100 Healthy Snacks

Want to have a snack, but don't want to gorge yourself on junk food? Here is 100 healthy alternatives.

Instead of Potato Chips

Those crispy taters are delicious, but these snacks are healthier and pack more of a nutritional punch. Plus, they’ll still give you that crunch you’re looking for.

1. Popcorn. As long as you don’t go for the super buttery version, popcorn can be a delicious and incredibly satisfying alternative to chips.
   
2. Kale Chips. They might not sound appealing, but give these crisps a try. They not only taste good, but are loaded with nutrients.
   
3. Veggies. Baby carrots, sugar snap peas, celery and bell peppers offer up a crisp, crunchy snack that’s full of the stuff your body needs.
   
4. Pita Chips. You can make or buy whole grain pita chips that are healthier than potato chips, but still pretty delicious.
   
5. Salted Cucumber Slices. Cucumbers are an excellent choice for giving you that crunch you crave. Add a little salt (maybe some spice) and you get a great study snack.
   
6. Ants on a Log. Bring back your childhood with this snack that offers up a serious crunch and some protein to power your brain.
   
7. Whole Wheat Pretzels. Whether you go for the soft version or the crunchy, these snacks are better for you than chips, in moderation of course.
   
8. Almonds. Roasted almonds are an excellent source of protein and fiber, making them perfect for study snacking.
   
9. Cashews. Go for the unsalted version and you can enjoy all the healthful benefits of this nut without any of the drawbacks.
   
10. Trail Mix. If you don’t want to eat plain nuts, mix them up with dried fruits and pretzels to make your own healthy trail mix.
    
11. Whole Grain Crackers. Skip those weak crackers and go for the whole grain, fibrous ones instead. They’ll do a better job filling you up and they’re better for you to boot.
    
12. Sunflower Seeds. If you want to mindlessly chew on something while you study, these small seeds are a great choice.
    
13. Peanuts. Grab a handful of peanuts while you’re studying to get a quick energy boost from this protein-loaded nut.
    
14. Fruit Chips. There’s more than one way to eat fruit; in this chip form they may make you not even miss the potato kind.
    
15. Veggie Chips. If you just really need to eat some kind of chip, choose a healthier alternative. Veggie chips have more nutrients and can be even better for you if they’re baked.
    
16. Pickles. Pickles are loaded with sodium, it’s true, but if you only have a couple they’re a healthier, lower calorie snack than chips by far.
    

Instead of Unhealthy Dips and Spreads

Just because you’re not loading stuff up with heaps of Cheese Whiz and ranch dressing doesn’t mean you have to go without. Try these healthier options instead.

1. Salsa. Whether you buy it at the store or make up your own, this sassy sauce offers up vitamins without being short on taste.
   
2. Hummus. Made with chickpeas, this Middle Eastern treat is the perfect accompaniment to some pita chips or veggies.
   
3. Guacamole. Avocados do have a lot of fat, but it’s the good kind. Whip up some guac to get your study party started.
   
4. Bean Dip. Beans are a rich source of protein, and can be fun to eat in dip form.
   
5. Low-Cal Spinach Dip. Spinach dip isn’t known for being particularly healthy, but this recipe isn’t too bad. Plus, it’s full of nutrient-rich spinach.
   
6. Mustard. Dip pretzels and other snacks in this vinegary and salty condiment for a tasty treat.
   
7. Greek Yogurt. Never thought of using yogurt as a dip? Well it’s never too late to start. Put it on cucumber for a cool late-night treat.
   
8. Fruit Salsa. Salsa doesn’t have to be spicy and savory. Try out a fruit salsa for a sweeter alternative.
   
9. Low Fat Dressing. If you just can’t go without dressing, choose a low-fat or low-cal version of your favorite.
   
10. Neufatel Cheese. Instead of loading up your bagel with cream cheese, choose this healthier, but just as tasty, alternative instead.
    

Instead of Pre-Packaged, Processed Snacks

These snacks may be convenient, but they’re often packed with sodium, sugar and a wide range of chemicals. Opt for something a little more natural instead.

1. Cheese. Whether you go for the string cheese or the simple cheese wedges, low-fat cheese, especially the natural kind, is a great snack offering up a host of vitamins and some great protein.
   
2. Broccoli. Dipped in a tasty sauce, this green veggie packs a powerful nutritional punch.
   
3. Cantaloupe. This melon not only tastes great, but is a much healthier alternative to those fruit snacks.
   
4. Olives. Need something salty? Try olives instead of chips or crackers.
   
5. Tomato Slices and Olive Oil. Tomatoes are packed with lycopene and a wealth of other vitamins -and can be pretty darn satisfying with a little olive oil on top.
   
6. Grapefruit. This pucker-inducing fruit may not be the easiest to eat, but it’s a great super food to enjoy any time of the day.
   
7. Sugar Snap Peas. These sweet peas are easy to store and provide a delicious crunch, not to mention some serious nutrition to fuel your brain.
   
8. Edamame. These soybeans are a great source of protein, low in calories and just plain tasty– a perfect trio.
   
9. Cottage Cheese and Pineapple. Get the benefits of protein-filled cheese with the zing of a citrusy fruit in this snack.
   
10. Kiwis. Sliced in half and taken in with a spoon, these fun green fruits are not only, healthy but fun to eat too.
    
11. Melon Balls. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and other melons are sweet and delicious and can be perfect snack foods in this simple spherical form.
    

Instead of Candy

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, there are healthier places to turn than an economy sized bag of gummy bears. Beat the sweet with these healthy choices.

1. Fruit Salad. A mix of fruits like strawberries, raspberries, grapes, bananas and other great healthy snacks can be a great way to meet the needs of your sweet tooth without going overboard on sugar and calories.
   
2. Dark Chocolate. Provided you have just a small amount, dark chocolate has healthy antioxidants that make it better for you than its more sugary cousin, milk chocolate.
   
3. Granola Bar. With tasty morsels of fruits inside, these treats are salty and sweet in one.
   
4. Dried Apricots. Dried fruits like apricots are a great way to feel like you’re eating candy while still getting the vitamins from fruits.
   
5. Strawberries. They may not always be in season, but when they are these small fruits are the perfect alternatives to unhealthy candies.
   
