's motd Tuesday July 10, 2012

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SNACK ATTACK!

Tuesday, 10 July 2012

We love our snacks, don't we? When I was a

kid back home in New Orleans, there was always

something to snack on. Let's see, what do I want?

Should I have a coupla pieces of my mother's

Stover chocolates? (She always left an open box on

the living room coffee table.) Or there's that big

bag of Dickey's potato chips my father brought back

from the A & P. (And no, they weren't named after me! LOL.)

I'm telling you, there was always something to snack

on at our house. And let's just say, all of those

snacks got me into a lot of trouble as I gained

more-and-more weight!

Snacking, done

the right way, can actually help you

lose weight.

But these days, I'm much more in control of my

snacking. And...how about you? Did you know

that snacking, done

the right way, can actually help you

lose weight? How? Because between-meal snacks

can help you feel more satisfied before having your

next full meal...without adding a lot of calories.

But, like I said, you've got to snack the right

way.

A good mid-morning snack is between 100-150 calories

and you should have about the same number of calories

for your afternoon snack. Nuts are a

good-for-your-body snack but lots of people get

confused about what constitutes one

serving of

nuts. Nuts, eaten in

moderation are

good for you. But you have to be careful because

they're all

fat. People

think a handful of nuts is a snack but a 150-calorie

serving of nuts is only about 21 almonds or 16

cashews. (I think I'd rather save the calories from

those nuts and use them in a healthy salad instead.)

Research shows that we eat

more of them when we have a big bag or box of

any snack food in front of us.

Americans love all kinds of chips and they're probably

one of our favorite snack foods. But chips are processed and provide

your body with empty calories and almost no nutritional

value. Plus, those chips usually leave you wanting more.

Research shows that we

eat more of them when we have a big bag or box

of any snack food in front of us. That's why it's

unwise to sit in front of the TV with a family-size

bag of Fritos at your side. If they're there in front

of us...we will eat them!

Let your snacking help you reach your weight-loss

goal! Go for fresh fruits like bananas, apples,

oranges or slices of pineapple. Or keep some freshly

sliced pieces of veggies like carrots, zucchini, or

radishes in the fridge. They're filling and so tasty

with a low-fat salad dressing to dip them in.

When you snack, be sure to have a nice cold glass of

water to go with it. Keep some extra bottles of water

at work, too. When I'm working, there's always an

ice-cold glass of water on my desk as I answer my

e-mail. You should keep a bottle of water on your

desk or near you at work, too. It'll help you feel

full and you can never drink too much of it.

Be sure to snack wisely!

Don't have a snack attack---snack wisely. Be sure

to count those

snacks on your food plan and, I promise, sensible

snacking will

be your body's weight-loss good

friend!

Love,