How to Make a Nutritious Grocery List

 By 

Rachel MacPherson, BA

Having a list at a grocery store can save you time and money. It also can help you make more nutritious choices and avoid impulse buys.1 If your budget allows, you want to include foods that contain a robust number of vitamins, minerals, good fats, antioxidants, and fiber, all of which are valuable for overall your health and wellbeing.

In an ideal situation, focus on whole, unprocessed foods to ensure more nutrients and fewer less additives, like unwanted sugar.2 That said, not everyone has access to a fully stocked grocery store nor do they always have the budget to buy large amounts of whole foods. In these situations, you may need to get more creative.

Below are some ideas on what you may want to consider adding to your grocery list. Pick and choose what makes sense for your budget and your access.

Fruits and Vegetables

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables for optimal health. Daily requirements for fruits and vegetables vary based on a person's needs. The USDA suggests that those consuming a 2,000 calorie diet eat about 2 1/2 servings of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit daily.3

Consuming a wide variety of whole fruits and vegetables will help ensure you obtain the essential nutrients your body needs to feel and perform at its best. Choosing whole foods, instead of juices or sauces, will provide the added benefit of fiber.

Dried fruit, particularly ones that are made with added sugar, offer concentrated amounts of nutrition but higher amounts of sugar. Check labels to assess how these foods may fit into your meal plan. Here are some types of fruit and vegetables to add to your list:3

• Dark green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale. Aim for 1 1/2 to 2 cups per week.
• Red and orange vegetables such as peppers, red cabbage, carrots, tomatoes. Aim for 4 to 7 1/2 cups per week.
• Beans, peas, and lentils such as chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, edamame. Aim for 1 to 3 cups per week.
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, squash. Aim for 4 to 8 cups per week.
• Other vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, cabbage, cauliflower. Aim for 3 1/2 to 7 cups per week.
• Fruits such as apples, kiwi, bananas, melons, grapes. Aim for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups per day.

Please remember, that the amounts will vary depending on your individual needs. These recommendations above are based on the USDA recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet.

Budget-Friendly Tips

If your budget is limited, you might want to shop for fruits and vegetables that are in season. They tend to be more reasonably priced then due to the fact that the supply is greater and they do not have to be shipped as far. You also can buy in bulk and freeze extras before they go bad to use at a later date.

For instance, apples are a good option to buy in bulk because they are not only relatively affordable, but versatile as well. Meanwhile, bananas also are relatively inexpensive and can be frozen to use in smoothies or banana bread if they are starting to go brown. Another money-saving option is to buy frozen vegetables or canned fruits packed in water or 100% juice.

You also may want to consider adding cabbage to your shopping list if you have access to a grocery store. It is a vitamin-packed and versatile green that can use if for tacos, stir fry dishes, salads, and slaws. Plus, it is usually less expensive than lettuce and tends to last slightly longer.

Likewise, dried or canned beans and lentils usually are a budget-friendly purchase that can help stretch a meal. They also are shelf-stable ingredients that will last for some time. So, if your meal plan gets off track one week, you don't have to worry about beans and lentils going bad.

Follow me on Twitter or X @ray0369

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want to Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Can Hot Tea Help Me Lose Weight?

 A post from Verywell.com. I believe in Green Tea for weight loss

Can Tea Help Me Lose Weight

Many hopeful dieters drink tea, especially green tea, to lose weight. So can this beverage help you slim down? Possibly. But there is no strong evidence to support many of the weight loss claims that are made on packages.

And yet, you've probably heard of friends and family members who have lost weight by drinking green tea or taking green tea supplements. The products may have worked for some.

Green tea provides caffeine that may help you to stay alert and active. As a result, you may burn more calories during the day. But it also might keep you up at night. Many weight loss experts promote the positive effects of a good night's rest on healthy eating and exercise.

Large studies that have investigated the weight loss benefits of green tea have not been able to confirm that drinking it will improve weight loss. However, if you replace a high-calorie coffee drink with plain tea, you may also be able to reduce your calorie intake and slim down.

Before You read any further, I want to comment on Green Tea. First, I encourage you to look up Green Tea on the internet and read about its benefits. Green tea and black tea come from the same tea leaves. The difference is that black tea occurs when tea leaves are dried in the sun until they turn black. In the drying process, the leaves lose some of the antioxidants. Green Tea is ground when the leaves are green and because they are not sun-dried they have more antioxidants and less caffeine. Another tip is that green tea has an antioxidant that reduces the effects of caffeine. 

I found that you need to drink 3 or 4 cups of green tea a day to benefit from the antioxidants.

