the thinner it is the higher the antioxidant level. The antioxidants help protect the fruit from the sun. Blueberries have the highest antioxidant level of any food, so make sure to always pick them up when they are in season. I also enjoy raspberries and strawberries, but pick up any berries that you enjoy and will eat.

After picking the berries you want it is important to get some oranges, apples, and bananas. Oranges are a great source of vitamin C. I love Clementine oranges. They are much easier to peel and are always very sweet. Apples are a great source of vitamins, but apples also have a lot of fiber. Bananas are one of the best sources of potassium you can eat. Everyone remembers their coaches advice that bananas help eliminate muscle cramps. That is because of the potassium content in the bananas.

Berries, oranges, apples, and bananas are the staple fruits in my diet. However, add some variety to your diet at different times of the year. I really enjoy mango, even though it is a pain to cut up. Kiwi is great. Peaches, plums, and pears are all enjoyable. Considering fruit is highly perishable I would recommend getting two to three different kinds of fruit at least once a week. You will be better off making more frequent trips to the grocery store so you can eat the freshest produce possible. The same applies to vegetables.

Recent information suggests that eating vegetables is much more important than eating fruit. This is harder to do for some because vegetables aren’t nearly as sweet as fruit. Nonetheless there are enough vegetables that everyone can find some they like.

I always make sure to get spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and avocados. Spinach and broccoli are two of the best vegetables you can eat, possessing a high amount of vitamins and minerals. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene which has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Avocados are probably my favorite choice because they are extremely high in monounsaturated fat, which is the healthy kind. Most individuals grossly under consume healthy fats, possibly because of the perception that fat is bad for you. It is imperative that you consume healthy fats and avocados are one way to add more into your diet. Avocados are extremely calorie dense because of all of the healthy fats so I recommend eating a quarter of an avocado with a meal, or even as a snack.

Now there may be some people that are going to think I am crazy for calling tomatoes and avocados vegetables, when they are definitely fruits. Well, I may draw ridicule but I like to group them this way because of the perceptions people have for certain foods. Fruits are characterized as being extremely sweet and juicy, while vegetables have a much more subtle taste. That is just they way I choose to group tomatoes and avocados.

Regardless of your labels, it is extremely important that you consume lots of vegetables. On top of the above mentioned choices, use lots of garlic in all of your cooking. There are a lot of health benefits gained from eating garlic. Asparagus, like bananas, is extremely high in potassium. I also enjoy eating various kinds of peppers, whether bell peppers or spicy peppers.

I would recommend avoiding the high-starch vegetables like potatoes, but if you can’t live without them then your only option should be sweet potatoes. There is very little nutritional value in a traditional white baking potato. Beyond that, as with fruits, try lots of different kinds of vegetables. Use vegetables as a staple in all of your recipes. You will improve your health and improve the way you look.

After leaving the produce section it’s time to move onto the butcher’s area. There isn’t going to be a huge difference between the prepackaged and the fresh meat the butcher packages for you, but I would still recommend getting the freshest possible from the butcher. There are four “meats” that I use as the staple of a diet, beef, chicken, salmon, and tuna. Each of these has extremely beneficial health qualities and should be consumed fairly regularly.

Beef has gotten a bad reputation because of its fat content. Your body needs fat to function and will decrease in function if you under consume it. On top of that red meat is a great source of iron, which women need a lot of. Men also benefit from red meat because it is natural source of creatine, which enhances muscle function. When it comes to red meat, you could choose buffalo, bison, ostrich, or another game meat over beef and in some cases it will be much better for you. Beef is just easier to find. I generally vary between ground chuck and ground sirloin.

Chicken is a great source of protein, while also being relatively lean. Chicken has become the staple of a lot of people’s diets who are trying to lose weight because it is relatively lean. Chicken is a good way to add variety while keeping your fat intake in moderation. One way to increase your fat intake with chicken or turkey is to primarily eat the dark meat. I typically buy chicken breasts and leave on most of the fat, unless it is a huge chunk which is more psychologically gross than actually really bad for you.