6. Orange Slices. Next time you’re craving fruity candy, pick up an orange instead. It’s full of vitamin C which can help ensure you stay healthy enough to make it through your semester.
   
7. Fresh Raspberries. They’re easy to eat, tasty and pretty good for you too, so don’t pass up these awesome berries.
   
8. Raisins. Dried fruits like raisins are perfect to keep on hand in your dorm room, as they’ll stay fresh for months and are a great, easy snack.
   
9. Blueberries. Blueberries aren’t called a super food for nothing. They’re full of antioxidants and vitamins that will make your body happy.
   
10. Cherries. Cherries are easy to eat, delicious and they taste like a whole host of candies so you won’t even miss those sugary treats.
    
11. Pomegranates. Think of pomegranates as candy that grows on trees, as their tiny, gem-like seeds provide the perfect healthy and sweet snack.
    
12. Fruit Leather. Instead of a fruit roll-up, opt for this healthier flattened fruit.
    

Instead of Soda Pop

You’ve got to wash all those tasty study snacks down with something, right? Instead of a sugary soda, try these options for healthier refreshment.

1. Water. Water has no calories, and it provides the hydration your body needs to give you better concentration and memory. What drink could be better than that? The answer? Ice water is basically negative calories.
   
2. Cranberry Juice. Go for real cranberry juice, not cocktail, for a full-on antioxidant beverage.
   
3. Skim Milk. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, milk can provide your body with protein, calcium and other vitamins it needs.
   
4. Orange Juice. A glass of OJ is a great way to boost your vitamin C levels and stave off illness.
   
5. Soy Milk. If you can’t drink milk, soy milk is a great, healthy alternative.
   
6. Tea. Need to stay awake? Try out some tea. Green and black varieties are said to be extremely beneficial to your health.
   
7. Coffee. Coffee, when had in moderation, is a better way to get a caffeine fix than soda.
   

Instead of Ice Cream

These healthy alternatives to ice cream will see you through your studies without all the fat and calories.

1. Fat Free Yogurt. Yogurt comes in a wide variety of flavors, even chocolate and cheesecake, and is a much healthier alternative to ice cream. Toss in some berries and you've got a very healthy snack.
   
2. Fruit Smoothie. Blend up fruit, milk and yogurt to make one of these tasty treats.
   
3. Frozen Grapes. Frozen grapes will give you the chill you’re looking for with very few calories and no fat.
   
4. Fruit Popsicles. If you need a sweet frozen treat, one of your best bets is a whole fruit frozen popsicle.
   
5. Parfait. Top yogurt with fresh berries and some granola and you’ve got yourself a healthy alternative to an ice cream sundae.
   
6. Frozen Banana with Nuts. Dip a banana in honey, roll it in nuts and stick it in the freezer for an amazing treat that’s good for you too.
   
7. Applesauce. Applesauce, especially the unsweetened kind, is pretty good for you, containing plenty of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.
   
8. Frozen Yogurt. If you are looking for something healthier that’s as close to ice cream as possible, seek out frozen yogurt. While it’s not perfectly healthy, it’s definitely better for you than ice cream.
   
9. Chocolate Mousse. Chocolate mousse does contain a fair amount of sugar, but it’s also considerably lower in calories and fat than ice cream.
   

Instead of Cookies and Cakes

Replace those Oreos and Chips Ahoy with these delicious and health-friendly alternatives.

1. Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter. Rice cakes alone might be a bit bland, but dress them up with a nut butter to make them super delicious.
   
2. Graham Crackers. A few graham crackers are a much better choice than most cookies, especially if you eat the whole grain kind.
   
3. Bran Muffin. If you need a quick pick-me-up, a bran muffin is the perfect choice. It will keep you full and give you the energy to keep studying.
   
4. Fig Newtons. If you simply must have a cookie, choose one like Fig Newtons. While these cookies contain some not-so-good things, they also have real fruit that offers more vitamins than their chocolate chip counterparts.
   
5. Apples and Almond Butter. Apples on their own are good for you, but paired with a great protein source like almond butter, they’re even better. Plus, both the apple and the almond butter will help you wake up and stay alert to study.
   
6. Fruit Cup. Look for fruit cups that are in water, not syrup, for a tasty, healthy and easy treat.
   
7. Banana Bread. If baked goods are what you crave while studying, consider picking up some banana bread instead of cookies.
   
8. Carrot Bars. Made with real shredded carrots, these bars can be a great source of vitamins and fiber.
   
9. Cereal Bar. Cereal bars made with whole grain cereals are your best healthy bet if you’re looking for a convenient snack.
   
10. Sugar Free Jello. Does it contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals? Nope. But it does have no sugar and few calories, and that’s more than you can say for cookies or cakes.
    
11. Kashi Cookies. If you simply must have a cookie, go for one that attempts to be a little healthier. The Kashi brand contains flaxseed and other whole grains to give this junk food a boost.
    

Instead of Frozen Foods

While there are some healthy frozen foods out there, the kinds you likely have in your freezer (frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets) aren’t the best for you. Try these snacks instead.

1. English Muffin Pizzas. Don’t heat up a whole frozen pizza if you’re hungry. Make a smaller, healthier English muffin version instead.
   
2. Pita Pizza. Don’t have English muffins? Whole grain pitas work just as well for constructing a more nutritious pizza in minutes.
   
3. Tuna. Put some tuna on top of whole grain crackers to get loads of protein.
   
4. Hard Boiled Egg. A hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper is good for you, offering protein you need to keep going.
   
5. Side Salad. Instead of snacking on unhealthy foods, why not whip up a salad? It’s easy and can be tasty too.
   
6. Seaweed Salad. Pick up some seaweed salad at the store for a study snack. It might be a funny color, but it’s full of great nutrients. Just watch out for the sodium– it contains a good amount.
   
7. Oatmeal. Instant oatmeal is easy to make, fills you up and keeps you healthy.
   
8. Lettuce Wraps. Use lettuce to wrap up other veggies, low-fat meats and other healthy treats.
   
9. Corn on the Cob. Eat it fresh if it’s in season or find it frozen if it’s not.
   
10. Whole Grain Toast. Toast, topped with a whole fruit jam or peanut butter, can be a great snack that only takes minutes to make.
    

