Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

More Weight Loss Tips #NODIET

Posted: October 5, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Nutrition
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Typically, when people find themselves hard-pressed to lose weight, they automatically turn to dieting as their first step toward redemption. However, for people who are trying to lose weight, dieting isn’t always the best answer. Honestly, lifestyle changes are the best answers for anyone trying to trim down or become healthier, lifestyle changes that yes, often require dietary changes. But, for those who want to try other things before they delve into the arduous task of complete dietary overhaul, there are numerous things you can do to either cut some calories or burn some extra. Things like:

• Exercising and increasing physical activity (see “Tips For Increasing Physical Activity”)

• Eating Breakfast. When we sleep, our body is essentially fasting for the duration of time we spend counting sheep. Fasting for hours on end slows our metabolism and can eventually lead to fat retention and muscle breakdown. To break that fast (hence the name “breakfast”), you need to eat as soon as possible upon waking. This will rejuvenate your metabolism and replenish all the energy stores your body used up to power itself while you slept.

• Relax on those midnight “pleasure food” snacks and refrigerator raids. If you get hungry over night, eat a vegetable based snack, drink some water and go to bed!

• Eat more lean proteins. Diets with abundant protein intake have been shown to reduce overall appetite.

• Be cognizant of liquid calories. Don’t drink your calories. Unless it’s a meal replacement and is used correctly, DON’T DRINK YOUR CALORIES. It’s that simple.

• Eat smaller, and more often. Avoid insulin spikes that lead to fat storage by consuming smaller meals with less fat, less sugar and less calories. Avoiding excessive insulin spikes will improve your energy levels, prevent unnecessary fat storage and spike your metabolism (that’s a good thing).

• Drink more water. You’ve been hearing the benefits of drinking water since grade school. You don’t need another list of reasons why you should. You + 8-12 glasses of water a day = #winning

• When possible, cook your own food. That way you know what goes in it and have control over it. The more control your have over what you eat the better.

Whether dieting, not dieting, on the borderline of maybe kinda sorta thinking about dieting, try these tip out, follow them consistently and as your lifestyle changes so will you waistline → #fact

10 Quick Tips on How to Improve Optimal Health and Performance

Posted: September 21, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Exercise, Myth Busting, Nutrition
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1. Get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night (or as close to it as you can for those 24-7 grinders like myself).

2. Learn how to incorporate deeper breaths into your breathing pattern to increase wellness and relieve some stress symptoms.

3. Incorporate “me time” into your life. No matter how busy or hectic your life may become, “me time” helps you refocus, reenergize and often recommit to any waning enthusiasms that are unfulfilled.

4. Get massages twice a month. Although considered a luxury, for some it’s becoming a necessity. Massages can relieve stress and tension carried in the body allowing you to move freer, think clearer and be more relaxed in times of stress.

5. Stretch daily. Stretching daily can help alleviate stress as well, both mentally and physically. It also can reduce, eliminate or prevent little aches and pains that normally limit your movement whether consciously on unconsciously. If it becomes less taxing to move you will more likely do more of it, keeping you more in tuned with a healthier lifestyle as opposed to a sedentary lifestyle.

6. Cold baths and showers can make a world of difference in terms of relaxed muscle tissue and rejuvenation from any type of overuse. They have also been show to increase circulation, increase fertility (in men), and increase immunity and energy.

7. Drink water, at least half your body weight in ounces every day.

8. Avoid high fructose corn syrup wherever possible.

9. Eat small frequent meals every 3 to 4 hours.

10. Incorporate foundational exercises into your exercise regimen. Don’t just work out the muscles you want everyone to see and envy, work out the muscles that do the little things that support your body’s movement (lower back, rear delts, forearms, calf muscles, neck, etc.)

5 Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Posted: September 17, 2011 by williampower in Nutrition
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• Make a grocery list of favorite foods that fit into your goal oriented diet. In this list address nutritional value of the foods, convenience, price and accessibility. Since grocery stores are ergonomically designed to entice shoppers to buy, creating a preconceived shopping list will curb impulse buying.