Health Benefits of Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is different than traditional tea. Herbal teas are made from roots, herbs, seeds, and other plant material.  Herbal tea drinkers use different varieties to achieve different health benefits. Some of the benefits have been backed by science, but others have not.

There are countless varieties of herbal tea. Here are a few of the most popular herbal teas and the science behind the health claims.

• Chamomile is a popular herb known to have a sedative effect. Scientists believe it may have a mild effect on anxiety and insomnia.
• Lemongrass tea is often used to reduce stress, calm your stomach, or to help you sleep. Some studies have confirmed these findings in animals, but researchers suggest that more evidence is required to confirm these benefits in humans.
• Dandelion tea is advertised to provide detox benefits. Some people also use dandelion to reduce water weight. Although dandelion has been shown to increase urination, studies in humans have not been able to confirm other health benefits.
• Rooibus tea provides antioxidants, and some believe it may inhibit tumor growth, although more studies are needed to confirm this benefit in humans. Some people also use it for acne, eczema, and wrinkles but science to support this benefit is lacking.
• Hot tea is a great alternative to drinking coffee and has more health benefits than coffee.
• Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.
• If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 
• Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
• My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 
• Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.
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Don't Let Your Diet Ruin Your Holidays

This is a very special time for every family. A time to celebrate. I hope you can spend some time with your family, even if it's on the phone.

Celebrating has always involved food and drink, it's a tradition that has gone on for several hundred years and I'm sure it will continue on, but we don't have to pig out.

Yes, you have to taste the important traditional dishes that your friends or relatives have taken hours to prepare, but use a small plate, take small amounts, and try and avoid the sugary stuff. Remember you can't work off a lot of calories. You won't be the only person avoiding sugary drinks and foods. More people today know that sugar in their diet can cause health problems. Doctors are very conscious of blood sugar levels and salt in our diets.

A one-hour workout for an experienced athlete will only burn about 300 calories. For a person with less athletic experience, you might only burn 100 calories. On a festive holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year it's easy to consume 3000 to 4000 calories between all the food, snacks, and drinks for the day. That kind of consumption can increase your weight by 2 or 3 pounds at least.

So if you can hold down your calorie count to say 2000 calories which should only be a few hundred more than normal, you should be able to work off those extra calories in a couple of days.

The problem we all have this time of year is the continual party, one after the other with very little time in between to recoup. Then there's the shopping for gifts. We go after work and spend a couple hours trying to find gifts and have no time to eat, so we eat in restaurants with friends which involves more celebrating and more calories.

Did you know that the holiday season is the busiest time of the year for restaurants? It's not unusual for a family to eat out 4 or 5 times a week during the holidays. So if you add up all the meals we eat in restaurants and all the social events we have to attend, it's no wonder that the average adult will gain between 5 and 10 pounds during the holidays.

This is the typical weight gain you have to avoid. It can take months to recoup if you can recoup. Most of us will try to diet in January. We'll lose some weight but not much because the winters are cold and in the cold weather we tend to eat more comfort food and that's a high-calorie food.

Eating the wrong foods even in small portions will keep you from losing weight. You can't exercise away a bad diet. Once the weather starts to warm up most of us find it easier to cut back on food, but by that time it's hard to break the bad habits we had during the winter. We will trim down a little because we are more active in the spring and summer. After all, the days are longer and we have more time to work outside.

I know all about this life cycle because that is the way my life was. All the weight I would gain during the cold months never quite left me. I always ended up one or two pounds heavier at the end of the year. Of course, we never remember how much we weighed the year before, so we don't realize we keep gaining weight every year. That cycle is called "creeping obesity". The one or two pounds you gain every year and don't even realize it. Then when you get to be 50, you wonder how you gained all that weight. On average, a 50-year-old male will weigh between 40 and 60 more than he did on his 21st birthday. The more you weigh when you're 21, the more you'll gain over the years. This doesn't hold true in all cases, it's an average over the entire population, some people are very athletic and never gain weight. I weigh the same today as I weighed when I was 17, of course, I spent years yo-yo-ing from 220 pounds down to 160. 

Be mindful of what you eat. Keeping your body in good condition is your responsibility. It would be better for you and better for your health if you never gained any extra weight. When an adult gains weight they are adding body fat. Not good. The human body is only built to carry a small amount of body fat, like 15% of your weight. It's there in case of emergency. When you can't find food your body will still have fat to survive on. But because of the American diet, we are adding too much fat and it only causes health problems.