Instead of Fast Food

Seeking out a mini-meal to keep you going strong through your studies? Well, skip the fast food fare and make these healthier options at home.

1. Whole Grain Cereal. Pair a healthy cereal with some skim milk for a meal that will fill you up without filling you out.
   
2. Whole Wheat Bagel. A bagel can be an easy way to get in some whole grains– just make sure you don’t go overboard with toppings.
   
3. Turkey Wrap. Turkey is one of the healthiest lunch meats out there, so combining it with a whole wheat tortilla, veggies and some mustard is an excellent way to snack smart.
   
4. Baked Potato. A baked potato topped with salsa will meet all your study snacking needs. Eat the skin for an extra vitamin-laden boost.
   
5. Black Beans and Salsa. This snack is simple to make at home. Rinse off a can of black beans, heat them and top with salsa and guac for a healthy treat.
   
6. Sweet Potato Fries. When baked, you can get your fries fix with far better health with sweet potato fries.
   
7. Whole Wheat Pasta. A small bowl of whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce makes for a balanced and healthy snack or meal.
   
8. Veggie Pocket. Load up a pita with all kinds of veggies, from cucumbers to sprouts, top with mustard or a vinaigrette, and you’ve got yourself a killer snack.
   
9. Low-Fat Quesadilla. Low-fat cheese and veggies help make this snack one that’s healthy and craveable.
   
10. Low Sodium Soup. Heat up a small bowl of soup to get some veggies, protein and other healthy stuff to keep you going.
    
11. Soft Taco. Using whole grain tortillas, turkey instead of beef and topping with extra veggies makes this snack a winner in the health department.
    
12. Multigrain Waffle. Pop a whole grain waffle into the toaster, top it with fruit and you’ve got an enviable study snack on your hands.
    
13. Sandwich on Whole Wheat. Instead of getting a burger, make yourself a healthy, old-fashioned sandwich instead.
    
14. Omelet. If you’ve got your own place, practice your cooking skills by making a healthy omelet for a snack.
    

Want to Beat Fat? Learn Your Enemy!

If fatty food is your waistline's enemy then you should try to learn more about this dreaded foe.

Fat is a slow burning energy source - and it is typically stored instead of used right away. Eating healthy fats will contribute to hormonal regulation, aids vitamin and mineral absorption and maintains healthy skin and hair. Of course, good and bad cholesterol, healthy and unhealthy fats, saturated and monounsaturated are terms which you have already come across, and it can all seem confusing if you don't know what they are!

Different Kinds of Fats

Saturated

They are the "bad fats." Saturated fat raises cholesterol. Foods such as butter margarine, meat and dairy contain high levels of saturated fat.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated

These fats do not raise cholesterol levels. Cooking oils such as olive and canola contain monounsaturated fats, while safflower and corn oil contain polyunsaturated fat.

Triglycerides

Fats that contain, in varying proportions, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Cholesterol

An essential fat made by the liver. Eating food high in "bad" cholesterol can cause heart disease. Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream by lipoproteins.

HDLs (high density lipoproteins)

The "good" cholesterol which can move cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver.

LDLs (low density lipoproteins)

LDLs are the "bad" cholesterols because they keep cholesterol circulating in the blood, and this can lead to clogged arteries.

Eating healthy fats is easy, they are foud in seeds, nut, olive oil and avocado fruits. Bad fats are in baked goods, such as white bread, pizza and fast food. Don't stress about all of the different types of fat too much. Just focus on the natural stuff and avoid any fats which are "man made". You will still eat some of the unhealthier fats anyway, but if you know which ones to avoid it can help you to make healthier choices.

When To Detox Diet

Detox diets have been growing ever more popular for the past several decades. There have been dangerous detox diets, such as the lemonade or grapefruit detox diets, where necessary food groups and nutrients are restricted.

More recently detox diets are being designed so they are healthier, including lemonade / grapefruit diets which have been modified so you are now getting the needed nutrients (often through vitamin pill supplementation or the addition of specific foods).

Personally my own fitness philosophy revolves around good old-fashioned healthy eating and lots of exercise - but I am a personal trainer and not everyone is as patient as I am. Eating good food in abundance, and not so good food in moderation, and avoiding horrible food entirely is just the beginning.

Good food and a consistent fitness regimen, is the tried, tested and true way - short cuts are more likely to result in yo-yo dieting. However there are some benefits to detoxification, so lets explore the pros and cons of detox diets:

Pros of a Detox Diet

#1. If you have always had an unhealthy diet containing a lot of horribly carcinogenic foods a detox diet may help to correct bad habits. Many detox plans will be restrictive, such as avoiding nightshade vegetables, or bread but will allow most vegetables, beans, and legumes. Simply trying a detox diet might break the cycle of a poor diet, so it's worth a shot.

#2. Placebo Effect. Sometimes just doing something - anything healthy that it - will help you to feel better about yourself. Whether it's because the diet is actually working, or due to the psychological benefit of sticking to a goal, it has the potential to make you feel good about yourself and accomplished. And if the cycle of positivity continues then you will just continue to feel better and better about yourself, making huge strides towards both eating better and exercising more.

#3. Identifying food sensitivities. It's very common to realize that your 3 PM fatigue, bloated or stomach upset has been caused by something you are eating. A detox diet will eliminate fast, processed, fried and (saturated) fatty foods, while increasing water intake - and a lot of people don't drink enough water. This can make a person feel much better and discover that a certain food, like pizza or french fries has been causing breakouts, or gastronomical distress, or even excessive farting.

Cons of Detox Diets

#1. You don't need to do a really radical diet to cleanse your body of toxins. We are already designed to detox our own bodies through our internal organs, to rid ourselves of toxins and pollutants. A rich and well rounded diet will take care of "body flushing" without huge food restrictions... all you really need to do is cut out the fatty foods, foods that are not "natural" (basically anything containing chemical additives) and avoid cigarettes and alcohol. (Which is harder for some people who can't stop themselves.)

#2. Many detox diets claim to aid weight loss. However, many of these diets combine food and beverages with diuretic and laxative effects. Basically, you lose a lot of water weight that will simply come back once the body is rehydrated, just like when we sweat. So if you do detox, remember to drink a lot of liquids.

