Download Martha’s handy Snack Survival Guide to guide you on snack choices. What kind of snacks do you like … crunchy, salty, sweet, healthy, not-so-healthy? This guide will give you suggestions for all types of snacks.

Tips for selecting a snack:

1. If you are a carb craver, you are probably better off choosing something that has some protein and or fat in it. This will help you to feel more satisfied and control your carb cravings. Look for snacks in the Dairy, Low Carb or Combo Carb & Protein / Fat group.

2. If you are going to hit the gym after work, choose a snack that contains some carbs. Carbs provide energy for your workouts. Examples: fruit, yogurt, pretzels, other crunchy snacks or an energy bar that contains carbs. Check out my previous post on energy bars. A high protein / fat snack like nuts or cheese is not the best pre-workout snack.

3. If you have many hours until dinner, try to include some protein / fat in your snack. It will hold your blood sugar longer. Look for snacks in the Dairy, Low Carb or Combo Carb & Protein / Fat group.

4. If you are trying to watch your weight, keep your snack calories to 150 - 250 calories (this includes snacks for the whole day) for a woman and 250 - 350 (this includes snacks for the whole day) calories for a man. This is just an estimation - the exact recommended calorie level will depend upon the person.

5. Don’t keep problem snack foods in the house!

6. If you have trouble controlling your intake of certain snack foods, either avoid them or buy individual sized bags.

Enjoy the Snack Survival Guide! Download a copy for a co-worker, friend or family member. See the snack pic on the right side of the home page and click to download.

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Yogurt and fruit parfaits, vinaigrette salad dressing, grilled chicken wraps … they all sound so healthy, so they must be low calorie - right? Wrong. I have compiled a list of foods of commonly eaten foods that could sabotaging your weight loss attempts. You don’t necassarily need to avoid these foods/drinks, I just wanted to give you a “warning” signal that all is not as low cal as it seems.

Martha’s Top 8 Deceptively High Calorie Foods:

 1. Yogurt parfait.
Yogurt, granola, topped with fruit. Sounds healthy and low calorie - right? Not necessarily. A 16 oz (the usual size) strawberry parfait is 400 calories, 12 gm fat and 52 gm carbs. (from Pax, NYC)

2. Tuna salad sandwich.
We know fish is good for us … so how bad can it be (aside from the mercury content!)? Tuna sandwiches are not nearly as low cal as they sound because they tend to contain tuna packed in oil, are loaded with mayo and are jumbo sized. A typical deli NYC tuna salad sandwich has over 700 calories. The Southwest tuna wrap from Au Bon Pain - which doesn’t even contain mayo - has 860 calories, 54 gm of fat and 65 gm of carbs.

3. Smoothies.
Smoothies can be very healthy… and also high calorie. For example, a Jamba Juice 12 oz Mango Peach Topper Smoothie is 390 calories, 8 gm fat and 73 gm of carbs. The 16 oz size is 500 calories, 10 gm of fat and 95 gm of carbs. The Dunkin Donut’s strawberry banana smoothie (medium size - 24 ounces!) is 550 calories, 4 gm of fat and 118 gram of carbs. Yikes - enough for a meal!

4.  Iced coffee drinks. 
With the warm weather hopefully here to stay, think twice before cooling off with a Starbuck’s java chip frappacino (grande) for 460 calories, 19 gm of fat and 67 gm of carbs or the caramel blended frappacino (grande) for 380 calories, 15 gm of fat and 57 gm of carbs. These are only a few of the calorie ladden iced coffee drinks. Check out my previous post on Starbucks iced coffee drinks for more info on calories.  I think most of us city girls will think twice before ordering some of these drinks now that NYC has mandated that calories be posted on the menu (for restaurants that have 15 or more chains).

5. Vinaigrette salad dressing. 
Many of us think balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing is low cal because is it “healthy”. Sure, olive oil is good for your heart, but that doesn’t mean it is low calorie. These dressings tend to contain a lot more oil than vinegar. A typical size portion of a seemingly healthy balasamic viniagrette dressing can contain 350 calories! (i.e. that little 2 oz container from Cosi’s). We know the other creamy dressings like blue cheese or caesar are high calorie, but don’t underestimate the calories in vinaigrettes!

