We all have them late night cravings and want something to eat. You might not be hungry, just bored or can’t fall asleep. If its late at night and you just gotta eat, at least pick something low in calories. Most likely you will be going to sleep right after that snack. Try to keep it light with some of these combinations below.

12 Almonds (83 calories) + 7 small strawberries (16 calories) + 1 cup of dark chocolate almond milk (100 calories)= 199 calories

1 small pita pocket (74 calories) + 1 tbsp of cashew butter (94 calories) + 1/4 cup of blackberries (31 calories)= 199 calories

1 cup of apple slices (57 calories) + 1 slice of reduced fat provolone cheese (77 calories) + 0.4 oz of dark chocolate (62 calories)= 196

Overnight oats is a great healthy breakfast that you can prepare in advance and it can last all week. This makes it a great meal prep idea for Sunday night to prepare for the work week. You can heat them up (30 second intervals in the microwave), but its suppose to be eaten cold. I actually like it cold better. Make sure to pick up some small mason jars. Check out one of the peanut butter recipes below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of sea salt
• toppings: blueberries, extra peanut butter and chopped peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Add oats, almond milk, yogurt, peanut butter, maple syrup, chia seeds, vanilla, sea salt into a bowl. Stir well to combine, making sure peanut butter gets evenly dispersed.

Divide oat mixture into two containers (mason jars), seal with a lid and place in the fridge overnight.

Take one container out of the fridge the next morning and stir the mixture.

Optional: Top with a drizzle of peanut butter, blueberries, and chopped peanuts.

Overnight oats will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container.

Health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, social, and mental well being. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor. A healthy person is more happy and peaceful with life in general. Some believe that wealth is everything because it can buy a new house, expensive car, and some fancy clothes. In 2020 (The Year of the Virus), health has become equivalent to the value of wealth in all societies around the world. Health is as valued as money now. Creating good food habits, daily exercise, and having a work-life balance can make a difference to your health. We all should be striving to feel better and make the necessary changes to enjoy life.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, on average, Americans consume 17 teaspoons (tsp) of added sugar each day. This adds up to 270 calories. The guidelines also say that you should limit added sugars to less than 10% of their daily calorie intake. For example, if you had a daily intake of 2,000 calories, added sugar should account for fewer than 200 calories. The World Health Organization (WHO) advised that people eat half this amount, with no more than 5% of their daily calories coming from added sugar. For a diet of 2,000 calories per day, this would amount to 100 calories, or 6 tsp, at the most.

If you are consuming too much sugar, you may feel sluggish, bloated, or even depressed. Consuming too much sugar can also contribute to long-term health problems such as tooth decay, acne, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Lower your sugar consumption by doing the following:

1. Checking food labels for sweeteners
2. Reducing foods with added sugar
3. Avoiding processed foods in general

Spinach is a green, leafy vegetable with a high nutritional value. It’s rich in vitamins A, C and K, magnesium, iron, and manganese. You can have it raw in salads, steamed, blended in a soup or sautéed with other veggies.

I personally eat bananas daily for the potassium to help with muscle cramps. Your body doesn’t produce potassium naturally. So, it’s important to consume the right balance of potassium-rich foods and beverages.

Walking for 30 minutes a day or more is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health.
Even if you can’t do 30 minutes a day, remember that even a little is good, but more is better. It can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.

As with most things, that depends on what you are trying to do. If you’re looking to cut calories and get some lean protein, 1 🥚 (egg white only), is 17 calories, about 3.6 grams of protein, and zero fat. If you’re looking to just up your protein and nutrients, 1 🥚 whole egg is 70 calories, 6.3 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat, but you get all the nutrients contained in the yolk. A whole egg provides the right balance of protein, fat, and calories.

Even though we have no control over the genetic aspects of our metabolism, it is possible to speed up the rate at which the body processes calories. A person can increase their metabolism by making healthful changes to their diet and lifestyle (i.e. strength training, high intensity interval training, and reducing stress). Another example is drinking enough water and staying hydrated. Water is necessary for optimal metabolism, and it may help a person lose weight. One study found that adding 1.5 liters of water to the usual daily consumption of water reduced the average weight and body mass index in a group of overweight women aged 18–23.

What have you always been told about drinking water? Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. That’s no problem considering I love water, but I run into more people that don’t like water than do. Now if you don’t like water, than the thought of eight glasses lined up side-by-side seems like a lot. Is it a good source of fluid? Yes, but what’s more important is the how much of it you drink a day period. One of the best ways to know if you’re drinking enough water is thirst and urination. If you are drinking enough water you typically won’t feel thirsty and your urine will be light yellow or colorless. If you’re not drinking enough water, you may show signs of dehydration. Some signs of dehydration include dry mouth, extreme thirst, headache, and confusion. You will also notice your urine is darker than usual.

Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin meaning that the body requires vitamin B12 to work properly. It helps with the proper function and development of the brain, nerves, blood cells, and many other parts of the body. It can be found in foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products. It is often taken in combination with other B vitamins.

Pescatarian is the practice of adhering to a diet that incorporates seafood as the only source of meat in an otherwise vegetarian diet. Most pescatarians are ovo-lacto vegetarians who eat seafood along with dairy products and eggs.

