That's Fit

Remember how happy we all felt when Lay's introduced Baked Potato Chips? I do. It was a feeling of relief for me. I had given up chips in lieu of a hard fit body. Fair exchange I thought! But then, there was this company telling me that they weren't going to fry all of their chips anymore, and yes ... there would be a healthier version for people like me. Yahoo!

Once again, snack lovers get to rejoice. The LesserEvil brand snack company has created an amazing variety of popcorns and krinkle potato sticks to make just about everyone drool. Most single servings contain about 110 calories of which about 20 come from fat. Not bad!

The Classic Kettle Corn is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and thank goodness my bag was a single serving. If it weren't, I could have devoured nine! It was better than any of the junky stuff they sell at carnivals for sure! The Black and White Kettle Corn made my children's "movie night" here at home an even more special event. Good news for me ... I didn't feel the slightest bit bad about giving it to them. The Zesty Pizza Krinkle Sticks were odd to my husband and I though. Why? Because we could not figure out how they made them taste exactly like pizza! It was both weird and wonderful at the same time.

Summer is the perfect time for hot dogs at the family BBQ, big pretzels at the county fair, and cold treats straight from the ice cream truck. Although these foods can be less-than-perfect options for our kids who love them so -- think lots of salt, sugar, and fat -- WedMD says they can be not so bad, really. Check them out.

• Nachos & Quesadillas
• Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
• Ice Cream
• Frozen Yogurt
• Waffles and pancakes
• Marshmallows
• Popcorn
• Watermelon
  
  

Hot dogs? Healthy? I never thought so. Try light and reduced-fat dogs and you'll be OK, says Sarah Krieger, an American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokeswoman.

I'm pretty torn: Do I go see the big green guy tear up New York City tomorrow night or watch the first R-rated release from M. Night Shyamalan? As of this writing, I'm leaning toward seeing The Incredible Hulk, although I wonder if a "sold-out" sign may force me to go with option number two, The Happening.

Whichever tentpole film I ultimately decide on, I can't fall victim to a far more real threat than a 9-foot tall, 1,500-pound green monster or an inexplicable phenomenon that causes people to commit suicide. Yup, I'm talking about the calorie- and fat-laden food expo that is the movie theater concession stand.

To assist me in my efforts to steer clear of the worst offenders, help is available thanks to Men's Health and Yahoo!, who published this list of The 6 Worst Things to Eat at the Movies.

1. Large Popcorn - 1,283 calories, 78g fat (49g saturated fat), 1,850mg sodium

2. Large Nachos with Cheese - 1,101 calories, 59g fat (18.5g saturated fat), 1,580mg sodium

In my expert opinion, yes! Disney World is the healthiest place on earth. I just returned from a five-night, six-day vacation with my husband and two children and was blown away by the amount of physical activity both offered and required of ourselves in order to indulge in the full Disney experience.

We pushed our double-stroller miles through two theme parks, climbed thousands of stairs and jumped an equal amount of waves at two water-parks, danced our tushies off to live bands at various Disney resorts, and played game after game with our children as we giggled, oohed and ahhed at all the Disney magic. As a fitness trainer, one of my biggest obstacles is convincing my clients not to trash their fitness efforts when they head out on vacation. Disney offers the perfect opportunity to not only maintain one's fitness level, but improve it.

The physical adventures are endless, and Disney World has made a deliberate effort to increase the availability of legitimately nutritious, low fat, and lower sugar foods. Fruit stands have popped up all over the theme parks, and children's dining has switched from burgers and fries to grilled chicken with carrots and grapes offered as side dishes. Soda has been dumped for low fat milk! I can't get food that "clean" in my own neighborhood, unless I cook it myself! Of course, the old junkie favorites like popcorn, fries, and ice cream are still available, but if you do care about your health and want to maintain it on vacation ... Disney makes it easy.

