School of Weight Loss

If you haven’t seen them in the snack isles take another look — there are about 175 different products that the manufacturers have created in 100 calorie snack packs. These are geared towards the individuals who want to control their portions and the manufacturers would like to help.

Now you can be happier with your snacking because they have taken care of it for you. From Nabisco Oreos to Hershey Dark Chocolate and Natural popcorn you can find something to snack on now that should not affect your dieting plans. Or does it?

Recently we looked into this phenomenon by asking some of our friends to see whether they had tried these snack packs. For some it was a great idea because it was just enough for them to eat. They didn’t have to worry about the portions anymore and they could still have a little of what they wanted.

For others it was a nightmare because they couldn’t stop at eating just one pack. There is something about the human psyche that tells you that you can just have one more because they are small.

What You Can Do
Some fitness experts suggest that if you do get a box of one of these treats that you can put it into your freezer. Each day you can take one out and let it thaw. This way you keep the snacking under control a little more. If you find that this still doesn’t work, you can always share the box with a friend or with the neighborhood kids.

Another good idea is to think about your hunger at the time. If you find that you are eating more than one package because you are hungry, add an apple or a few grapes to the snack. As an example, a few nuts, an apple and one of the snack packs can turn into a really good snack.

Beware Of The Non-Nutritional Value In These Snack Packs
Most of the time, this is just another ploy for the manufacturer to get your money. There is going to be a lot of sugar in some of these so you have to be careful and read the packaging. You may also find that it just isn’t worth if you are always attempting to decide how many of the packages to eat.

You might also find that sitting down with a little tuna fish or salmon, a few grapes and perhaps a small amount of noodles might be a much better and more nutritious snack than one of these small bags.

The point is that when you are making a point to eat more nutritionally, it is important to pick foods that support that choice. This stops you from getting into the old habit of snacking on foods that don’t work well for you and sticking to those that do.

Although they look cute and they seem appropriate for your use, they may be better for the kid’s lunch or for a treat after school.  Remember, it’s not all about the calories, it’s about eating healthy food sources.

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Please note that I am not a fan of cutting calories for weight loss purposes, but this topic intrigued me for health reason so I decided to post it.  I think there are ways to get these same health benefits described below without cutting calories.

Just when you thought you had heard everything there is, a new study that tells us that cutting calories can actually help improve memory. This is particularly helpful for people over 50 who start to have challenges with remembering.

The study that appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal was done by researchers at the University of Munster. The study consisted of three groups of 50 elderly people with an average age of 60 years. They split the volunteers into three groups: Group 1 received a balanced diet with a normal number of calories, Group 2 received a balanced diet that added a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids and Group 3 received a calorie restricted diet.

This study carried out for awhile and after three months each group was given a memory test; the third group performed better than the other two on the test. This third group also showed physical signs of less inflammation and lower insulin levels which according to researchers, could explain why their memory was better.

The researchers feel that this information can help develop better strategies for adults as they age, to create better cognitive health. Eating a restricted calorie diet also needs to make sure that the individual receives the proper vitamins and minerals that are consistent with their needs. These were supplemented to the volunteers as necessary.

This information was not given so that people will rush out to create restricted calorie diets. This would be dangerous because the restriction would be different for each person, and they really need to be seen by a doctor. Instead, the research gives insight into what can happen for a variety of illnesses.

As an example, people suffering from Type2 Diabetes can improve their memories and drop their insulin levels by restricting their calories. Of course this too should be done under the direction of a doctor, but it is important to recognize this as a first step.

The reason researchers started this study was because they found that rats who received a diet fewer in calories by 30% seemed to improve their memory. We are not sure how that related to humans, but they decided that they should at least try to see if this also made sense.

Other physicians warn that this is only part of the picture and that there needs to be more study in the area to be certain that this works. They also caution that people who are at average weight or who are under weight should not use this type of diet.

Whether it improves memory or not it does seem that losing weight can help eliminate several health problems. There are studies that have been done to show that loss of even 10 pounds can lower blood pressure. This new study just adds to the fact that losing weight and getting into shape can assist in many ways that may not have been known prior to now. It will be interesting to see what they find out as they continue this research.

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