6. Specialty salads
With summer approaching and visions of bathing suits in our heads,  many city girls turn to salads for lunch, assuming they are making a healthy low cal choice. I can’t tell you how many times a client has proudly told me she/he had a caesar salad with grilled chicken for lunch, thinking I would be pleased. Little do they know that these salads can contain over 900 calories and 60 grams of fat. It is the dressing the packs in the calories. The same goes for a cobb salad which contain 900-1000 calories and 70 grams of fat. Think about it - bacon, blue cheese crumbles, avocado (yes, it’s good for your heart - but not your fat cells!) and blue cheese dressing.

8. Gourmet wraps/ sandwiches.
Many city girls grab a gourmet type wrap or sandwich for lunch from places such as Cosi’s, Au Bon Pain, Pax, thinking they are making a good choice. The ingredients in these wraps can sound healthy as they are often made with a whole wheat wrap and contain ingredients like grilled chicken or turkey.  However, they tend to be loaded with high calorie sauces and/or cheese.  Some of these wraps contain over 700 calories. For example, the Suncoast Turkey Wrap from Pax contains 740 calories, 27 gm fat and 80 gm of carbs. The Tarragon Chicken Sandwich from Au Bon Pain contains 740 calories, 31 gm of fat and 61 gm of carbs.

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Esther has asked citygirlbites for support in losing weight. She has just finished the first week of her weight loss journey and has sent us an update. (We omitted the first week because she was on vacation and didn’t do so well….). Esther has lost one pound this week. Initial weight = 146  Weight May 23 = 145   She was a little discouraged as she felt she made many changes, however I pointed out the she ate out quite a bit. Eating out will almost always increase your caloric intake.  In addition. losing one pound a week is right on target! (Pics are of Esther and her trainer, Anastasia from Equinox, working out)

Here are Esther’s goals from week one:

Here are 3 days of her food records:

Saturday May 10th    (2100 calories approximately)
Breakfast: coffee , Kashi toasted almond bar 
Snack: Two hard boiled eggs , 1 piece laughing cow cheese , gardenia salad
Lunch: 1 sushi roll 1/2 salmon 1/2 yellowtail
Snack:15 almonds
Dinner: 2 glasses white wine, 3 1/4 pita bread with Greek spreads
grilled striped bass, Greek french fries ( handful ), 1/4 piece roasted corn
Snack: Berry Apple Sauce 

Tuesday May 20th  ( 1000 calories approximately)
Breakfast: coffee, banana  
Lunch: pea soup , 1 breadstick  
Dinner: 1 hamburger, grilled onions, shirataki noodles, grated cheese 1 teaspoon  

Wednesday May 21st  (1700 calories approximately)
Breakfast: coffee, peppermint tea  
Lunch: turkey club wrap, water  
Dinnner: 2 glasses white wine, 1/4 piece chicken quesadilla, salmon tartar appetizer, shaved fennel salad  

My observations:
1. Esther  had some really good days (1000-1200 calories - even a little too low!) but some other not so good days (1800 calories or more).
2. Last week she had 4 nights of eating out. Even though she has been making great choices for entrees and not eating desserts or bread, the appetizers and wine are bringing her daily caloric intake to 1800 calories or more.
3. This coming week, I’d like to focus on helping her cut back on calories when eating out. Areas to work on:
-  cutting back on wine
-  low cal appetizers without oil (tuna sashimi, shrimp cocktail, salad without cheese and dressing on the side - add sparingly)
- skip the appetizer altogether and just order a healthy entree
- restaurant food, even when grilled, tends to be cooked with a lot of oil. Avoid sauces and ask for minimal oil used in cooking. 
- since you have an active social life, direct your friends to restaurants that you know have healthy choices. Japanese is always a good bet. Check out my post on calories in sushi.
4. Her dinners at home look great. Make sure to add a lot of veggies to help yourself fill up.
5. I would suggest that she has more salads for lunch with lean protein. Just make sure you either use low fat salad dressing or small amounts of the “real thing”. Check out my post on salad dressings.
6. We will also judge her progress from her measurements or by how her clothes fit rather than just by the scale. Esther has dramatically increased her exercise. This can cause development of muscle mass which will make her lose inches but can slow the loss on the scale.
Starting measurements:
arm: 12″
natural waist: 30 1/2 “ 
lower abs : 36″
hips:  42 1/2 “
thighs: 25 3/4 ‘

