Financial Times

Healthy Shopping; the idea for a healthy lifestyle

By Sachini Perera

In a bid to promote healthy shopping, a new concept introduced by the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre, a healthy shopping programme, was held last month at the Arpico Super Centre in Hyde Park. At the promotion were members of the diabetes centre’s ‘Sweet n’ Fit’ club participated under the supervision of Consultant Dietician Sigrid de Silva.

It was the final step of a series of lectures, seminars, workshops and even cookery demonstrations that were held to create awareness,” Nalin Fernando, the Diabetes Educator at the Centre told The Sunday Times FT.

"The idea behind the programme was to demonstrate good and bad choices made by the general public when buying items such as vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, protein alternatives and dairy products. Most of the club members made good choices,” Sigrid de Silva said, adding that she advised the participants on how to read, analyse and understand the labels on the products they bought.

“Unsupervised healthy shopping is not impossible,” said Mrs. de Silva who explained that once a person goes through a healthy shopping programme, the knowledge that person gains will be permanent. She emphasised her point using the example that “once you know your letters you can naturally form words”. She said that such an experience teaches customers what to question and look out for when shopping.

As to the question whether healthy shopping would be detrimental towards supermarkets, that was answered by Avanthi de Soysa, the Retail Development Manager for Arpico. “We care about our customers and we want them to know that we are capable of catering to a wide segment of them, including those afflicted by diabetes.”

She further said that all the products sold by them were passed by the necessary authorities and that Arpico’s contribution to the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre’s healthy shopping programme was an extension of the services offered by them.

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