Thursday, July 9, 2009

Snacks

Fruit and cheese is a great summer snack. Try some of the new lowfat Cabot Cheeses that are on the market. They come in lots of flavors and contain 3/4 of the fat in regular full fat cheese.

Keep some raw almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds in the car for those moments when you are famished. They will satisfy even the worst cravings. We all need healthy fat in our diets and nuts and seeds are a quick way to get them.

A few pieces of sushi make a good snack as well as a bowl of edamame sprinkled with kosher salt. The salt will also help replace lost electrolytes. (Never leave sushi in the car!)

Last but not least. Fruit popsicles are a great summer cooler offer. Each popsicle has the calories of 1 1/2 servings of fruit. You can substitute a pop for some fruit.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Fruit

Fruit is now bountiful and delicious. There are so many varieties to choose. The dark pigmented fruits have the most vitamin A and help fight infections. Might be good in keeping the flu away.

Just remember, even though fruit is healthy, it is loaded with sugar. If you are watching your weight, limit fruit to no more than 4 servings a day. A slice of watermelon, one peach, 20 cherries, and 17 grapes all equal one serving. Skip the dried fruit as it is loaded with sugar.

Here is a refreshing drink. Take one cup of watermelon, 1/2 cup of ice cubes and 1/4 cup of lemonade and blend well. This is approximately three servings of fruit. Fresh fruit drinks are better than bottled juices because in fresh juice or smoothies you blend the whole fruit and get the fiber and bioflavonoids that lie just below the peel.

If you are exercising outside and sweat a lot, fruit is good for replacing electrolytes lost in your perspiration. If you find you are waking up with muscle twitches or cramps, a supplement containing magnesium and potassium might help.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Health Nut Says...

The GoBeFull principles are simple to learn and easy to apply. It is a six-week nutrition and physical education program designed to help overweight children and their parents develop a healthy lifestyle. The eight keys to dietary success, abbreviated as GoBeFull, form the basis of the program:
  • Greens
  • Olive Oil
  • Beans
  • Exercise
  • Fruit
  • Unrefined Grains
  • Lean Proteins
  • Labels