There may be a lot of people shocked and offended that I am suggesting to consume so much fat. My recommendation is to try it for a month and see how you feel. Honestly judge how you feel, without any perceptions based upon your beliefs on fat. I would be willing to bet that most people will actually feel a lot better by increasing their fat intake.

Lastly, it is important to eat lots of seafood, primarily salmon and tuna. Salmon is a great source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, yep more fat. It would be hard to consume too much salmon. Ideally you could have a little everyday, but every few days would work. Tuna is a great source of protein and is relatively lean compared to salmon. I would recommend eating salmon or tuna every other day, but avoid eating tuna more than three times in one week. Consuming high quantities of tuna can lead to mercury poisoning.

When selecting your “meat” it’s best to choose the freshest kinds possible. Also try to get 100% grass-fed meats. They are much better for you. When it comes to seafood, the canned variety offers an easy, portable option. Be careful about the sodium levels. Make sure to get the ultra-low sodium kinds of canned fish. Ideally you would buy fresh salmon filets or tuna steaks. Using the above suggestions rotate the “meats” you use to add a lot of variety to your meals. Also rotate in some other “meats” like turkey or snapper. No one ever has to eat grilled chicken every night of the week to achieve their fitness goals.

After the butcher’s area it’s time to move onto the dairy section. There should be one objective in the dairy section, eggs. Other than that I would avoid eating dairy products. The majority of dairy is pasteurized and homogenized which eliminates all of the nutritional value. It would be better to consume raw dairy products from a nutritional standpoint, but then there is the risk of food poisoning. You can greatly reduce the risk of poisoning by finding products from a reputable farmer, but at the end of the day you don’t need dairy products for a well balanced diet. Pick a dozen free-range eggs and you are done in the dairy section.

I also make sure to get a variety of nuts and nut butters when I am grocery shopping. Nuts provide a great source of healthy fats and protein. I generally get almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts. I prefer to go to the bulk bins and add them to a bag, which I then mix together. Make sure to get the plain, unsalted varieties. The salt on nuts unnecessarily raises your sodium intake. When it comes to nut butters I prefer peanut butter for taste and cost reasons. Almond butter is a slightly healthier version, but I eat plenty of almonds throughout the day so peanut butter provides a little variety. I  also don’t enjoy the taste of almond butter as much and it is much more expensive. Either way, make sure you get organic nut butters. Upon examination you will notice that the oil and fat have separated. That’s because there are no chemicals in it keeping them together, which is a good thing for your body. Take it home, mix it with a knife, and refrigerate.

The last few things to pick up are herbs, spices,  and olive oil. Herbs and spices are the key to cooking a great flavorful meal. My favorites are fresh cilantro, cumin, chipotle (which is just smoked jalapenos), and cinnamon. I also use lime, which is a fruit, to season a lot of my food. Anything that adds lots of flavor without adding lots of calories is a great option. Spices will last for an extremely long time so acquire a wide variety and use them as needed. Herbs are best used fresh, so buy them as needed. Olive oil is the only thing I ever use to cook. No margarine ever and I opt not to use butter because olive oil has more healthy fats than butter. I buy a gallon of olive oil at a time and it lasts me a few months.

You may be wondering where the bread, pasta, cereal, and most other foods that Americans typically eat are in my grocery cart. The bad news is they aren’t there and they shouldn’t be. There is absolutely no point in consuming any grain of any kind or any other processed food sitting on a shelf at a grocery store. Get your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables and avoid the negative health affects of eating grains. I don’t care how much you enjoy fettuccini alfredo or your bowl of Cheerios in the morning. Those foods aren’t doing you any good and are actually preventing you from reaching your goals.

Stick to fresh produce and different “meats” and you will feel good and look good. There is definitely an adjustment period where you will learn what you like and what you don’t like. Don’t get discouraged if you make something that you don’t like. Learn from it and try something different next time. Over a few weeks you will be amazed at how easy it is to make healthy and enjoyable meals.

Anyone in the world can achieve their fitness goals. It is a matter of making sure their exercise and recovery are adequate, with nutrition comprising an important part of the recovery process. Never make an excuse for your lack of results. Take responsibility and make the necessary changes to progress towards your ultimate goal. At the end of the day you are the only one responsible for your life. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.

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