BTW - Esther didn’t make it to Toast of the Town last Monday. She got sick from eating possible bad sushi (she thinks!). In any case, she avoided a diet disaster with unlimited wine and food!

Goals for this week:
1. Continue food records
2. I would challenge her to have only 2 glasses of wine for the whole week
3. Eat out only 2 times this week and be very careful!
4. Add in 2 more cardio sessions this week. Walking home from work and doing interval training with your trainer is great - but try to add 2 more sessions for 40 minutes or more (i.e. spinning class, speed walking on the treadmill or the eliptical machine).

Good luck! BTW - I heard you are attending a Sex and the City Party next week. Be careful!

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Most of us have our favorite foods we can’t live without. As a nutritionist, I get a lot of people asking me what I eat. While I enjoy eating a lot of different foods (most healthy, some not so healthy), there are a few foods that I always have to have in my apartment. I thought it would be interesting to see what types of foods other nutritionists can’t live without. Here are replies from some of my co-workers - registered dietitians and dietetic interns -  at New York Presbyterian Hospital. (Pics are of “nutritionists night out” … suprised I didn’t see wine listed as a favorite food/drink!)

Four foods nutritionists can’t live without:

C.S:    Non-fat yogurt, bananas, frozen vegetables (all kinds), almonds

D.H:    Oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, frozen broccoli, and chocolate 

B.O:    Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter, cherry tomatoes, grapefruits, rice and beans

M.Z:    Avocados, Sarabeth’s Fig Jam, cherry tomatoes, Laughing Cow Cheese; French Onion
Pheww that was hard because I can’t go without eating sushi for a week but I don’t keep it in my home; actually I don’t keep very much at home.

T.K:    Meusli - I mix my own, dried soba, canned fish, eggs

J.B:    Greek Yogurt 0% Fat, unsalted matzo, Swiss Miss Hot choc (50 calories), plaintain or fresh apple

J.H:    Dried cranberries, high fiber (4-5 g) bread,  cheese (usually cheddar, or sliced havarti), oranges, strawberries or apples
 
J.H:    Hummus, peanut butter, bread (always a loaf whole wheat sliced bread but a french baguette or challah is usally around too!!)
apples

R.W:    Natural chunky peanut butter, garlic lovers hummus, philadelphia fat free cream cheese, and chunky spicy salsa. I find that these spreads are an easy/cheap way to get me to eat my vegetables and make for healthy snacking. 

C.G:    Vanilla almond milk, Fiber One cereal, celery and hummus, dark chocolate

G.W:    Two foods I NEED to have are reduced fat peanut butter and sliced american cheese (reduced fat also). 

S.T:    Salad supplies- lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, mushrooms, fat free cheese slices/string cheese, some kind of sugar free candy/treats for my sweet tooth such as jello sugar free puddings and jellos, Fiber One cereal  

S.Z:    Fage 0% Greek Yogurt, soy nuggets, Puffins peanut butter cereal, part skim string cheese 

A.A:    Apples, carrots, almonds, chocolate 

T.C:    Skim milk, yogurt, cereal - Quaker Oatmeal Squares, whole wheat bread

G.A:    Bread, milk, cereal and fruit juice. That’s mostly because of  my children.

M.N:    Granola, cheese, tomatoes, peppers 

C.D:    Almonds, unsweetened apple sauce, oatmeal, chocolate    

M.M. (me!):   Fage 2% yogurt, blueberries (fresh or frozen), All Bran or Fiber One cereal, eggs.

