If you’re the snack bar type like me, then you have something new to rejoice over.
The LUNA Bar company has just released a new line of healthy snack bars that have a specific emphasis on fiber. The bars come in three delicious flavors – vanilla blueberry, chocolate raspberry, and peanut butter strawberry. And they all pack an impressive nutritional punch.
By Gale Tern
One of the best ways to lose weight and feel better is through exercise. Science tells us that regular exercise makes us healthier and increases our feelings of well-being. The release of chemicals within our bodies called endorphins is what induces that good feeling and even reduces our perception of pain. However, exercise sometimes comes with the price of soreness, aches and pain. But minor aches and pains should not prevent you from getting your workout on.
Here are some things you can do to prevent injury and the hurt that sometimes comes with exercise. 
Before Workout
1. Drink plenty of purified water throughout the day before you start exercising. This will hydrate your body and reduce cramping and soreness during and after your routine.
2. Consume anti-inflammatory herbs and nutrients such as tart cherry juice, ginger, vitamin C, and turmeric. Try drinking 8 ounces of tart cherry juice before you exercise. You can dilute it with water if it is too tart. In addition, you can add anti-inflammatory herbs like ginger powder and turmeric to your favorite fish and chicken dishes.
3. Stay away from alcoholic beverages before you exercise. They can dehydrate you and lead to cramps and soreness.
4. Add one teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate not baking powder) to 8 ounces of water. Drink this mixture on an empty stomach at least one hour prior to exercise. Sports scientists learned several years ago that baking soda taken before athletic performances not only increased performance but reduced soreness and cramping afterwards. That’s because baking soda reduces lactic acid build-up in our muscles.
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I cannot count the number of times I’ve pulled out of my city for a road trip with an empty tank of gas. That’s because it’s never happened. Aside from making sure I have everything I need in my luggage, and a stash of mostly healthy snacks, the first thing I do before turning on the GPS is fill up my gas tank. Otherwise, that’ll become a very short and probably expensive trip.
It’s a common metaphor to compare our bodies to gas tanks, but it couldn’t be more true. Our bodies need food for energy, for brain function, to get us from point A to point B in our workouts.
I want to explain which snacks are best for both sides of your workout and why snacking for each should be treated differently.
“The two snacks should be very different. First and foremost, the harder or longer your workout is, the more important each snack becomes,” Holly Perkins told us, a fitness expert and ambassador for New Balance.
She explained that a pre-workout snack has dual functionality. “One, to ensure immediate fuel from the very moment you begin your workout, and two to preemptively start the protein recovery process so that you’ll feel great for TOMORROW’S workout.”
Before a workout, you want to keep it simple with easily digested foods. Don’t eat a huge meal or anything that could cause stomach disruption, like hummus or beans. The purpose of this pre-workout snack is to prevent low blood sugar, increase muscle and liver carbohydrate stores, and prevent hunger throughout the duration of your workout, as well as provide the energy you need to power through.
Holly told us, “You want a combination of easily digestible protein paired with a moderately fast carbohydrate. You don’t want a super fast carbohydrate like sugar or a sports drink because this kind of sugar enters the bloodstream very quickly. This means that it will also exit the bloodstream quickly, leaving you tired mid-workout.”
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Now that it’s spring, mother nature is reminding us just how much power she can bring by hitting several states with tornados. Officials say this is only the beginning of what looks to be a very busy tornado season.
If you live in an area where tornado activity is possible and if you haven’t already, you must get a tornado survival pack prepared. It doesn’t take a lot of time and most items are around your house already. If you ever do find yourself in a severe storm with the potential of tornados, you’re going to be very thankful you prepared ahead of time.
Your list should include obvious things like a flashlight, radio, batteries and medical supplies. But you should also include nonperishable snacks and food. You may think tossing in some twinkies is good enough, but if you do find yourself dealing with a disaster your body is going to need good nutrition to maintain your immune system and health. So what are some healthy items to keep in your survival pack? I thought you would never ask. I have come up with seven healthy items you must include.
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Grabbing a snack is a great way to keep hunger at bay, but what you pick can make a big difference to your waistline. Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels reveals her favorite snacks for an afternoon pick-me-up or mid-morning nibble. “These snacks are quick, easy and they all taste good,” says Michaels. “They’re preservative-free, contain no trans fats, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners.”