#3. Long term detox diets can cause certain sensitivities to food that has been restricted - possibly even making you allergic. If you never had a problem eating bread, and then you stop eating it for a year, you may find that your stomach can no longer handle it. Do you really want to give up bread forever? Thus if you want to preserve you ability to eat certain foods you should still eat them once in awhile.

#4. Any diet that is not sustainable on a long term basis will not be an effective weight loss plan. As soon as the detoxee person eats normally again, it can all come back again (sometimes very quickly) as your body will think you were on a fast and will want to replenish itself immediately. You need to be thinking a long term change in your eating habits if you want long term results.

I am not against detox diets. In fact I encourage them, but they need to be done in such a way that you are not hurting yourself and you make some kind of permanent change so that you kick a specific habit - like giving up sugary chocolate and switching to small amounts of dark chocolate instead.

Healthy moderation and balance is the key to a healthy diet. Learning that is something you have to do yourself - and once you've learned it you realize that the sweets taste that much better because you only have them when you're having fun with friends or family instead of consuming them when your bored, lonely or depressed.

You really should only be detox dieting if you have genuine worries about toxins in your system - like if you are quitting smoking and you want to detoxify. Or quitting alcohol. Or you were recently poisoned by a jellyfish... Doing a detox diet to "lose weight" is not a necessity if you already eat healthy.

Moderation in Dieting Vs Outright Banning Foods

I haven't given up chocolate.

But I have dramatically reduced my sugar intake by switching to dark chocolate. And what is better, dark chocolate cuts down on food cravings.

But sugary chocolate causes you to crave more, because the sugar causes a reaction in your brain which makes you want more.

Thus the first lesson to learn here is to stick to darker chocolates - the darker the better.

The second lesson is that you can apply this same principle to the rest of your eating habits by either moderating the foods you enjoy and/or banning foods you know are just plain harmful.

Example: Twinkies. They're mostly sugar and if you eat one the sugar-rush will cause you to crave more right away, resulting in a binge-fest of Twinkies. 150 calories each. If you buy and consume such sugary foods regularly you can pack on the pounds pretty quickly. So Twinkies are one of those things you should just plain give up entirely.

What to Give Up on Entirely

Fast food and soft drinks. If you count the calories and compare what you could have eaten for the equivalent amount of fast food you realize that you could have a lot more delicious / healthy food simply by cutting out the sugary treats. You will still eat out as fast food places maybe a couple times per year, but you will keep it to a very low moderation. Making healthier food at home gives you a lot of healthier alternatives such as baked potatoes or sweet potato fries, which saves you a tonne of fat calories and dramatically cuts back on sodium. Homemade hamburgers are way more delicious than their fast food counterparts.

Soft drinks can rack up calories very quickly - the simple act of switching to juice or milk or tea makes a big difference over the long term. A single soft drink has enough sugar for a small meal. Drinking 2 Litres of Coca-Cola or Pepsi in a single day is like drinking 6 small meals worth of sugar.

What to Eat in Moderation

Never try to deprive yourself of foods that you love. eg. Dark Chocolate is great if you love chocolate. Just avoid fudge, chocolate bars, white chocolate (there is no real chocolate in white chocolate, its basically all sugar).

Start thinking in terms of moderation and healthy alternatives. Instead of eating fried potato chips there are baked versions. There is also the option to bake chickpeas or make veggie chips to satisfy the salty cravings. Air popped popcorn is a whole grain, and without the butter and massive amounts of salt, is a low calorie and fast snack.

Bacon strips go great with your breakfast - but don't eat the whole 500 grams of it all at once! Save most of it for later!

Start Thinking Healthy Snacks

Apples, oranges, tangerines, bananas, berries... if you have a favourite fruit, veggie or berry start stocking up on those healthy foods you love. eg. I never get tired of carrot sticks.

Once you make the mental switch to healthy snacks you can still have your unhealthy choices once in awhile, but your goal is to make a mental switch in your brain to realize "Hey, I don't need those sugary snacks!"

Making vegetables an entree instead of a side dish is also a handy thing to do. Vegetables have no fat, lots of fiber and they are very filling. Eating whole grains, beans, low fat dairy and lean protein will be the sure way to guarantee a very full belly, without a trace of deprivation. You won't feel hungry because you won't be hungry.

Try also: Cooking more at home, making soups or stews, large hearty salads as a main dish, and cutting back on boxed, frozen and other processed food.

General Wellness - Mind, Body + Soul

If you exercise and eat well because of the health benefits (and longevity) its possible that you've also realized that health also includes mental health - and that mental health is often the most important thing you need to worry about.

Fitness is more than just sweating your buns off, pumping iron and trying to burn the most calories possible. You also need SLEEP and REST time to heal and build new muscle tissue.

Another thing you should do regularly is STRETCHES. There will be times when you are in so much pain for exercising that you won't even want to stretch, and you might be tempted to regularly skip stretching or exercise sessions because you are suffering from muscle pain/fatigue. That is normal. Its a sign that you've been pushing yourself too much.

When that happens it means you need to force yourself to do stretching or yoga instead of your regular exercises - and more importantly to rest and get plenty of sleep. You may even need to purchase muscle relaxers in the event that your muscle pain is so severe you are having difficulty sleeping.

Sore muscles become filled with lactic acid, the adrenal glands fatigue and the body produces more cortisol, a hormone that will store more fat, and make it harder to burn off. Too much intense exercising actually becomes quite counterproductive if you are overdoing it and making your muscles too sore. Over training can be a serious problem in exercise enthusiasts and can cause irritability, fatigue and the increased risk of injury. Take care of your body by introducing gentle exercise such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates or general stretching can help give your body a break and give it more time to build new muscle tissue.

Sports injuries are a sign that you are doing something wrong. When that happens it is important to make sure you are - not overdoing it, observing proper form on your exercises (sloppy form = more injuries), or trying to challenge yourself too much by doing things beyond your current talents.

It is true that "No Pain = No Gain" when it comes to weightlifting, but "Too Much Pain = You're Doing It Wrong" is also equally true.

Doing regular stretches and yoga, and basic exercises to build up your core strength, help to prevent sports injuries and should be a regular component in your fitness regimen.

Remember these three things!

