20 healthy snack ideas

People often ask about quick snacks to eat before or after their workouts.

The main focus should be on combining a low fat protein source with a complex carbohydrate (carb). Protein sources include seafood, meat, poultry, tofu/tempeh (soy), nuts, beans (pinto, black, garbanzo), and dairy. Keep in mind that your carb choice will depend on how quickly your body needs the energy. Generally, the higher the fiber content the slower the digestion and release into your blood stream. Bananas, for instance have a quicker energy release time than a slice of whole grain (WG) bread, but you'll likely feel fuller longer from eating the WG bread.

Now, on to the snacks:

1. String cheese & an apple
2. Natural nut butter (ie cashew, peanut, almond) & apple slices
3. Natural nut butter & a slice of whole grain bread
4. Rice cake with nut butter w/banana or strawberry slices
5. Soy yogurt w/berries & low fat granola
6. Veggie sticks with hummus
7. Dried fruit w/unsalted roasted nuts
8. Cooked sweet potato
9. Small cooked potato w/low fat cottage cheese w/avocado & tomato (salt/pepper to taste)
10. Lettuce wraps - fill with turkey, tuna, veggies, & low fat ranch dressing
11. Avocado and WG crackers
12. Edamame (aka soy beans in shells) - steam, then add salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste
13. Air popped-popcorn
14. Homemade bran or banana-nut muffins
15. Wild-caught smoked salmon & whole grain crackers
16. Celery sticks & almond butter
17. Homemade spring rolls
18. Deviled egg & WG crispbread (ie Wasa crackers)
19. Serving of cheddar cheese and handful of grapes
20. Rice cake w/hardboiled egg and herbs

Be sure to watch your portion size carefully and drink plenty of water.

Hitting the streets

This weekend marked my first bike ride of the year. Actually it was my first bike ride in "forever". The weather was wonderful, people were out in force, and I had a great time.

There were a few things I learned or thought of along the way, however, that I thought I should share.

1. Be sure to take your bike in for a pre-season tune up. I live in SW hilly Portland. Zooming down the side of a mountain at 'X' miles per hour is NOT the time to find out that ANYthing is wrong with your bike. Seat adjusted? Bolts tightened? Brakes, anyone?? While I didn't have any problems, but I SURE DID think about it as I whizzed down that first gynormous hill!

2. Wear the proper gear. My ride was more than two days ago but even now certain areas of my anatomy still echo the effects of 5+ hours of sitting on what felt like sculpted rock by the end. Bike pants and shorts have strategic padding to increase your comfort and wick away moisture to lessen chaffing. Gloves can save your hands from the roughness of the rubbered handles. And, don't forget your helmet!

3. Bring water. Fortunately, I don't often leave home without H2O, but I did see people on the road without any. During short rides it might not be too bad, but I was out for the entire afternoon and would have definitely felt the effects of dehydration had I not been prepared. You may also need to bring a snack or be prepared to stop somewhere to eat (be sure to bring a lock for your bike). Remember that it takes food to fuel the engine of your body, so be mindful of your situation.

4. Keep track of how long you ride AND how far. When you're having fun, exploring and "seeing what's up there" can be exhilarating! Realizing at the end of the day, however, that you now have to make your way BACK to the beginning, not so much. Also, note your terrain. Remember the mountain I whizzed down. Yeah, I also had to get back up. That information is important at the end of your ride when you are fatigued.

5. Learn bike signals and follow the rules of the road. Since I really hadn't biked for years, I felt quite like a fish out of water at first. Common sense was not always so common, unfortunately. Once I had my "duh" moment, however, things were fine and I became more aware of what cyclist go through and their perspective. So drivers, do be kind. Sometimes "nit wit" just happens.

Quote of the Day

"If you eat the right foods, you can't overeat. Ever got mad at yourself after eating a whole bucket of broccoli?" Dr. Ron Spallone

Visit Dr. Ron Spallone's blog

Not all carbs are created equal.

Carbs, carbs, carbs. To eat them or not to eat them. That often seems to be the question nowadays. Seems we vacillate between every combination of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) and still our nation has trouble getting it right en mass.

Well, knowledge is power and the truth is, while fat contains 9 calories per gram, both protein AND carbohydrates each contain 4 calories per gram. So, bite for bite there is no difference in terms of calories. One of the main issues with carbohydrates aside from quantity, however, is quality.

Low quality simple carbs (ie white rice, white flour, and white sugar) are quickly broken down by the body and absorbed. These foods encourage fat storage due to a physiological process that you most likely don't really want to know about but I'd be happy to explain later if you want to know. The bottom line is that simple carbs can hinder weight loss because of how our bodies react to them, they are overeaten and the foods tend to be calorie dense and nutrient poor.

Examples? Krispy Kreme donuts, Doritos, bagels, seminola pasta noodles.

Complex carbs on the other hand (ie fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, etc) are broken down more slowly by the body and can help you manage your energy and your appetite by keeping you feeling fuller and satisfied longer due to increased fiber and nutrient values. Additionally, your body doesn't react to store the calories the same way as with the simple carbs.

Examples? Strawberries, broccoli, brown rice, whole grain breads and cereals, and beans.

So, if you're looking to lose some weight in time for summer, focus on the quality of your carbohydrates as well as the quantity.