 Well, there you have it. Most of our favorite foods are on the healthy side. Common favorites include almonds, peanut butter, whole grain bread, yogurt and various fruits and veggies. This doesn’t mean we don’t eat junk food on occasion!

What are the foods/drinks that you can’t live without?

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Citygirlbites has received a plea for help. Esther, a loyal citygirlbites reader, is trying to lose weight and thought taking her “case” public would help keep her motivated. Esther is a typical city girl. She works long hours, gets home late, minimal time (or sometimes motivation!) to exercise, has an active social life, eats out frequently, likes her wine…

Esther  has been battling her weight for the past few years (maybe more). Unfortunately, she has been losing her battle. Like many of you, she has tried numerous diets and exercise routines. Lost a few pounds here and there…but nothing significant or sustainable. If anything, her weight has been slowly going up. So Esther has decided to take her case to citygirlbites. She feels “going public” may help keep her motivated as well as control her urges to stray if she knows she will need to “cheat” (don’t like to use this word, but I will anyway!) in front all the readers. She has even agreed to put her pic on the blog.

Esther’s Story:
Martha:Esther, tell us why you decided to approach citygirlbites to “broadcast” your story.
 Esther: Since I am a city girl bites loyal fan I thought why not ask Martha to put me on her blog so I could not only feel accountable for myself but to make myself accountable to any blog readers.
 
Martha: Tell us a little bit about your weight history.
Esther: I have always been weight conscious and dieted on and off since junior high school.My weight fluctuated but usually it was a five pound difference up or down.I don’t know exactly when my weight increased a substantial amount but somehow my weight went from 121 to 131 to a high of 146 which is still a little unbelievable for me only being 5″2.

Martha: What kinds of “diets” have you tried?
Esther:In the past I would try anything that came along from the Scarsdale diet to drinking and eating grapefruits to “ burn fat “.  Since the weight I would usually lose would come right back on I realized that I needed a nutrition plan that didn’t deviate that much from how I normally eat. I then tried Jenny Craig which didn’t seem to take any weight off and I didn’t like eating foods that were prepared in advance and prepackaged.  The most recent plans I’ve tried are Atkins, South Beach and just plain Mediterranean eating ( from my origin ).  I’ve been avoiding processed foods and “fat free” “fake” food.  My main problem seems to be my portion control.

Martha: Tell us about your exercise program:
Esther:I’ve been a member of Equinox gym for seven years and when I go, I love being there, but getting there has not been consistent. I received an email from Equinox for a weight loss challenge so I decided it would be an opportunity to push myself and try to commit hoping for results.  During the challenge I’ve committed to working out with my personal trainer Anastasia twice a week as well as going to the gym for pilates & spinning classes.

Martha:Esther, tell us what your major problem areas are when it comes to controlling your weight (ie. eat out a lot,  alcohol, have trouble with bread basket, not enough consistent exercise, etc.)
Esther:I think aside from my portion control, I seem to be out of control when I socialize.  I try to stick to healthy meals but tend to sample other peoples plates.  I also have a habit of snacking in the evening whether it be more than one 100 calorie pack, too many nuts… and a few glasses of wine. I also attend a lot of industry events ( a few a month ) that pass around hors d’ouevres and champagne, wine… When I do go to industry events or out to dinner with friends, I end up skipping the gym.

Martha: Now that you are in serious weight loss mode, please tell us what you are eating on a typical day.
Esther: Here was a typical day (although there is really no such thing as typical for my schedule)
Friday May 9th: 
Breakfast: 
coffee 
once small cheese pie ( eggs, cheese) 
 
Lunch: 
2 small pieces of chicken 
1 smart ones pasta w/ vegetables in tomato sauce 
 
Snack: 
1 piece string cheese 
grapes & strawberries 
bite of dessert 
 
Dinner: 
1 1/2 glasses of white wine 
tapas:  steamed clams, 1 bite fresh mozzarella, 1 artichoke, 2 pieces zucchini sauteed in olive oil, 1 piece grilled octopus with lemon & olive oil 
chicory salad with oil & anchovies 
1/2 piece of steamed striped bass, one slice of steamed potato 
strawberries w/ one spoon of zabalone 
1 small espresso 
No exercise this day

Martha: I can see that eating out is a bit of a problem… more on this later!

