It is no accident that you may get easily distracted at the grocery store and buy more than you intend to.   Supermarket chains spend thousands of dollars to know exactly how, where, when, and why you shop.  They use this information to get you to linger longer, fill your basket, and spend more money than you intended to spend. 

Here are some helpful tips to outsmart your supermarket:

Never shop on an empty stomach:  If you shop on an empty stomach you are more prone to make impulse purchases that may not be healthy.

Make a grocery list:  Plan the meals you want to prepare for the next few days, look around your kitchen to see what you have on hand, and write down all the healthy foods and ingredients you need.

Shop the perimeter of the store:  The healthiest food such as fresh produce, unprocessed meats and dairy products tend to be placed around the perimeter of the store.  The unhealthy, processed, junk and sugary foods are usually in the middle aisles. 

Avoid the end of the aisles:  The end of every aisle is generally home to sale items and foods low in nutrients and high in added fat and sugar.  If you are only getting it because it is on sale, you probably don't need it.  If the item is on your list for greater health and on sale you just saved some money but if it's not keep on walking.

Choose fresh produce:  Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are firm, ripe and unblemished.  Look out for mold and produce packed tightly together in small boxes.  Buy only the amount of produce you need for a few days so it doesn't spoil.

Leave the high fat, high calorie pastries alone:  Choose 100% whole grain breads, not white breads made with refined flours. 

Free yourself from free samples:  Samples are often convenience items and ones that shouldn't be on your list if you're trying to eat healthier.  Use your label reading skills to determine it's a healthful item.

March is National Nutrition Month. Eating well can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.  
  
Most people get an annual physical with their doctor and have their eyes and teeth checked regularly.  Have you ever considered getting an expert opinion on your diet?  A Registered Dietitian can help you make the changes necessary to decrease your need for medications and potentially avoid disease.

It can be a daunting task to keep up with the latest diet information.  The best way to have all your nutrition questions answered and help prevent chronic disease, or to simply fine-tune your diet, is to schedule an annual "nutrition checkup" with a Registered Dietitian. You only have one body, take care of it by healthy eating.

Stacey Whittle, RD, CPT and Dorothy Bernet, MS, RD, CPT are Registered Dietitians and Co-Founders of Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists in Santa Monica, CA. For more information visit their website at: www.healthybydesignnutrition.com

Physical therapists have used stability balls (also known as Swiss Balls, physioballs, birth balls, etc) for years to treat a variety of injuries, but now these oversized balls are used in fitness centers, training gyms, and households as a versatile exercise tool.

Unlike any mat or machine, the ball is a mobile surface.  The instability of the ball "jump-starts" dormant muscles, recruiting both deep as well as superficial muscle fibers.  The ball is an excellent tool to improve the strength of your abdominal and lower back muscles.   By using the ball in different exercises you are facilitating the neuromuscular system, increasing core strength, balance, posture, and flexibility. 

There are literally hundreds of different exercises that can be done with the ball, and both beginners and advanced exercisers can benefit from it.  The ball will require you to slow down the exercise, giving you time to engage the correct muscles as you pay attention to how the exercises are performed. 

Using free weights with the ball as a bench is great to strengthen stabilizer muscles.  For example, doing a chest press lying on a bench is a good exercise but it's limited to working primarily your chest, shoulders, and triceps.  If you perform that same move on a stability ball, you have created an unstable environment.  Additional muscles are activated that work to keep you balanced on the ball.  That means you are now working harder and essentially getting more bang for you buck while not increasing your exercise time. 

The ball can be used for a total body workout.  With the ball you can work your legs, arms, chest, back, and abdominals.  Here are a few guidelines to introducing ball work to your exercise routine:

• Choose the right size ball.  The size of your ball is based on your height.  If you are 5'1"-5'6" use a 55 cm ball.  If you are 5'7" - 6'1" use a 65 cm ball.  Inflate the ball properly - when you sit on the ball your legs should be at 90 degrees and your hips should be level with your knees.
• Don't overdo.  When beginning, a time limit of 30 to 120 seconds for each exercise is recommended.  Begin with about 25% of the motion until you get the feel for the exercise.   As you become more familiar with the exercises and are able to perform them correctly, you can lengthen the time.
• Train your core.  The farther away the ball is from the core of your body, the more difficult maintaining your balance is.  For example, you can do a push-up on the ball, placing the ball underneath your thighs, which engages your core.  To increase the difficulty, roll the ball out to your lower legs or even your feet so it's farther away from the center of your body and so maintaining your balance is harder.

Many grocery stores strategically plan their baking times during the busiest hours of the day.  It has been proven that shoppers pick up more items when the smell of fresh breads, cinnamon rolls, apple pie, and other treats are wafting through the store. 

Think about the delicious meals you are shopping for and don't let these smells get the best of you.

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