• Favor frozen over fresh fruits and veggies. Frozen fruits and veggies are nutritious yet less expensive and less perishable then their fresh equivalents. If you are buying fresh produce, in season produce is usually more economical.

• Shop for sales. Use discounts and coupons. It pays to check weekly circulars for coupons.

• Avoid shopping when hungry. Food choices are heavenly influenced by appetite and visual cues. Grocery shopping on an empty stomach increases the likelihood of impulse buys.

• Use bulk buying and coupons wisely. Potato sack sized bags of cauliflower and 5lbs tubs of cottage cheese will probably go to waste. Buy only what you know you will use. If you are unintentionally wasteful then its best to stick with store brands of reasonable sizes. Coupons do indeed save you money but only use them on things you would normally buy.

The Alcoholic Truth about Exercise

Posted: September 14, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Nutrition
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by: Will Power

Alcohol is the most readily used and abused drug in the United States today. In some circles, alcohol is referred to as a food and a drug because of its calorically dense nature. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost twice that of both carbohydrates and protein. Alcoholic calories are considered “empty” calories because they only contain negligible amount of vitamins and nutrients. In fact, alcohol is considered and anti-nutrient because of its interference in the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. This interference causes a disruption in the metabolism of both carbohydrates and fat in the body. Alcohol inhibits the production of the enzyme that helps break down fat in the body thereby ceasing your fat burning process for a significant period of time. Note that often times when consuming alcohol, you also consume fatty foods that deliver fat to the body that now, post alcohol intake, will not be broken down. If fat cant be broken down and used directly after ingestion, it is automatically stored until it can be used. In addition to that, this excess storage of fat can stress the liver causing the body to over use and deplete its glycogen (sugar) levels. Over time with chronic drinking, the body will develop a strong tendency to store body fat at all times in an adaptation to the alcohol’s stress the liver. This is a big contraindicator for anyone looking to trim down or lean up.

In terms of alcoholic beverages, I managed to narrow down a list of some of the top alcohols guaranteed to make you fat over time. Ill start with one of the top dogs, “The Devil’s Advocate” as I call it:

Long Island Iced Tea (9oz) (on average 543 cals) – a mix of 5 different alcohols, Sweet and Sour Mix and Coke. It may look like tea but mind you a long island iced tea made the right way can have as many calories in one glass a McDonald’s Big Mac. That’s right every time you suck down a Long Island you are consuming calories close to that of one of the fattiest fast foods in America…so yea…bottoms up buddy. Through the teeth, over the gums, watch out waistline, here it comes!

Mai Tai (9oz) (620 cals) – a mix of Light Rum, Dark Rum, Crème de Almond, Sweet and Sour Mix and Pineapple Juice. This little guy right here will run you the same caloric overdose as a Wendy’s Double Cheeseburger.

Mud Slide (6oz) (560 cals) – Vodka, Kahlua, Baily’s Irish Cream, Half and Half. That’s two slices of Pizza right there…per glass…Im just saying…PER…GLASS…

Piña Colada (12oz) (590 cals) – Rum, Coconut Cream, Pineapple Juice. This is about 100 cals MORE than a McDonald’s large fries.

Mararita (10oz) (550 cals) – Tequila, Margarita/Sour Mix, Triple Sec, Lime Juice, 1tbsp Sugar. Equivalent to a Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla. Enough said.

*Side Note – Just to add further perspective, the average 150 pound person would have to jog for about 30 minutes to burn about 300 cals.

Frankly, for all of you who have weight loss goals but like to “indulge a little” (usually meaning a lot) while enjoying the night life, just understand what you are doing and just how much of your hard work you’re throwing away. These are just a few drinks out of thousands of alcoholic beverages that do a great job of pushing people farther and farther away from their weight loss goals. Please understand, this article is not intended to make anyone stop drinking, that’s a personal battle everyone has to take up with themselves. This post is merely to help those who don’t know to realize exactly what they’re doing to their bodies and their goals when they drink.

