Are energy bars healthy?

Energy bars are a convenient source of nutrition and come in a wide variety of flavors to satisfy different palates. They are often fortified with vitamins and minerals, which can help fill nutritional gaps.

But, like many foods in a specific category, not all energy bars are created equal. Those that are low in saturated fat and sugars, with a decent amount of protein and fiber, can provide a nutritious, satisfying pick-me-up. Others can closely mimic a candy bar. For example, some bars covered in chocolate contain as much saturated fat as a Snickers bar; others contain almost as much sugar.

Energy bars containing mostly fruit and nuts can serve as satisfying snacks. But if you're looking for a meal replacement, aim for a bar with a higher amount of protein: about 10 to 20 grams. Athletes can also benefit from choosing a bar with more protein and carbohydrates, as their needs are higher.

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Your partner in health, 

Certified Health Coach 
Wellness Consultant 
Top 50 Health Promotion Professional Award 
C2 Your Health LLC

Fruits and vegetables for heart health: More is better - Harvard Health

How many daily servings of fruits and vegetables should you eat to keep your heart healthy? Five servings a day (about two-and-a-half cups) appears to slightly lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. But pump up your produce intake to 10 servings a day, and you may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 28% and your risk of premature death by 31%, according to a new review article.

The findings, published online Feb. 22, 2017, by the International Journal of Epidemiology, were gleaned from 95 studies from around the world looking at the effects of fruit and vegetable intake. The items that seemed to offer the greatest benefits included apples, pears, oranges and other citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower), and green and yellow vegetables (such as green beans, carrots, and peppers).

Fruits and vegetables contain many healthful nutrients, especially fiber, which seems to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. That may explain the study results, the authors say.

Source: Fruits and vegetables for heart health: More is better – Harvard Health

39 Healthy Snacks You and Your Kids Will Love

1. 1 Tomato topped with olive oil, lemon and feta
2. 1 c Edamame
3. 3 c Air-Popped Popcorn
4. ½ cup soy yogurt with ½ chopped apple, 1 oz chopped walnuts, cinnamon and honey.
5. 1 c Baby Carrots with 2 Tbsp Hummus
6. 1/2 Cantaloupe
7. 2 ounces almonds and 2 Tbsp Dried Cranberries
8. 1 c Raspberries with 2 Tbsp Plain soy Yogurt and 1 tsp Honey
9. Baked sweet potatoes fries - one light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes.
10. Rice Bowl - Brown Rice small bowl and top with salsa, hummus, or Trader Joe’s ‘Cowboy Caviar,’ a mix of black beans, peppers, and roasted corn.
11. Whole Wheat / Gluten Free bagel With Ricotta and Strawberries
12. ½ avocado, smashed and topped on 2 Rice cakes 
13. Fruit Taco - Fold whole corn tortillas with organic strawberries, edamame, ripe avocado, cilantro, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar
14. Mini tapas - Stuff mini whole wheat pitas (about 2 inches in diameter) with different tastes, such as salsa; cashew butter; low-fat cheese; or hummus with cucumber and tomato
15. ½ cup humus with celery, carrot sticks, green pepper, broccoli
16. 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds in the shell
17. ½ - 1 cup fruit
18. 2 tablespoons of nut butter with celery sticks
19. 2 tablespoons of nut butter and sliced apple
20. Spread 1 tablespoon of cashew butter on a slice of Ryvita Fruit Crunch (Drizzle with ½ tablespoon honey and top with sliced strawberries.
21. Combine about ¼ cup dried pineapple pieces with about 25 pistachio nuts.
22. Dried-fruit-and-nut combos: raisins and peanuts, apricots and almonds, cherries and hazelnuts.
23. Dust whole wheat pita with ¼ teaspoon dried oregano and broil until browned. Cut into quarters.
24. Slice a cucumber into strips and place on a plate with baby carrots or baby corn. Dip in a lower-fat dressing, such as Annie's Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette or Trader Joe's Carrot-Ginger.
25. Frozen grapes, banana (peeled and sliced)
26. Sunflower seeds
27. 2 ounces. assorted walnuts, pistachios, almonds
28. Apple, cored, chopped, sprinkled cinnamon sweetened with honey or agave nectar, and baked 350 degrees until tender.
29. Corn chips - Corn tortillas, cut in 1/4 and baked chips (about 7-10) with tomato salsa
30. 5 dried apricots
31. 1 Sliced orange sprinkled with cinnamon
32. 1 cup Grilled pineapple
33. 1 cup of blueberries with 1 cup plain soy yogurt
34. Oatmeal - ⅓ cup rolled oats (cooked with water), topped with cinnamon and ¼ cup fresh berries.
35. Pumpkin Yogurt - ½ cup non-fat regular yogurt (go Greek for extra protein!) with 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon maple syrup
36. Kale chips – 1 cup kale, stems removed, baked with 1 tablespoon olive oil, at 400 degrees until crisp.
37. Italian potatoes – 1 potato cooked chopped, tossed with olive oil, salt, and Italian seasoning.
38.  Egg sandwich - 1 slice of whole wheat bread toasted, topped with sliced boiled egg, salt, pepper.
39. Cucumber sandwich - ½ whole wheat English muffin with 2 ounces goat cheese and sliced cucumber.

