Thaddeus Jeckell - Your Fitness Advocate
BLOG ENTRY
1/4/2012
“Purge the Pantry”
Happy New Year, 2011 is in the books. Let’s welcome 2012, “To fitness and fortune, may this be your best year yet.” “Here’s to you!”
Congratulations, you’ve decided to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Most of us made new resolutions to be more fit and healthy. To be successful we need to restock our inventory in the kitchen. Let’s purge our pantry and refrigerator of the evil unhealthy foods, ingredients, and mixes that tempt us every time we search for something to satisfy our craving palate. Consider this the spring cleaning of our diet.
Let’s cleanse the cupboards and eliminate or discard all processed foods, trans fat, saturated fat, sugar-laden, and high sodium foods. We can start with the most obvious, “junk food”. Most junk food is loaded with sugar or salt and unhealthy fats. Discard the bag of Cheetos and snack mixes. You don’t need the chocolate chip cookies hiding on the top shelf. Eliminate all candy and chocolate bars also. If you think it’s not good for you, it’s probably not. Consolidate all open boxes of pasta (mac & cheese) and any cereal that’s not 100% whole grain. Dispose of the bread and bagels that doesn’t list 100% whole grain also. Remove all of the baked processed sweets, that’s waiting for you to give in.
Now let’s declutter the fridge. It’s easy to start with the door. Check for expiration dates and banish those first. Remove all of the salad dressings and high calorie dips and spreads. This includes your low fat ranch dressing and the mayonnaise. Sorry, but its true mayo is not good for you. Any condiments that include high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and MSG can be thrown away also. To the refrigerator shelves we go. Get rid of any sugary drinks including sodas and sugar laden fruit juices. Dispose of most cheeses, butter, and high fat dairy products. Since your spring cleaning the fridge, get rid of any veggies that don’t look fresh any longer. Next we cleanse the freezer of any culprits that are looking to sabotage our diet. The ice cream has to go along with any other frozen goodies that we use to curb our late night cravings. The sausage links, bacon and frozen pizzas should be outlawed also. Most of the frozen microwavable foods can be tossed as well. The sodium content in these easily prepared dinners is out of control.
The next step to purging our kitchen requires us to read nutrition and ingredient labels. I will simplify it for you. If the label consists of trans fats, high sugars, and high sodium, get rid of it. If you have never heard of or can’t pronounce the first 3 ingredients on the ingredient list, get rid of it. Look for these ingredients and remove if listed; high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, MSG, any chemicals, preservatives, additives, fillers, or colors.
Now that our pantry and refrigerator are bare it’s time to stock the kitchen with healthy and natural foods. You will want to make a list and do not stray from it. Think about alternative choices that are naturally healthy and nutrient dense. You need to be able to replace the foods you threw out with healthy foods that can still fix your certain cravings. Fix your salt cravings with turkey jerky, or unsalted mixed nuts. If you usually reach for a bag of chips, replace it with air-popped popcorn. Hummus and guacamole are 2 great dipping sauces for fresh veggies. To remedy you sweet tooth turn to greek yogurt and fresh fruits as your new choice. Dark chocolate is another option with moderation. Stock your pantry with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasonings. Buy low fat dairy products. Choose a nice brie as a cheese option.
Hit your local Farmers Market to stock you kitchen with fresh veggies and fruits. Keeping fresh produce in the kitchen will make you want to cook and eat healthy. Stock the refrigerator and freezer with lean protein sources such as fish, eggs, lean meats, legumes, and low fat dairy products. Make sure your fridge has plenty of water and fresh juices as well. When you are at the grocery store you will want to visit the cereal isle. Find a 100% whole grain cereal, such as oatmeal. Continue to stock the shelves of your pantry with brown rice and whole wheat pasta.
This is only the tip of the iceberg on how to spring clean the diet. Make a habit of reading nutrition and ingredient labels. This should be your basis on whether it goes in the grocery cart or not. My list of foods in this blog is small, but don’t get discouraged there is a lot of healthy and natural foods out there. Once this becomes a habit and an eating lifestyle, you will find all sorts of options with healthy eating.
After restocking the kitchen, it is now time to “grade your pantry”. The fresh fruits and veggies should dominate the shelves and countertops. How “natural” is your pantry and refrigerator? Is the food in your kitchen healthy for you? If you are on a budget, finish the foods you have and then hit the markets. Don’t just throw them away. Donate to a shelter or a friend. I do recommend taking the junk food out of the house immediately though. You’re about to make some difficult choices, but remember that unhealthy foods are only roadblocks in your path to diet success.
Blog Teaser: Next week I will teach you how to read and understand nutrition labels and ingredient lists.
Diet Success Challenge: Purge your pantry and spring clean your diet.
Thank you
Your “Fitness Advocate”
Thaddeus
No Comments