Tip of the Day: Keys to healthy snacking
I work for a doctor's office, and for some reason we just have to buy the best candy known to man for our patients. Let me tell you something. They should not be called "fun-sized" candy bars. There is nothing fun about the smallest size ever of your favorite candy bar! I used to have such a hard time resisting those little "torture-sized" bars of yumminess, but after some tricks I've tried, I now have no problem ignoring them! Here are some ways that have helped me to keep from binging, and helped me stick to my healthy eating habits on those tough days.
1. Do NOT skip meals. You may think you're doing your body well by skipping meals and eating 2 things in a day, but it's really not that good for you. Sure, you're cutting out those calories, but your body goes into starvation mode when you do that too often, and it starts eating nutrients in your body that you actually need. Not to mention, it also makes it easier for you to cave in to that do-nut you've been craving. Eating every 3-4 hours can really boost your metabolism, and help keep you full. Keep them low calorie snacks though!
2. Snack on Veggies. They are full of fiber which takes up room in your stomach giving your body the impression that you're full. They are also super low in calories, so you can feel like you're eating a lot, but not be consuming too many calories! My favorite lunch to have: a bag of Birds-Eye frozen veggies. Either the asparagus, corn and carrots, or the broccoli, cauliflower, and water chestnuts. You can eat the whole bag for lunch and only be eating around 270 calories! I'll add a little lite soy sauce for flavor. You can also make it a little snack by eating half the bag, and saving the other half for later.
3. Drink Water! I can not stress that enough. Did you know when you start feeling thirsty it means you're already dehydrated? Not good. Your body needs about eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. What helps me is having my water bottle with the oz markings on the side. I bring it around with me all day, and with the measurements, it helps me to remember where I'm at for the day. When you start feeling hungry, a lot of times it's just your body telling you that you're thirsty, so drink a glass of water once you get that hungry feeling. It'll also help keep you full. When I start getting a craving for something, I drink tons of water so I feel full.
4. Sugar-free gum. It's such a good trick! There are so many flavors to choose from, and since I love sweets, I'll usually get the fruity flavor gum, and pop it in my mouth every time I want to eat some candy, or munch on some chips. I'm telling you, it works wonders.
5. Mind over Matter. It'll be hard at first, I won't lie. But once you give up junk food snacking, you will feel so much better! Your body will feel lighter, and your self-confidence will boost substantially. There is something so awesome about saying no to things, that just gives you that feel-good feeling. People will start to notice that you're staying away from specific foods, and they will compliment you on it. You'll feel so good about yourself! So stick to it, and just think how good you'll feel at the end of the day when you can say you didn't eat that candy bar today. You don't need it, and you can do it =-).
Healthy Recipe: Pear Sauce
This recipe is soo good topped onto the waffle recipe from yesterday. You can also just eat it as a snack, like apple sauce, in some low-fat yogurt, or topped onto some frozen yogurt for your weekend treat.
Prep: 20 min Cook: 15 min Serves: 8
6 Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc pears (about 2 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 c + 3 tbsp water
Juice of 1/2 small lemon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
1. Combine pears, 1/4 c water, lemon juice, and salt in large heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until pears are softened but still chunky, 15-20 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
2. Meanwhile, combine sugar and remaining 3 tbsp of water in medium heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high. Bring to boil, washing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in cool water to dissolve any sugar crystals. Boil, without stirring, until caramel turns dark amber, about 10 minutes.
3. Immediately remove saucepan from heat. Wearing long oven mitts to protect your arms and being careful to avoid any splatters, slowly pour caramel into pear mixture. Set saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until caramel dissolves, about 1 minute.
4. Divide sauce among 8 microwavable freezer containers and let cool completely. Cover and freeze up to 2 months. To serve, partially uncover 1 container. Microwave on medium until thawed, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to microwavable cup, and microwave on high until heated through, 45-60 seconds, stirring once after 2o seconds.
Recipe from Weight Watchers Magazine
Exercise: Yoga
Anyone who knows me, knows about my addiction to yoga. Not only does it make you feel good by relieving your stress, but it uses your body as resistance which is super good for toning your muscles. Be sure to do it at least a couple days a week, pairing it with cardio and strength training, and you'll be golden. People are so scared of it because they think they need to be bendy-straw flexible, but that is so not true! Yoga helps you get more flexible. It works on stabilization and balancing which will help strengthen your core muscles. Men tend to think it's a woman exercise, but it is good for everyone! Men actually have higher stress levels than women (I know, right?) so they'll benefit from it in that sense, but working, and stretching those muscles will actually help athletic training. It'll help repair your muscles after a vigorous workout, and will also strengthen them to prevent injuries in the future. Go to a yoga class with your significant other. It's not only fun, but really relaxing and refreshing to go with someone you love. Over all, it's a win-win no matter what.
Want to burn fat on the mat, but can't make it to a yoga class? This 6 week routine is awesome, and helped me lose weight in the past!
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/yoga/look-better-in-your-skinny-jeans
Thanks for reading! Remember to ask a question if you have one!
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