Healthy Snacking

Hey there! I found this article on www.about.com website...thought you might enjoy it...


Weight Loss..Snack Smart at the Office
Keep Healthy Office Snacks within Reach
By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com Guide
Updated February 16, 2010

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
.A well stocked candy dish may bring lots of company ... but can you afford the calories?
Image: Clipart.comYou want to snack smart1 at work2, but it's tough when there's a vending machine down the hall and a coffee shop around the corner. Your best defense? Arm yourself by always having smart snacks within easy reach3. After all, enjoying a small snack is a good idea for both work and weight loss: Eating something in the afternoon will keep your blood sugar even, pump your energy level up, and curb your appetite4 until you get off work.
Ideas for healthy foods to stock your at-work "snack stash" include:

•dried fruit (My pick? Dried cranberries.)
•low fat trail mix
•applesauce
•single serving fruit bowls (My pick? Del Monte Fruit Gels.)
•reduced-fat or natural peanut butter to spread on a banana, an apple, pre-cut celery sticks or a slice of whole-grain bread
•almonds (natural or roasted without salt)
•mini chocolate chips (Hint: Melt a few to make dip to turn fruit into a special treat!)
•unsweetened cocoa or low-cal hot chocolate (My pick: Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets. It only has 25 calories, but it's so rich!)
If your office has a fridge5, consider some of these keep-cool snacks:
•fat-free milk (Hint: Bring some healthy cereal, too!)
•light mozzarella cheese balls or string cheese
•flavored yogurt or Greek yogurt (Tip: Flavor it with honey -- makes it yummy!)
•hard-boiled eggs (These are a must for me. A boiled egg white is "0 points" on Weight Watchers6 and the protein helps curb my hunger.)
•low-fat drinkable yogurt
The Dreaded Dish
The candy dish at the office strikes fear in the heart of any dieter. It's somehow magically full every time you walk by it! If you regularly help yourself, you may assume it's just lack of will power. But have you ever considered that maybe it's not just the candy pulling you over to that coworker's desk? You may be craving the social time, not the sweets. Try chatting sans sweets a few days in a row and you may notice you don't even miss the edible treat.
If you stock the communal candy dish, consider these pointers for keeping tabs on temptation:


Try to choose hard candy -- it only contains about 25 calories a piece and takes a few minutes to eat so you're not popping one after another.
Put the candy in an opaque container or one with a lid.

Stock the dish with candy that you're not crazy about.

Put the bowl elsewhere -- a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study showed people ate two-thirds less candy when a dish was stored six feet away.


Smart Snacking Tips
Fruit is often my top choice for an afternoon snack because the fructose gives me a quick energy boost; pairing it with a little protein7 such as some low-fat cheese, yogurt, or peanut butter gives it extra "staying power" until dinner8.
Nuts are a filling9 food thanks to their protein and fat content10. Enjoying some walnuts or almonds in moderation is a good way to lessen your appetite11 and get in some healthy fat12.

If you find yourself seeking out a high-cal snack every afternoon, that's a sure sign you're not eating the right lunch13. Get in a good mix of fat, protein and healthy carbs14 at lunch. If your lunch has the proper nutrients, and is filling, then a small snack (around 100 calories), such as a piece of fruit or an ounce of nuts should be satisfying.

Don't let stress15-inducers like an approaching deadline or an upcoming meeting drive you to reach for food to tame tension. Try deep breathing for just a few minutes -- it's effective and works quickly.

Source

Wansink, Brian, et al. The office candy dish: proximity's influence on estimated and actual consumption16. International Journal of Obesity. 30, 871–875. 1 May 2006.
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Are You a Sugar Addict?

Hey there...found a great article from www.about.com regarding Sugar Addiction and a new book out there, "Beat Sugar Addiction Now", by Jacob Teitelbaum, MB...good reading!

Are You a Sugar Addict? New Book Helps Readers Identify and Conquer Unhealthy Addiction to Sugar

Monday October 11, 2010
Are you a sugar addict? And if you are overdoing it on the sweet stuff, do you know what type of sugar addict you might be? For example:
Are you hooked on Red Bull or venti coffee drinks, to the point where you need caffeine just to make it through your daily fatigue? You could be a Type 1 Sugar Addict.

Do you go around thinking, "feed me now or I'll kill you!?" You could be an adrenally-fatigued Type 2 Sugar Addict.

What about chronic nasal congestion, sinusitis, spastic colon, or irritable bowel syndrome -- along with a craving for sweet treats? You could be a candida/yeast overgrowing Type 3 Sugar Addict.

And how about those menstrual periods, menopause - or, for you guys -- andropause? Do hormonal ups and downs have you reaching for the cake and candy bars? You may be a Type 4 Sugar Addict.

If any of this is sounding familiar, you'll want to read my review of the book, Beat Sugar Addiction Now, by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD. He maps out a strategy to help you identify your type of sugar addiction, along with practical steps to conquer your addiction for better health.

Kathryn(1)
I own a very, very tiny thyroid and am on Combithyrex.
For my 60th birthday, I decided to stop eating meat, which I’ve always meant to do, though I’m still eating some fish.
Imagine my surprise when my sweet cravings completely stopped. I am someone who used to get up in the night to eat 5 bowls of Frosties and I was piling on the weight. Also a (big) bar of chocolate after dinner as “dessert”.
I lost 3 pounds this month, too.
It can’t just be that I’m filling myself up with vegetables, can it? But WOW!!!
October 15, 2010 at 4:04 am

Mary(2)
Hi Kathryn and all,
I am fascinated to hear how you banished your sugar cravings.
Recently I was wondering if there might be something in the theory that as we all have different metabolisms we will naturally do better or worse depending on the balance of the food we eat, ie there are three main metabolic types Protein, Carbohydrate and Protein/Carb mixed.
I have very recently taken the free nutritional typing test on Dr Mercola’s website and was very surprised to find that I am a Protein Type and should be basing my diet around meat protein. I read all the info on the site and downloaded the free recipe book. As a result, I have completely revised my diet.
Similar to yourself my sugar cravings vanished overnight, I have not eaten a piece of chocolate, cookie or any other sugar laden item for 10 days now, nor do I want to. My new eating regime is not low calorie by any means but I have lost 5lbs in 10 days so far. I am also feeling loads better than I have in ages.
I am thoroughly enjoying my food and that lovely feeling of being satisfied after my meals and not left craving for something else, or something sweet as was the case. Previously I just never felt full or satisfied with what I had eaten.
Kathryn, I imagine that what you have done is to happen upon your own metabolic type diet by accident. I am delighted to hear of your success.

Should you wish to get further details of Dr Mercola’s Free Nutritional Typing Test just go to http://www.mercola.com and type Nutritional Typing Test in the search box. Currently it is the first item in the list. This item has a link to the test and the free recipe book. There is nothing to buy.

I hope this information is of value to you and many others struggling with diet and weight problems.

All the very best for the future.
Mary F.
October 15, 2010 at 6:23 am