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Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

The latest federal guidelines as of 8/5/09 recommend 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.  In the Rochester, NY region, only 3 out of 10 adults eat at least 5 servings a day according to the results of a study led by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. 

Benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables:

1. they are good for you and provide essential nutrients
2. they fill you up so you do not have the craving to eat non nutritious foods (candy, cookies, etc…)
3. fruits and vegetables can add flavor to food.  try adding berries to your cereal or cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce to sandwiches

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If you are eating healthy snacks, keep up the good work.  If you are eating junk food out of the vending machine, here are some strategies to help tame the snack attack

1. Write it down.  Keep a journal of your snack habits.  Record what times of day you are hungry and how much you are eating.  You will find that this extra task may help keep the change in your wallet and keep you away from the vending machine.
2. Make a plan.  Take a look at the journal and you may see a trend.  If you plan for your hunger pangs, you can avoid the vending machine all together.  For instance, if you find yourself desiring a candy bar at 2 pm, eat a piece of fruit after lunch or 20 minutes before the hunger pangs.  This can prevent you from going to the vending machine.
3. Spice it up.  Try to avoid sweets as they are mostly empty calories with little or no nutrition.  Consuming a spicy snake can lessen our urge for sweets and keep your calories down.  Keep an eye out for sodium content if you are watching your salt intake.
4. Bring them with you.  By planning ahead, you can shop and/or prepare healthy snacks at home to bring in to work with you.  Bringing your own snacks will give you control over your diet.
5. Take a hike.  When a snack attach comes along, try heading out for a quick 5-15 minute walk.  After the walk, drink an 8 oz glass of water.  This should distract you and satisfy any previous snack attack you had.  Walking for 10-20 minutes is also a great stress reducer.

It is best to eat smaller meals more frequently.  This technique prevents binge eating of unhealthy foods.  On multiple occassions, when I get too busy to stop and eat a little snack, I ended up either indulging in a vending machine candy bar or eating too much pizza.  Both of which contain more fat and calories than a small, healthier, snack would have.  If I had eaten a piece of fruit or even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I would have consumed more healthy nutrients.