Hi everyone – I’m sticking with a food focused theme as the weather takes a positive turn in the KC Area because people eat differently once the weather changes.  Some will begin eating more outdoorsy-type foods (see the last post about Healthy Grilling), while others will consciously attempt to eat healthier items to coincide with their Springtime workout routines.

If you count yourself in the latter group – are you certain that the food options you’re going for as actually as healthy as their packaging or marketing would promote them to be?  Assuming that you may not be 100% sure that the “healthy” things you eat are actually as healthy as they say they are, I wanted to tell you not to worry.  Check out this informative (but quick) video from Howcast.com on the subject of identifying truly healthy foods…
 

How To Avoid Unhealthy Foods That Seem Good For You on Howcast

I think the video has a little something in there for everyone beginning their journey into healthier food choices and I hope you found something useful in it as well.

FDF can help you out with selecting proper food choices if you need someone to coach you through the process for starters.  Just contact us using the form in the upper-right portion of this web page and we’ll be in touch shortly.

Until next time, eat healthy and enjoy your day!  There will be one more food-related post this week, and then we’ll move on to something else.  And don’t forget to check us out on Facebook!

Today’s quick post comes from the good people at eHow — I couldn’t think of a better way to say it myself, so here’s their introduction…

Managing your weight involves a wide variety of things, like learning how to eat right and then sticking to that diet. Learn about recipes for weight management with help from a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in this free video series.

CLICK THE IMAGE to view these healthy, but delicious, weight management recipes...

If you need any other ideas from some of FDF’s staff about what good things you’d want to eat to give you the nutrition your body needs along with the energy you’ll need for your workouts, don’t hesitate to contact us using the form in the upper right portion of this web page.

Road trips are a great American past time in which we get to know our surroundings, fellow travelers and ourselves a little bit better.  There are always stories to tell after the trip – and they typically provide great breaks from our day-to-day routines.

Well I just got back into town from a very long road trip to NYC this past weekend.  Perhaps it’s because I write this blog, but while I was on the trip – one of my biggest concerns was making sure that I didn’t eat anything that would sabotage my workouts or regular eating patterns.  I still lived it up on the trip, I just didn’t want to make my journey an excuse for throwing-off my dietary gains.

So here are a few things that I kept in mind to avoid adding on the pounds during my drive that may help you out down the line:

• Avoid sugary snacks and ultra-sugary drinks: One surefire way to add on unwanted weight and health complications is to drink sugary drinks on a regular basis.  Tack that fact on to the situation of you sitting still for a long stretch of time in an automobile, and you’ve go a recipe for disaster.
• Pack your own snacks: You can control your selection of foods on the road by picking them yourself before you head out on your travels.  Portion control, type of food — these are things that packing your own snacks allows you to master.  Off the top of my head – small items like peanuts and grapes make excellent travel companions
• Buy sensible fast food: I don’t condemn all fast food when I’m on the road.  Some places serve up salads, and (although this IS NOT an official FDF endorsement) I personally try to frequent places like Subway when I’m on trips.  The closer to “fresh” your food can be, the better.
• Drink water (not too much) and chew gum: A lot of the times we’re hungry (or in a snacking mood) can be deterred by hydrating or accounting for an oral fixation.  Enter water and gum.  Drinking water will let you know if your craving was really a result of hunger or dehydration, and if gum doesn’t keep your mouth busy – then nothing will.
• If you MUST buy something on the road, read the nutritional information first: Things come up on the road, and you may just need to buy something.  If that’s the case, don’t forget to evaluate the nutritional labeling on the products you’re purchasing.  Remember to aim for things that aren’t to high in fats or sugars.  Keeping the caloric intake down and understanding the proper serving portion of what you’re buying may be beneficial as well.

And those are my tips for eating smarter on your road trips.  Take the time to live a little while you maintain a healthy lifestyle, but live in a way that’s sensible to your progress.

If you want any other tips like these for any of your other outings, feel free to shoot us any questions using the contact form in the upper-right portion of this web page.

I hope you all have a nice day.  See you Wednesday!