Here are my recommendations to get you started:  
1. I would recommend a 1300 - 1400 calorie diet plan for you, assuming you are following  my exercise recommendations.

2. Keep daily food and exercise records, including beverages. We will post one weekday and one weekend day (I will choose the days to be posted!!) on citygirlbites.

3. Exercise recommendations:
a. trainer 2x/week
b. cardio 2-3 sessions/week
c. optional 1 pilates sessions/week
d. walk home from work at least 2 days a week. (this is a 45 minute walk)

4. Each week you will set goals and then report if you met them the next week. You also must report each “cheat”. Send in weekly reports of your weight, exercise schedule and how you did on your eating plan.

Martha:Now that we have your picture up,  if any of you city girls or guys see Esther on the street, give her some words of encouragement. On the other hand, if you catch her in a cheese shop purchasing chunks of cheese or see her grabbing food from others plates  in restaurants or see her ordering one too many glasses of wine, PLEASE confront her. She needs our support!

 Esther, BTW - I heard you are attending a potential problematic event Monday evening … Toast of the Town . For those of you who aren’t familiar with this event, here is a description “Well-dressed New Yorkers of all ages attend Wine Enthusiast’s Toast of the Town at the New York Theatre at Lincoln Center for an opportunity to sample over 500 different wines and dishes from select New York City restaurants”. Be careful Esther - we are watching you!!! We look forward to your first report this Friday.

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Unfortunately, most people who lose weight regain it. Not this guy! Those of you who followed the progress of the New Hampshire Biggest Loser Competition may remember one of the participants - and the winner - R.G. To refresh your memory, I was following a 12 week weight loss competition in New Hampshire between a group of guys. At week 11, GenX’r was leading the group with a 24.4 pound weight loss - closely followed by R.G. with a 22 pound weight loss. R.G. obviously did something drastic the last week of the competition as he dropped another 16.3 pounds in one week to lose a total of 38 pounds!!!! Therefore, R.G won the competition.

 One might wonder if R.G was able to keep the weight off.  Often times, weight tends to creep back on. But not with R.G. My brother Dustin (who is an amazing athlete and participant in the 750 mile bike race - check out my previous post) updated me on R.G’s progress. R.G. ran in the Groton Road Race in Massachusetts and placed 252 out of 751! He ran the 5k in 26.38 minutes  - 8:35 minutes miles. This was his fastest over the past 3 years. 

Pic is of my stepmother Hilkka (on the right), followed by my stepbrother Dustin, then the trim and lean R.G (yes- he really was a competitor in the race - his number was under his shirt) , and Sean, my brother-in-law (yes - Sean, you look lean and trim too!)

Keep up the great work R.G!!   I’ll do a follow-up post on the progress of the other guys who were in the weight loss competition in the next few weeks.

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I used to hate yogurt. I thought it was boring and unsatisfying. Things changed a few years ago when I found Fage (aka Total) Greek yogurt. I became obsessed with it. I have at least one a day - usually two. I  prefer the 2% vs. the nonfat. I will go from store to store to find this product. Often times, it is sold out in my local supermarket. So I’ll head to the nearest Korean deli where I’ll will grab 5, 6 or 7 containers - not even blinking with the huge price markup.  

This week, it struck me that I am not alone in my obsession. I must have had 8 clients this week alone who eat this Fage at some point in the day. It is amazing how this  yogurt has become an obsession.

Some of you may be wondering what is so different about Fage yogurt. It has a richer, creamier taste, is higher in protein and lower in carbs than most other yogurts. There are many different types of Fage yogurts available. Most of them are plain flavored. If you like a sweeter taste, you may want to add a sweetener. I would recommend the 2% product (7 oz, 130 calories, 4 gm fat, 8 gm carbs and 17 gm protein) or the 0% fat (5.3 oz, 80 calories, 0 gm fat, 6 gm carbs, 13 gm protein). Some of the other products are a lot higher in calories and fat, and some have added fruit or honey. Check out the website for the nutritional content of the different yogurts.

