It is never a good idea to take your children to the grocery store. They will encourage you to act out of character and to buy things that don’t align with your health goals. The sad part is that kids mean well. They don’t realize how much of an impact their desires have on your goals. A patient of mine shared the perfect story showcasing this phenomenon.
He has been on phase one of the Mindful Living protocol for about 2 months. Therefore he is used to the lifestyle change and knows what he should and shouldn’t be eating. However there is more to losing weight than eating healthy. The logistics of eating right take some time to figure out. One of these things is knowing how to grocery shop. After all, how in the world are you supposed to eat healthy if you cannot shop healthy?
The best advice we could give, especially if you’re stuck with the kids, is only shop on the perimeter of the grocery store. Everything fresh and healthy is on the outer perimeter. The meat, vegetables, and dairy products you need are all on the outer perimeter. Keep in mind the inner aisles of the store are all full of high sugar and high salt items. These types of items are usually marketed very well to children.
My patient brought his children to the grocery store and did not know of this tip. As a result he was stuck bringing countless cookies and chips home “for his kids.” They had convinced him to bring home junk food as a selfless act for them. Little did he know he would find himself eating these cookies throughout the week. It’s important he does not beat himself up because such a mistake is expected to be made by even the most disciplined of parents. So, anticipate this occurring and leave your kids at home the next time you go grocery shopping.
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