I Won't Leave Home Without THIS...

Before I became an RD I was doing the same thing everyone else is: trying to balance work, school, family and a social life with taking care of my body and mind. Heck, I'm still trying to do all those things! I used to load up on all the free health and fitness magazines that I got from my media jobs and I'd tear out pages about 15-minute workouts and fast healthy snacks.

My friends and co-workers saw my passion and would always ask me to share my secrets. As a dietitian, I still get that question: "What do YOU do?" People always want to know what I eat, where I work out and how I fit cooking and exercise into my own busy schedule. 

Today, I'm taking another page from my favorite magazines to show you what I do to stay healthy & fit even when things get hectic. 

Before I became an RD I was doing the same thing everyone else is: trying to balance work, school, family and a social life with taking care of my body and mind. Heck, I'm still trying to do all those things! I used to load up on all the free health and fitness magazines that I got from my media jobs and I'd tear out pages about 15-minute workouts and fast healthy snacks.

My friends and co-workers saw my passion and would always ask me to share my secrets. As a dietitian, I still get that question: "What do YOU do?" People always want to know what I eat, where I work out and how I fit cooking and exercise into my own busy schedule. 

Today, I'm taking another page from my favorite magazines to show you what I do to stay healthy & fit even when things get hectic. 

Do One Thing: Come Prepared!

Do you ever find yourself heading into a busy day, a long meeting or class, or a car trip through unfamiliar territory and that uncomfortable feeling starts to creep up inside you? The fear that you will find yourself hungry with no good snack options around and no good way to excuse yourself to find some? This happens to me a lot. Just a couple months ago I attended two long back-to-back seminars in a hotel. Even though I was enjoying myself, when lunchtime came around I realized that: (1) I was unhappy with the lunch options available and (2) I was suddenly struck with the fear of finding myself hungry again during the long second session. That day I was lucky enough to have a car, a GPS and a large grocery store nearby (where I went crazy stocking up on strawberries, nuts & dark chocolate in case I got hungry later) but I could have avoided the whole mess by coming prepared! I usually don't leave the house without at least tossing an apple in my bag but there are plenty of other ways to have healthy options waiting for you when hunger strikes, no matter where you are.

Do you ever find yourself heading into a busy day, a long meeting or class, or a car trip through unfamiliar territory and that uncomfortable feeling starts to creep up inside you? The fear that you will find yourself hungry with no good snack options around and no good way to excuse yourself to find some? This happens to me a lot. Just a couple months ago I attended two long back-to-back seminars in a hotel. Even though I was enjoying myself, when lunchtime came around I realized that: (1) I was unhappy with the lunch options available and (2) I was suddenly struck with the fear of finding myself hungry again during the long second session. That day I was lucky enough to have a car, a GPS and a large grocery store nearby (where I went crazy stocking up on strawberries, nuts & dark chocolate in case I got hungry later) but I could have avoided the whole mess by coming prepared! I usually don't leave the house without at least tossing an apple in my bag but there are plenty of other ways to have healthy options waiting for you when hunger strikes, no matter where you are.

8 Healthy office snacks from CookingLight.com

Click here for 8 great ideas for healthy snacks to have on hand at the office. When your stomach starts growling at 3PM, having a healthy snack at the ready will help you avoid the vending machine blues. Suggestions from CookingLight.com include mini pitas with hummus and whole wheat crackers with peanut butter.


Image: CookingLight.com

Click here for 8 great ideas for healthy snacks to have on hand at the office. When your stomach starts growling at 3PM, having a healthy snack at the ready will help you avoid the vending machine blues. Suggestions from CookingLight.com include mini pitas with hummus and whole wheat crackers with peanut butter.


Image: CookingLight.com

Do One Thing: Step up Snacktime at the Office

When your tummy is grumbling at 3PM the last thing you care about is seeking out that perfect healthy snack; you just need something, preferably yummy...and fast! To avoid pigging out on vending machine snacks or scavenging leftover brownies from an earlier meeting, come prepared! On your next grocery shopping trip, pick up a few healthy items that are easy to transport and ready-to-eat. Fruits, veggies & nuts are perfect examples: apples, clementines, bananas, grapes, baby carrots, walnuts, almonds. Stash these items in a drawer or on your desk (as a constant reminder) so you have healthy, tasty items at the ready the next time you crave a snack. Bonus points for taking all your snacks in on Monday so you're ready for the entire week on Day 1.

Just remember: Nuts may boost heart, brain & immune health thanks to their mono- & poly-unsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins & minerals, but it's easy to go overboard when snacking on them. Limit yourself to one serving (~1 oz. or 1/3 cup). Walnuts = ~14 shelled walnuts halves; Almonds = ~20-24 shelled whole almonds.


Image: girl.com.au

When your tummy is grumbling at 3PM the last thing you care about is seeking out that perfect healthy snack; you just need something, preferably yummy...and fast! To avoid pigging out on vending machine snacks or scavenging leftover brownies from an earlier meeting, come prepared! On your next grocery shopping trip, pick up a few healthy items that are easy to transport and ready-to-eat. Fruits, veggies & nuts are perfect examples: apples, clementines, bananas, grapes, baby carrots, walnuts, almonds. Stash these items in a drawer or on your desk (as a constant reminder) so you have healthy, tasty items at the ready the next time you crave a snack. Bonus points for taking all your snacks in on Monday so you're ready for the entire week on Day 1.

Just remember: Nuts may boost heart, brain & immune health thanks to their mono- & poly-unsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins & minerals, but it's easy to go overboard when snacking on them. Limit yourself to one serving (~1 oz. or 1/3 cup). Walnuts = ~14 shelled walnuts halves; Almonds = ~20-24 shelled whole almonds.


Image: girl.com.au