How Supermarkets Get Us To Buy More

I've written in previous posts about the concept of "crowding out." If you eat or do more of a good thing, you will naturally eat or do less of a bad thing. There is only so much room in your stomach, time in your day, etc. Think:

- drink more water and you'll drink less soda
- eat more veggies and fruits and you'll have less room for dessert
- read more and you'll have less time for TV

The concept works pretty well across all aspects of life. But there is at least one place it does not.

Think about where you enter your supermarket. Most likely, you head right into the produce section. This doesn't make a whole lot of sense, as Charles Duhigg points out in his book (my new favorite!) The Power Of Habit, since "fruits and vegetables bruise easily at the bottom of a shopping cart; logically they should be situated by the registers, so they come at the end of a trip."

But he goes on to explain the logic: these companies have figured out that we actually end up buying more junk in the middle aisles if we've loaded up on produce at the beginning. It's like we're subconsciously rewarding ourselves for a job well done.

You've undoubtedly heard you shouldn't go to the market hungry, and you should always go with a list rather than winging it. Those two things are supposed to keep you on task. But now there's a third to remember. No matter where that entrance dumps you, make it a habit to head to the middle aisles first. Load up on the produce last. You'll end up with a healthier cart, fewer mushed bananas, and some extra bucks to go spend elsewhere!

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"

This quote has been attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, yet similar statements were logged as much as 100+ years before. Regardless of where or from whom it came, I love it.

I'm not usually a quote sort of person. I've mostly thought of them as a lazy way to express the way you feel. I used to roll my eyes at colleagues who had dozens of quotes pasted all over their door, desk and walls. But then I recently came across this quote in a magazine and I can't get it out of my head. And I hope that 1. those colleagues never caught my eye-rolling and 2. if they did, I was unable to make them feel inferior in any sort of way, because they refused to let me.

We've all been made to feel inferior. And it starts at way too early an age. Reading this quote reminded me of the same advice my mother always gave to me when I went crying to her as a little girl after being hurt by another:

"Don't let them make you feel that way."

I didn't understood what she meant back then - how could I change the way someone made me feel? It was her kiss and hug that always got me through the pain. At almost 40, I get it now, at least intellectually. Admittedly, it can still be hard to practice, especially in this competitive world. Sad as it may be, in some environments, it seems as though making others look or feel inferior is key to climbing the ladder, or at the very least hanging on to your rung. And so we may from time to time find our mental selves right back on that elementary school playground.

What we often don't realize is how much these scenarios affect us, and not just psychologically. They affect us physically. A co-worker or boss makes you feel inferior, insecure, stupid - what happens? Do you lose your appetite? Drown yourself in ice cream? Toss and turn at night? Sleep the whole morning away? Maybe your reactions aren't as severe, but that might be even more dangerous if the debilitating effects build up, unacknowledged, over time. I have many clients who, once we work together through issues in a relationship or at work, immediately lose the weight they've been struggling with, free themselves of the chronic digestive issues, eliminate the reflux, etc. Mind and body are intertwined.

Does this sound familiar to you at all? Do you feel as though someone other than you might be in control of your mind or body? Remind yourself they're only able to do so with your consent, and then rescind it.

Could it be that simple? Think about it. Pretty empowering right?

Do As I Say [ ? ] As I Do

We've all heard the saying from our own parents, and if you're a parent yourself, you've undoubtedly said it as well: Do as I say, NOT as I do!

But while I've said it before (in fact, just last night when Frank said "Jesus Christ!" in frustration over a broken toy), it's not fair. If we want our children to behave in a certain way, we need to behave that way as well. Though it often doesn't feel like they're listening, deep down we know our kids watch how we act, speak and treat the world around us incredibly closely. And they naturally emulate us.

If we expect something out of them, we better be showing them the way:

Do as I say, AND as I do!

And vs not: a small but incredibly significant and meaningful difference. And as it relates to health, we would do our children a real service to formally and permanently revise this well-known phrase.

Why?

Well, according to the AHA, roughly one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963. Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. The saddest part of these statistics, and why we need to be more serious about how we behave in front of our kids, is the role that we as parents are playing in them. According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, if you're overweight or obese, your child's chances of following the same fate are between 25 to 50 percent. And if the child's other parent is also overweight, the chances shoot up to 75 percent. We work so hard to give our kids the best possible chance for success, and yet many of us seem to be giving them the best possible chance for chronic illness.