MIND - Sleep, rest and meditation. Remember to take naps when you get the chance.


BODY - Stretching, yoga, low stress exercise days. eg. Going for a nature walk instead of weightlifing.

SOUL - Fun exercises / sports that give you peace of mind. eg. Archery, cycling, ice skating, swimming.


The simple act of walking or cycling on a nature trail is great exercise but also calming, refreshing and revitalizing - helping your mind and body on multiple levels. You have to think in terms of BALANCE so your body can maintain its equilibrium physically but mentally and emotionally too.

There is no point being buff on the outside if you are falling apart on the inside.

Make Your Family Eat More Veggies

New Ways to Make Your Family Eat More Veggies

Guest Post by Zara

We know how useful vegetables are, it’s very obvious! But equally obvious is the fact that how much we hate eating it at least our families. Many families do not consume the quantity and variety of veggies which they need to, on a daily basis. But though we hate it, we need to get it into our system to derive its health benefits. It is better to add them in our daily diet to enjoy great health and it is preferable to maintain the nutrients of veggies and greens to the maximum.

The following are some methods to help our family indulge and binge on vegetables:

Not eating veggies directly: The biggest challenge is to make kids eat more veggies. According to some
researches, kids take around 10–15 trials to learn about a new flavour and appreciate it. So you need to be persistent in your efforts in trying to make your kid at least taste it, so that their taste buds adapt that veggie.

The best way to make your kid eat veggies is by including it in a burger, his favourite snack, favourite drink or by combining with regular meals. Cleverly using it in gravies or curries, you can avoid it being easily spotted by your kid. There are vegetables which really taste good, so you can start with those and slowly make them eat the less tasty ones.

Growing vegetables in your backyard or a farm is a good strategy to get fresh supply of vegetables and fruits.

The technique of eating fresh vegetables: This includes the above-mentioned point, i.e., growing your
veggies. You can further the process by involving family members in the choosing the food they want to cook. This way not only kids but also other members would develop an interest to enjoy as a family..

The most important benefit is that you can use organic manure and pesticides for the plants which means that you will also be sure of no chemical interference in your veggies, and can be eaten generously without any hesitation. Pave way to organic food!

Know your veggies: Every vegetable has its nutritional value which is known to cure several ailments and
sickness. You can do a bit of research to find out the veggies which can be helpful to strengthen the appetite and health of your family. Each family has its own medical history. For example, if your family members are genetically prone to obesity, you can choose vegetables which can help you fight the same or if you have some other common ailments like hypertension and diabetes running in your family, choose veggies which can combat the same.

The question arises on why do we need to research? Can’t we just eat any veggies? Every vegetable is good for health in some way. The answer is you can eat all kinds of veggies but eating the ones which might help you fight your ailment is better for a better health.

Dramatize the situation! - Well how many of us as kids started eating more and more spinach after watching Popeye gulp that can of it and flex those flexible muscles. That’s what video and audio visuals can do, and not just kids but also it leaves a permanent impression on the minds of adults which is technically called photographic memory.

The kids can be lured into indulging into veggies by creating some make-believe stories of how eating
vegetables can make them ‘grow’ faster or make them smarter and stronger. You can just create a comic
sketch of how after eating veggies a hero becomes a superhero.

The grown-ups can be a little tricky to convince, they don’t fall for superheroes and stuff what they look for in a food is the taste. Then the best thing to do is to give them what they desire any and every vegetable can be made tasty, it all depends on the chef and the recipe used. There are a zillion ways to make any vegetable look appealing and taste good.

Use the internet and adopt strategies to help you out. Baked or grilled ones will also do to get it into your
stomachs!

Maintaining the balance: Eating veggies is good but just stuffing your diet with just one or two vegetables
and fruit will certainly do no good Yes, indulging in a variety of other veggies is not bad idea but a hint that exploring other vegetables can protect your health from those unhealthy foods and replenish your immune system.

About the Guest Poster

Zara is a blogger who writes on various subjects like health-related issues to reviews on latest
gadgets and apps. Right now she is working on articles related to instant ppi claims.

Healthy Habits of Fit People

Some people just have really healthy habits when it comes to exercising and eating... and to those people who are struggling with their weight such healthy-habit-people make it look so easy, don't they?

It is as if they're never too tired to exercise and they never crave junk food. (Actually they do get those cravings, but they control them better.) If you know how hard it is to stick to your diet and exercise plan then it certainly will be a moment for envy when you see other people who have already succeeded in their fitness goals and made it look easy.

But you can develop those healthy habits too. You have the same basic genetic makeup as they do, you probably even have the same amount of time available too. Reaching your health and fitness goals can happen if you put in the effort to develop the same healthy habits that fit people use and take for granted.

They all have a number of things in common. Lets look at them!

#1. They all have healthy activities that they enjoy, eg. Dancing.

Being able to work out almost every day is a lot easier if you enjoy the activity. Becoming resentful of going to the gym, or running every morning if you do not even like it, will only pave the way for failure and disappointment. Most people who have reached fitness goals look forward to their workout because they love the way it makes them feel first, before the way it makes them look. It is one of the reasons why

Speaking for myself I enjoy archery, boxing, swimming, ice skating, weightlifting, rock climbing and cycling. I never get bored of those actitivities and indeed encourage others to do them too.

#2. They know how to say NO

Saying yes to every dinner invitation, every chocolate offered to you and every event that would cut into your scheduled workouts, you would have a lot of difficulty achieving your fitness goals. YOU are responsible for your outcome and only you have the power to say NO. Don't feel bad for not trying every one of your mother or grandmothers's sixteen different kinds of cookies. She will forgive you eventually.

Your body will thank you over the long term every time you say no to unnecessary temptation.

#3. They make it happen no matter what

Some people are dreamers and some people are doers. Dream it and then DO IT.

Whether it's by waking up early to go jogging, preparing a week's worth of healthy lunches to take to work or packing the gym bag the day before so you can go to the gym after work, succeeding means not giving yourself room for excuses or procrastination. If you set out to accomplish a goal then you have to DO IT NOW.

