Walking And Healthy Snacks Go Hand In Hand When Living A Healthy Lifestyle

Many health-conscious people buy a pedometer and start taking the steps they need to attain better health. Then something unhealthy happens. The afternoon comes and you see your favorite coffee shop. You want a flavored latte and a cinnamon roll. You look down at your pedometer and you see you are already close to your daily goal of 10,000 steps. So you treat yourself. Is it really that bad to reward yourself with an afternoon treat?

Here is the problem with that scenario. The cinnamon roll and latte have about 1,000 calories combined. Walking 10,000 steps burns about 300 calories. Keep this up everyday and you will gain over a pound every week. This is common when people start a fitness regimen but don't address their diet. Here are some healthier snack ideas to keep you on the right track on your quest for a healthier lifestyle.

1 - Dried Apricots

Fresh apricots are a wonderful healthy snack, but they tend to bruise easily and spoil quickly so they don't make the best snack to carry with you. They are also not in season all year-long, so getting fresh ones isn't always an option. That's where the dried apricot comes in. Each dried one has all the fiber and nutrients of a fresh apricot, but you can carry them with you so that they are on hand when the urge to snack hits you. And a medium-sized apricot only has 17 calories! There is a catch: you need to look for dried apricots that list apricots as the only ingredient. Some food manufacturers add sugar or oil to their apricots, and you don't need that when you are trying to be healthy.

2 - Crunchy Dried Peas

These crunchy little snacks satisfy the craving for something salty and crunchy but offer you much more in the way of nutrition than most crunchy snacks. A 25 gram serving has 119 calories, 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. The fiber and protein will keep you feeling full a lot longer than most 119 calorie snacks. Many dried peas come flavored with healthy spices, like coriander and turmeric.

3 - Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

A chocolate craving can be quite difficult to ignore. Doctors have been telling us for years to eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate for its health benefits. Here is a way to be even healthier when getting your chocolate fix: snack on dark chocolate covered almonds. The fiber, good fats and protein in the almonds will keep you satisfied for much longer than chocolate alone. Studies have shown that eating tree nuts helps maintain healthy weights. Be careful though, because the calories can add up. A 40 gram serving of dark chocolate covered almonds has about 200 calories. That's not bad for such a satisfying snack, but it is important to really keep an eye on portion control.

4 - Popcorn

Popcorn has gotten a bad rap over the years, mostly due to the nutritional abomination served at most movie theaters. That version of popcorn is loaded with unhealthy saturated fats, artificial flavors and artificial colors. A bucket of movie theater popcorn can have calorie counts that are 4 figures. It is not the kind of snack that fits into a healthy lifestyle. But homemade air-popped popcorn is very different. It has about 30 calories per cup and popcorn is actually a whole grain. Get an old-fashioned air-popper and make healthy popcorn before you get hungry. Put one cup portions into baggies that are ready when you get the urge to snack.

5 - Any Raw Fruit Or Vegetable

Sometimes we focus on what we can't have in our healthy diets and don't spend as much time thinking about what we should be adding to our diet. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with key nutrients that our bodies crave. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day will give you anti-oxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals that your body can use. And if you fill up on these items, you are not as likely to crave junk food.

I hope I have given you some ideas of how to deal with your snack cravings in a healthier manner. Remember that walking and good nutrition go hand in hand if you want to live a healthy lifestyle.

Heather Krasovec, creator of http://best-pedometer-reviews.com/, is dedicated to helping consumers find the best products to stay fit and healthy.

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Improved Health Through a Lifestyle Change

As we age we realize "We would have taken better care of ourselves had we known we would live this long". Funny but true. After years of attending to everyone else's needs it is time to once again take care of ourselves. Healthy eating and regular physical activity are keys that help lower your risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer as well as keeping your mind sharp and giving you a clear mental outlook for yourself. With support of family and friends we have found through moderate changes in our eating habits and physical activity we can get our lives back on track.

With willpower and determination we have started to change our life. Daily walks and watching what we eat are having beneficial effects. At our last check up our blood pressure was lower and the cholesterol numbers have improved. The doctor felt that we are in better condition all around.

We understand that as we get older the chances of a heart attacks or strokes increases and the advantages of being active and eating well will relieve stress and depression as well as reduce the risks of chronic health problems. If we do what we can to reduce the risks to our health it can improve our life, give us more energy to do the things we want to do and have fewer aches and pains as well as feel better.

Following the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans we are eating a healthier diet of more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products. We have added more fish and seafood to our diet and are trying to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats. We cut back on desserts to lower our intake of refined grains and added sugars found in cakes, cookies, ice cream and the like. Cutting back on junk foods like pizza, hotdogs and fast food helps keep us healthier.

It becomes easier to eat healthier if you make one-half your plate fruits and vegetables, eat beans as a natural source of fiber and protein. We have learned to limit our meat and poultry to small lean portions. We take the time to read labels to cut down on sodium and sugar intake. When we eat out we look for healthier choices and smaller portions.

It is important when starting out that you balance your calorie intake with physical activity. You should consult your health care provider before making changes to your regular routine. Don't overdo it, start slow and make things fun, it's easier to stick to the changes you make.

We have found that with this new revitalizing chapter of our life the encouragement of people around us helps in many ways. We have less stress, more energy a clearer thought process and in general we feel more confident. We sleep better wake up more refreshed and ready to face whatever the day has to offer.

We realize that it is hard to break with years of inactivity and poor eating habits. It is a continual effort for us. We all have things we like and are used to but it is our hope that you can find some inspiration in this, our effort to improve our lives. We are sure that if you can find a way to incorporate some of these things into your lives you will benefit as we have.

Randy and Barbara are baby boomers trying to get healthier, so they can enjoy their later years. For more information and helpful tips visit our blog at http://www.rbarchermedia.com/

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