Suggestions as how to incorporate Fage into your diet:
1. Add fruit and 1/2 cup cereal for a filling breakfast. Add a little sweetener if needed.
2. Great afternoon snack as it contains a lot of protein. This will help to prevent blood sugar high’s and low’s.
3. Good pre or post workout snack because it contains both carbs and protein. As I discussed in my earlier post on sports nutrition, carbs and protein are important both prior to and after exercise.
4. For a dessert, add fruit or a little unsweetened cocoa and a sweetener for a low cal version of chocolate mousse.
5. Use it in place of sour cream to make dips or add to a baked potato

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You’ve probably heard the word organic a lot lately and perhaps you are wondering what organic actually means and if it’s really worth the hefty price tag.  First, let’s make one thing clear, in the food world, organic and natural are not synonyms and neither of them independently mean that a product is healthy.  The word “natural” is over-used when it comes to food so read the ingredients label to decide if a product really is natural.  Cookies, chips and other snack foods may contain organic ingredients, but that alone does not make them a healthy option.

So, what does the term organic actually mean?  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for the certification of organic foods.  The USDA defines organics as products produced “using materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems to minimize pollution from air, soil and water”.  This means that organic food is not genetically modified and is produced with minimal use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides and in the case of animals without antibiotics or growth hormones.  In order for a product to have a USDA organic seal, it must be at least 95% organic.  100% organic products will usually be labeled as such.  A product labeled with the statement “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70% organic ingredients; these products will not have an organic seal.
 
Benefits of eating organic foods
Two known benefits of eating organic are: reducing environmental pollution and limiting your exposure to pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, antibiotics and growth hormones.  None of the evidence against pesticides, growth hormones or other chemicals used in agriculture is significant enough for their use to be banned in the United States, however reported dangers associated with the use of these products include: genetic damage, nervous system damage, disrupted hormone function, infertility, cancer cell growth and harm to the skin, eyes and lungs.  There are studies that show increased vitamin and mineral concentrations in organic produce but there is not sufficient evidence to support a statement from the Department of Agriculture affirming that organic food is nutritionally superior to its conventional counterpart.

Is organic worth the cost?
The reason organic food is typically more expensive than conventional food is that organic farming practices are more expensive and organic farming results in lower crop yield. So, is ingesting fewer chemicals and reducing your carbon footprint worth the cost?  I like the idea, but I guess it’s ultimately a personal decision.  To help you out the Environmental Working Group have named the “dirty dozen” of produce; tests show that these foods have the most pesticide residue.  So if you do make the decision to try organics, these foods are a good start:

The “Dirty Dozen” include: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries. Check out this previous post for more info on the most and least contaminated fruits and veggies - and how to clean them.

Organic meats, poultry and baby food
Organic meat and poultry products are also an important consideration.  Organic meat and poultry products cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones, are able to roam outdoors, and eat only organic feed with no animal byproducts.  Additionally, for parents out there, organic baby food might be the way to go since smaller systems are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticides and fertilizers.  (Again, there are no official recommendations to this effect).

Where to find organic foods
One of the many benefits of living in New York City is that organic foods are quite accessible.  Many branches of Food Emporium carry a good selection of organic foods.  Most specialty stores like Gourmet Garage and Whole Foods Market carry organic foods. You are almost always guaranteed a great selection of organic foods at any New York City Greenmarket.   For added convenience, Fresh Direct offers a myriad of organic foods as part of their delivery service.  If you need some help getting started, Healthy Living NY  offers lists of grocery stores, markets and even restaurants that serve organic foods.  Check it out, perhaps its easier being green than you think.
 

I would like to thank Allison Arnett, Dietetic Intern at New York       
               Presbyterian Hospital for writing this article. 

