Dr. Lee Sheldon

I used to ask my patients, “What aisle at the supermarket do you shop in?”  Did I get strange looks? Of course.  What’s the correct answer? I don’t shop in the aisles very much. I shop around the perimeter. 

What’s in the aisles? For the most part, it’s processed food. You know, the stuff in the can or box. It’s been pulverized, salted, sugared, preserved, cooked, packaged, and put in the aisle. The packaging is attractive, even sexy. The manufacturer has paid for the product to be at eye level, so you buy it. And you do. And it will last one to three years, probably longer if you ignore the label. What’s wrong with that?  The processing machine got the best of that food.  You got what was left. Enzymes and nutritional value are gone (but supplemented by vitamins, so the label looks good).

You eat it, and you want more. Why? Because your body is looking for nutrition. And you’re not getting much. So you keep on eating. I can get on such a jag. I keep eating the stuff. Then I cut up an apple, and my appetite is satisfied.

You can’t cook? Buy a frying pan and some good olive oil. Try a chicken fillet. Add just some salt and pepper and see what you can do. How about some vegetables? They are already prepared in the refrigerator aisle. Add onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the same pan. Once you try that, go to allrecipes.com. Type in “quick and easy,” and you’ll be on your way, faster than reheating a processed meal. 

The best food is fresh and not preserved. You’ll find that at the perimeter of the store. Spend more time there, and I’ll bet you feel better.