Over the past few months, I have written a lot of what you should not eat, what you should avoid and why you should avoid it. I have heard from several readers that they want to hear more of what they should eat. Over the next few weeks I am going to be talking a lot about shopping, label reading and of why a grocery store is some of the most interesting real estate in our environment. Everything, from the color of the signs to the music playing in the background, is designed to get us to buy things or items that we really don't want to buy. Did you know that 70% of the people that go into the grocery store with a list buy one extra item for ever three items on their list? It is the true dedicated list builder that leaves there with nothing extra in their basket. I, for one, always pick up extra items. There is a design to have you wait in line for so long before they open up the next cashier. You might be more apt to buy some goodies, gum, or Masters Degree reading in the National Enquirer. I also have to admit that for some reason my eyes always check out the titles of those rag magazines. In fact, as I am writing this I feel so ashamed, I will often pick it up and read it if the title is enticing enough. I am thankful and happy to admit that I have never bought one of those magazines in my adult life.

Anyway to get back on task, I have found that grocery shopping or planning the family meal does seem like a complex task. For many, this task is quickly avoided by going to get fast food. It just keeps life so much simpler. Or does it in the end? In 2007, there were over 320,000 food and beverage products. Our average grocery store will contain 30,000 to 40,000. For those of you who live in Cincinnati, you have an amazing grocery store there called Jungle Jim's. I am sure this store has triple the amount of food and beverage choices. It is truly a wonderland of food, beverage, and family entertainment. If you have never been, plan on taking a quick trip if you like to cook and have access to some of the most interesting domestic and global food products. It is an amazing place.

Again, I digress. I love to talk about food. There is a big battle that goes on between the consumer and the grocery store. You must realize that their entire reason to be in business is to make a profit, just like everyone else. However, their goals and our goals as the consumer are sometimes mutually exclusive of each other. That being said, the margin is so tight for grocery stores that they have brought in the big dogs to help them sell, promote and make money off all their products. The consumer has a different set of goals. The consumer wants to get the best food, for the lowest price, at the highest quantity. Out of all this craziness comes mass confusion. In the end, the battle continues. Therefore, the grocery store sells expensive, yet nutritionally poor, high caloric convenience foods. This, along with the entire food industry, is the reason the average consumer can't lose weight, has fatigue and struggles with insomnia and depression.