HEALTH PREP #1: Buy Food w/ Intention...

(Easy right? Not likely. If you have a family you will need to talk this over with your spouse and/or children. You need to work with them or they will be working against you.)

Of course, the first thing to your health and wellness is buying healthier. There is no reason to exercise if you are still going to eat and drink things that are unhealthy for you.

Some will say don't ever, ever, forever buy junk food. Who really believes that will happen? Just restricting yourself only makes you want it more. Something that is forbidden becomes even more enticing to someone when they have the chance to partake.

Buying food intentionally is the alternative. This is where you make a list of items you need from the grocery store. This will allow you to be less of an impulse buyer just grabbing items off the shelf that look good to you at that moment. If it's not on the list, don't buy it. HINT: All grocery stores are setup to make you want to purchase the things that are more impulse buys because they will sell more. Most people don't go to the store and impulsively buy more fruits and vegetables, though it would be nice.

Personally, if there is junk food in my house, I will eat it, so I had to stop storing it and instead buy it intentionally. If it's Halloween, I will buy it 1 day before, just enough for the occasion, and not open the package until that night. If there are fruit snacks for my kids, I don't store them where I can see them. Out of site, most of the time, out of mind.

This will keep you on track. If you buy only what is on your list there is less impulse to buy the non-essentials and junk food. This is also taught in our Personal Finance course. Buying with intention allows you to save money and your health.

Some would say that it cost more to buy healthy, well consider this, impulse food that you buy is also impulsive food that you eat. Just as much as you intentionally buy food, with healthy food you are intentionally eating as well. Since you won't be drawn to eating more fruits and vegetables on impulse, your food budget will go down dramatically.

Follow this first step and you have just made a huge advancement, and it's not that hard when you finally make the decision to be intentional.

ACTION ITEMS:

1) Make a list before you go to the store and just buy what is on the list.

2) Plan out special occasions so you can buy sweets with intention.

2) Replace sweets and snacks with fruits and vegetables.

3) If you must buy sweet things than buy those you need to bake. (More in the next post...)