Everybody who's ever dieted before has broken the routine by snacking. Truly, this in an inevitable outcome and will happen to everyone (myself included).
But if you're going to snack, why not eat a healthy low fat snack? It's a good idea that many people should take into consideration. After all, half a cheesecake doesn't count as a snack anyway.
The first and most prominent, also the most important snack that comes to mind is fruit. Fruit, for the most part, is a naturally sweet substance that tastes pretty good.
Munching on an apple as opposed to ice cream is an incredibly smart alternative. Not only that but other fruits include grapes, oranges, bananas, watermelon, and the list goes on.
A lot of people, when they know something is good for them, are immediately deterred. They feel if it's healthy it's probably not tasty. But when it comes to fruit, that's certainly not the case. Plus, they're low in fat, which is the point of a health low fat snack!
Another fantastic healthy low fat snack to munch on is a rice cake. The reason their fantastic is that they are low in calories and come in a variety of flavors.
Personally, I was skeptical to the rice cake at first, but after having several of them as snack now and again, I've grown accustomed. A typical race cake is about fifty to seventy calories and flavors include apple, cheese, cinnamon bun, ranch, and even caramel.
The caloric total changes per cake, with highs around 70s and lows around 50s, making the average cake about sixty calories. The fat content also changes, but remains low through every cake.
Another great healthy low fat snack to munch on is nuts. Grabbing a handful of almonds or peanuts will run you about 100 calories, but you'll enjoy the handful in full. Peanuts also come in a variety of flavors, from salty to spicy; this might change the caloric content slightly, but not enough to stop snacking on them!
If you can't get your hands on regular fruit, then a fruit snack is a great alternative, and honestly a personal favorite. I would eat fruit snacks all day if I could (although this would defeat the healthy snack purpose). One bag of fruit snack is less than 100 calories, is enjoyable, and is a much better alternative than say a bag of cookies that's 300+ calories.
In the end, healthy low fat snacks, although stereotyped as not tasty and unappealing, are just the opposite!
By: Roger Kent
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Lots of nutrition advice can be found at SimplyFatLoss.com.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Eating Foods Low In Cholesterol To Reduce Heart Disease Risk
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from high cholesterol you are at an increased risk for a number of life threatening conditions such as heart disease. The first thing your doctor or any other health care professional will recommend is a lifestyle change based around a diet of foods low in cholesterol. This change in diet will require a certain mindset in that you will have to make a dedicated effort to make the changes necessary to restore yourself to a more healthy state.
Finding low cholesterol foods at the local market is not difficult once you get the hang of it, but to do this you will have to make a concerted effort to learn about the cholesterol and fat content of foods. It is also important to remember that how you prepare your food can also have an impact on blood cholesterol levels.
What possible way can food preparation have on the amount of cholesterol in that food, you ask? There have been numerous studies done on how different nutrients in food affect cholesterol levels in the body. What medical science has found is that foods that are high in cholesterol do not necessarily mean that blood cholesterol levels will rise if you eat them. The nutrient that has the biggest affect on blood cholesterol is fat, and more specifically saturated fat and trans fat. In fact these two forms of fat are considered a higher risk for cholesterol in the body then foods that actually contain high amounts of cholesterol. This does not mean you can eat these types of food with abandon, as with most things moderation is the key.
One example of this phenomenon is the egg. Egg yolks are notoriously high in cholesterol, so much so that many people separate the egg whites from the yolk before using them to cook with. But eating a whole egg by itself does lead to any noticeable rise in blood cholesterol levels. Add in some bacon or sausage and cook those eggs up in grease or oil of some kind and blood cholesterol levels shoot up.
The same thing applies to fried foods. Chicken or fish are good sources of lean protein with minimal amounts of fat. The moment they are battered and fried though their ability to raise cholesterol levels is greatly increased. This is why the way you prepare your food is half the battle.
When grocery shopping it pays to read the labels and see how much cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat is in the foods you buy. By doing this you can get a good feel for what you should and shouldn't buy in your fight to lower your cholesterol. There are also a myriad of books and internet sources that have lists of foods low in cholesterol and the recipes to prepare them in a healthy fashion.
By: Andrew Bicknell
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
To learn more about Low Cholesterol Foods please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by clicking here.
Finding low cholesterol foods at the local market is not difficult once you get the hang of it, but to do this you will have to make a concerted effort to learn about the cholesterol and fat content of foods. It is also important to remember that how you prepare your food can also have an impact on blood cholesterol levels.
What possible way can food preparation have on the amount of cholesterol in that food, you ask? There have been numerous studies done on how different nutrients in food affect cholesterol levels in the body. What medical science has found is that foods that are high in cholesterol do not necessarily mean that blood cholesterol levels will rise if you eat them. The nutrient that has the biggest affect on blood cholesterol is fat, and more specifically saturated fat and trans fat. In fact these two forms of fat are considered a higher risk for cholesterol in the body then foods that actually contain high amounts of cholesterol. This does not mean you can eat these types of food with abandon, as with most things moderation is the key.
One example of this phenomenon is the egg. Egg yolks are notoriously high in cholesterol, so much so that many people separate the egg whites from the yolk before using them to cook with. But eating a whole egg by itself does lead to any noticeable rise in blood cholesterol levels. Add in some bacon or sausage and cook those eggs up in grease or oil of some kind and blood cholesterol levels shoot up.
The same thing applies to fried foods. Chicken or fish are good sources of lean protein with minimal amounts of fat. The moment they are battered and fried though their ability to raise cholesterol levels is greatly increased. This is why the way you prepare your food is half the battle.
When grocery shopping it pays to read the labels and see how much cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat is in the foods you buy. By doing this you can get a good feel for what you should and shouldn't buy in your fight to lower your cholesterol. There are also a myriad of books and internet sources that have lists of foods low in cholesterol and the recipes to prepare them in a healthy fashion.
By: Andrew Bicknell
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
To learn more about Low Cholesterol Foods please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by clicking here.
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