Mercy Healthy Life

Give Yourself Permission! Snacking is a normal and can be a healthy way to manage your weight. Most of us are hungry between meals. A light snack can take the edge off your hunger and you may eat less at the meal. When the snack is unhealthy, it gets you into trouble. Often, snacking is a habit and not even related to …hunger. Perhaps you are bored, tired, angry, lonely, aggravated, agitated, depressed, tired - fill in the blank. Sometimes you are craving something in particular, like salty or crunchy foods or chocolate, and that may indicate an emotional hunger rather than a physiological need. So, what can you do? If you know you are going to be snacking, try giving yourself permission ahead of time. Be prepared with a healthy snack, eat it and enjoy it and then be done. Guilt is a terrible burden to carry and serves no purpose in weight management. You are not likely to get into trouble if the snack is a vegetable or fruit. Watch the dip, however. Peanuts, for example, are also a healthy snack (a portion is ¼ cup) and, combined with raisins and dry cereal, makes a great trail mix with far fewer calories than the store version. Be prepared, plan ahead, and give yourself permission!Kay Beebe, Nurse Practitioner, Mercy H.E.A.R.T. CenterПодробнее