Raw high energy snacks to fuel our surf trip

Did I really eat chocolate cookies for breakfast? Find out why this was not such an unhealthy choice when you discover my simple system for eating for optimal health.



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Sleep Problems - 5 Evening Snacks That Help Me Sleep!

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For many of us with sleep problems the nights seem long and the days a time of irritability and tiredness. Getting a restful eight hours of sleep is something our body and mind needs and we deserve.

There are many ways to support the mind in getting the sleep we need. Relaxation from stress, a good sleep environment and the correct choice of foods we eat are but three such remedies. The third of these, the food and drink we consume before we go to bed, can have a major effect on the quality of rest we get.

We have all heard of foods that help us sleep and how eating certain things for lunch can slow down our work rate during the afternoon. Then there is the notion that eating turkey can, in some way, put us to sleep.

We have been led to believe that certain foods make us tired, while in actual fact what is happening is a chemical reaction within the body that is causing amino acids to affect our brain activity in such a way as to induce a sleeping mode.

The best example to explain this is the drinking of warm milk just before going to bed. When we drink warm milk, (I am not sure why it has to be warm!) the tryptophan it contains triggers the body to release melatonin, which is a natural sleep hormone. Some foods, it turns out help us sleep and others do the reverse.

The sleep inducing serotonin and melatonin are triggered in the body by the amino acid tryptophan, and serotonin is a neurotransmitter that slows down brain activity, like slowing down the electricity to the brain. The nerve traffic to the brain slows down, your brain isn't so' busy' and sleep comes much easier. Therefore, eating foods with more tryptophan helps build more and more relaxing neurotransmitters and this helps make you sleepy.

Foods high on the glycemic index are not a good idea as they release sugar into the bloodstream which triggers insulin which does make us sleepy but the side effects are that it produces a weight gain and often does not produce the correct deep sleeping pattern. So, the best evening snacks are eaten before nine o'clock, are not high on the glycemic index and contain complex carbs, protein and some calcium. Calcium is a helper in that it helps the process along. Obviously, dairy foods like milk and cheese are very good candidates!

Bearing all this in mind, here are my top five evening snacks that help me with my sleeping problems:

1. Cottage Cheese: this is light, easy to use and comes in a variety of added fruit flavors. Dairy products contain the magic tryptophan but also have the calcium and low glycemic value.

2. Sugar Free Whole Grain Cereal with Milk: again we have the dairy but this time with whole wheat cereal (whole wheat bread would have a similar effect) which is fairly low on the glycemic index but will trigger some insulin production which again will induce sleep without the weight gain problems.

3. Oatmeal Cookies and a Glass of Milk: by now you should be seeing the trend! The addition of oatmeal also helps a little with lowering cholesterol.

4. Half a Banana on Whole Wheat Toast: Bananas contain magnesium as you know but they also contain both melatonin and serotonin which will help us feel drowsy. The whole wheat toast will trigger some insulin production, as it is a carbohydrate, and this will also help sleeping without causing a weight gain. (...and also go a little way in lowering cholesterol.)

5. Chamomile Tea: okay this isn't a snack but add an oatmeal cookie and you have a winner. Chamomile has a mild sedating effect and is well known among the sleeping problems crowd. The oatmeal cookie triggers insulin but has some other good side effects.

These are my five favorite snacks, and although I am not a doctor or trained nutritionist, I think they fit the "sleep inducing foods" bill without causing other bad side effects, besides which I really like them! Yes I did leave out turkey because how often do I have turkey around to use as a late night snack!

Remember also that light meals are preferred over heavy and to avoid, the spicy, the fatty, the caffeine and the alcohol. Also that it takes over an hour for the tryptophan induced amino acids to reach the brain so don't leave it too late.

A little science and a sensible snack we really like, can really help with our sleep problems.

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100 Calorie Snacks

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Listed below are more healthy choices for 100 Calorie Snacks. These Snacks are great for in between meal snacking, when you don't want a 100 calorie pack of cookies or chips. Burn a calorie, get up and prepare a snack, something good for you. You must want to treat your body right, if you are searching for 100 Calorie Snacks. Fats and calories are approximated in the following recipes, but remember to check your food labels for complete nutrition information as you prepare these treats. A few recipes listed below are less than 100 calories per serving. Eat frequently throughout your day as digestion raises the metabolic rate, and helps maintain our blood sugar levels.

1. Berries and Whipped Cream: Heat 1/2 cup of Frozen Blackberries, Blueberries or Raspberries in the microwave for 2 minutes in a microwavable covered dish, let it cool for 10 minutes at least, then top the cooked Berries with 2 tablespoons of Reddi Wip Whipped Light Cream. Contains about 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, and the Berries are loaded with antioxidants.

2. Chocolate Fix: Fill a bowl with about 6 tablespoons of Reddi Wip Whipped Light Cream, about 45 calories, and add 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons of pure Hershey's Cocoa. Whisk until blended and creamy, approximately 50 endorphin feel good calories, and 3 grams of fat.

