Wednesday, September 22

From the Shopping Cart...to Your Hips?

by Peter Lavelle, Ultimate Bootcamp Co-Founder

It's amazing just how often we search for the 'best' way or 'easiest' ways to improve our way of life. It has become commonplace to simply accept our fate..our lot...our circumstance. "There aren't enough hours in the day". "Healthy meal options aren't ready available on the block near my office". "If I have to get up even five minutes earlier to make a decent breakfast, I'll either miss out on my much-needed sleep, or I'll be late for work!". Trust us - we hear ya!

Right under your nose, there's one of the simplest steps of all - what you put in your shopping cart. Taking control of what you buy, by inference, helps you take control of what you eat. Stocking your refrigerator with healthy foods will leave you feeling better about yourself, improve your health and wellbeing, and - most likely - save you some moolah! Don't feel like you need to be Rachel Ray in order to cook a healthy meal. By simply buying more fruits and veggies, leaner protein options, and fewer processed and fatty foods mean one thing - you have to cook them!

Like anything new that you take on, the best approach to take is to have fun with it. It's fall, and this is New England. Not only is that combo one of the greatest of all time, but it opens all sorts of doors of ideas. Squashes, gourds, pumpkins, apples....we have an endless supply of wonderful locally-grown produce that can easily be steamed, stir-fried, or baked! When's the last time you took four or five different vegetables, chopped them into a baking tin with some olive oil and seasoning, and slipped them into the oven for an hour? Delish! Not to mention easy! There are so many ideas and recipes - right at your fingertips. Guess what - the internet? You're on it! Just search whatever it is that might tickle your fancy, and voila! Ideas abound! In the meantime, fill your shopping cart with the healthy items you miss out on during your work day, and simply cook 'em up and have them stored in your fridge, ready to go!

Now grab your buddy, go pick some apples, and chop them up into your newest baked veggie dish and enjoy - not just for taste, but for how great they make you look!


Peter Lavelle is co-founder of Greater Boston's Ultimate Bootcamp. In his spare time you'll find him training for multi-sport events or enjoying the beautiful outdoors in Maine.