Learn to avoid obstacles and excuses and make your workouts happen. If you give up on your workout just because your bicycle has a flat tire then you aren't thinking right. Make fixing your bicycle a workout instead. Clean your home while you are at it. (Cleaning counts as exercise.) Don't give up just because one little thing gets in your way. Either circumvent that problem, fix the problem, or do something else in place of your normal workout.

Understanding the Glycemic Index

You've probably never heard of the Glycemic Index. Well, now you have! The glycemic index is a relatively easy to understand rating system for ranking carbohydrate based foods.

A low rating on the glycemic index means that the food does not spike blood glucose and insulin levels quickly within the body.

Now you might wonder why that is important.

Foods that raise blood sugar levels quickly increase the chance of developing diabetes and heart disease but they also contribute heavily to weight gain. High GI carbohydrates are typically foods that don't keep you full for very long, like white bread and junk food, and instead you gorge yourself on half a loaf of bread or an entire bag of potato chips because you still feel hungry.



LOW GI FOODS

Breakfast Cereal All-bran Oat bran Rolled Oats Special K Natural Muesli Porridge Staples Wheat Pasta Shapes New Potatoes Meat Ravioli Spaghetti Tortellini (Cheese) Egg Fettuccini Brown Rice Buckwheat White long grain rice Pearled Barley Yam Sweet Potatoes Instant Noodles Wheat tortilla Dairy Whole milk Skimmed milk Chocolate milk Sweetened yoghurt Artificially Sweetened Yoghurt Custard Soy Milk

Bread Soya and Linseed Wholegrain Pumpernickel Heavy Mixed Grain Whole Wheat Sourdough Rye Sourdough Wheat Snacks & Sweet Foods Slim-Fast meal replacement Snickers Bar (high fat) Nut & Seed Muesli Bar Sponge Cake Nutella Milk Chocolate Hummus Peanuts Walnuts Cashew Nuts Nuts and Raisins Jam Corn Chips Oatmeal Crackers Legumes (Beans) Kidney Beans (canned) Butter Beans Chick Peas Haricot/Navy Beans Lentils, Red Lentils, Green Pinto Beans Blackeyed Beans Yellow Split Peas

Vegetables Frozen Green Peas Frozen Sweet Corn Raw Carrots Boiled Carrots Eggplant/Aubergine Broccoli Cauliflower Cabbage Mushrooms Tomatoes Chillies Lettuce Green Beans Red Peppers Onions Fruits Cherries Plums Grapefruit Peaches Peach, canned in natural juice Apples Pears Dried Apricots Grapes Kiwi Fruit Oranges Strawberries Prunes

MEDIUM GI FOODS

Breakfast Cereal Bran Buds Mini Wheats Nutrigrain Shredded Wheat Porridge Oats Special K Fruits Mango Sultanas Bananas Raisins Papaya Figs Pineapple

Bread Croissant Hamburger bun Pita, white Wholemeal Rye Staples Basmati Rice Couscous Cornmeal Taco Shells Gnocchi Canned Potatoes Chinese (Rice) Vermicelli Baked Potatoes Wild Rice

Vegetables Beetroot Snacks & Sweet Foods Ryvita Digestives Blueberry muffin Honey Legumes (Beans) Beans in Tomato Sauce Dairy Icecream

HIGH GI FOODS

Breakfast Cereal Cornflakes Sultana Bran Branflakes Coco Pops Puffed Wheat Oats in Honey Bake Team Total Cheerios Rice Krispies Weetabix Fruits Watermelon Dates

Bread White Bagel French Baguette Snacks & Sweet Foods Pretzels Water Crackers Rice cakes Puffed Crispbread Donuts Scones Maple flavoured syrup

Vegetables Pumkin Parsnips Staples Instant White Rice Glutinous Rice Short Grain White Rice Tapioca Fresh Mashed Potatoes French Fries Instant Mashed Potatoes

The glycemic index food chart above is a guide of which foods have a low, medium or high GI rating. By choosing healthier foods off of this list, it creates a very simple way to improve your nutrition without having to do a lot research/buying diet books/learning to count calories, etc.

The Glycemic Index is not just for weight loss. Regular exercise enthusiasts and athletes benefit from choosing low GI food. Low GI food before exercise maintains blood sugar concentration and increases the rate of stored fat being used for energy (fat oxidation). Low GI foods before exercise have been shown to increase endurance.

Healthy Meal Plans for Work

Working a 9 to 5 doesn't have to mean a lifetime of fast food and chocolate bars. If you truly want to improve your health, plan to eat well and put the time in to make it happen. Many people struggle with meal planning and this leads into missed breakfasts, nutrition deprived lunches, and fast food dinners.

So how do you correct this problem and solve your lunch woes?

#1. Eat a BIG Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make a large well balanced meal with fibre, fruit/berries/veggies, juice, milk and protein (eggs, bacon, pancakes). If you eat a healthy breakfast you won't be starving at lunch.

An omelette takes less than 3 minutes to make. (I've timed it.) And its healthy! Just have the veggies readied, the pan already on the stove... just add canola oil, turn on, add eggs, stir in veggies, and voila, done.

1. Make Double or Quadruple

By making extra for dinner, you can easily save additional portions for work the next day (and the next and the next...). Soups, stews and grain dishes work really well here. If you pack leftovers to reheat the next day, a sandwich to eat on the go, and some fruit, you already have your work days covered!

2. Make Snack that will survive the week.

By preparing healthy muffins, hummus with cut veggies, or trail mix, you can easily grab and go any time during the week. If you do the prep work on a Sunday, then these in between meals are quick and ready for work, when you are!

eg. Did you know Jell-O has protein in it? And for its size its mostly water, so it makes for a fairly healthy snack / dessert.

3. Stock Alternative Fruits

Buying variety for fruits at the supermarket make a difference when you want something different every day of the week. Apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, salads with peppers. Maybe not tomatoes however because they don't travel well.

4. Have Breakfast laid out and ready

Have your breakfast items on the counter, or pre-made in the fridge, speeds things up. I like the breakfast muesli. You can prepare it the night before and its ready to eat. Just add chopped fruit and milk. It is just like putting your exercise clothes out the night before - if its there you will wear it / eat it.

5. Make a plan while you are commuting

What else do you have to think about in the car or on the TTC subway? (Commute times in Toronto are the longest in the world.) You have lots of time to plan.

