Mindful Snacking

Ok so, as promised, here are some things to consider when snacking. Do you ever grab a snack only to be shaky and hungry an hour later? Just because something is small in size and doesn’t fill you up does not mean it is low in calories. So many “snacks” are full of sugar, bad fats and very few nutrients. It is true that eating many small meals throughout the day will boost your metabolism and make it easier to lose weight, but it’s quite important to remember that those small meals should be nutritious, not just full of empty calories.

Here is a list of common snack problems I see:

• 100 calorie packs: These “all the rage” snack options may be low in calories, but they’re full of empty ones. What do I mean? Well if you’re eating 100 calories of simple sugars, processed flour and no real protein or substance those snack packs will leave you feeling hungry and you’ll be headed for a sugar crash. It is better to consume two or three hundred calories full of protein, fiber and nutrients to keep you running longer.
• Donuts or cookies: Have a cookie now and then- go for it. But here’s the deal, snacking on things like donuts or cookies is tricky. They may not have an overwhelming amount of calories a piece, but they will not fill you up. What will happen is you will casually grab another and another or you’ll end up eating again in no time because of the sugar crash or fatigue they leave you with.
• Fruit: Here’s a tricky one! Most people will grab a piece of fruit as a healthy snack when they are feeling hungry. It is true that your diet should have plenty of fruits and veggies in it, but consider this. An apple contains the equivalent of more than 5 tsp. of sugar and no protein. So even though it’s all natural vitamin packed sugar, you’ll still be left with a sugar crash in an hour! Be sure to pair fruit with protein to snack on.
• Cheese sticks: Cheese sticks are a popular snack that are pretty tricky. While they are not the worst for you (provided they’re not dyed orange) The all natural ones are pretty high in calories and it takes 2-3 to fill you up.
• Children’s snacks! Isn’t it strange that the demographic that requires the most nutritionally is getting the least from their snacks and food product? Friends, I simply cannot fit everything I have to say regarding children’s snacks into this blog, but please be advised that the snacks and food products for that matter marketed towards children are generally speaking loaded with sugar, corn syrup, white flour, artificial colors and flavorings and a variety of preservatives! These are empty calories made for the people who need their calories to be packed with nutrients in order to grow.

So here’s what you should be looking for in a snack:

• Healthy, natural, preferably few ingredients.
• Low sugar
• High protein 
• High Fiber
• High in nutrients

Examples of good snacks are:

• Carrots with hummus
• Apples with Almond butter
• Nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Banana with walnuts
• Plain Greek yogurt with berries

Don’t spend hundreds of calories a day on unhealthy snack products! Don’t assume that children’s snack packets are healthy. Snack smart, friends and your body will thank you!

Just Say No to Energy Drinks!

“Unleash the Beast”, “Party Like a Rock Star”, “Red Bull Gives You Wings”.  These are the slogans designed to catch the eye of 20 year olds looking for extra energy.  But are they safe?  The label contains enormous amounts of vitamins so it almost looks like a health drink.  Children view these as a form of sports drinks which are meant to replenish lost electrolytes due to exercise.  However, these are not sports drinks and should not be used as such.

First and foremost, we are all familiar with caffeine.  Normal doses are fine, some might venture to say healthy.  One or two cups of coffee might be healthy (caffeine is extremely controversial, I shall make sure I write a blog on it in the upcoming weeks).  In an effort to be candid, I must tell you I enjoy a good cup of java.  It’s what puts a smile on my face every morning!  Children and young adults who consume these energy drinks usually have at least two or more a day.  This is extremely dangerous and many young adults have died as a result of consuming excess energy drinks and experiencing adverse cardiac reactions.  Caffeine is addictive and unfortunately young adults who consume these energy drinks program their bodies to require these drinks to function.  I would also suggest that large amounts of caffeine significantly raises blood pressure.

How familiar are you with guarana?  This is a common ingredient in most energy drinks.  It is a creeping shrub native to Venezuela and Northern Brazil in the Amazon rain forest.  The fruit is small, bright red, and contains 4-8% caffeine compared to only 1-2.5% found in coffee beans!  It is considered a central nervous system stimulant.  When mixed with ephedrine or diet pills it can be lethal.

What about taurine?  We don’t know too much about taurine.  This is naturally occurring in food.  Depending upon how much we consume from energy drinks this could be toxic.  Studies indicate that in moderate doses, taurine has no reported benefits or adverse reactions.  Why take the risk?

Additional risks resulting from the consumption of energy drinks are tooth decay from the amounts of sugar used and vacillating between highs and lows from all the caffeine and sugar.  Other symptoms are headaches and heart palpitations.

The worst offenders of the energy drinks are the ones that contain alcohol.  They have already been banned in a few countries in Europe.  The stimulant affects the way your body responds to alcohol.  The alcohol in the energy drink impairs your ability to judge your level of intoxication.  There have been numerous reports of increased risk taking by people who consume these drinks.

In short, if we are looking for a sports drink, let me suggest to you that it might be wiser to give your child a bottle of water, an orange and a banana.  There you go, a perfect sports drink.  Now here’s my thought on energy drinks.  Try getting your energy from food, forgo the energy drinks and save your liver and kidneys.  In fact there are many young adults currently being diagnosed with fatty livers.  Might you guess where this is coming from?  Looking for energy?  Try some raw nuts and a banana.  Does anyone remember what Elvis Presley’s favorite snack was?  That’s right a banana, peanut butter and honey in a sandwich.  Sounds mighty good to me!  Oh, and if your wish is to have some caffeine, find  yourself a fine cup of java and enjoy.