Some Stuff About Everything

5 Healthy Snacks for Work or School

2012-01-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

I am usually at my desk for hours on end, studying for my law school in Boston. I don’t get to shop for food very often, nor do I get much exercise, so it’s important that I keep healthy snacks nearby. I also try to give my kids healthy snacks to take to school as an incentive to avoid the junk filled vending machines that they encounter on each lunch break.

If you face a similar situation to me, you should make sure to keep healthy snacks available for when those times when hunger pangs arise, but you don’t have enough spare minutes to prepare a full healthy meal.

Here are my top 5 suggestions for healthy snacks for work or school:

Ryvita Crispbreads

The kids may not like these, but ryvita crispbreads are fantastic snacks for bringing to work. These high in fiber, low calorie crispbreads go great with smoked salmon or humus. They are a great alternative to the high calories and carbs found in bread and are reasonably priced as well.

Fruit or Veggies

It really is important that you eat your five fruit and veg every day. Not only does it help you stay healthy but it can also give you more energy which is beneficial for both your own work and your kids’ school life. There are many tasty fruits available such as strawberries and apricots that are very good for you. Vegetables aren’t always particularly enjoyable but you can make them more appetizing by eating them with low calorie dip or roasting them with flavorful seasonings.

Trail Mixes
The nuts found in trail mixes can be great energy boosters and thus excellent alternatives to chocolate or sugary drinks. You can find these in most supermarkets and health food stores. Many nuts contain lots of important vitamins such as potassium and zinc. Just watch out for trail mixes that contain lots of chocolate as these won’t help with your diet or keeping your kids healthy!

Cereal Bars
Even though that midday packet of crisps or chocolate bar may be tempting, a cereal bar is usually a lot healthier choice. Most supermarkets offer huge selections on cereal bars geared toward dieters as well as ones aimed at children. They often contain healthy nuts and other energy boosting nutrients. Be aware that some are healthier than others, so you may want to check their nutrition information on the back of their packets before you make a decision.

Innocent Drinks
Innocent drinks and smoothies have become very popular in recent years and although a bit pricey they really are very healthy smoothies. More than just a drink, they can easily fill the same hunger void that a traditional snack can do. Packed with fruits and vitamins, innocent products are great ways to knock out a couple of your daily fruits and essential vitamins within one drink.

There are many other healthy snacks that are great for working parents and their kids but above are some of my top selections. The best way to find the ideal healthy snack for you is probably by trial and error. Whatever you find works and stops you from snacking on unhealthy food is a wise choice. Good Luck!

How To Become More Active In College

2012-01-01T01:08:00.000-08:00

Being fit and healthy is a must when you’re in college. That’s why you have to keep your brain and your body active. When your body is healthy, you are less prone to diseases and you can manage multiple tasks because you have the energy. Imagine all the books you need to read and the papers you need to write. Sure, these activities keep your brain working, but what about your body?

Here are some tips on how college students like you can become more active:

1. Get some exercise. Every morning, why not take a jog around campus? Or why not do some brisk walking or biking in the afternoons after class? Depending on your preference and needs, try to make it a habit to perform exercises daily so that you can sweat out all that stress and keep your body fit and healthy. If you’re even more serious with the exercise thing, why not enroll in an exercise program? Some colleges offer exercise programs for their students.

2. Try some sports. In college, there are a lot of sports to choose from. You can try swimming or basketball, football or lawn tennis. This way, you get to interact with other students who share the same interests with you and at the same time, the activity will be good for your body.

3. Enjoy the great outdoors. With your friends, you can actually enjoy lots of outdoor activities in college. Why not ask your friends to go hiking or play Frisbee at a nearby beach resort? You can also go camping complete with games and exciting activities. There are lots of outdoor activities you can choose from.

4. Do your chores. If you hardly have time for anything, you definitely have the time to perform simple house chores. Even when you’re at home or in the dormitory, you can keep yourself busy with basic chores such as raking leaves, doing the laundry, cooking, washing dishes, etc. Even cleaning your room on a regular basis will already be a good form of exercise.

5. Try something new. If you want, you can keep yourself active by doing something new. For instance, you can try some yoga or meditation exercises with a group of friends. Or you can try to participate in a dance troupe or cheering squad in school. Try to break the monotony of college life by engaging in fun and healthy activities.

Though college life can be very busy and extremely demanding, it’s best to still consider tips like the ones above in order to stay healthy.

Whether you’re looking for the most important college school supplies or you’re interested in finding your first student credit card, FindCollegeCards.com, can help you out.

Tips For Hiring A Personal Trainer

2011-12-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

Hiring a personal trainer can be an expensive decision especially if you don’t know what you are looking for. So how do you go about finding a trainer who can get you the results you want and provide excellent value for money?

Well you have several places you can look. Most people come across personal trainers in their local gym or fitness club. These tend to be mostly newly qualified trainers and more often than not they cannot get the results that they should be getting. As a personal trainer and someone who has been working in the fitness industry for more that 12 years, I would recommend that there are several things you need to take into account when hiring a personal trainer.

How long have the been qualified? The longer a personal trainer is qualified the more experience he or she will have and the more likely they are to get results. You should also ask to see their certificates and insurance to make sure that they are covered should you get injured.

What do they specialise in? It’s essential that your trainer specialises in what you want. There is no point in going to see a trainer who specialises in bodybuilding if you are a 40 year old woman who wants to tone up and lose some body fat. Training specialities can include, sports specific, lower back pain and posture specialists. Also if someone says they specialise in everything, take it with a pinch of salt. I’m sure you would not be happy to let your GP perform brain surgery on you or a motorbike mechanic service your BMW. If you want to lose weight then look for a weight loss specialist, if you want to get bigger, then look for a bodybuilding specialist.

Can they show you results or testimonials? If your potential personal trainer can show you results like before and after pictures of previous clients, then you can be assured that they can deliver what they promise. You can even ask them for testimonials, video testimonials or even ask if you can speak to one of their other clients in person. Any reputable personal trainer will be more than happy to provide these.

Do they offer a guarantee? To get peace of mind that you are going to achieve the results, any decent trainer should be able to offer you a money back guarantee. This is something that we do and to this day no one has ever taken us up on it. Your potential trainer should either offer a money back guarantee or offer to train you for free until you actually get the results that you were promised.

You should also take into consideration where your personal training is going to take place. If the trainer work in a health club or large chain gym they you may find that you have to pay extra to use the facilities.

Again most good trainers will be based in their own private personal training studio and you can be assured that they are good at what they do as studios require a hefty financial commitment.

This post by Liam Thompson of Northwest Personal Trainer Manchester and Weight Loss Bootcamp Manchester . Liam is Manchester’s leading Personal Trainer and Fat Loss Expert.