About 4 weeks ago my best friend got married. Now I was so excited for this occasion as my best friend is like a little sister to me. Excited was an understatement and very proud of this beautiful soul. Not only is she caring, loving, kind hearted, giving, sharing and considerate but this woman is one of the very few ‘selfless’ people I know.
I’m also very proud that not only did I get invited to share her special day with her, but she asked me to be her ‘maid of honour’, and honoured I was.
For her special occasion tried to ‘reign’ in on my diet so that I looked my best for her on her special day. Not ‘skinny’ as I don’t believe I needed to ‘loose weight’ but I wanted to look and feel healthy and health starts from the inside. It’s true what they say, ‘you are what you eat’.
I believe that what you eat comes out in your skin so by fuelling your body with sugars and ‘junk food’ you will be more prone to skin problems including break outs. That’s not taking into consideration what you are doing to your organs. Can you imagine pumping your heart on deep fried food? Imagine for a minute, cooking oil flowing through your veins and into your heart? Or would you prefer to have healthy foods pumping your blood and heart? I know that’s a ‘weird’ analogy but think about it.
Now I’m not one to go overboard and try to starve myself, I generally eat a healthy and varied diet, but I was the oldest of her bridesmaids by about 6 years and also have given birth to 2 children.
As you may appreciate, well other mothers may. Once you have a child, your body is a different shape and perhaps size. I know my hips are not quite as narrow as they once were, my bust is smaller (thanks to breast feeding) and my waist thicker. I once had an hourglass shape but now I’m more shaped like a ‘log’. So I tried to get some ‘curves’ back but also be healthy and happy.
I know that exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle but I personally believe food plays a bigger part. What we ‘fuel’ our bodies with is how our bodies will react. As the old saying goes ‘what you put in, you will get out’.
So when I’m trying to change my body shape not only do I exercise. Exercise helps me with my stress, anxiety and energy levels, it also gives me perspective on a lot of other things including ‘a healthy mind’. I also try to stick to a lower calorie intake of about 1500 calories per day. Now I’m not saying i go and ‘starve’ myself. I find that 1500 calories can be quite a lot, I just consider the foods that eat and by making ‘smarter’ choices I find that I can still eat quite a lot of foods, just better choices. Foods that Make me feel fuller longer, still provide me with energy but also foods that I feel, I am ‘indulging’ in a little bit.
It’s good to be healthy but I do also have treats and of course in proportion and not ‘extra large’ servings. Everything in moderation.
So with saying all of that, below are some of my favourite ‘go too’ lower calories snacks.
Have a look, you may be surprised.
Snacks under 50 calories
1 cup air popped popcorn = 31 cal
15 cherries = 45 cal
10 seedless green grapes = 40 cal
75gm fresh mango = 41 cal
150gm strawberries = 39 cal
1 small red apple = 45 cal
1/2 large pear = 48 cal
100gm fresh pineapple = 43 cal
150gm rockmelon = 44 cal
3 Freud apricots = 38 cal
1 tablespoon sultanas = 48 cal
1 medium grapefruit = 46 cal
1 kiwi fruit = 39 cal
1 cup papaya = 48 cal
7 almonds = 50 cal
10 green olives in brine = 42 cal
1/2 banana = 45 cal
1 mandarin = 40 cal
1 small peach = 36 cal
1 plum = 37 cal
130gm fresh fruit salad = 48 cal
Snacks between 50 – 100 calories
1/4 cup low fat yogurt w 1/2 cup mixed berries = 90 cal
10 raw unsalted cashews = 88 cal
1 boiled egg = 73 cal
30gm natural liquorice = 98 cal
55gm low fat cottage cheese w 55gm blueberries = 76 cal
20 black olives in brine = 84 cal
14 almonds = 98 cal
5 squares dark chocolate = 85 cal
2 crackers w 1 tablespoon peanut butter = 93 cal
200ml fresh carrot juice = 60 cal
2 cups watermelon = 66 cal
3 celery sticks w light cottage cheese = 53 cal
1 large Apple = 100 cal
2 cups steamed snow peas = 71 cal
1 roasted chicken drumstick = 76 cal
1 carrot w 2 tablespoons light mayo & fresh chives = 65 cal
50gm scoop frozen strawberry yogurt = 100 cal