Curing The Agony of Grocery Shopping... Kinda

I recently received a question from a reader asking how I manage to not buy duplicates when I go grocery shopping. Until I received that question, it hadn’t occurred to me that I was guilty of doing that very thing on countless occasions. Then I realized I haven’t had it happen in a while… hmmm?

Picture this true-to-life scene: You walk through the door with your many bags of groceries in tow. You gingerly sit them on the counter and start unpacking them to put in their respective places. As you add the bell peppers, the cucumbers, the cheese, and a few other items to the refrigerator, you quickly realize that you could have saved your money on those items since you are fully stocked. “Oh well,” you think, “let’s load up the pantry.” Turning to the pantry you are shocked to realize that the situation is much the same in there…

Sound familiar? Well, that was often the scene in on any given Sunday in my house. There’s nothing like coming home from your weekly trip to the grocery store to discover that at least 30%-40% of what you just purchased is already in your frig or pantry.It’s extremely frustrating because not only is it a waste of money, its potentially going to be a waste of food as well.

Now the question remains, how have I rectified the problem for my household? First, I think the most important change made was to start meal planning. Planning for the week ahead not only saves me from constantly thinking about what I’m going to eat but it’s also the key to my shopping trip.  Once all the meals are planned, I write all the ingredients down on my Grocery List printable. Well, I don’t include the seasonings, unless it’s something unique I've never used before.

With my completed grocery list in tow, I make the short trek from the office to the kitchen to compare my grocery list with what’s already in the frig and freezer. If I already have something I can simply cross it off the list now and not waste my money at the store. 

 

Next, I take stock of what’s in the pantry as well. I can once again mark off what’s on my list that I already have and I can add the staple items that we are low on.

 Can you tell this was taken before my shopping trip? It’s looking kinda bare, need to fill this baby up.

Lastly, I have a chalkboard where I write down items we've run out of during the past week. I double check to make sure they made to my list as well. This hangs right across from the kitchen island so its in plain sight and easily accessible.

The whole process takes about 10-15 minutes and saves me time in the grocery store (I hate grocery shopping) and saves money, so it’s well worth it to me.

That’s all… now it’s off to the store.

Why I Started Uncluttered Eating In The First Place?

So here we are starting our first full week of 2015 and, from what I hear and read all over social media, people have two primary things on the brain right now... getting healthy and getting organized. I can't say that I don't have the same things on my mind, as well. Today I want to share how I started my uncluttered eating lifestyle.

I'm sure that a lot of you started out the first day of the year with a bang, maybe beginning the journey for a healthier lifestyle, possibly even hitting the gym. Maybe there are a few of you that waited for the first full week. But let's be honest, the most important thing is to get started. It could be the middle of the day, right after eating a huge slice... or five of New York pizza. (Pizza is my favorite food group, so I might be referring to myself. Don't judge me.) Just don't wait for the "perfect moment" because you probably will not find it. You know the ole Nike slogan... just (get your booty up and) do it.  Back in early 2013, I mentioned that I was diagnosed with a plethora of food allergies and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), receiving that information and a list of restrictions from my Rheumatologist was the catalyst for me to just do it.

I took the first step in March 2013 by eliminating wheat from my diet all together, it causes inflammation in my body. But I didn't... I couldn't stop there, I was on a quest to hopefully heal my body. So began the research into what exactly is RA, other than a potentially debilitating disorder with no cure. What causes it? Is it manageable without prescription medication? I did find out that it's an autoimmune disease and causes the body to have inflammation around the joints.  My turning point came when I stumbled upon the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch, you should make the time soon.

In the movie, Joe's journey just confirmed that I could potentially manage my RA with fresh fruits and veggies. Thus, began my life as a raw vegan. I thoroughly researched the pros and cons of living this way. I discovered that there will always be naysayers no matter what issue is being discussed. To me the possibility of living pain free was worth giving it a shot despite the naysayers. Thank goodness I did, it turned out to be the best decision I ever made for my mind and body. Right away, I found I had mental clarity and tons of energy. Then within a few months I noticed that the inflammation in my joints had all but disappeared and with each passing day I felt better and better.

Now to be honest with you, I never did a juice fast, that was not for me. I did juice at times, but my eating habits consisted mainly of green smoothies for breakfast, veggies and almonds for snacks, huge salads for lunch and dinner, along with the occasional gazpacho. This remained my routine for the majority of the spring and summer months.

Some may think that eating this way is more expensive, but if you are not buying meat, you are rarely eating out and you eventually save on doctor visits and medication... aren't you really saving money? During the spring and summer I took full advantage of the farmer's markets. This beautiful bounty was about 4 days worth of food for me alone. (The cheese was for the mister.)

Since I was restricted from working out in the beginning, other than taking the dog for walk, I focused so solely on getting my eating under control. I'm here to tell you, the weight literally melted off. The first picture was taken February 10, 2013 in Marshalls and I became a raw vegan two months later in April 2013. The second picture, with my goofy niece, was taken July 27, 2013 and I had lost about 30 lbs by then.

While the weightloss was a bonus, the most important aspect was my body being well enough to walk around the State Fair with my family for hours and not need a wheelchair because I couldn't use my knees the next day. It was an amazing feeling and felt as if I had gained my life back.

If you have considered trying a raw vegan way of life why not start slowly and replace one meal with a raw one. Such as, smoothies for breakfast or a huge salad for lunch. Its my desire to share the rest of my journey with you, if you choose to follow along.

Till next time...

Results of Uncluttered Eating

Can you believe we are a day away from the start of 2015?

With the start of a new year approaching and all the yummy comfort food we've all been eating during these cold months, many of us may be getting in gear to hit the gym and change our eating habits. (I hate the word diet.) Or maybe at one point you had previously adopted healthy eating habits but have since fallen back into your old routine and you're ready to get back on the ball.

Well, I'm going to sharing with you my journey and how I achieved these results. (Be sure to check out my Uncluttered Health page, after the first of the year, for details on how and why I started this journey in the first place.) The before picture was taken in October 2012 and the after picture was taken in July 2014. Sidenote: I started my uncluttered eating habits in April 2013. 

Each week I'll share my eating and workout plan with you. Please do not read this as my being any type of expert or that I feel this particular lifestyle will work for everyone, because I do not. I am simply desiring to share what worked for me and how I personally incorporate being "uncluttered" into all aspects of my life. If you would like to give it a try follow along. If you have questions please feel free to contact me.


Till next time... Iesha