Shop healthier, work healthier, live healthier
Healthy choices start at the supermarket
I’ve got a confession for you today: Even though I kind of make my living in the grocery business, I don’t consider myself an “expert” grocery shopper. Yes, I’m great at using coupons to save a ton of money at checkout, but when it comes to making healthy choices at the supermarket … well, I could use some help.
Fortunately, help is exactly what I found in this first item. Dr. Zelana Montminy says there are 5 keys to healthier food shopping, and it all starts with knowing the layout of the store. Cookies, potato chips and other guilty pleasures are usually found in the center aisles, so Zelana says it’s best to shop first around the outside of the store, filling your basket with nutritious choices before you get to those sweet or salty indulgences.
Also, try to get outside your comfort zone and spend some time in the ethnic food aisles, where “you’ll find healthy, unexpected ingredients” such as quinoa, brown rice and more. And here’s a surprise: Frozen vegetables often retain more nutrients than fresh vegetables, so don’t forget to check out the freezer aisle. (FitSugar)
By the way, the next time you’re headed to the supermarket, you might want to think about your shoes as well as your shopping list. Three Australian scientists have discovered that habitually wearing high heels can alter the mechanics of your stride — even after you switch to flats. High heels tend to shorten the tendons and muscles in the lower leg, increasing the risk of calf injuries by 300%. If you’re determined to be fashionable and healthy, check out this post for suggestions on minimizing the damage of high heels. (YouBeauty)
You don’t need fancy equipment of expensive classes to boost your heart health, according to Wendy Bumgardner. Instead, just aim for simple goal of walking an extra 2,000 steps per day (something that’s really hard to accomplish in those stiletto heels!). That may seem like a tall order, but Wendy says it’s easy to add steps in short bursts throughout the day — like every time you pick up the phone, for instance. (About.com / Walking)
Take a few steps whenever you talk on the phone? That’s the kind of simple, painless health advice I love to find, because it’s so easy to apply to everyday life. And here’s another tip that passes my simple-and-painless test: When you’re snacking, eat with your non-dominant hand. Experts say that little change will force you to consciously think about what you’re doing, giving you “a window to decide whether you really want to eat or not.” (Women’s Health)
And finally, let’s close today with a British study proving that extra-long work hours can be hazardous to your health. (As if you didn’t already know!) Researchers found that lower-level workers who regularly put in 11-hour days are about 2.5 times more likely to develop symptoms of depression, compared to those who work 7- or 8-hour days. But the higher you get on the totem pole, the less likely you are to be negatively affected by long hours — suggesting that satisfaction and sense of control can change our perception of working conditions. (Health.com)
Photo credit: TommL via iStockphoto
