LETS GO SHOPPING!!!

The quality of ingredients we start with at home is key to our success in following a Brain Healthy diet.

Embrace the Whole Food Lifestyle

Whole foods don’t need nutrition labels, so the best nutrition label is no label at all!

So, what are whole foods? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Whole foods are natural, single-ingredient foods that come straight from plants or animals.

Whole foods are perishable (good food does have a 12-month use-by date).

Whole foods require little to no processing to be safely edible (like preparing, chopping, or cooking - done!).

Our Shopping List

Meat, Seafood, Poultry and Eggs

• All Fresh or Freshly Frozen Meat, Seafood, and Poultry

• Eggs are a perfect stable for your fridge

• WARNING: Ensure none of your Fresh Protein isn’t smothered in a marinate, sauce or Gravy, as they are guaranteed to be loaded with Carbohydrates and sugar

• Aged and Processed Meats and Seafood are ok, however don’t overload with them. So bacon, Salami and Smoked Salmon are fine in moderation

Vegetables

• Lettuce: All true Lettuce is great, including Iceberg, Romaine, Bibb Boston Oakleaf.

• Baby Spinach super versatile and can use in plenty of dishes

• Mushrooms

• Artichokes

• Celery

• Fennel

Fruits (any food with a seed is technically a Fruit)

• To Start with All whole fresh or frozen fruits are permitted

• Cucumbers

• Avocados (what a wonderful fruit for any meal of the day)

• Olives

• Squash: All varieties of Squash are permitted including
  - Courgette
  - Yellow Squash
  - Spaghetti Squash
  - Butternut

• WARNING Limit Tropical Fruits and other high glycemic fruits to avoid Blood Glucose spikes.
  - Watermelon
  - Pineapple
  - Banana
  - Mango
  - Grapes
  - Pears
  - Apples

• AVOID Dried Fruit. Drying concentrates the sugars and removes the water, making dried fruit very addictive and full of sugars.

• AVOID Pureed Fruit (spikes Insulin levels significantly)

Seasonings

• Himalayan Pink Salt

• Leafy Herbs
  - Basil
  - Coriander
  - Dill
  - Mint etc

• Peppercorns of any colour

• Lemon and Lime Juice (small amounts of zest are fine)

Beverages

• Water and ZERO SUGAR carbonated drinks

• Zero Sugar Cordial (make sure it is ZERO sugar and not NO ADDED sugar)

• AVOID Fruit Juices and Fruit Drinks, they are loaded with sugar as are Ice Teas and Iced Coffees

Planning is the key

There you have it. The key is to plan your shopping and stick to the whole foods.

Of course our local supermarkets are isle after isle temptations.

REMEMBER your shopping to Vitalise, Defend and Enhance your Mind, starting at the check out is a great start.