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If any of you did the 5 Borough Bike Tour this past Sunday, I’m sure you will agree it was a great day.The weather started off not so good, on the cold side, with the threat of rain. However, as the day progressed the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this ride, here is a little info:
- the largest ride in the country (30,000 people)
- it goes through all 5 boroughs, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island
- the streets are closed to traffic
-you get to go over bridges and tunnels on a bike
- great way to see parts of the city you would otherwise not get to see on a bike

Now, the point of this post… Cycling is one of my passions and I am usually quite prepared with food and fluid for the ride. However, I am not an early morning person and tend to bike later in the day. So here was the first problem for me -  I had to get up at 6:30 am for the tour. I overslept a bit and really didn’t have much time for breakfast - assuming I could get food at the starting line. Since we were late to arrive and were surrounded by 30,000 people starting the tour, there was no food in sight. So - problem #1: no breakfast.(Pic on the right of me and 2 friends, Tom and John, enjoying a few cold ones to help us replete our glycogen stores).

There were multiple rest stops during the ride serving snacks such as fruit and mini energy bars. I had a few of those … but you can only eat so many until your stomach starts to hurt. So I limited my intake of the bars. Problem #2: inadequate fuel.

Huge lines for the port-o-potties. Not so condusive for encouraging fluid intake. That and the port-o-potties themselves…. (say no more on that subject). Problem #3: inadequate fluid.

After the tour ended, we found a great bar in Staten Island  (this is where the tour ended) right near the ferry. Not sure of the name, however it had a big picture on parrot eating people on the outside of the bar. Nice! Problem #4: the “cold ones” took the place of eating food. Get a little tipsy after biking 40 miles with minimal food and fluid.

Multiple beers later, several friends were made and all in all, it was a great day. (Pic on the right is of new friends also enjoying multiple cold ones. City girls… you might want to check out this tour next year  :)  )

However, note to self for the next early morning ride:

1. Do not sleep through alarm. Get adequate sleep the night before. Forgo going out.
2. Plan your food that you will take with you on the ride the day before.
3. Do not skip breakfast and assume that you will find something later to eat.
4. Take more advantage of the energy bars they provide along the ride at the rest stops. Forget about the fact that they slightly upset your stomach.
5. Better yet, pack your own food.
6. Drink more fluids during the ride. Do not let your dislike of port-o-potties and long lines hinder your fluid consumption.
7. Bring sunscreen even if it is raining. You never know when the sun will break out and give you an unwanted sunburn.
8. Take part in the after riding “festivities” with the other riders at the local pub … as long as you don’t have too far to bike home. Of course, moderation is a good idea.
9. Replete with more water after ride and try to eat something containing carbs within 1 hour of your ride. This will hydrate you and help to replete your glycogen stores.

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I often recomend nuts as a healthy snack. However portion control is a problem for many people. How many of you city girls have you found your hand glued to the bowl of nuts at the bar as you are sipping on your cosmo? Or you city guys going through a can of nuts while watching the game?  

Nuts are a great heart healthy snack, however they are quite high in calories. Check out my post Do You Go Nuts Over Nuts? for calorie info. For those you who are watching your weight and don’t have the discipline to control your portion of nuts, I have found the answer for you -  100 calorie packs of almonds. I’ve been waiting for someone to come out with 100 calorie pack of something healthy…rather than all the cookies and other processed snacks. These mini bags of nuts were spotted in a supermarket in NYC. Check your local store to see if you can find them. If not, you can buy them online at this link.

Benefits of having nuts for a snack
1. Nuts, especially almonds, have been shown in many studies to help lower risk of heart disease by several different mechanisms.

2. Nuts have been shown to lower risk of diabetes.

3. While we know that nuts are high in calories, they have actually been shown to promote weight loss. No, this doesn’t mean that you can down a can of nuts and expect the pounds to drop off. The greater weight loss occured when an equal amount of calories from nuts were substituted for carbohydrate.  

4. For those of you following lower glycemic diets, research has shown that eating almonds along with a high glycemic index food significantly lowers the glycemic index of the meal and lessens the rise in blood sugar after eating.

5. Nuts contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats, Vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

6. Nuts are great snacks for carb cravers as they help to stabilize blood sugar.

Enjoy!

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