For those who feel that cutting out alcohol is simply out of the question, there are a few ways you can lessen the effects alcohol has on you and your long term weight loss goals. First off be cognizant of what and how much you are drinking. Research the calorie content of your favorite drinks. This alone my convince you to find substitutions for higher calorie drinks. Secondly, having water between drinks can help prevent you from drinking too much, can help prolong drunkenness and can keep you hydrated which can help avoid that next day hangover. Thirdly, know your own weaknesses. If you know you overdrink in certain situations, be prepared. At least eat a healthy snack before hand to avoid drinking on an empty stomach (which expedites intoxication). Fourthly, keep your goals in mind. Think about how much work you will have to do to burn off the cals in that refill. Is one more drink worth a 30 min jog?! Lastly, avoid high calorie drinks. Typically, drinks that include mixers like Sweet and Sour Mix, juice or club soda will have more calories.

The key is to remember that alcohol, like everything else, should be consumed in moderation. Moderation is the key when, or should I say if, it comes to enjoying cocktails while watching your weight. Treat alcohol the same way you treat other things in your diet – as something you can enjoy from time to time without going overboard.

How To Know When Urine Trouble…

Posted: September 12, 2011 by williampower in Nutrition, Uncategorized
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by: Will Power

Recently, the daughter of one of my clients posed an interesting question to me, “When I pee…what color should it be?” Part of me laughed at first solely based on how she phrased it (any question that rhymes in my eyes is comedic gold for some reason) but, nevertheless, I can’t pretend like it wasn’t a good question. I mean we all do it. Some of us do it once a day. Some of us do it twice a day. Some of us do it more times a day then they can count on one hand. But how many of us actually stop and think about what we…excrete. Even if we did, how many of us actually know what our urine is supposed to look like besides the proverbial “lemonade color as opposed to an apple cider color”? As true as that is, what about all you jocks who suck down all those multivitamins and are peeing out neon green hulk juice (yea…yea I went there). Or, how about those whose pee produces more foam than actual urine. I apologize for the graphic imagery but the fact of the matter is we all produce different urine based on how we live, but which urine is healthy and which urine is telling you that you’re in trouble?

For those of you who don’t know, urine is a water waste product that passes through your urinary tract and is expelled from your body through your urethra. This is how your body removes noxious chemicals, dead blood cells, excess water, ammonia, proteins, salts, hormones and other excrements the body deems unnecessary. 95% of it is water, but the rest of the contents vary depending on what you have eaten, drank, inhaled or been exposed to. Urine is created and regulated by the kidneys. The kidneys filter the blood and pushes it back into the blood vessels; whatever’s left → urine.

Now as mentioned earlier, urine can come in different colors and consistencies. The most common among these colors is a light yellow urine which typically signifies a healthy urine. It will usually have low odor and little foam. Following that, other colors signify:

• Clear urine – higher concentration of water than waste; could mean you are well hydrated or overhydrated.

• Dark goldish urine – dehydrated; higher concentration of waste than water which also means stronger odor as well.

• Blue urine – usually a side effect of some medications since some oratory meds contain dyes (those little blue pills don’t always start off blue).

• Green urine – usually a by product of foods you have eaten in excess or an excess influx of vitamins and minerals through supplementation.

• Red urine – typically signifies “Hematuria” or blood in the urine. This may be a serious condition related to your kidney, prostate or bladder (might want to seek medical attention immediately).

• Orange urine – could be a sign of Jaundice (which can mix bile into urine); if urine is orange for more than a few days seek med. help).

• Cloudy urine – can be caused by urinary tract infection, bladder infection, kidney stones, gonorrhea or specifically for men a mixing of premature ejaculate in the urine. Seek med help if cloudy urine persists over several bathroom visits.

Honestly, most changes in urine color are harmless and temporary; they are usually the result of certain foods, dyes, supplements or prescription drugs recently ingested. Occasionally though, unusual urine color can indicate an infection or serious illness. You should consult a physician if changes in urine color persist or don’t seem linked to medications or food.

