Smart Ways to Beat the Munchies

Janice Taylor’s new book, All Is Forgiven, Move On: Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltesville ($20, Viking Studio), is chock-full of unusual stay-slim tricks. Try these three strategies to beat the “call of the Cheeto,” that late-afternoon siren song from the vending machine.

Grab your iPod
Music activates the same pleasure center of your brain that food does. Click on something with a catchy rhythm, and you’ll forget your hunger quick.

Get some rays
Twenty minutes of sunlight (wear sunscreen, of course) can kill a powerful food craving—and lift your mood. In contrast, staying cooped up all day in a windowless office may actually boost the urge to snack on high-sugar, high-refined-carb foods, according to University of Texas mood expert Michael Smolensky, PhD.

Breathe deeply
Stressed? That’s when you’re most likely to give in to a junk-food craving. Deep breathing can kill the urge to snack by calming you down.
(PHOTO: 123RF)

Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Filed Under: Nutrition and Eating Well

Battle of the Bars: 2 New Snacks to Try

It’s 4 p.m., your stomach is grumbling, and you’re making a beeline for the vending machine. Stop; step away from the Hershey’s bar. There’s a better—and healthier—option.

Ideally, we’d all have the time and energy to make a fresh fruit salad for an afternoon pick-me-up. But for those of us with hectic schedules—and a rabid sweet tooth—we want instant gratification in the form of snacks. Here are two new bars that are a good alternative to sugar-laden candy bars.

Kellogg’s FiberPlus Antioxidant Bars

Nutritional Breakdown:

Nine grams of fiber means your stomach won’t be rumbling anytime soon. Plus, this bar contains 20% of your daily recommended amount of zinc and vitamin E.
Taste: This bar comes in two flavors: Dark Chocolate Almond and Chocolate Chip. With a layer of chocolate on the top and bottom of the bar, your sweet tooth will sing “Alleluia.” The rolled oats are surprisingly hearty, with a hint of honey. If you like more pure-tasting snacks, this bar may be a little too saccharine-sweet for you. But, one staffer gave them the ultimate compliment: “There’s no way these can be healthy.” Fortunately, they are.

Suggested retail price: .09 for a box of five bars.

Kashi TLC Fruit & Grain Bars

Nutritional Breakdown:

With a solid four grams of fiber and protein, this bar will kick you into high gear. Just like all Kashi products, it is free of highly refined sweeteners and artificial ingredients.

Taste: The bar comes in three variations: Pumpkin Pie, Dark Chocolate Coconut, and Raspberry Chocolate. Of the three, the Health.com staff raved over the Dark Chocolate Coconut’s rich taste. One staffer commented that you can really taste the sweet coconut flavor beneath the dark chocolate.

Pumpkin Pie was another crowd-pleaser, as one staffer said, “Yum, Thanksgiving came early.” The pumpkin-flavored topping has a creamy texture, with a nice sprinkling of nutmeg and caramel.

The Raspberry Chocolate combination, however, didn’t win over too many staffers. The raspberry taste comes off as too sweet—reminding us a bit of cough syrup—and distracts from the chocolate.

Suggested retail price: .89 for a box of six bars.

Last Updated: March 3, 2009Filed Under: Nutrition and Eating Well

Super Bowl Sunday: How to Have a Healthy Game Day

Heading to a game-day bash? Don’t kiss your healthy habits good-bye at kickoff. Sure, you can try to burn some extra calories by cheering hard for your favorite team, but that won’t do much if you’re loading your plate high with potato skins and cheesy dips—and washing it down with beer after beer.

The Super Bowl clocks in as one of the biggest calorie fests of the year for many Americans. The average football fan eats about a day’s worth of calories during the game’s four quarters, and the U.S. Calorie Control Council estimates that Americans pack away 11 million pounds of chips by the time the clock runs out.

A few simple swaps can keep you healthy and happy—whatever the game’s outcome. From easy low-cal dips to a quick halftime workout, here’s our guide to a healthy game day.

Last Updated: February 17, 2009
Filed Under: Home and Family