The new Odwalla Chocolate Chip Trail Mix Bar, hitting stores this month, has yummy chocolate chips mixed in with rolled oats, peanuts, raisins, coconut, and sunflower seeds.

I love nutrition bars for a quick take along snack, because they travel well where many healthy snacks don’t. These bars have antioxidants including, Vitamins A, C, & E plus folic acid and calcium. They were definitely delicious, and if I have the opportunity I will definitely buy them again.

You can find the new Chocolate Chip Trail Mix bars in natural food stores, select supermarkets and specialty outlets throughout the United States, along with other Odwalla bars including Mocha-walla™, Banana Nut and Berries GoMega®.

If you’d like more information about the new Odwalla Chocolate Chip Trail Mix Bar check out the Odwalla website.

Image (c) L Gerlach

Post from: Blisstree

New Odwalla Nutrition Bar

Nuts, although high in fat, are a good healthy snack. The fat they contain is the “good” kind. It’s 90% unsaturated fat. It also contains Monounsaturated fat (55%) and Polyunsaturated fat (32%). Both of these types of fat help reduce blood cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart attack. A serving of 1 ounce of Pistachios has 170 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

Pistachios are rich in vitamins and minerals likes copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B5, thiamin, folate, biotin, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic.

Pistachios are a mindful snack. You can’t  throw a hanful into your mouth. Instead you stop and open each one individually. Pistachios fit in with many of the popular diets, too. For example, 1 ounce or 49 nuts, works with Weight Watchers (4 points), the F-Factor Diet, the Atkins Diet, the South Beach, and the Zone Diets.

For more information, take a look at the Pistachio Health website.

Image credit: EverybodysNuts.com

Post from: Blisstree

Pistachios: Heart Healthy, Figure Friendly

One reader has the opportunity to win five 16-ounce bags of Wonderful Pistachios. (These pistachios were not involved in the recent recall. For more information about recalled and non-recalled companies, take a look here.)

I had the opportunity to sample and review Wonderful Pistachios when I was still writing Veggie Chic. Pistachios are considered a mindful snack. You have to stop, take them apart, and then put them in your mouth. It forces you to slow down and think about what you are eating – very different from throwing back a handful of chips.  As you can see, my daughter, Sarah, loved them.

Here are a few nutritional facts about these nutrient dense nuts:

*A super food, pistachios have dense levels of 8 essential nutrients: thiamin, vitamin B6, copper, manganese, potassium, fiber, phosphorus, and magnesium. (Almonds and Cashews only have 7).

*Pistachios have the highest levels of polyphenol antioxidants of any snack nut. Polyphenol antioxidants help prevent cell damage.

*Pistachios have the most lutein of any nut. Lutein is an antioxidant needed to maintain eye health. Lutein, not naturally produced by our body, is typically found in green or yellow foods.

*Pistachios contain mono unsaturated fats, the “good fats” that can help lower cholesterol.

You can find out more about Wonderful Pistachios by clicking here. If you’d like to win the Pistachio giveaway, please leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite healthy snack. I’ll announce the winner at the end of the week. 

Good luck!

*Please note that this giveaway is open to people currently residing in the US.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Healthy Snack Giveaway!

…75 percent of women surveyed do not bring a healthy snack while shopping
…60 percent of women do not stick to their holiday eating goals
…4 in 10 women admit to cheating on holiday eating goals
…34 percent of women are more likely to overeat while making holiday foods in the kitchen

What’s a girl to do? Well, apparently bring snacks to the mall, stick with your goals, and stop cooking. Nos. 1 and 3 sound pretty easy, but not sure about that second one! Here are some tips from Special K, adapted by moi to remove some of the more promotional aspects:

1. Eat meals and snacks regularly. A diet high in protein and fiber throughout the day will help take the edge off hunger between meals.
2. When you go shopping, take along a high-protein snack bar or other healthy goodie. I like Clif Bars and Clementine oranges. Clif Bars are tasty and contain lots of protein and fiber, and oranges are loaded with fiber and potassium. That’s enough to hold me over when I’m waiting in an impossibly long line!
3. Eat a sensible salad before attending a holiday party so you will be less likely to overindulge while at the party. In other words, make sure you’re already filled up with something healthy so you don’t feel hungry when surrounded by unhealthy foods.
4. Choose a smart indulgent snack before baking. My favorite is a protein smoothie made with frozen berries, OJ, vanilla yogurt, and a scoop of Better than Milk soy shake powder. It is so sweet and good, and totally good for you. If you MUST have some chocolate, get a SMALL DISH and pour some chips into it. Eat only one at a time as you bake — when the dish is empty, so is your snacking.
5. Some people use the “I break off small pieces of cookies because they have fewer calories” excuse. But having bits and pieces of 12 cookies can add up quickly. Indulge by having a cookie but remember to keep everything in moderation.

For more tips on maintaining your weight — and your reputation — during the holidays, read my articles and “Avoiding Corporate Spread: At-Work Workout Tips” and “Navigating the Winter Wonderland” at EzineArticles.com.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

5 Tips for Staying on the Diet Defensive This Holiday Season

Here are the topics with a link to the original post and the page number in the September 2007 issue of Glamour:

• Is Work Making You Fat? Tips for avoiding “corporate spread” (Glamour, p. 180)
• Preventing and Treating UTIs (Glamour, p. 182)
• No-Period Birth Control Pills (Glamour, p. 204)
• Healthy, Energizing Snacks (Glamour, p. 370)
• The Jordin Sparks/MeMe Roth Obesity Flap (Glamour, p. 375)

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Lively Women Beats Glamour to the Punch!