Controlling your weight and keeping your body in good condition is your responsibility. Your doctor can only relieve your symptoms. Give a pills or repair a broken bone. Your body has to heal itself and you have to feed it the nutrition it needs to do that.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

What Is Your Macro?

 We always hear that we need to eat 3 well-rounded meals per day; breakfast, lunch & dinner. But what our bodies and metabolisms tell us, is that we need to be eating 5 - 6 small meals per day, essentially making each meal a "snack." Also, be sure to be eating every 2 - 3 hours to keep your metabolism boosted throughout the day! Now I have my breakfast foods at breakfast time (within 45 minutes of waking up) and I have my dinner foods at dinner time (chicken, rice, vegetables), but I also eat less of them at one time and spread them out throughout the day. I've recently seen an article that states you should not eat more than 400 - 500 calories in one sitting. This makes sense if your eating 6 times per day!

My Calorie Intake (estimate) Breakdown 

Breakfast: 194 calories + Green Tea

Snack: 202 calories

Lunch: 325 calories + Green Tea

Snack: 156 calories

Dinner: 358 calories + Green Tea

Dessert: 169 calories

Daily Calorie Intake = 1,404 calories

If you need help calculating what you should be eating, there are a lot of macro calculators out on the internet. The problem is they give different numbers. In fact, I got different numbers for TDEE, BMR, and Macros from almost every calculator. This makes it difficult to understand what exactly you are supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer or solution to this problem right now, except to use a few different calculators and find values that make sense based on all the given values. Here are a few calculators I used to find my current macros.

The Healthy Eater

IIFYM

KatyHearnFit

BodyBuilding.com

FBG Girls

MuscleForLife

Keep in mind, that just because 2 calculators say the same thing, does not mean you should automatically use that count. It could simply mean they used the same formulas.

Now It's important to stick as close as possible to your calorie goals to see the results that you want, but it's also really important to eat when your body tells you it's hungry (when it needs more nutrients). It's also important to know when you are hungry and when you need water! If I'm between meals/snacks then I'll drink half of my Camelbak water bottle and eat up to 5 almonds. That will usually tell me if I'm actually hungry. On the other hand, don't stuff yourself sick. If you're not hungry but you have more calories for the day than you are supposed to consume, it's okay. If this happens repeatedly re-evaluate when you are eating throughout the day, maybe you are eating too little calories in the morning? It's also smart to recalculate your macros every once in a while. Your intake needs to change as your body and goals change.

I'll explain that last sentence. This is the cause for most people to give up on their weight goals. If you found the balance between calorie intake and calories burned, and you're losing weight, don't get discouraged when you stop losing weight. As you lose weight, You are shrinking your stomach and require fewer calories.  What I learned is that for every 10 pounds I lost, I had to lower my calorie intake or increase the calories I burn by increasing my workout. But as time went on, and I had lost more than 20 pounds, I found that I didn't have the time to workout longer. A one-hour workout was all the time I could spare. I had to cut my calories further to reach my weight goal. 

The trick is to reduce calories without reducing the volume of food. I didn't want to starve myself. That's when I had to change my food plan. I changed to Chicken breasts, vegetables, and fruit every day and only drank water. I ate 5 small meals a day, each about 250 to 300 calories. After a couple of years, I lost 60 pounds and reached my weight goal.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

Do Some Research

I tried for years to lose my body fat but never succeeded until I got serious and started to read about the body and how it works. I found that losing weight isn't going to rid my body of the growing about of flab around my waist. Back in those days everyone was buying tablets and downloading books from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. I was one of those guys. I found a big selection of books on fitness and weight loss, but most of the ebooks wanted you to buy something. 

I wasn't really interested in spending money and back then the payment methods weren't that safe. So I kept looking and I decided that maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. I heard about WebMD and found some good stuff. I read about actual studies done and results they found. Some of the solutions made sense so I tried one or two and found it might be harder than it looks. After months of searching I found more websites like Mayo Clinic that published more weight loss advice and all of this was completely free. Now I had a half a dozen sites were I could collect good info. 

After years of researching and trying different methods that included diets or exercise or both and after I had lost most of my body fat, I decided that I too am probably an expert on the subject and should write an e-book. But first, I should collect enough information to complete an e-book. I decided I needed 30,000 words to complete an e-book. I did my own editing. I made the mistake of editing the book like I edit my blog posts. I'd stop and edit every paragraph as I went along. Big mistake. It took me almost a year to finish my first book. 

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of websites looking for the material you want. Because this was my first ebook, I though I had better get some practice writing. I start by blogging. This is my first blog.. If you look through the archives you'll see how long I have worked on this blog. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $3.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in some of the same stores. And on smashwords.com. You can get my second book for $3.99 . Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”. Look for my book cover.

