Soy Protein Bars and What You Must Know

By Jonathan Octavius Bell

I think one of the things you must know about soy protein bars is that they're actually great tools for not only gaining muscle - but in fact losing weight. In fact I'd personally say that they're more effective in helping someone lose weight than they are in helping someone to gain muscle mass.

Losing weight is essentially the balancing of two important factors, maintaining (or increasing) your metabolic weight and decreasing your calorie intake. If you cut out too many calories and your body starts feeling too drained of energy then you might enter a biological power saving mode. This means a basal reduction in your metabolic rate meaning that you burn fewer calories as you go about an average day. What you need to be doing is keeping this rate as high as you can - but it's a fine balance between carefully cutting the amount of calories you consume as well as keeping this rate as high as you can.

What you definitely shouldn't do is go on any kind of 'starvation' diet as so many teenage girls do. When they start starving themselves they reduce their metabolic rate so that even though they've dramatically cut their intake the results won't be as promising as they hoped for.

This is where soy protein bars come in because they allow you to replace a 500 calorie chocolate bar snack with a bar that is only 300 calories. 200 calories in one day isn't a lot but when you look at it as 1400 calories a week then you can start to see the big picture. This helps you to maintain your metabolism while cutting your calories!

10 Great Snack Ideas For Your Handbag

By Emma M Henry 

Have you ever been out when hunger takes hold and you don't have a nourishing snack within quick reach? Prevent the predicament of looking for junk food products by maintaining a source of healthier snack food items inside your handbag. Even when you are not hungry, you will be totally ready whenever the hunger pangs hit.

One very good tactic is to have a healthy snacks checklist placed inside of your kitchen cupboard as a simple and easy personal reference and prompt for some healthy snack food choices. There isn't any reason not to have a wholesome snack food selection to select from.

Here are 10 healthy snack ideas for your handbag:

Almonds - Odor free as well as compact, a handful of almonds a few times weekly are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin E, B vitamins and essential minerals. Store in a small plastic bag or container to ensure that they're fresh all week.

Bananas - Bananas truly are a good "out and about" snack because they come in their very own protecting cover hence they don't need washing. Bananas are a superb source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese and vitamin B6.

Rice Biscuits - Low-fat not to mention crispy, they really are the healthy potato chip alternative.

Cherry Tomatoes - A handful of tasty cherry tomatoes held in a compact container can be quite a good snack that gives you a massive burst of tastiness once you bite into them. Cherry tomatoes are low in sodium, and very low in fats and cholesterol.

Rice Cakes - Smear a bit of your most popular spread between 2 rice cakes. These can be a healthy and balanced, easily transportable sandwich option.

Dried Fruit - Long lasting, dried fruit is a good snack to prevent those hunger pangs. Enjoy just a few because they are rich in natural sugars.

Grapes - Choose crispy fresh red or green seedless grapes that burst with flavour. Fresh grapes are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Popcorn - Fast to make inside the microwave, pick the reduced fat, low salt popcorn alternatives. Take a small bag of your own and then save the rest for your kids' afternoon tea.

Celery, carrot and cucumber - Keep a supply sliced up and in your fridge in small storage containers to enable you to very easily put it into your bag. These kinds of veggies are extremely low in fat and also help you take in your 5 servings each day.

Fresh fruit - Nothing can beat a piece of fresh fruit. A few fruits are less difficult as compared to some others to transport and consume while on the move for instance apples and mandarins, so either leave the messy ones for home or slice the fruit up and take it along inside of a small container with a fork if required.

Top 7 Energy Boosting Foods

By Stephan W McCabe 

A fast-faced lifestyle is very tiring and undeniably most people are into it. It is actually a must for every individual with a fast-faced lifestyle to stay awake when needed particularly in attending to their daily job. However, there will surely time that your body becomes tired and you may not be able to stay energized the whole day. It is really tough to fight those midday yawns and sleepy eyes each time you're at the brink of falling asleep while at work. Of course, the best way to get the body energize is to take a nap, however this is not possible if you are at work. Therefore, you must know the right food to consume in your meals everyday to boost your energy level. These foods should help you stay energize until you fulfill your daily routine at the office.

As the day starts, you must already know how to revitalize your body if you get tired. Therefore, eating your breakfast is a must not only because it is the most important meal of the day but also because the foods that are served in your daily breakfast are energy boosting foods. Below are the top 10 energy boosting foods you may include in your daily meal.

Whole grain products -This is perfect for your daily breakfast. It is a fiber rich food which makes digestion easier. It also contains anti-oxidant which is good for your skin. In addition, it helps in reducing the risks of having cancerous cells, diabetes and heart ailment.