The Low Down on Sugar…If You Knew Better You’d Do Better…

Posted: August 28, 2011 by williampower in Nutrition
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The Average American consumes around 2 to 3 lbs of sugar a week due to its ubiquitous use in almost all foods that we eat (processed foods, fast foods, condiments, etc.) The biggest drawback of sugar is its effect on the body’s insulin level. Sugar spikes (increases) insulin which in turn prevents the release of GH (growth hormone) which depresses one’s immune system making you more susceptible to disease. Insulin spikes also promote fat storage making way for faster weight gain. There are 4 types of simple sugars that most nutrionists agree are harmful to ones health when consumed in amounts in excess of 15% of your carbohydrate intake; sucrose, fructose, honey (yes…honey) and malts. That pretty much means 85% or more of your carb intake should be of a complex variety (see Summary of Macronutrients).

Here are some little known side effects of the over consumption of simple sugars:
Upset mineral balance
Hyperactivity anxiety, depression, concentration difficulty, and crankiness in children
Reduction of HDLs
Elevation of LDLs
Hypoglycemia
Kidney Damage
Tooth Decay
Overly acidic stomach
Excess adrenaline in children
Speed the aging process (wrinkles, grey hair)
Increase risk of weight gain and obesity
Inrease risk of Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Increase risk of diabetes
Decreased glucose (sugar) tolerance
Increase in blood pressure
Food allergies
Cause free radical formation
Toxemia during pregnancy
Artherosclerosis
Periodontal disease
Insulin sensitivity
Enlarged liver
Fatty liver
Eczema in children
Pancreas damage
Headaches/Migraines
Increased risk of stroke due to blood clots

Just some sugar-less food for thought…

Fat Loss Tips

Posted: August 26, 2011 by williampower in Exercise, Nutrition
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Fat Loss Tips

• Never skip meals
• Exercise daily
• Maximize the thermogenic effect of food (calorie converting process) by keeping protein levels up, increasing activity, and taking advised supplemental factors.
• Vigorous resistance training will maintain or increase your lean body mass (muscle). Muscle burns calories, which means that, for every pound of muscle gained, you will be burning more calories and increasing the rate of fat loss.
• DO NOT DRASTICALLY REDUCE YOUR TOTAL DAILY CALORIC INAKE.
• Reduce fat intake to fewer than 25% of total daily calories.
• Increase foods high in fiber and complex carbohydrates to help satisfy hunger.
• Avoid foods high in salt and fat, like all processed foods or snack foods.
• Eat fresh foods.
• Do not fry foods or use oil or fat in the cooking process. Instead bake, broil, or microwave foods.
• Avoid using heavy sauces on foods.
• Learn to read food nutrition labels. Look for foods that have less than 2 grams of fat per 100 calories.
• Aim for fat free foods.
• Eat low fat protein foods.
• Ask about low calorie protein supplements to help meet daily protein requirements.
• Eat egg whites as a snack to help reduce hunger pangs at night.
• Do not eat out daily and avoid eating fast foods. These foods are usually high in fat, salt, and calories.
• Eat plenty of vegetables.

Why Most Fat Loss Diets Fail
Most people are interested in quick weight loss gimmicks that are easy to use. They want a magic pill or food that melts away fat. While many of these diet programs can reduce weight, recent evaluations report that they have less than a 10% success rate in keeping the weight off. This is because these plans do not use real food and do not advocate sensible exercise. They also result in loss of lean body mass, which means lowering your metabolic rate. When you lose lean body mass, even if you are losing fat, your percentage of body fat may not change or even increase if the amount of lean body mass lost is greater than the body fat lost. Avoid weight loss gimmicks and drugs. Use an integrated approach of good diet and appropriate exercise as an approach to reach your goals.

10 Common Misconceptions When Losing Weight (ACSM)

Posted: August 26, 2011 by williampower in Exercise, Nutrition
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Severely restrict their caloric intake. A starvation diet ( i.e., reducing your caloric intake to less than 50% of what your body requires) presents a number of problems to people who are trying to lose weight. First and foremost, it doesn’t work. Any weight that may have been lost is subsequently regained because most individuals cannot maintain such a restrictive eating plan over the long haul.

