SNACK SMART

Let’s face it, we’ve all experienced a snack attack! Choosing healthier snacks can be a challenge, especially away from home. But with a little planning, you can stay healthy and energized between meals.

Go nuts. For a savory snack that hits the spot, grab a handful of unsalted or very lightly salted raw or roasted nuts. Almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and walnuts are all good choices.  

Make it easy to grab and go. After you buy groceries, prepare a week’s worth of veggie sticks or cut up a melon in bite-size chunks. Put them in clear containers so they’re easy to spot in the fridge when you or your kids are looking for a snack.

Drink your snack. Make your own nutrition-packed smoothies by blending together frozen fruits and vegetables, non-fat (skim) or low-fat milk or yogurt, & 100 percent fruit juice.

Think fiber. Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and many whole grains help you feel full and sustain energy between meals.

Skip the chips. Choose crunchy raw fruits and vegetables over chips and other fried snacks. Sliced cucumbers, carrots, apples and pears are great for dipping into hummus, peanut butter or plain yogurt.

Do the prep work in advance. Make snacking on veggies a snap by cutting them up and keeping them handy in the fridge. Try bell peppers, zucchini, celery or carrots.

Try dried fruit. Carry dried fruit, such as raisins, dates or dried apricots, with you. They’ll curb your sweet tooth and give you a quick burst of energy when you need it. Look for unsweetened fruit with no added sugars.

Stock your office with fruit.

Stash a bag of apples, oranges or other easy-to-grab fruit in your office fridge at the beginning of the week. You can grab something healthy and quick when late-afternoon munchies strike.

Pick ready-to-eat produce. Look for fruits and veggies that are ready to eat without any prep work. Try cherry tomatoes, grapes, baby carrots, berries. They just need a quick rinse before eating.

Make your own healthy snack mix with unsweetened dried fruit, nuts, seeds, dried peas and whole-grain cereal .

FOOD AS FUEL

 Food as Fuel - Before, During and After Workouts
•Your body is your vehicle, so you have to keep your engine — your heart — running when you work out.

That means fueling up your tank with the right foods and your radiator with the right fluids, using with right amounts at the right times. The American College of Sports Medicine says, “Adequate food and fluid should be consumed before, during, and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time. Athletes should be well hydrated before exercise and drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid losses.”

“You don’t have to adhere to a rigid schedule and there are no hard-fast rules,” “But there are some things you should do before, during and after you work out.”

Before: Fuel Up!
Not fueling up before you work out is like “driving a car on empty”. You also won’t have enough energy to maximize your workout and you limit your ability to burn calories.
Ideally, fuel up two hours before you exercise by:
• Hydrating with water.
• Eating healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals (with low-fat or skim milk), whole-wheat toast (without the fatty cream cheese), low-fat or fat-free yogurt, whole grain pasta, brown rice, fruits and vegetables.
• Avoiding saturated fats and even a lot of healthy protein — because these types of fuels digest slower in your stomach and take away oxygen and energy-delivering blood from your muscles.
If you only have 5-10 minutes before you exercise, eat a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana.

“The key is to consume easily digested carbohydrates, so you don’t feel sluggish,”.

During: Make a Pit Stop
Whether you’re a professional athlete who trains for several hours or you have a low to moderate routine, keep your body hydrated with small, frequent sips of water.
you don’t need to eat during a workout that’s an hour or less. But, for longer, high intensity vigorous workouts, recommends eating 50-100 calories every half hour of carbohydrates such as raisins, an energy bar or banana.

After: Refuel Your Tank
After your workout, refueling with:
• Fluids. Drink water, of course. Blend your water with 100% juice such as orange juice which provides fluids, carbohydrates.

• Carbohydrates. You burn a lot of carbohydrates — the main fuel for your muscles — when you exercise. In the 20-60 minutes after your workout, your muscles can store carbohydrates and protein as energy and help in recovery.

• Protein. Eat things with protein to help repair and grow your muscles. It’s important to realize that these are general guidelines. We have different digestive systems and “a lot depends on what kind of workout you’re doing,”

So do what works best for you. Know that what you put in your body (nutrition) is as important as you what you do with your body (exercise). Both are crucial to keeping your engine performing at its best.