5 Tasty Snack Ideas For Staying Healthy And Productive At Work

If you want to stay fit and healthy, it's hard to avoid talking about food once in a while when it comes to exercise. After all, they are both essential parts to the puzzle, and one can definitely affect the other. This month, we'll be sharing some healthy eating-related tips that can really improve your fitness results. We'll start off where we've been for the past few weeks: at the office.

Work days can seem long and tiring, and everyone needs a little pick-me-up during the working hours. Sure, you may eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner according to schedule, but sometimes in between energy levels can crash and leave you wanting to go to dreamland. This is where snacks can come in very handy.

However, a majority of people tend to make the mistake of opting for sugary and carb-heavy snacks like doughnuts, bread, pastries, and sugar-laden coffee to increase their energy levels. These types of snacks may pick you up for a while, but eventually your energy levels will crash even lower than before - and you'll end up gaining an extra 10 lbs before you know it!

Instead of reaching for the quick-fix carbs, stock your desk and office fridge with these healthy alternatives. Not only will they replenish your energy for a longer period of time, but they'll also help you keep the weight off instead of derailing your fitness goals.

1. Apple slices and peanut butter: Low in carbs and all-natural, this snack will please your sweet tooth while giving you some good nutrition as well. Just be sure to use natural peanut butter with no added sugars or unhealthy added hydrogenated oils.

Roasted cashews make a great snack. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Mixed nuts: Nuts contain healthy fats, some carbs, good amounts of proteins, and several vitamins that will keep your energy levels up without resulting in a crash later on. These make a super simple snack, and you can keep a jar containing different types of nuts mixed together (cashew nuts, almonds, pecans, and so on) on your desk. Don’t eat too much at one go though; nuts still contain a high amount of calories. Limit yourself to a handful or so.

3. Vegetables: Of course, you probably know about this healthy snack idea already, but are you eating enough of them? To make it simple, you can bring carrot sticks, radish sticks, or cherry tomatoes to work to snack on when you feel a little famished. These snacks are low in calories and high in fiber. Sprinkle on a little salt or dried herbs for extra flavor if you like.

4. Fresh fruits: The next best snack to vegetables is naturally fruits, since fruits are high in fiber, taste good, and have a high water and vitamin content as well. You can bring apples, oranges, grapes, or other such small fruits to work to eat when you need a boost.

5. Yogurt: Yogurt is a refreshing and healthy snack to have, as long as you stick with the sugar-free varieties. If you want more oomph, add in some oats, fresh or dried fruits, or flax seeds into your yogurt for a more balanced snack with more staying power.

These are just a few of the many different healthy snacks you can indulge in to give you some extra energy when you are feeling low at work. There are many others you can try; just experiment and see which natural, unprocessed foods taste good to you and make you feel energized at the same time.

4 Worthwhile Diet Resolutions to Consider for the New Year

The new year is just around the corner, and you may be considering your New Year's resolutions for 2015. Starting a new year has always been the pivotal time to starting resolutions. It is a time when you may review the past year with some happiness, and maybe some regrets, and look forward to starting a new year with a clean slate.

New Year's resolutions are very popular, especially when it comes to losing weight. Starting a diet as part of a New Year resolution is the number one choice of many people. You may have had this same resolution year after year, but how can you make it stick this year?

Write It Down

The first step to any diet resolution to consider for the new year is to think of what your diet goals are and write them down. If you don’t write down your goals, they can easily be forgotten within a month’s time. Writing down your diet goals makes them a reality for you and something that you can refer to periodically.

Studies have proven that writing down goals is the best way to achieve success. Maybe this has been your problem in the past. Maybe you mentally though that you would start a diet on the first of the year, but then that diet thoughts soon faded as time went on.

Now that you're prepared for success, here are 4 worthwhile diet resolutions to set for yourself this year:

1)  Commit to Drinking More Water

In this world of busy schedules with long days at work and transporting children to school and activities, grabbing caffeinated drinks for increased energy is very popular, but may be loaded with calories. Avoid this habit. It is okay to have a cup of coffee or tea (with no added sugar, milk, or creamer) with your breakfast, but not in the afternoon or at night.

Commit to drinking eight glasses of water a day, minimum. Water is a great way to cleanse toxins from your body, hydrate your body, and deter false signs of hunger. Many times you may think you are hungry, when in actuality you are just dehydrated and need water. Water is a great addition to any diet plan.

Healthy, whole foods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2) Replace Processed Foods with Whole, Natural Foods

The easiest way to meet your diet resolution is to just make changes to what you eat. When you replace processed foods, such as pastries, candies, and cookies with unprocessed foods like whole grains, and cleanly raised meats, and lots of fresh vegetables, you automatically decrease calories.

A decrease in calories means a decrease in your weight. Foods that are unprocessed are usually a lot more natural or are made with natural ingredients that are easily digested by your body.

3) Eat More Often

Eat more and lose more weight! You should pre-plan your meals for each day that you are away from home so that you are eating five to six meals per day, about two to three hours apart. This is the only way to keep your metabolism functioning properly, as well as keeping your energy in balance.

When your body is fed continuously it will not recognize that you are changing your diet. All your body knows is that it is receiving food regularly, so it is okay to burn calories. When you start depriving your body of food, it will respond by hoarding calories and slowing its metabolism in preparation for what it perceives as starvation. Many people don't realize this, and when they go on a diet, they cut their food intake so drastically, the body starts actually storing fat rather than burning it - which is why they often find it so hard to lose weight!

4) Decrease Portion Size

A cheeseburger 20 years ago had 333 calories; a modern cheeseburger contains 590 calories. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can still enjoy eating most of the foods you enjoy and still lose weight by simply decreasing the portion sizes. A great trick is using a smaller plate or container for your meal. By using a smaller serving dish it will look like you are eating the same size portions as before, but you actually are eating less.

Your mind is very powerful, and it will perceive the portion size as being the same. You will not even feel deprived, because the plate will look full to you - plus your body will quickly adjust to eating smaller portions, so you will still feel full. You will even surprise yourself by how satisfied you are when you eat this way. Losing weight may even seem effortless!

By following these 4 tips, you can lose weight this year - and keep it off - all while enjoying your food, your life, and your newly fit body. Be sure to check this blog regularly for exercise tips, fast, fun workouts, and new fun ways to exercise!