There's 39 choices of what to have for snack just in case you needed some new ideas for when you are one the go!

Your partner in health,

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA
Certified Health Coach 
Wellness Consultant 
C2 Your Health LLC
Top 50 Health Promotion Professional 

Today is International Women's Day

According to the International Women's Day website International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating equality of all genders with regards to status, pay and treatment. 

The Telegraph posted this great article today  International Women's Day 2017: What is it, how did it start and why is it so important?  The day is marked around the world with arts performances, talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and marches. 

In South Bend, IN where I live the week is kicked off with the Expo for Women Ladies Day Out Celebration educating, connecting and empowering women to be healthy, wealthy and wise for themselves and their families. Chances are in your community there are activities to acknowledge women's achievements and the work that still needs to be done. Even if your schedule is too busy to volunteer, spend a few moments to mentor a young women, share your thoughts with your daughter and seek out a women's organization to make a donation to even if it's a small one. 

Women are more active in creating change in the care of our health than you many know. Now is a great time to acknowledge women who are in the forefront of health care, keeping caring in front of the business of health. If each one of us do what we can, stand up, be counted, when it counts, we too can be powerful people in health care.  

Most powerful women in healthcare in 2016

Dr. Hanna-Attisha first blew the whistle over lead in the drinking water for Flint, Mich., in September 2015 when she confirmed the proportion of children with elevated lead levels in their blood doubled since the city switched its source of water from Lake Huron to the Flint River.

In addition to Nancy Howell Agee. President and CEO of Carilion Clinic works as head of 685-physician Carilion, which attracted national attention in 2016 for its work against caregiver burnout. 

Leah Binder. President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group owns the patient safety organization which releases an annual report card that assigns letter-grades to more than 2,500 hospitals reflecting their rates of medical errors, infections and other adverse events. 

To read the whole article click here

Your partner in health, 


Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA
Certified Health Coach, Wellness Consultant
WELCOA Faculty 
Top 50 Health Promotion Professional 

Warm Up with Healthy Recipes for National Soup Month

What a nice surprise to see January is National Soup Month!

I eat a big bowl of homemade soup pretty much every day. Not so much because I really love soup.  I prepare it and eat it as a healthy eating food strategy. The USDA recommends we eat about 6 cups of fresh, in a wide variety, fruits and veggies everyday which is not an easy task. Soup is an easy solution. 

Each week of the year I cook up a big pot of soup, loaded with fruits or vegetables, beans in a yummy broth. I think of soup as my make once, eat 8 times meal. Don't like all that chopping? No problem. Most food markets now have veggies all chopped up, ready to dump into a big pot, with a delicious pre-made organic broth, throw in a few spices plus load of garlic and you're ready to go! 

Resource: Warm up with healthy recipes for National Soup Month 

Whether you’re partial to broth or bisque, a hearty bowl of soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods—especially with some crusty bread for dipping. I’ve never been much of a fan of canned soup—though I understand the convenience factor—so I am happy to report that there are many delicious boxed and frozen soups that are just as easy to prepare and have a much fresher taste than their canned counterparts. Keep reading for recipes .... 

Your partner in health, 

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA
Wellness Consultant 
Certified Health Coach
WELCOA Faculty
Nominated Top 100 Health Promotion Professional 

National Diet Resolution Week - 14 Tips

In honor of Diet Resolution Week, the Wicked Fitness team have compiled 14 of the best tips to help you stay positive and stick to your healthy diet this year!