Oatmeal -The American Dietetic Association testified that oatmeal is one of the best suppliers of soluble fiber and when combined with raisins or low-fat yogurt gives it gives an individual jam-packed energy throughout the day. Oatmeal is among the perfect breakfast menu for diabetic people.

Fresh Clean Banana- As everybody knows, this fruit is not just yummy but it is also rich in potassium which is ideal for pregnant women and for people having muscle contraction problems. A piece of a fresh sweet banana a day helps thwart stiffness from sitting long hours at the office.

Sweet Orange Juice- This is not just energy giving fruit but it is also rich in amino acid or commonly called vitamin C. Vitamin C is important to boost our immune system. Once the immune system is at its best your body will surely have sufficient energy to comply all your daily tasks.

Pasta dish- Pasta dishes are loaded with carbohydrates. Most athletes today eat a plate of any pasta dish before going to the game. But you must also make sure that the pasta dish is low in calories, fatty acids and sodium to make it a perfect energy boosting meal.

Fish and salmon- Fish are abundant with protein, omega3 and vitamin B which are ideal for your cardio-vascular wellness.

Beans- These are loaded with several nutrients and vitamins needed by the body to fulfill its daily tasks. Consume beans in a creative way to make your every meal flavorful. You can add it in soup and pasta dishes. According to the America's Department of Agriculture, a person must consume 3 cups of beans weekly to revitalize her or his body.

The energy boosting foods listed above are just an example of foods that provides energy. There are more lists you can find in the internet or by asking your dietician. Dieticians can surely provide you the best lists you are looking for.

Introducing Bok Choy - An Easy to Prepare, Low Cal, Filling Veggie

By Linda Murdock 

Do you ever feel guilty that we Americans have so many choices in our grocery stores? Even supermarkets that carry just food have between 15,000 and 60,000 different items on hand! When you compare that to the fact that almost half of what we eat comes from fast food or meals eaten away from home, is it any wonder that we never get around to choosing new and different foods?

Well, here's a challenge. From the produce section (which contains all those great fruits and vegetables you keeping telling yourself you need to eat more of) pick a food you have never eaten or prepared before and give it a try. Alternate between fruits and vegetables. Select your "new food" by location on the stand or, if you have a bit of an obsessive nature, pick new foods alphabetically. Even if you have eaten an apple, have you tried different varieties like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Orange Pippin or Sweetango? You get the picture.

An often overlooked choice at the beginning of the alphabet is the un-American-sounding bok choy or Chinese white cabbage. It is usually nestled in somewhere among the cabbages and greens. Also known as pak choi this non-head-forming cabbage is most associated with Asian foods. However, it is packed with nutritional goodies, including vitamins (A, B-complex, C and K, which helps bones and brains), minerals, dietary fiber and antioxidants. It helps reduce bad cholesterol and it is filling. Best of all, you can eat a pound of it and take in less than 60 calories. The only negative impact is that like other cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) it may cause swelling in the thyroid gland for those who are prone to goiters.

If bok choy is not available where you live, take heart in the fact that it is easy to grow. Because you can plant the seeds before the last frost, it is one of the first veggies you can get from the garden. It only takes 45-50 days to grow to about a foot to eighteen inches tall. Smaller plants, which look like whiter, less compressed celery with large green leaves, are more tender. If bought in a store, it should keep for a couple of days. However, it is best to use it right away to retain flavor. Trim off the bottom, remove discolored leaves and wash before eating.

You may eat both the firm stalks and the leaves raw. Try stuffing stalks with cream cheese or guacamole and serve it as an appetizer and see if anyone notices your attempt to sneak in a healthy snack. Stalks may be cut up and added to coleslaw, while the leaves may be used like lettuce in a salad or on sandwiches. Unlike celery, with bok choy you don't have to deal with any "strings."

There are many ways to spice up bok choy using garlic, ginger, onion, sweet bell peppers, red wine vinegar and chilis. One of the best ways to prepare it is in a stir-fry. Add protein by cooking it with beans, peanuts, chicken or pork. Sesame seeds are also a nice addition. Bok choy adds moisture to stuffings and texture to soups. Use it much like you would use celery. It can also be steamed. If you need a low-calorie filler, or you run short on a vegetable or salad dish, bok choy is a good choice to add not only more volume, but more nutrients as well.

Isn't it time you be a little more adventuresome and try this veggie (and other fruits and vegetables) from your produce stand? Who knows, you might just learn to love it enough to include it in your garden next year.