Have an unduly narrow perspective of the problem at hand. Too many people view losing weight as simply a matter of cutting back on what they eat. In reality, it’s an issue of basic physics – balancing energy in with energy out. As such, if you really want to lose weight and keep it off you need to increase your level of physical activity and eat in moderation.

Ignore the need to maintain their level of lean body mass. A common tendency among individuals who exercise is to focus their activity efforts only on aerobic exercise. In this process, they lose muscle mass, which is replaced by fat when they inevitably regain whatever weight they lost. In turn, their metabolic rate as well as the number of calories that they need to maintain their current weight, is diminished. This adjustment creates a cycle that is counterproductive to sustained weight loss.

Misinterpret food labels. It is extremely important for individuals who want to control their weight to be aware of the fact that labels that state that a particular foodstuff is either “no fat” or “no sugar” does not mean “no calories“.

Try to lose too much weight too rapidly. Research shows that a weight-reduction program that involves a slow and steady loss (i.e., approximately 1lb or less per week for women and 2lbs or less for men) has the best chance for success, particularly when it is combined with an effort to change any inappropriate lifestyle habits.

Believe that spot reduction is possible. The concept of spot reducing is a complete myth. No exercise will eliminate fat from a specific area of the body, just as no change in your caloric intake will guarantee that the fat will melt away in the area of the body you most want to address. As a rule, the pattern in which you lose body fat is genetically predetermined.

Mistake water lost through sweating for actual fat and weight loss. Your body has millions of sweat glands that cover your skin, excreting water and electrolytes. When you exercise, the amount of water (sweat) that is perspired increases in an effort by your body to keep you cool and regulate your body temperature. The water you lose from perspiring can mislead you into believing that you’ve lost more fat and body weight than you may have actually lost. Such water weight is replaced when you subsequently consume fluids.

Buy into the “magic beans” theory. Selling supplements and related pills and powders and potions that will purportedly somehow facilitate a person’s efforts to lose weight is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Other than being a waste of money and a purveyor of false hope for individuals who are looking for an easy and quick-fix approach to losing weight, such items also can have negative health consequences.

Follow unproven and spurious dieting advice. The number of unsound diets that target unsuspecting individuals with undocumented claims and unhealthy practices seems to grow exponentially every year. Truth be known, these diets share at least two traits – they don’t work, and they may actually be harmful (physically and financially) to a person who tries them.

Consider a surgical solution to their “weight” problem. Some individuals consider a surgical option for losing weight. In this regard, two procedures tend to receive the most attention – liposuction and gastric bypass surgery. Liposuction involves the removal of fat from specific regions in the body. Gastric bypass surgery, on the other hand, is a procedure that makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine, resulting in fewer calories being absorbed. Although guidelines vary, gastric bypass surgery is generally reserved for severely obese individuals.

Dine Right or Die

Posted: August 25, 2011 by williampower in Nutrition
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Cooking Tips:
• Avoid the use of MSG.
• Always trim any excess fat and skins from meats and poultry if you are trying to reduce fat intake.
• Boil, bake, microwave, steam, and grill foods; this will reduce excess fat.
• Use spray cooking oils such as Pam rather than regular oils (1tbsp of oil is equivalent to 120 cal and 14g of fat).
• Use low fat cheese and skim milk instead of regular processed cheese and whole milk.
• Use non stick frying pans, pressure cooker, steamer baskets, roast racks to cook food. These tools aid in separating unnecessary fats from foods.

Eating Out Tips:

• Choose restaurants that offer a variety of foods included in your meal plan.
• In a restaurant, start your meal with a salad packed with veggies, to help control hunger and feel satisfied sooner.
• As a beverage choice, ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks without added sugars.
• Ask for whole wheat bread for sandwiches.
• Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.
• Order an item from the menu instead heading for the “all-you-can-eat” buffet.
• Ask to have sauces and dressings served on the side.