If you need more to ponder, consider the psychological effects of childhood obesity: low self-esteem, negative body image and depression. To think this psychological suffering is caused mostly by preventable physical issues is all the more depressing. But here's the encouraging part! These physical issues and therefore their psychological brethren are also REVERSIBLE.

If we were forced every day to say to our kids "do as I say, and as I do," how might we change our behavior around food and exercise?

CVS Also Sells Doritos

Will they be pulling those off the shelves as well?

I've been debating about writing this post ever since the news came out that CVS will no longer sell cigarettes come October. While I find it insane that it took until 2014 for a company that claims it's in healthcare to make this decision, I must applaud the move nonetheless, and desperately hope it will inspire other companies to follow suit. It's true that this move is only going to cost them a small percentage of revenue, but it's still billions of dollars - not an insignificant decision at all. So part of me wanted to let the good roll, and not point out that if it wants to continue calling itself a healthcare company, CVS should take a look at its other aisles as well.

But then I happened upon the latest obesity reports and I couldn't help myself.

Last year, I wrote an encouraging post about America's health trajectory - we were enjoying a two-year pattern (if you can call two years a pattern) of obesity rate declines in 2011 and 2012. The Pollyanna in me fully expected to see the trend continue into 2013, but unfortunately, we went in the opposite direction and are now at an all-time high of 27.2%. 27.2%?!

Tobacco has long been recognized as a killer: this latest report from the World Health Organization cites it as responsible for 33% of cancer cases in the U.S.  But guess what? Bad diet, obesity and physical inactivity rings in as a close second at 28%, and I can only imagine these figures are going to flip-flop at some point as smoking rates have steadily declined for decades - and obesity rates have steadily inclined. Have you looked at the food CVS sells lately? Chips, soda and candy make up the vast majority. Yes, cigarettes cause alarming amounts of cancer. But too much of these foods do too, in increasing amounts. In fact, new cancer cases worldwide are expected to skyrocket over the next two decades from 14 million in 2012 to over 22 million - all while smoking, the current leading cause of cancer, will likely decline. Ponder that for a bit.

I eat Doritos from time to time. I eat candy from time to time. I'm not writing this to tell everyone to swear off this stuff forever. (For my perspective on moderation, refer back to my 90/10 post.) But if CVS is truly serious about positioning itself as a health care company, and not just looking for a jump in brand equity measures, then it should put its money where its mouth is and do a full store inventory.

"Class-Made" Guacamole: No Better Brand Around

One of the things I love about having quit my corporate job is being able to get more involved in my kids' schools. I'm not doing as much as I could, but it's a thousand percent more than I did last year.

I am co-chair of PS321's Green & Healthy Committee, and January is Green & Healthy month! So we had a big party last week for which I created and ran a Nutrition Booth that was wayyyyy more popular than expected given my competition: a dance party, yoga and dance classes, an obstacle course, etc., and... a gelato (made of, err, natural, wholesome ingredients) workshop!

The kids loved playing my "Guess How Much Sugar!" game where they matched cups of varying amounts of sugar with the right product. I also had them be food detectives by asking them to find the differences between two kinds of ketchup, applesauce, peanut butter and cereal. What fun it was to hear an 8-year-old saying, "Mom! NEVER buy this kind of applesauce again! It has high fructose corn syrup in it!" I also overheard a mom looking at my "Did You Know?" section saying to her kid, "Wow, look at that. Broccoli stalks have more calcium and vitamin D than the flowers! We'll have to start throwing them into our stir-fry's." With all that under my belt, I was pretty confident making guacamole with Frank and his 24 first-grader classmates yesterday was going to be a hit.

We all sat and chatted for a bit: What had they learned during Green & Healthy month? Had they tried any new fruits and vegetables? Did they notice how good it feels to be green and healthy? I told them we'd be making guacamole; most had tried it before. I told them I was proud of them as I'd not touched an avocado until my 20's (true story.) Most of them knew an avocado is technically a fruit. (Did you?) I talked to them about the other ingredients - we kept it simple with lime, cilantro and salt but we discussed additional options like red onions, jalepeno peppers and tomatoes, all of which they were happy to be leaving out! I showed them how to easily open an avocado and remove the pit. I showed them how to start the process of growing their very own avocado tree! See here for yourself. (Frank and I agreed to babysit for ours at home and share the progress with the class every couple of weeks.)

