Can I ask you a question?
When you push your trolley around the supermarket, what are you really buying?
Most people would say food.
I don’t.
I think you’re buying your future health.
Every item you put into your trolley is either an investment in your health or an investment in future illness.
It really is that simple.
As a nutritionist, I know exactly what I’m buying.
Every week I have an organic fruit and vegetable box delivered to my home. Then, because I cook fresh almost every day, I pop to the supermarket to buy whatever I’m missing. I prefer doing this rather than filling my fridge with food that sits there for days.
When I walk around the supermarket, my trolley quickly becomes a rainbow of colours.
Leafy greens.
Spinach.
Broccoli.
Cucumbers.
Avocados.
Sweet potatoes.
Beans.
Berries.
Nuts.
Seeds.
These are the foods that nourish my body, support my gut, reduce inflammation and provide the fibre and healthy fats that help us age well.
If there is one thing I have learnt from studying the world’s Blue Zones, it is that healthy ageing starts with everyday habits.
One of those habits begins with what we put into our shopping trolley.
Whenever possible, I choose organic produce. It is one way I reduce my exposure to pesticides and support the way I believe we should be eating.
Unfortunately, as a nutritionist, I cannot help noticing what is in other people’s trolleys too.
I often see large bags of crisps, sugary drinks, ready-made pizzas, cream cakes, colourful doughnuts, sweets and highly processed foods.
Now, before anyone misunderstands me, I am not saying we should never enjoy a treat.
If you are having a birthday party or celebrating a special occasion, that is completely different.
Life is about balance.
But a birthday party is once a year.
For many people, those foods have become everyday purchases rather than occasional treats, and that is where the problem begins.
People often ask me where they should start if they want to lose weight or improve their health.
My answer is always the same.
Your diet starts in the supermarket.
Because if you don’t buy it, you don’t eat it.
One simple habit has helped me enormously.
I keep a notepad in my kitchen and whenever I think of something I need, I write it down.
By the time I go shopping, my list is ready and I am far less likely to make impulse purchases.
Yesterday, for example, I knew I was going to be working late.
Before leaving home, I packed a small bag of dried mango and a bottle of water.
When I felt peckish, I already had a healthier option with me instead of reaching for a sugary snack.
Healthy eating does not have to be complicated.
It starts with being prepared.
Another tip I always give my clients is to start shopping around the outside of the supermarket.
That is usually where you will find the fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, eggs and other whole foods.
Then, before you put any packaged food into your trolley, turn it over and read the ingredients.
The shorter and more recognisable the ingredients list, the better.
The next time you go shopping, don’t start in the biscuit aisle.
Start with the vegetables.
Fill your trolley with colourful vegetables, healthy fats, beans, lentils, herbs, fruit and whole foods first.
Your trolley will soon start reflecting the way you want to live.
The longevity lesson today is this.
Longevity doesn’t start in the hospital.
It doesn’t even start in your kitchen.
It starts in your shopping trolley.
So let me leave you with one question.
The next time you go shopping, will you be buying food for today, or investing in your future health?
Your future health is not decided overnight.
It is built one shopping trip at a time.
Prevention rather than cure.
Milvia Pili
Functional Nutritional Therapist