• Study your menu and look for broiled meats and fish. These tend to be the best healthy choices at most restaurants.
• Seafood restaurants offer low fat meals such as broiled sole, swordfish, etc.
• At steak houses, order a lean cut of meat such as a filet, ground steak, or grilled skinless chicken breast, preferably broiled.
• Order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.
• Choose a “small” or “medium” portion. This includes main dishes, side dishes, and beverages.
• Remember restaurant servings tend to vary in size. Be aware of portion size.
• If main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, try one of these strategies to keep from overeating:
• Order an appetizer or side dish instead of an entrée.
• Share a main dish with a friend.
• If you can chill the extra food right away, take leftovers home in a “doggy bag.”
• When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
• Resign from the “clean your plate club” – when you’ve eaten enough, leave the rest.
• Don’t always feel that you have to clean your plate. Take it home for another meal.
• To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugars:
• Ask for salad dressing to be served “on the side” so you can add only as much as you want.
• Order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies
• Add little or no butter to your food.
• Choose fruits for dessert most often.
• For Chinese food, choose steamed vegetables with chicken or beef. Ask for no MSG or soy sauce.

General Tips:
• Plan to eat meals at approximately the same time everyday to increase the efficiency of the body’s digestive process.
• Eat fresh foods whenever possible.
• Keep a food diary to keep track of what you are eating.
• Try your very best to not eat in front of the TV or when reading the paper, etc. This will allow you to focus on enjoying the meal and concentrate on eating. There is a tendency to overeat and not chew food properly when distracted.
• TRY YOUR VERY BEST TO NOT SKIP MEALS.
• Plan meals ahead of time and stay on a consistent schedule. This will keep you from becoming uncontrollably hungry and will help the body’s digestive system work more efficiently.
• Use calorie free beverages, such as water, club soda, or flavored seltzer to maintain proper fluid intake.

Traveling Tips:
• Pack fruit, cereal, appropriate meal replacements, nuts, and other healthy foods.
• PREPARE LUNCH IF YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE ON THE ROAD. DONT PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE THERE IS NO HEALTHY FOOD AVAILABLE.
• On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, low-fat string cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts to help you avoid stopping for sweet or fatty snacks.
• Order special meals when making plane reservations if possible. Kosher food plates, fruit plates, and other meals may be available when pre-ordered through a travel agent.
• Bring bottled water with you to insure daily water intake requirement.

Healthy Eating on the GO!

Posted: August 24, 2011 by Bizzy Amor in Nutrition
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Tips for healthy eating on the go…

Healthy eating at a restaurant:

  • Choose an omelet filled with vegetables or a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter
  • A bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit

At the hotel continental breakfast bar:

  • Choose a whole grain cereal with low-fat milk.
  • Fresh fruit
  • Yogurt or hard-boiled eggs are good sources of protein.
  • Avoid sugary muffins, sweet-rolls, and pre-sweetened cereal.

***When you stop for gas and restroom breaks, if possible, find a local grocery store which will have a better selection than the gas station***

 At the service station:

  • Look for single-serving whole grain breakfast cereals and low-fat milk.
  • Protein bars can make a good breakfast food substitute, but watch out for extra sugar and calories–read the labels.
  • As a last resort, choose a hot breakfast sandwich or small breakfast burrito over donuts and sweet-rolls.

 Fast food restaurants:

  • Fruit and yogurt parfaits will give you some calcium and protein without too much saturated fat.
  • Drink low-fat milk or water.

 Snacks in the Car

Snacks should be low in saturated fats, low in sugar and nutritious. Take a cooler with ice packs to keep your snacks and beverages cold.

 

  • Load up on fresh-cut vegetables and fruit. Bring along a small cooler with ice packs to keep your snacks fresh.
  • Bring plenty of water
  • Individually wrapped portions of string cheese or deli meats can be kept in the cooler with the fruit and vegetables. They are a great source of calcium and/or protein.
  • Bring baked whole grain crackers along on your trip. This is good for added fiber and nutrients.
  • You can also pack sandwiches made with whole grain bread/ whole grain crackers and peanut butter or lean meats.
  • Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts contain polyunsaturated fats and are easy to take on a trip in either individual bags or larger containers.

