Eat Fit, Not Fat!

My first trip to Costco this year and it was a success! 

It can be challenging, at times, when you go into a place and there are so many things you want to buy, but may not necessarily need. That has been the most difficult thing for me! Not only was I buying things I didn't need, I was wasting my money.

I have made it a point now to purchase items that will only push me closer to my goals and one of the biggest expenses some of us have is dining out. Another unnecessary expense is buying more than you will use because it ends up going bad and into the trash!

I walked into Costco and had these exact 3 items on my list and they were the only 3 food items I purchased.

I have a few food allergies and could not figure out why I felt sick after drinking my whey protein shakes. I thought it was normal to feel a little bloated. After meeting with a Naturopathic Physician, she had a food panel and allergy test done. I was surprised to find out why my body was having such difficulty processing certain foods. 

After finding out my body really was unable to break down dairy and gluten - as well as gluten free products - it made a lot more sense as to why I was not reaping the benefits from whey protein powders. In addition, I thought by eliminating gluten products it was going to help however, I had an allergy to the two main active ingredients in most gluten-free products! 

So I tried to ignore the fact that I had these allergies and that my body could just work through them, boy was I wrong! How, I did notice that when I limited the foods I was allergic to, I had so much more energy, no stomach issues, my skin was clearing up and I felt a lot better. 

I started researching the foods I was eating and looked for alternatives. What would I be able to have in place of something I enjoyed having and that I was having often?? With so much information available online, having a plethora of information from doctors & nutritionists, as well as friends who have taken an active approach on finding healthier solutions for their eating habits, I was able to find solutions to these questions I had.

I was able to switch out my use of milk products easily. From cows milk I found the switch to almonds milk the best. There is coconut, rice and goats milk (to name a few) that you can substitute to see which you prefer. I mainly would use milk in my protein shake and the almond unsweetened served was a perfect match for me.

My protein powder I swapped out from those that were made with whey to one made from pea protein (aka hemp protein). This one was a little hard as the ones I was trying were not at all appetizing! Luckily my sister came across this plant based protein that is DELICIOUS!! We get it at Costco - Orgain Organic Protein. I've only had the creamy chocolate fudge and like it a lot. They have several products available and hope to be able to try soon!

Another item I traded to was organic for my fruits and vegetables. There are so many articles and publications that tell that you must always have organic. If you can afford it and/or there is not that big of a price difference (sometimes it has been as little as .10 cents) than go for it. I have had moments where I could not opt for the organic. Is it going to kill me? Highly doubt it however I definitely want to be putting the best things in my body. (Here is a a great article to some fruits and veggies you can have that don't necessarily need to be organic ) From my purchase at Costco, the frozen strawberries had the same price tag but the difference between regular and organic was 2 pounds. You would get 6 pounds of frozen strawberries for $9.99 or 4 pounds for organic strawberries. I stood back for a minute and remembered  the article about the dirty dozen and strawberries were high up on there. I opted for the organic and made my way to the check out line. Figured what I would end up spending more on organic, I would be saving on anything that may negatively affect my body.

Though my list was short and I only purchased 3 items at Costco, these are 3 items that have made a huge impact on my life. They say that 6-packs are made in the kitchen and by educating yourself on these products as well as making educated decisions on what you consume, having the weight come off and keeping it off much easier than you think!

-Lisa