One Replacement: FRUIT.

My last two posts (One Addition: Chia Seeds and One Addition (and/or) One Replacement: Lemon Water) have made me very happy. Why? Because I have had quite a few people reach out to me and tell me that they've started using chia seeds, that they started drinking lemon water, that they keep a bottle of it on hand all the time and that they've noticed a significant difference in the way they feel. I'm proud of that. I've said before that I don't write these posts to change lives or be "inspirational" or any of that. I write them because finding your way to good health is a hard path to walk and if I can offer up my experiences to anyone who is looking to help themselves out, I'm so thrilled to do it.

And now that that's been said... Onto this week's Replacement. Fruit vs. cookies or a Snickers bar. Pretty dang obvious, wouldn't you say?

Okay. So this week, when you pack a lunch, pack a couple of extra snacks. Eat those in the afternoon instead of b-lining it to the vending machine. And if you must grab a Snickers, do it on Tuesday and Thursday and spare yourselves the calories and poor nutrition on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm not asking you to become a health-food fanatic overnight or ever. I refuse to ever be 100% health food 100% of the time. NO. WAY. It's all about moderation. Again, here I go with the obvious.

Here's what the banana vs. Snickers bar swap will save you:

SNICKERS NUTRITION
296 CALORIES
25% FAT
10% DAILY SODIUM

BANANA NUTRITION
105 CALORIES
0% SODIUM
1% FAT
17% VITAMIN C

I think this one is pretty obvious. You're basically saving yourself 200 calories. Why. Not. And don't forget-contrary to what the Snickers commercials say (that your mind will somehow be sharper after consuming a Snickers), if you eat this product, you will feel sluggish afterwards. Don't deny it. We've all felt the post-bad-for-you-snack sluggishness. It's awful. A banana will almost definitely give you a mid-afternoon revival. Try it.

Now. If that's not enough for you, I did a little more research. My husband loves Keebler Fudge Shoppe Striped cookies. LOVES THEM. Six of those babies are... are you ready? 300 CALORIES. 22% FAT (which, by the way, computes to 14 grams of fat), and 14% CARBS. Uh... Yikes? Switch it out for an apple and a tablespoon of organic peanut butter. 216 calories. 4.5 grams of PROTEIN.  12% fat, but remember, it's the good kind.

Something else that works for me? When I start craving bad food (which I do because bad food is so good...), I remind myself that I want to fuel my body, NOT STIFLE IT. Which is exactly what junk food does. Forget about the calories, forget about all the nutrtional information that I just laid out for you. Remind yourself of this: you have a choice to either feel good or eat bad.

Sources:
caloriecount.about.com
prevention.com