In my last column, I touched on healthy, readily available snacks like nuts and seeds and chopped fruit. Despite the nutritional benefits of “healthy” easy foods, it’s important to be mindful of their varying caloric density.
Not to count calories, but for the purpose of illustrating volume, let’s use the measure of what 100 calories truly is.
Raw fruits and vegetables generally allow for more volume to be consumed, therefore leaving you feeling fuller longer and with less caloric intake. Take grapes, for example, compared to their sweet, dried friend, the raisin. Both are fruit, both are nutritious, but calorie for calorie, fresh raw grapes win for volume per 100 calories, and they are naturally high in water. Picture that cute, little red box of raisins (approximately 40 grams)—that’s an easy 129 calories. For the same 129 calories I can eat approximately 40 grapes.
If we apply that 100-calorie measurement to the deliciously salty but low-nutrient potato or corn chip, you can only have eight to 12 of those bad boys. Honestly, though, what is the likelihood that you’ll only eat 10 chips? Do I even need to mention how much salt they have? I know I sound all mom-lecturey but there’s truth to the saying that “health is wealth.”
Last time around I also touched on an easily accessible chair lunge to open the hips. Let’s explore the hips a bit more, as flexible, open hips also translate to an abundance of health.
In one basic position we can target the front of the hips, the psoas muscles, and the outer hips, the gluteus maximus. In a standard lunge position, with your front knee over your ankle, lower your back knee to the floor and, with your hands either up on your front leg or down on the floor, stay in the posture for longer to really give the psoas a chance to release. Then, to target the outer hips, place your hands on the floor in front of you, inside the front leg, and then wriggle your front foot out just slightly wider than your shoulder. Flex your foot and toes up toward your shin for stability and roll on to the outer edge of your foot, allowing your knee and leg to open out to the side slightly. If you’re quite flexible, you can come down onto your elbows. Stay for 30 to 90 seconds and then switch sides.
Until next time, keep it real.