Whole Food Diet

Only Shop the Periphery

Want an easy way to fix your diet today? Stop shopping in the center aisles of the grocery store.

Of course this statement is slightly hyperbolic. There are necessary items in the center aisles such as seasonings, oils, etc. However, if you were to only shop in the periphery of a grocery store your diet would improve significantly. It would make you feel more satiated. You would probably lose weight. You will be healthier.

What do I mean by this? Simply put: avoid processed foods. The center aisles of the grocery store are full of packaged, processed, heavily manufactured foods. They are full of seed oils which are poison for the body. They are designed to be ultra-palatable which makes you want to munch on them all day.

Have you ever noticed when you pick up a bag of potato chips you can easily eat an entire bag without thinking about it? This is by design. The food companies have put a tremendous amount of thought and research into their foods. They are designed to have the perfect crunch, just the right balance of sweet, salty, and fatty, and have an appealing appearance. This keeps you coming back for more.

Another significant drawback to processed foods is that they are nutrient dense. For comparison, a Kind Bar typically has about 250 calories whereas an apple has about 50-100 calories. You will probably get the same level of satiation from both but the kind bar comes with added seed oils and added calories.

What are you left with when you don’t shop the center aisles?