Ovo-lacto vegetarians consume some animal products, such as eggs and dairy. They do not consume fish or other seafood. A typical ovo-lacto vegetarian diet may include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, roots, fungi, milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, and eggs.

Soybeans are a nutritious and versatile food that makes a good addition to a well-balanced diet. They are high in protein, rich in complex carbohydrates and provide a good source of fiber. Soy isoflavones are types of plant-derived phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are compounds that exhibit estrogenic activity.  For women, research have shown possible health benefits to adding soy to your diet. Check out some of the benefits below.

• May help ease menopausal symptoms and balance hormones in women when incorporated into the diet or taken as a dietary supplement.

• May help ease multiple PCOS symptoms, according to research published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. In the study, consuming a diet that included about 35 percent soy protein significantly lowered testosterone, triglycerides and weight and greatly improved blood sugar control.

• Reduces fatigue in middle-aged women going through menopause.

Blood glucose levels rise and fall throughout the day depending on what you eat and how active you are. People with diabetes (especially someone on insulin) check frequently to help guide their diabetes self management. Typically type 2 diabetes, if you are not on medication, requires a daily check. If you are on medication and/ or suffer from low / high glucose levels, then you need to check several times a day. For example, I use to be on medication, but now suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) and check myself depending on how I feel (fatigued, sluggish, light-headed). Work with your healthcare provider to come up with a plan that works best for you.

With all the social distancing, quarantine, and good weather…..more people are going outside for a walk, run, or just to get some fresh air. Besides the virus, there is still the need to play it safe if you are out there by yourself. Make sure if you are going for a walk around the park or sub, that you have the essentials. Be sure to carry your cellphone and store your medical information on it so that first responders can view important information. Such things as what medication you are taking, if your are diabetic, suffer from asthma, or taking certain medications can be helpful information if you are not able to verbalize it. Emergency contact person should also be on that list. Take care and be safe.

We all get side tracked which can cause healthy habits to go by the wayside. To help you stay on track, get organized. Make Sunday your day to plan for the week. If necessary, use a fitness app or calendar on the frig to mark down exercise dates. This would also be the day to stock your frig or freezer with your ready made meals for the week. Meal prepping can be very time consuming and somewhat like a workout. It’s good to meal prep your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If this seems like too much at one time, break it up. If you are just starting out, the first week or two, just meal prep your breakfast. After you got that down, add your lunch to the rotation and so on. You also don’t have to have the same breakfast everyday that week. Find five breakfast recipes, to try out, so that you won’t have to eat the same thing everyday.

When taking a trip to the grocery store or fruit market, make sure to try something new on every trip. Going to the fruit market, I always come across a vegetable I’ve never had or heard of before. I google the vegetable and look for a recipe for that vegetable to try out. For example, that’s how i started eating bok choy which is a member of the cabbage family and a staple in Asian cooking. Bok choy, known for its mild flavor, is good for stir-fries, braising, and soups. It is also packed with vitamins A and C. One cup of cooked bok choy provides more than 100% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of A, and close to two-thirds the RDA of C.

This frittata is packed with vegetables. Perfect for breakfast or anytime really. The link provided to the recipe makes 4 servings and has about 23 grams of protein. Even taste good re-heated for the next day.

Recipe at https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a26987994/spinach-tomato-frittata-recipe/

Eat plenty of protein:  Protein has hunger-reducing properties that may help you automatically consume fewer calories during the day. It works by increasing the production of hormones that signal fullness and reducing the levels of hormones that stimulate hunger.

Stay hydrated: Water is quite filling and has the potential to reduce appetite when consumed before meals. You may find that you feel hungry more often if you’re not drinking enough of it.

Get some sleep:  Sleeping plays a part in appetite control, as it helps regulate ghrelin, the appetite-stimulating hormone. Lack of sleep leads to higher ghrelin levels, which is why you may feel hungrier when you are sleep deprived.

Fight some of them negative thoughts in your head by learning to breathe and relax, try to identify and challenge the negative thoughts of why you are upset, and look for the positive in negative situations.

Breathe and Relax: Your whole body tightens up when in fight-flight mode (breathing speeds up and becomes constricted). As soon as you’re aware that something negative is building up, take several slow, deep breaths and tell yourself to “relax”.

Identify and Challenge the Negative Thoughts: Sometimes, what causes a person to emotionally overreact are beliefs that are exaggerated or distorted. Don’t assume that you know the meaning of what someone said to you. If you are not sure, instead of getting upset, just ask for clarification or just let it go.

Look for Positives: Don’t focus on the unfairness, fear, hurt, or disappointment of a situation. Instead, focus on whatever positives might come out of what just transpired. You pretty much can pull out the positive in just about any negative situation. For example, you caught a flat tire (NEGATIVE) on the way to work. Supervisor writes you up (NEGATIVE) anyhow for being late. Watch the news and see that there was a fatal accident on your same route to work. If not for that flat tire, you could have been part of that fatal accident (POSITIVE).

In this straightforward handbook, he gives you the tools and advice you need to demolish the slag weighing you down and become the truly un#@%! version of yourself. ”Wake up to the miracle you are,” he directs. ”Here’s what you’ve forgotten: You’re a f@%!ing miracle of being.” It isn’t other people that are standing in your way, it isn’t even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive, it’s yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself.