New Year’s Phase 1 Challenge – Week 1, Day 1

It is week 1 of The Phase 1 New Year’s Challenge and we are getting started, today, building a diet based on real, whole foods.

For all of us, this means one thing: we are going grocery shopping! So, find your reusable bags and let’s get ready to head to the store.

Now, before actually going anywhere, let me help you with two items:

First, we need to be clear on exactly what foods we are going to buy and which foods we will not.

Hopefully, by now, you have done the work to understand what it means for a food to fall into the category of a real, whole food as opposed to an industrial not-so-food. Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to have it all figured out as we can expect this to be a work in progress. However, I do want you to get started with a clear roadmap for making decisions in the grocery store.

I have outlined the basics for you below, but if you need any extra guidance before leaving for the store, you can check out the Build a Healthy Diet page where you will learn exactly what to look for and exactly what to avoid.

The Basics:

Real, whole foods:

• vegetables, in their fresh or frozen state
• nuts and seeds that have only been processed to the extent of shelling or dry-roasting
  • avoid mixes (these often contain industrial not-so-foods: sugar and vegetable oil)
  • look out for nuts or seeds that have been roasted. Check the ingredients list to make sure no oils are on it. Only the nut/seed, and possibly salt should make the list
• fruit, in its whole, fresh or frozen state
• eggs – aim for pasture-raised if you can
• meat and seafood, in their non-processed state. That is, the only ingredient should be that item, and nothing else (breading, salt solutions, sugars, stabilizers, etc. should not be included)
  • aim for wild-caught or small fish
  • aim for humanely raised animals, including grass-fed, pasture-raised. Avoid any animals in which antibiotics have been used.
• healthy fats
  • monounsaturated oils
    • avocado oil, to be used for cooking
    • olive oil, to be used for dressing
  • coconut oil
  • butter from grass-fed cows (Kerry Gold is my go-to)
• herbs and spices
  • look out for added sugars or artificial flavorings. Opt for whole-food sources in place of dry herbs when possible

Cautionary Food Groups: the following are food groups that often do not support the health of certain individuals. However, if you find that they work for your own body, feel free to consume with caution.

• Whole grains
  • if you want, choose whole grains that are, indeed, whole grains
  • avoid everything on the market that claims to be whole grain, yet is really just processed grain with a bit of whole grain in it
• Legumes
  • peanut butter: I know, this is the one we all love! If you must, continue to consume this, but be aware of the following. Or, consider switching to true nut butters (almond, cashew, etc.):
    • peanut butter most often contains additives (sugar and palm oil); make sure your peanut butter only contains one ingredient: peanuts
    • peanut butter is high in aflatoxin, a carcinogenic fungus that commonly grows on peanuts
• Dairy
  • if you want, choose dairy products that come from healthy animals:
    • yogurt – no added sugars
    • milk – whole milk from healthy cows
    • cheese – real cheese made from milk from healthy cows

Industrial Not-So-Foods (for the full story on why these are labeled as industrial not-so-foods, check out this article)

1. refined carbohydrate: wheat and corn being the top two
2. refined sweet sugars: remember, sugar is sugar is sugar. The marketing for “healthier” forms of sugar has a strong presence in our society. Don’t be fooled; sugar by any name is the same, a combination of glucose and fructose.
   1. if you must, consume sweet sugars only by adding your own whole food sources to your food. For example, I will occasionally add honey to teas or use it as a sweetener in a dessert
   2. don’t forget that fruit juice is included in this category. Fruit juice is a refined, concentrated form of sugar.
3. polyunsaturated vegetable/seed oils: canola, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, cottonseed, soybean, peanut, corn
4. industrial meat and dairy, coming from animals raised in poor conditions
5. chemical additives (flavorings, stabilizers, preservatives, etc.)

Grocery Store Roadmap for Choosing Real, Whole Foods

Guidelines for choosing real, whole foods:

1. Aim for the outside aisles while avoiding the middle aisles. This is where you will typically find vegetables, fruit, and non-processed animal products
2. Hit up the bulk section for nuts, seeds, and any dry legumes
   • my personal go-to’s are macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds
3. Cautiously make your way through the center aisles for specific items that you know to be free of all industrial not-so-foods. My own examples include:
   1. canned items – with no other ingredient on the list than the specific food, ready to be opened and eaten. Aim for BPA-free lining. My own favorites include:
      1. coconut milk
      2. black beans
      3. pumpkin
   2. salsa – with only vegetables and spices on the ingredients list
   3. herbs and spices

Ready to get going? To finish up, here’s a look at what I purchased in my last two grocery store runs:

Happy Reprogramming!