Even a loose outline of how you would like to eat during the week will help significantly. Plan for meals that will last, can be saved, and require little to no prep time at work.

Note: Having lots of quality packaging (easy to clean and use) makes a big difference too.

6. The lesser of Two Evils

There will be days when you are too busy and none of these tips will work. In the case of a failed fresh food day, grab a low cal frozen entree in the place of vending machine or greasy food court fare. While the sodium will be high, and the food will be pumped with preservatives, it's going to be better than anything you could buy in greasy food court portion sizes!

What makes a healthy teenager?

Good grades and fun times are important aspects of the high school experience. But that happiness is often threatened by bullying at school, unhealthy weight and the temptations to party hard and hang with the "cool kids".

Parents need to play a strong role in ensuring their high school kids stay healthy. A lack of sleep and exercise, too many fatty snacks, and caffeine packed drinks don't produce a healthy teenager - but they can make for an overweight teen with a sleeping disorder and high stress levels. It is up to the parents to do what they can do to keep their teenagers in good health - both mentally and physically.

Breakfast - Don't skip breakfast!

Eating in the morning gets their metabolism going. What should they eat? How about some instant oatmeal, cream of wheat, fresh fruit, whole grain bagels, and/or low-fat yogurt. Even pancakes with maple syrup is better than nothing.

Waiting too long to eat causes over-eating and binging later - which can lead to eating disorders.

Snacks - Aim for the Morning and Afternoon!

Healthy snacks in the morning or afternoon boosts the metabolism. Snacking late at night, especially junk food, puts on extra weight. The body's metabolism slows down during sleep, which causes much of the bedtime snack to be stored as fat. Encourage your teens to snack during the day, around 10 AM and 2 PM, and to eat healthy snacks they enjoy.

Sleep - As if teenagers don't sleep enough already!

Experts agree that teenagers need 9 hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, sleep isn't always a major priority for them. Teenagers should keep a regular bedtime so they know when they should be going to bed and when they are getting up. This will prevent sleep disorders and higher stress levels, and a proper night's sleep prevents over-eating on sugary/caffeine foods during the day. Most teens don't appreciate the benefits from sleep, such as improved mood, improved cognitive functioning, and better academic performance, because they become too easily obsessed with certain social activities - such as chatting online and texting these days

Teenagers should avoid late night studying and caffeine drinks after 2 pm. They should begin winding down (relaxing) about an hour before bedtime. They should also avoid exercise during that time too. During this time they should avoid bright light sources, including looking directly into a computer screen or television. This also means no fast-paced video games in the late evening hours.

Many teens stay up late at night text messaging friends. A "no cell phone in the bedroom at night rule" may be unpopular with your teenager, but sleep is more important than unnecessary text messages.

Nutrition - Aim for Balance!

Teenagers should eat a balance of vegetarian proteins or lean meats, whole grains, high fiber carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. Teach your teens to eat only when they're hungry. Many teens eat due to boredom or stress. Healthy snacks should be encouraged if they are eating due to boredom so try and find out what foods they like best that are healthy. One way to do this is to send them to the grocery store to buy fruit and see what they come back with. eg. Watermelons.

Exercise - 60 Minutes per Day!

Experts say that teens get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day. They need a good balance of activities including aerobic, flexibility, and strength exercises. The benefits include building and maintaining healthy muscles, bones, and joints; Controls weight; Reduces Fat;  Releases Endorphins, Better Sleep.

Teens should avoid exercising too close to bedtime.

Controlling Weight - Making Exercise Fun

Teenagers get bored really easily unless it is an activity they really enjoy. Try to find what activities they are interested in doing and then sign them up for lessons in that activity.

It could be something more unusual like archery, fencing, Kendo, martial arts... or it could be a sport like tennis or football, in which case for team sports they may need to train hard to join a school team or they may need to join a team that is more for fun.

The production of endorphins, which makes people feel happy, is increased when doing fun exercise activities - It is also addictive and teenagers hooked on a fun exercise activity (like skateboarding or rollerblading) will want to keep doing it. Such exercise can help teenagers who struggle with mild depression and help them to break away from addiction to video games (which also produces endorphins from the mental stimulation).

Most teenagers aren't too concerned about their health. Parents need to set rules and encourage a healthy lifestyle to ensure their teens stay healthy. Set a "no cheese puffs/text messaging/caffeine cola/action video game before bedtime" rule may seem rather strict, but if you can get your teenager out there playing tennis or doing archery instead it will be worth it because you will be setting them on a life of healthy balances.

Nutrition is More Important than Exercise

Not long after I became certified as a personal trainer in Toronto I began to wonder if I should have been a nutritionist instead.

If you read the title of this post you've probably guessed why.

Its because nutrition plays a huge role in whatever fitness goal you are attempting to achieve. Some estimate that the role is as high as 90% nutrition / 10% exercise. And the reason is because without proper nutrition, regardless of whether your goal is weight loss or muscle gain, you won't reach your goal anywhere as quickly as you would if you were eating properly for that specific goal.

So for example if your goal is weight loss then you want to cut back on carbs and sugars, avoid toxins entirely, and you want to limit your diet to approx 1800 to 2000 calories daily while taking in lots of vitamins, nutrients, minerals, protein and fibre.

If your goal was muscle gain you would want to do the same thing, but up the percentage of protein (possibly by using supplements) in an effort to match your weightlifting regimen.

Now you might think its possible to achieve great results without changing your diet. And depending on your current diet, that might be possible, except most people in North America probably eat a lot more calories than they realize. Try counting all your calories for a week and keeping a daily record and you would get a better idea of what you are really eating.

Lets say for example you had two twins named Jeff and Greg and they both do weight lifting and exercise the same amount daily.

Jeff eats healthy, gets lots of veggies and makes certain he is getting enough protein for his weightlifting regimen by drinking 3 raw eggs every morning Rocky Balboa style.

Greg meanwhile eats lots of greasy food. He is still getting some protein, but comparatively little, and his intake of nutrients / minerals from fruits and veggies is almost non-existent.

Which one do you think will get the most muscle gain and which one do you think will have some belly flab? The answer is pretty obvious.

Here's another anecdote, this time for weight loss.

