1. Snacks don’t have to be bad for you. Snacks can be a perfectly healthy way to help stave off hunger
pains and keep your body fueled between meals. Just because you don’t have time to sit down for a
meal doesn’t mean you have to throw the idea of nutrition away as well.
2. Get your pick-me-up. By snacking in a healthy way, you can get that little burst of energy that you
need to tide you over to the next meal, or to keep those thoughts of eating out of your head until
you can really address them.
3. Snacks don’t have to be unscheduled. If being hungry seriously hinders your mood, then snacking
might be just what you need. Nothing is wrong with refueling periodically throughout the day, and
when those snacks are well-thought out and planned, you can keep going with something healthy.
4. Eat better, not more. Try to avoid high-sugar and high-fat treats. They won’t keep you satisfied for
long, and aren’t good for the body and mind. The fiber in whole-grain foods give you the long-lasting
energy you need to get through the day, and oranges have vitamin C to keep you alert and healthy.
5. Look for portability. Try some of the following foods that are easy to carry with you during your
day: dry cereal, yogurt, fresh or dried fruit, applesauce, peanut butter sandwiches, string cheese or
sunflower seeds.
6. Try for vend-ability. The following foods (and more) can often be found in vending machines:
granola bars, trail mix, low-fat milk, animal crackers, baked chips, pretzels, fresh fruit or nuts and
seeds.
Category Archives: Six Picks
Six Picks: The Top 6 Things You Need to Know About Waist Size
- Weight and fat are not equal. How much you weigh and how much fat you have stored on your body are not the same, and can represent very different things. See this Today Show video on “Skinny Fat”
- More weight can be better in the right cases. Bone and muscle weigh more than fat. A female that’s 5’4” weighs 145 lbs. can actually be much healthier than a female of the same height weighing 120 lbs. since the heavier female may have greater amounts of muscle and bone density.
- Ratios are the way to go. Calculating the ratio of weight to height is called your Body Mass Index, or BMI, Many studies have shown that a BMI greater than 25 increases a person’s chances of developing heart disease or cancer; especially more so after it increases above 30.
- Fat is different in different places. Excess fat on the waist and chest can increase the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, in comparison to those who have excess weight on the hips and thighs. Normal waist size in circumference for women is less than 35 inches and less than 40 inches for men.
- You can control your weight. Burn more calories than you consume, to put it simply. Exercising moderately for 30 minutes, four to six days a week will help you keep your weight under control.
- Build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. When exercising, it’s important to include some form of muscle strengthening at least twice a week.
During the holiday’s, it is important not to completely forget about yout nutrition. However, don’t restrict yourself too much. It will make for a stressful holiday season!
Six Picks: The Top 6 Things You Need for a Stress-Free Holiday
1. Control your hunger. Make sure when you go to parties you’re hungry… but not TOO hungry. If you
aren’t hungry, you may find yourself eating simply because everyone else around you is chowing
down. But, if you’re too hungry, you may consume too much before realizing that you are overly full.
2. Keep the proper amount of baked goods on hand. Too few and you won’t have enough for the
party. Too many, and you’ll end up eating all of the extras through the ease of convenience.
3. Cut caloric corners. Have healthy alternatives on hand when baking the holiday treats. Little steps
like reducing sugar and fat contents of the ingredients, or using things like egg substitute in a recipe
will help keep you trim during the holidays.
4. Keep an eye on the vegetables. Eat a salad before going to a party, or make sure that vegetables
make up half of what’s on your dinner plate. This will cut down on sugary baked goods and will help
get you the vitamins and nutrients you need.
5. Make your holiday activities active. Go door-to-door caroling, take up skiing, do some decorating or
go ice-skating. Keep the activities over the holidays fresh and full of movement. Turn off the TV until
those winter nights come, enjoy the winter days with some active movement.
6. Get a friend involved. Making a pact with a friend to stay healthy and to go workout over the
holidays makes it easier to stick to your healthy lifestyle goals.
And, always remember, we have a dietitian on staff here at NCES who would love to answer your questions and provide any tips you need. Just give us a call at 800.NCES.BOOKS or chat online at www.ncescatalog.com.
Six Picks: The Top 6 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes
1. Know the symptoms. Thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, constant tiredness, unexplained
weight loss and irritability are possible indicators of the onset of diabetes. Make sure to pay
attention and talk to your doctor if any of these symptoms persist.
2. The sooner you detect it, the better. The longer your body is exposed to uncontrolled blood sugar
levels, the greater the health problems can become. If you’re over the age of 45, it’s recommended
to have a fasting blood glucose test every three years.
3. Proper diet can save lives. With diabetes, it’s supremely important to keep your blood glucose
levels the closest to normal as possible. Proper meals can help maintain these levels and keep the
body from going into shock.
4. Work things out. Proper exercise can go a long way towards the prevention of diabetes, as well as
help maintain proper blood sugar levels too. Keep active for at least 30 minutes a day to help the
body regulate its blood glucose.
5. Know your risk factor. Anyone can develop diabetes over the course of their life, but certain people
have a higher risk than others. Being over 45, overweight or obese, a diagnosis of
pre-diabetes, having low HDL readings, or people with a family history of diabetes are
more likely to develop diabetes.
6. Diabetes is often preventable. A good combination of steady diet and exercise goes a long way in the
prevention of diabetes. Lowering the amount of added sugars in your diet can also help keep this
epidemic from affecting your life.
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, or think you may have it, contact your doctor immediately. Also, check out our large selection of diabetes education products here. http://www.ncescatalog.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=17&cat=Diabetes
Six Picks: The Top 6 Things You Need to Know About Smart Carbs
1. Know your simple carbs. Sucrose, fructose, and lactose are all simple carbohydrates, and are comprised mostly of simple sugars. It’s generally not essential to have a large amount of simple carbs in your diet.
2. Know your complex carbs. Made of starch and fibers, they’re often referred to as whole grains. They can be found in whole wheat flour, rolled oats, barley, rye, and brown rice among other foods. These can help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
3. Smart Carbs are essential for exercise and function. The majority of energy you use on a daily basis comes from the carbohydrates you consume. Not just for running, biking and swimming, carbs also give your body the energy for essential functions like your heartbeat, breathing, and digestion.
4. Smart carbs provide a way for you to consume fewer calories. Put simply, most foods that have not been processed are going to
contain fewer calories. So, when looking at carbs, try to find the least processed sources. For example, eating cooked oatmeal rather than an oatmeal cookie is always a good idea.
5. Simple carbs mean more than simplicity. When fiber is removed from food, with fat and sugar being added, the calories skyrocket while nutrition values plummet. Plus, the low nutrient density means that you’ll be eating more, just to feel full.
6. Incorporate Smart Carbs into meals and snacks. Try adding complex carbs to your regular meals and snacks. Instead of chips, try whole grain crackers, or whole grain versions of breads and cereals. Carrot sticks and fruit also contain smart carbs, and provide a much better choice than other carb-filled foods.
For more tips on eating ‘Smart Carbs”, check out Item # 2939 (ADA Complete Guide to Carb Counting) in our catalog or online at www.ncescatalog.com.
NCES HealthBeat Blog 