  

Rapid Weight Loss

 Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days!

Eat as Much as You Want -- and Still Lose Weight!

Drop One Dress Size a Day!

Rapid weight loss can be quick and easy -- if you believe the advertising claims.

Fad diets and weight loss supplements promise a slimmer body in no time. In the U.S. alone, consumers spend $33 billion each year on weight loss products.

Do any of these products really produce rapid weight loss? Are they safe? And what are the risks of such fast weight loss? WebMD took a look at some rapid weight loss claims, as well as the available evidence.

Before you read any further, Eli Lilly a giant in the pharma industry, does have a diabetes drug that works great for weight loss. It's new and you need to talk to your doctor to see if this drug is right for you. Remember this drug is for diabetes, but it's been proven to work for weight loss.

Rapid Weight Loss: What Is It?

So many marketers promise "fast weight loss" it's difficult to sort through them all.

Most rapid weight loss pitches fall into these categories:

Starvation Diets

Beyonce popularized the so-called "master cleanse" diet: water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Variations of these diets have been around since at least the 1950s. They often also promise "detoxification" through colonics or enemas.

Diet Pills and Supplements

Dozens of diet supplements promise to speed-up weight loss. Generally, they claim either to block absorption of nutrients, increase metabolism, or burn fat.

Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs)

One proven method of rapid weight loss is the medically supervised very low-calorie diet (VLCD). Most of what is known about rapid weight loss comes from studies of people on these diets.

Creams, Devices, and Magic Voodoo Spells

There seems to be no end to the dubious ideas promoted in the name of rapid weight loss. Most promise to replace diet or exercise.

Does Rapid Weight Loss Work?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does regulate dietary supplements; however, it treats them like foods rather than medications.

The FDA also does not regulate claims made by over-the-counter weight loss products. Unlike drug manufacturers, the makers of supplements don’t have to show their products are safe or effective before selling them on the market. This means that dietary supplements do not need approval from FDA before they are marketed.

Aside from the very low-calorie diet and weight loss surgery, no other product, pill, or diet has been proven to work for fast weight loss. The prescription drug orlistat can help, but it works slowly and only with diet and exercise. Orlistat is marketed as Xenical. Labeling for orlistat notes that it can cause severe liver damage.

In any rapid weight loss program, what really burns fat is not a pill or type of food. It's the drastic reduction of calories, combined with exercise.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

There's a Right Way to Exercise

 Working out burns calories and fat and boosts your metabolism by building muscle. But those trying to lose weight are notorious for overestimating the number of calories they burn and underestimating the amount they take in. Unfortunately, your system is biologically programmed to hold on to extra pounds, says Louis Aronne, M.D., a professor of metabolic research and the director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. That means when you start exercising, your body senses the deficit and ramps up its hunger signals, according to a review of weight-loss studies. If you're not diligent, you'll eat everything you burn and then some.

Lifestyle has a major impact on energy levels and well being. Attention and care make a big difference to your life.

The main ingredients of the healthy lifestyle are listed below.

EXERCISE

We have forgotten about the “host”, our body, being one of our greatest defenses against becoming ill. In fact, exercise is one of the most important parts of keeping your body healthy. Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases.

Here are the major health benefits of a modest exercise program.

• WEIGHT LOSS
• LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
• STRONGER BONES AND A DECREASED RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS
• ELEVATED LEVELS OD GOOD HDL CHOLESTEROL
• DECREASED LEVEL OF BAD LDL CHOLESTEROL
• DECREASED LEVELS OF TRIGLYCERIDE (FATS)
• INCREASED STRENGTH AND COORDINATION, WHICH LEADS TO A DECREASE IN THE RISK OF FALLS
• IMPROVED SENSITIVITY TO INSULIN
• ENHANCEMENT OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
• OVERALL INCREASE IN ONE's SENCE OF WELL BEING

HEALTHY DIET

What about eating habits? A person who eat a low-fat diet, which includes at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily, enjoy further health benefits. These include

• WEIGHT LOSS
• A DECREASED RISK OF DIABETES
• A DECRRSSED RISK OF HEART DISEASES
• A DECREASED RISK OF ALMOST ALL CANCERS
• A DECREASED RISK OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
• A DECREASED RISK OF ELEVATED CHOLESTEROL
• AN ENHANCED IMMUNE SYSTEM
• AN INCREASED SENSITIVITY TO INSULIN
• INCREASED ENERGY AND ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE

A healthy diet is a win-win solution.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.