I know a colleague who is also in the fitness industry. She lost 45 lbs back in 2004 by making some drastic changes to her diet and coupled that with running 3 - 4 times per week.

She later became a personal trainer here in Toronto, and took up weight lifting and a variety of other exercise activities to stay in shape, but her initial weight loss she credits completely to the lifestyle change with respect to her diet. She admits the running helped, but it was the dietary change that made the big difference.

Lets stop and calculate how many calories she was consuming and burning while running.

Before she changed her lifestyle she had a yo-yo diet and when she wasn't on the latest fad diet she was consuming 2500 to 3000 calories per day. So lets average that out to 2750. So by changing her diet to 2000 calories per day she cut out 750 calories per day and stabilized her diet. Thanks to that change she prevented herself from gaining 1.5 lbs per week.

Next she started off weighing 185 lbs and ended up at 140. So her average weight during that training period was 162.5. So if I feed that into a calorie calculator and estimate that she did an average of 5 km in an hour each time she ran then she burned an average 382 calories per run.

And if she did that 3.5 times per week she burned 1337 calories per week... which is a little over one third of a lb.

Now imagine if she had NOT changed her diet and was still eating an extra 5250 calories per week. Even with all her running she still would have been gaining weight because she hadn't changed her diet.

By changing her diet she cut out a lot of extra unneeded calories and began a fat burning process.

In her own words:

"I had not done any weightlifting yet and the idea of doing physical activities for fun still had not registered in my brain. In retrospect I can guarantee that it was not all the running that helped me to shed all of that weight in under a year. It was changing my diet and my lifestyle!"

Research now supports that nutrition plays a much larger factor in weight loss success. Don't get me wrong, exercise is certainly necessary and important and speeds up the process. And exercise will help you to tone up so that when you lose weight your skin will be tighter and not loose or saggy. Not to mention, you won't get a hard-body or six pack by nutrition alone!

So far in my career as a personal trainer I have found that many people not only underestimate how much they eat, but don't have a good handle on food quality. The  real trick to eating really healthy is to make the most out of your daily caloric intake by looking for foods that are highly nutritious - or making more nutritious choices even when choosing a tasty snack. It's a huge difference in both the quality and the quantity of food, and thus creates a better overall nutritional profile.

If you're having trouble shedding weight through your exercise regimen, the answer to your weight loss problem may be rooted in the nutritional choices. The extra calories you are consuming are holding you back from your dreams.

It only take 21 days to make a new habit, so changing your lifestyle doesn't really take that long to change.

Health Benefits of Dates

Although popular in baked sweets, Dates are excellent in salads, stews, on their own, and soaked overnight in milk and yogurt. Dates can also be ground into a paste and used as a delicious and healthy substitution for many ingredients.

 

They also have a long list of health benefits.

Health Benefits of Dates

-Good source of fiber

-Contains calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, copper and magnesium

-Aids digestion, prevents constipation
-Can prevent abdominal cancer

-Prevents and treats intestinal disorders

-Great for quick energy

-Due to their fiber, sweetness and filling nature, they're a great "in-between meal" snack for a weight loss program. They're approximately 20 calories each!

-Heart healthy

-It is said that dates are great for sexual stamina, fertility and overall improved sexual health

-Low inn sodium

Gently wash dates before eating. Even organic dates need to be washed because organic food is not completely pesticide free (technically organic food is no better for you, because its genetically modified to contain pesticides). Plus dates are sticky and a trap for impurities.

 

Soaking in milk or water, or eating them straight from the package are both tasty ways to enjoy dates. 

 

Refrigeration will help keep them fresh for longer.

 

And if they're good enough for Indiana Jones, they're good enough for the rest of us!

Making Healthier Food Choices

Sometimes you have to think smart when it comes to making healthier food choices. Here are some examples:

Having Chocolate Milk instead of Coca-Cola.

Ordering a Hamburger without the Cheese and Bacon.

Having Red Wine instead of Beer.

Packing a healthy lunch instead of eating out for lunch (most fast food places that cater to the 9-5 crowd don't serve healthy food as its often deep fried).

Having juice instead of a high-sugar energy drink.

Ideally what you want is to pick foods higher in fibre / protein / nutrients / minerals and lower in sugar.

While it is true that to lose weight, a dieter will want to eat less than he or she is burning through exercise and daily activities, it's important to make quality food choices so you are getting more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff. On the most basic level, a calorie is a calorie regardless of the source, and that yes, you could eat 1000 calories a day in pizza, fill up on water, and lose drastic amounts of weight - getting all your fibre / protein / nutrients / minerals from pizza isn't really a healthy way to do it.

 

There are much healthier ways to lose weight and still take in 1600 to 2000 calories per day.

Weight loss is about more than just keeping the calorie count lowered. Eating healthy is a lifestyle change that will take work, by figuring out how to make every calorie burn efficiently in your body.

 

Take the pizza as an example. It has refined sugar in the white flour crust, saturated fat in the greasy cheese, and any meaty topping is sure to be high in sodium and fat. These foods are not helping your body for a long term slow releasing energy burn, digestive help, or assisting with lowering blood pressure and preventing illness and disease.

A slice of plain cheese pizza from a walk-in shop is roughly 600 calories. 600 calories is a lot when you are making every calorie count. And if you are only eating 2 slices per day (and that is your entire diet) then you will end feeling very hungry.

Instead of having the slice you could have:

-A bowl of mixed bean salad (1 cup) 200 cal

-With a side of 1% cottage cheese (1/2 cup) with 1 Tbsp of ground flax seed 200 cal

-Steamed vegetables (1/2 cup) 50 cal

-5 Brazil nuts 100 cal

-A small apple 50 cal

 

That way you would be getting a larger amount of food, not feel hungry all the time, and still have a lowered amount of calories. Eating foods with lots of fibre, nutrients and so forth help you to feel full without starving yourself.

Note that the amount of food mentioned above could actually be two meals! It contains much leaner proteins, complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, dairy and healthy fats. Your body will be able to use this much more effectively than a slice of pizza ever could!

It just goes to show that while calories should be reduced to lose weight, healthy choices are still very much a part of making healthier choices.

 

Of course sometimes you still want to treat yourself, and that is where things like chocolate milk come in. Yes, its a treat, but its high in calcium and protein.