And then the madness began!

They broke out into tables, each with a bowl, a masher and a spoon. Each kid got a half an avocado whose flesh they were responsible for scooping out. Each got a quarter of a lime whose juice they were responsible for squeezing out. I went around and sprinkled salt and cilantro in each of the bowls. They mashed and stirred, mashed and stirred. Giggles all around. I handed out carrots and (organic whole grain :)) tortilla chips and they devoured everything.

Only two out of 25 didn't try it. One spooned left-overs into her lunch container. Another literally licked the bowl (unsanitary, but a compliment nonetheless!) Here's what they had to say:

"It's better than store-bought!"
"It's better than a restaurant's!"
"It's better because it costs less!"
"It's better because you know the ingredients!"
"It's CLASS-MADE GUACAMOLE!"


Class-Made Guacamole. There's no better brand around. Try it with your kid's class!

Class-Made Guacamole 
(serves 25 hungry first-graders)

Ingredients:
the flesh of 12 avocados
the juice of 6 limes
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt, to taste

Directions:
1. Scoop out the flesh of each of the avocados into a bowl. MASH.
2. Squirt out the juice of 6 limes into the mashed avocado.
3. Sprinkle the cilantro on top. Mix with a spoon.
4. Add in a little salt at a time, stirring and tasting until desired.

Serve with carrots and whole grain tortilla chips and proudly watch them devour it all.

Another Food Labeling Mess. Disappointing, But Don't Lose Faith.

GMO labeling has taken center stage in health headlines recently, and while actual laws are slow to get traction, heightened consumer awareness is pushing companies to make positive changes they wouldn't have had good business reason to do otherwise. See article about General Mills' decision to remove GMO's from Cheerios' yellow box variety. Progress!

And if you spend any time looking at food packaging these days, you'll see proud call-outs like "now with no high fructose corn syrup," "now with no artificial colors, flavors, dyes," "no trans fats," etc. This is good stuff. Sure, it can breed laziness: we see those call-outs and assume a product is healthy rather than spending quality time with the actual nutrition facts and ingredient lists which may expose otherwise. However, let's be optimists rather than cynics. Progress!

We're seeing more "antibiotics-free," "hormone-free," "fed no animal by-products" meats. More "pastured" and "grass-fed" options in standard grocery stores instead of just the fancier Whole Foods and natural food stores. Wild fish and organic milk is everywhere. Smuckers makes peanut butter you can feel good about buying for your kids. This all means healthier stuff is becoming more accessible to the masses, which means awareness rates have to be growing. And the more informed we are, the healthier we are. Right?

Well? Here's a head-scratcher for you: despite all of the above, and despite my optimistic blog post from last spring, recent data shows obesity rates in 2013 (27.2%) were higher than they've ever been, this after two years of declines seen in 2011 and 2012. What gives?

Could it be.... FRADULENT OLIVE OIL?

If you haven't heard about all of the incredible benefits of especially extra-virgin olive oil recently, you've likely been living under a rock. Its high concentration of mono-unsaturated (good) fat helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and decreases blood pressure. It has stronger concentrations of phytonutrients which have great anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Why is that important? Chronic inflammation wreaks havoc and leads to all sorts of nasty stuff like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But what if that EVOO we've been pouring all over our salads, drizzling onto over our vitamin A-rich, toxins-removing baked sweet potatoes and brushing onto our deliciously simple grilled halibut isn't EVOO at all, but a mix of god-knows-what kinds of oils? Ones that could very well be genetically-engineered, produce LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase blood pressure?

No, I'm not suggesting that fake olive oil is the number one culprit increasing obesity rates (though I must admit I'm baffled and saddened by the 2013 data), but it's disconcerting to hear that what 70% of us think we're putting into our bodies is actually pretty much the opposite. This is far worse than brands not disclosing whether their products are made from GMO's, or ones who market themselves as "healthy" when their ingredient lists suggest otherwise. No, this olive oil thing (if true, because there's always that question) is a full-blown lie. Makes you wonder what other "good" things we're doing for ourselves that are actually bad.