3. Tea with Cheese and Crackers: 1 large glass of Iced Tea, squeeze 3 lemon wedges in the tea, 1 wedge of The Laughing Cow Original Swiss Cheese, and 7 Wheat Thins Multi Grain Crackers. This treat has approximately 100 calories and 4 grams of fat. Eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet and enjoy the benefits of Iced Tea with Lemon, natural Tea contains antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals, and has about half the caffeine of coffee. Add fresh squeezed lemon to taste, for the added immune boosting benefit of vitamin C, and don't put the lemon slice in your glass as the lemon peels can contain oxalates that may inhibit the absorption of calcium. You can always keep on hand Minute Maid Lemon Juice, which contains the juice of 7 lemons in a 7.5 ounce container, use approximately one or to squirts to taste, you can find it in the freezer at your grocery store. If you have to have Sweet Tea, try 1 or 2 packets of Estee Fructose Natural Sweetener with 10 calories per packet, it is delicious and not an artificial sweetener.

4. Breakfast Sandwich: Fry 2 eggs in Pam over medium heat about 2 minutes, then turn over with a spatula, at the edge of both eggs, cut into egg yellows and mash out about two thirds of the yellows and discard. Add salt and pepper to taste. When eggs are done approximately 3 to 4 minutes total, place eggs on one slice of Aunt Millies Fiber for Life Whole Grain Bread with 3 grams of fiber and 35 calories, toast and slice in half, spray toast with Fat Free Parkay Spray and you have a delicious Egg Sandwich with about 4 grams of fat, 12 grams of protein, and approximately 100 calories.

5. Puffed Wheat Cereal: 2/3 cup of Puffed Wheat, one half cup of skim milk and 1 packet of Estee Fructose Natural Sweetener. With less than 1 gram of fat and 100 calories total, this great tasting and filling cereal has approximately 1&1/2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of carbohydrates and 15% of the RDA for Calcium and 15% of the RDA for iron.

6. Toast with Blackberry Jelly: 1 slice of Aunt Millies Fiber for Life Whole Grain Bread toasted, spray with Fat Free Parkay Spray, and spread 1 teaspoon of Blackberry Jelly on the toast. Great snack with about 50 calories. This treat has under 1 gram of fat and 13 grams of carbohydrates with the added bonus of 3 grams of fiber.

7. Mozzarella Cheese Stick and Marinara: Heat 1/4 cup of Barilla Marinara Sauce in the microwave with one light Frigo Mozzarella Cheese Stick in a covered dish, let cool before eating. This snack has about 100 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat.

8. Southwest Ranch Salad: This salad complete with salad dressing has approximately 100 calories and 3 grams of fat, you'll never want to buy premade light ranch salad dressing again, once you have tried this recipe.1 cup of Romaine Lettuce torn into bite size pieces, 3 Cherry Tomatoes and 3 Cucumber slices diced. Top salad with 2 tablespoons of Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips and 1&1/2 tablespoons of your Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing, to make this dressing, combine 1 cup of Kroger Reduced Fat Sour Cream, 1 cup of Kroger Cultured Lowfat Buttermilk and 1 packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Buttermilk Recipe Salad Dressing Mix, wisk all ingredients together until creamy and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. This Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing contains approximately 53 calories and 2 grams of fat in a 2 tablespoon serving. Create a large dinner salad by adding 1 extra cup of Romaine lettuce and 1 grilled chicken breast, 4 ounces, this will add about 120 calories and 23 grams of protein.

9. Vegetable Tray with Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing: 1/2 cup of cucumber slices, 6 celery sticks, 6 slices of sweet red pepper 1/2 cup of raw broccoli florets. 2 tablespoons of your Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing, recipe above for your vegetable dip.. This Vegetable Tray has about 100 calories and 2 grams of fat.

10. Turkey Sandwich: 1 slice of Aunt Millies Fiber for Life Whole Grain Bread and a 2 ounce serving of Fat Free Turkey Breast. Spread a teaspoon of mustard on your bread and a few lettuce leaves. Approximately 100 calories, 10 grams of protein and 1 gram of fat.

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Quick Healthy Snacks For Busy People

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In today's hectic society, many of us spend majority of our day working and driving to and from places. It is often difficult to eat a healthy snack or even a healthy meal. Many of us rely on fast food restaurants to provide us with our daily nutritional needs. That is usually not the healthiest alternative. However, for those of us who are willing, here are a few healthy snacks on the go.

The first healthy snack on the go is trail mix. This is a fun little snack because you have the opportunity to add your favorite products. Some popular mixes include: dry cereal, nuts, and dried fruit. When using dry cereal in your trail mix, be sure that you chose a cereal that is high in fiber and whole grains. Consuming this snack midmorning or in the afternoon will make you feel healthier and will give you an energy boost. Other healthy snacks on the go include raw veggies and fresh fruit. To make the snacking process easy, you can simply wash a large quantity of carrot sticks, celery sticks, red peppers, and broccoli. This way you do not have to spend the time washing vegetables every day. Wash enough veggies to last three to four days. As for fruit, apples and pears are the easiest on the go snacks. However, if you wish to get creative, you can always create a fun fruit salad.

And lastly, another healthy snack for people on the go is an energy bar. When looking to buy an energy bar, be sure that you purchase one that is low in calories, trans fat, and saturated fat. Look for a bar that is high in carbs if you want an energy boost or a bar that is high in protein if you want something more filling. Energy bars, along with the other foods listed above, are great healthy snacks for people on the go.

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