Healthier Snack Choices

My weakness is salt.  That means that I can find the bottom of a bag of chips fairly quickly.  But if we are to eat every 2-3 hours for better health and metabolism, as experts say, how are we to do that without piling on the calories?  We need to have a wide variety of healthy snack choices from which to choose. 

I am not a naturopathic doctor.  I’m just a wife and mom that has studied nutrition enough to earn a master’s degree and then fairly promptly forgotten some of it.  But these are some of the snacks I feed my family (snacks that my 4-year old eats regularly and enjoys); nutritious choices that work in my home to feed the brain and body the protein and nutrients it needs while curbing hunger and staying away from the chips and oreos.

• Pistachios–There is almost always a bag of pistachios in our home.  They are “good fats” while being great for your blood sugar levels.  Some call them “super nutrient dense” because they are rich in eight essential nutrients.  
• Turkey (or Buffalo) Jerky (also available in sticks)–We buy Golden Valley Natural because it is preservative-free, unlike so many of these that have nitrites.
• We’ve heard it said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away?  Well, try dipping apple slices in almond butter.  I was taught that almonds are a complete protein, containing essential amino acids, and almond butter is a better health choice than peanut butter.
• Avocado–another “good fat” and incredibly healthy; full of vitamin K, potassium, and fiber (www.whfoods.org).  Mix up a little guacamole and you have yourself a tasty snack that is also great for the heart.
• Rice Dream Supreme–non-dairy ice cream made from brown rice that I have become hooked on!  (The truth is nearly all of us are lactose intolerant to varying degrees, you just may not know it.)  Be sure you get the Supreme, as the originals tend to be a little icy, whereas the Supreme is quite creamy.  My personal favorite is the Chocolate Caramel Chai.
• Brown Rice–It took a little bit of time for me to really enjoy brown rice as a snack, but once I tried it with a tablespoon or two of spaghetti sauce on there and a pinch of sea salt (not table salt), I was sold!  It feels great to actually enjoy eating something that you know is also one of the best foods for you.
• Smoothies–it’s amazing what you can hide in a smoothie and even your kids won’t notice.  My family and I live on smoothies through the summer, and inside ours, you will find a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and ground flaxseed.  Blend that together with a frozen banana, another frozen fruit of your choice, and some rice milk, and you have a refreshing and delicious snack choice.
• Dried Fruits–my son munches on organic dried apples, pineapples, mangos, apricots and prunes often.  We buy the organic ones and we make sure that the fruit is the only ingredient (no added sugar whatsoever).  I recommend this brand, Made in Nature:

Your Health Matters: 10 Simple Things We Can Do

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I have been convicted lately that I am not doing much lately to take care of my temple of the Holy Spirit.  It’s easy to get swept up in the daily grind of life and lose the discipline it takes to really care for ourselves.  We stop doing what we should be doing and start eating what we should not be eating.  I’m ready to return to some of the basics.  Here are 10 simple things that we can do, starting today, to make a difference in our health and to honor God with our bodies.

1.      Cut back on refined sugar.  Sugar has been shown to cause depression, feed certain types of cancer, and adversely affect digestion.  http://rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

2.      Add garlic to your diet.  Garlic is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal.

http://articles.mercola.com//sites/articles/archive/2009/02/17/Chemists-Shed-Light-on-the-Health-Benefits-of-Garlic.aspx

3.      Invest in organic fruits and vegetables.  They taste better, are free of dangerous pesticides, and although they cost more, we can invest in our health now, or pay for it later.  A great way to clean your conventional fruits and vegetables (if you don’t want to pay the price for organic):  Soak them in a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (1/4 cup to one gallon) for 15 minutes, drain, then soak in clean, purified water for 10 minutes, then enjoy.

4.      If nothing else, drink 64 ounces of purified drinking water a day.  It goes a long way to clean your body of toxins, revive you when you are fatigued, and helps us cut back on drinking other things that are not healthy (coffee, cola).

5.      Set aside time each week to serve someone else.  Getting the focus off of ourselves not only helps our mental health, it helps our spiritual health as well.  Some great organizations to get involved with locally:

Habitat for Humanity—help build homes for others (www.habitat.org)

Salvation Army—organize a clothing drive (www.salvationarmyusa.org)

Meals on Wheels—deliver hot meals to seniors (www.mowaa.org)

6.      Forgive daily.  Unforgiveness is a poison and will cause division in your relationship with God as well as others.  It will also wreak havoc on your health.  (Matthew 6:14-15)

7.      Get 15 minutes of sunshine every day.  Vitamin D from the sun is essential to our health.

8.      Set aside time every day, no matter what it takes, to take in God’s Word, pray, and listen to God’s leading.  This will do wonders for the direction your thoughts take, as well as your actions.  God’s Word is a “lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

9.      Add as many antioxidants to your diet as possible (blueberries, raspberries, broccoli, red grapes, spinach, tomatoes).  Oxidation is a chemical reaction that happens in cells that produces what’s called free radicals which damage cells (and cause diseases), and antioxidants naturally fight that reaction. 

10.   Take a digestive enzyme with each meal.  Many of us do not have the adequate enzymes to break down our food enough to get all the necessary nutrients from what we eat.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).

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