Ah, screw it, let's just throw in the towel and reach for the Twinkies, right?

Nope, wrong answer. Health is a combination of factors, and just because a couple things we're doing may not be what we've intended or have been told, the (mostly?) good combo will always, always prevail. So read up on as much of this stuff as you can so you stay informed and adjust as you will based on what you conclude. But if you're on the beautiful, albeit sometimes bumpy road to health, DON'T LOSE FAITH.

Resolution Not Working? Try This Instead.

One of the most helpful concepts I learned in health coaching school was 'bio-individuality.' Sounds deeeeeeeeep. And complicated. But it's a simple premise that makes a whole lot of sense. And that's actually the case with a lot of stuff in the health and nutrition world - it's just that too many of the food companies, too much of the medical world and too many loosely termed "experts" have realized that in order to make a business out of health and nutrition, confusing consumers is job number one.

So what is bio-individuality anyway?

There’s no one-size-fits-all diet – each person is a unique individual with highly individualized nutritional requirements. Personal differences in anatomy, metabolism, body composition and cell structure all influence your overall health and the foods that make you feel your best. That’s why no single way of eating works for everyone. The food that is perfect for your unique body, age, and lifestyle may make another person gain weight and feel lethargic. 
- Joshua Rosenthal, Founder, Institute for Integrative Nutrition -

The health and nutrition world markets under the guise of simplicity: Just eat this one food and your belly fat will disappear! Follow these three simple tricks and you'll fit back into those jeans like that! Never eat another carb again and you'll shed those plus sizes forever! Okay, maybe those approaches worked for someone. But they won't work for the general public. 98% of all diets fail sooner or later. And since it's January, I'll throw this depressing statistic out at you as well: 90% of New Year Resolutions fail. So many of them health-related.

Are you having trouble sticking to your health-related resolution?  
A different approach may be in order.

I just finished leading 21 women (and one man!) on a 7-Day "Resolution Jumpstart" Purification. The Purification is not about juicing or deprivation, neither of which is a long-term viable proposition. It's about eating whole, real (delicious, mind you) foods, and eliminating foods that either definitely are or could be inhibiting health-related progress including gluten, dairy, added sugar, caffeine, alcohol, soda, diet soda, juice, artificial anything and preservatives.

YIKES!

Let me tell you: that shit ain't easy. It took us - ALL of us (myself included) - a lot of energy and determination to do this. The intention is not for anyone to try to live like this forever. Instead, we cut out all of this stuff at once in order to create a clean slate. From there, we add stuff back in slowly and check how we're feeling. This way we'll know if there are certain types of foods that just don't sit well, and may be at the core of our issues including bloating, acne, low energy, poor sleep, eczema, intense cravings or weight gain. Many of my purifiers are discovering a few kinds of foods were really tripping them up: gluten for one (the source of chronic bloating); dairy for another (the source of chronic eczema); added sugar for still another (the source of intense cravings.) And many have enjoyed as much as five pounds in weight loss after just seven days! Likely the combination of everything.

But none of those specifics matter much if everyone goes back to their old ways once the week is over. The most valuable lesson (even the most miserable of) my purifiers take away from this seven day journey is awareness. Many of us go through our days mindlessly eating or doing this or that. There are no fingers to point here, it's just a reality of our crazed worlds. But for these seven days, each of us was ultra-aware of what we were eating, how we were sleeping, what kind of time we were making for exercise, how much TV we were watching, etc. And, importantly, how each of those things was making us feel.

We'll each decide what to DO with what we learned moving forward, but the practice of being more aware itself is really hard to shake (in a good way!), the positive momentum we've all created for ourselves forms the buildings blocks required for long-term change, and each of us will have our bio-individualistic learnings to fall back on, well, forever.

From one Resolution Jumpstart Purifier:

Last Sunday morning I was shoveling food in my mouth standing up and screaming at my daughter to get dressed for her skating lesson. This week I had oatmeal, have a smoothie and am drinking my unfinished tea out of my thermos. Totally different scene just a week later!

So if you're finding your health-related resolution isn't going so well, the reason might be that it just wasn't the right resolution fit for you. Because it was someone else's diet program, someone else's exercise regime, or it was simply unrealistic. Take just a week instead and practice the art of awareness: it's a real shortcut to some long-term answers.