1. Healthy living from now on. Come to terms with the fact that you will from here forward need to consistently live and practice a healthy lifestyle to achieve and maintain your diet goals.
2. Set an overall goal to work towards including a clear path on how you will achieve it.  Focus on one day at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking about how many weeks and months of healthy eating it will take before you are where you want to be.
3. Give yourself 3 weeks. The beginning of a new diet regiment is the most difficult so don’t give up early on. If you still aren’t noticing a difference after 21 days, talk to your nutritionist to see what you might need to change.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others. Because we are all genetically unique, someone else may be seeing faster results while not having to put forth as much effort. Fair? Nope! But everyone’s body responds differently, and it may just take a little longer for you to notice an improvement.
5. Be prepared to resist temptation. Friends and family may not understand how important it is for you to stay on track and might tempt you with cheating “just this once”. Particularly in the beginning, you must stand your ground and not give in. Once they realize you are serious, most times they will respect your wishes.
6. Eat a variety of foods. Regardless of what diet regiment you are adhering to, don’t eat the same types of foods over and over. Switching it up will help you stay on track and feel more satisfied.
7. Reward yourself, but not with food. Celebrate your healthy achievements with that new pair of running shoes you have been eyeing or those cute skinny jeans you would’ve never thought you could look good in.
8. Eat before going out. Whether you are going out to dinner or to a friends, the fact that you are already full will help you avoid caving in when faced with your favorite appetizers or your bestie’s famous brownies.
9. Cook your weekly meals in advance. Although it seems like a big job when making food for the entire week, you will be so thankful you took the time to do so. The convenience of having your meals prepared will leave you with no excuses for eating the wrong foods during the work week.
10. Practice positive affirmations. Wake up each morning with a great attitude and remind yourself that you are awesome and can do anything you put your mind to. Although this may seem insignificant, you will be surprised how effective this practice can be.
11. Remember that it gets easier. Once your body rids itself of all of the processed and unhealthy foods, the cravings will also begin to fade. Eventually, those foods that you once could not stop eating will not even taste the same.
12. Read stories of inspiration. If you happen to be feeling weak and discouraged, reading about someone else’s journey can help renew your enthusiasm and inspiration to continue with yours. Success is defined by hard work, dedication and your ability to overcome challenges along the way.
13. Keep track of your progress. Whether you prefer weighing yourself or using measurements, knowing where you stand is essential to achieving your goals.
14. Realize that you are in control. Although you cannot control outside factors like the co-worker who brings in a tray of Christmas cookies or your friend who brings over a bottle of your favorite wine, you can stop yourself from giving in. Whether you choose to succeed or fail is up to you and no one else. Accountability is everything.

Your partner in health, 

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA 

Certified Health Coach 

Certified Wellness Consultant

Top 100 Health Promotion Professional

C2 Your Health LLC 

Oye, How do I get over this hangover?

The world over has some pretty wacky hangover cures. Maybe you've heard a few wacky ones yourself. In the U.S. the most famous is the Prairie Oyster remedy. A raw egg (beware of salmonella poisoning), Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper, the idea is you down the whole thing in one big gulp and you're fit to face the day. Really? In Germany the hangover breakfast of choice is a pickled herring wrap stuffed with pickled cucumber and onion. Yum? In Romania tripe (animal stomach) in a salty soup with vegetables. Yuck!

You may not know this ... according to MayoClinic.com  a hangover can be the result of even 1 alcoholic drink depending on what your are used to however the general rule is the more you drink the more likely you are to have a hangover.

A hangover comes from the alcohol causing:

1. Dehydration (thirst, dizziness and light headedness)
2. Inflammatory response from your immune system (such as an inability to concentrate, memory problems, decreased appetite and depression) 
3. Irritability of the stomach lining (abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting)
4. Low blood sugar (fatigue, weakness, shakiness and mood disturbances, even seizures)
5. Blood vessels to expand (headaches, reduced energy)
6. Sleepiness (groggy and fatigued)

Replace, restore and rejuvenate.

The best way to get rid of your hangover is of course not develop one in the first place. However if you're in need of a cure the best cures address what's causing the hangover and no, it's not "hair-of-the-dog-that-bit-you". The recipe is replace the fluids you lost, restore nutrient balance and rejuvenate with rest and sleep. 

• Hydrate - before you go to bed and the next morning drink water, electrolyte replacement drinks or juice.
• Reduce inflammation - avoid sugar, sugary drinks, breads and pasta. Eat fish, seeds and nuts. 
• Stomach irritation - drink ginger tea and peppermint tea.
• Blood sugar stabilization -  eat healthy foods such as high fiber fruits, vegetables, beans.
• Restore energy - take a good quality whole food supplement, B12 and B vitamins.
• Rest - drink soothing lavender and chamomile tea, take a hot shower, go back to bed, relax and rejuvenate. 

DON'T  Your first thought might be to reach for the acetaminophen (Tylenol) to kill the pain, however your liver is busy metabolizing (detoxing) all that liqueur, this pain killer creates more havoc. So put it back on the shelf.

DO  If you must, ibuprofen (Advil) is a better choice. It's easier on the liver, however harder on the stomach. So do eat before you take ibuprofen and save yourself from an stomach ulcer later.

Your partner in health, 

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA
Certified Health Coach
Wellness Consultant
WELCOA Faculty
Top 100 Health Promotion Professional