Lunch and Dinner

Lunch and dinner on the road usually means going to a restaurant. If possible opt for full-service restaurants that offer more choices.

  • Order a soup or a salad to eat with your main course. Soups and salads are generally healthy and start to fill you up so that you eat less of the more calorie-dense main meal.
  • Skip the entrée altogether. Soup and salad might be enough for a healthy meal.
  • Split a meal with your dining partner. Most restaurants serve huge portions, so there is usually enough food to share. This saves calories and money. Besides, sharing eliminates the temptation to take leftovers back on the road, where they can’t be properly stored.
  • Select foods that are prepared with healthier, low-fat methods. Baked chicken is healthy, but fried chicken has too much fat.
  • Eat the vegetables. Most entrées come with at least one vegetable. If not, be sure to order a vegetable side dish.
  • Skip dessert, or choose some fruit. A full meal that ends with a sugary dessert may make you feel sleepy.

At the Hotel

If your trip requires a hotel stay, you might get a bit hungry after a long day of travel. If going to a restaurant is not an option, you should still find healthy foods.

 Eating at the hotel:

  • Find a local grocery store and buy healthy snack items such as fruit, nuts, or healthy choices from a salad bar or deli section.
  • If your only choice for a snack is the hotel vending machine, skip the candy and chips and look for nuts or microwave popcorn.

Follow these easy tips for better nutrition on the road, and have a safe and healthy road trip.

Great Snack Items:

Fresh Vegetables: These are the best source for vitamins, for example, and for the fiber your gastrointestinal system needs to function properly.
Dehydrated Vegetables: These are important because you can get most of the nutritional benefits that come from fresh vegetables, but they will last much longer on the road. For example, dried sweet potato packs a hefty portion of your daily requirement of potassium as well as Vitamin A. Any of the vegetables you can prepare in your dehydrator before you leave home will be ideal for a trip.

Fresh Fruits: Again, you can pack a few fresh ones for your first day or days on the road. Maybe the most important reason to take along fresh fruits is their ability to leave you satisfied. Bananas won’t keep for very long, but they’re important because of the nutritional punch they provide; they’re excellent for carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. Kiwifruit, which is excellent for Vitamin C, is also a good one, and it will keep longer. Apples keep well and provide a bundle of nutrition, including Vitamins A and C.  Citrus fruits are great because they have a lasting effect on the stomach (they cause the pH of the stomach to stay elevated which burn more fat over time).

Citrus fruits

  • Clementine
  • Kumquat
  • Minneola
  • Mandarin
  • Orange
  • Satsuma
  • Tangarine
  • Tangelo
  • Lemon
  • Rough Lemon
  • Lime
  • Leech Lime
  • Grapefruit
  • Pummelo
  • Sweety
  • Ugli

 
Dried Fruits: They contain more sugar and more calories, but they can be safely stored for a long time and are not as bulky as fresh fruit. These two factors make them ideal for the traveler. You’re probably going to find yourself in a situation where you can’t obtain fresh fruit, and these are an excellent alternative. For example, dates are a good source for iron.

Raw Crackers: You can make these ahead of time. They will keep even longer than raw cookies. Preferably whole grain or wheat crackers.

Raw Granola: Make a hefty batch of this ahead of time. It fills in a lot of the cracks in your dietary needs on a trip. It can be breakfast, it can be a snack, and it can also be dessert. Take plenty of this one along. Look at this website for a recipe: www.recipezaar.com.

Almond Milk: This can be packaged in glass bottle and will keep for a long time. It can certainly make a good breakfast along with your granola.

Nuts: These are perfect for traveling. They’re easy to pack, they don’t take a lot of space, and they pack a hefty punch when it comes to nutrition. Be sure to include almonds in your selection; however, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts are also very good choices.

RTD Meal Replacements:

Oh yea protein drink (only the carb conscious 18g protein variety)

  • 18 Grams of Protein
  • Only 2 Grams of Sugar
  • Lactose Free
  • Unprecedented Taste
  • Carb Conscious
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