Beer and chips and nachos, oh my! It's amazing how certain times of year can turn a sport -- something that's supposed to be a healthy activity -- into a supremely non-healthy activity for its fans. Hours in front of the TV munching on calorie and fat-laden snacks does not turn you into an athlete like you see on the screen. You're more likely to walk away from a sports season a few pounds heavier than anything. If you find yourself hopelessly glued to the tube for March Madness, take a look at Revolution Health's 16 tips to help you get through March Madness sanely and healthfully. Check out the gallery to see the tips.

Always in search of something healthy to nosh on, I just came across a new way to get a good amount of protein from a snack, without it coming at the expense of high carbs, too much fat, or a heaping amount of sugar. Oh yeah, or bad taste. It's called Power Pop, and it's a protein-packed, gluten-free flavored popcorn from BBNC Snacks.

Unlike other popcorn snacks, Power Pop was designed for the fitness buff. As a matter of fact, the owner of the company boasts an impressive physical transformation from coach potato to bodybuilding champion. Granted, this change did not occur overnight, nor did it take place exclusively because the guy ate Power Pop. But, what it does show is that this is a snack that health-conscious people don't have to feel guilty about eating.

I've personally tried all five flavors: Barbecue, Chocolate Caramel, Cappuccino, Caramel, and Lemon Meringue. And though I'm partial to caramel and lemon meringue, all of them were pretty tasty.

To try Power Pop for yourself, you can purchase it directly from their website: www.bbncsnacks.com

I hear it from my kids all the time: "I'm telling!" And now I'm here to tell on one of your maybe favorite treats: Buttery microwave popcorn. I'm sorry to be the one to do it but I must inform you of a potentially harmful chemical found in the artificial butter. It's called Diacetyl.

When tested on rats, Diacetyl -- also used in other snack foods, cheese, and bakery products to enhance aroma and taste -- caused significant damage in airway passages. When officials at Orville Redenbacher were asked about Diacetyl, they reported that the issue centers around workplace exposure, not consumer consumption. They were confident their processes were safe. But one employee in one plant was awarded $20 million for injuries caused by the chemical.

It seems popcorn workers can develop what's called "popcorn workers lung." And while government agencies claim microwave popcorn poses no risk to humans, the FDA has yet to conduct a study on the issue that may be remedied by proper plant ventilation.

If this topic causes you any concern, try opening your bags of popcorn under a vent to release fumes. Or go the old fashioned route and cook your corn over the stove and then add butter. Or forgo the butter altogether. It'll save on chemicals -- and calories too.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Pam

Age: 28

Occupation: Teacher

How often do you exercise? Three times a week

What type of exercise do you do? I work out at home to DVDs. My favorites are Tae Bo, Kickboxing, Turbo Jam and Denise Austin. In the summertime, I workout in the pool and do water aerobics. I also like to walk daily and jump on a mini trampoline.

Hi ... my name's Chris ... and I'm a salt addict.

I sometimes put salt on food before tasting if it needs it. I've, on more than one occasion, actually taken a swig or two from the pickle jar because the juice tastes so nice and salty. And, if I go to the movies and order a popcorn, I sometimes swipe the salt shaker from the counter and bring it into the theater with me to keep my popcorn seasoned until the very last kernel (just for the record, I always put it back on the counter when the movie ends).

My health is extremely important to me, which is why my salt issue is so anomalous. Work out? Yup, 5 days per week. Eat clean? Except for the salt, extremely so. Get enough sleep? At least 7 hours. Stressed? Not at all. Smoke? Nope. Drink alcohol excessively? Not since college, really. Have a family history of medical conditions? Fortunately, no.

It's just the salt.

That's why I found a recent study, on adapting to a low-salt diet , to be so interesting. Apparently, study participants who switched to a low-sodium diet were amenable to continuing to eat in that manner after they realized that food can still be tasty without so much of it. If you're just as interested in reading more about this study, follow this link and read on.

For me, and for many I imagine, the holiday season is also movie season. It's one of the only times of the year when I take time off for myself, and taking in a show is a great way to enjoy my time off when it's cold outside. I'm a sucker for that movie popcorn, though. Even thinking about it makes me drool. Since I only seem to go to the movies once or twice a year, it's not a big deal for me to indulge, but if you're a regular movie-goer, you'll need to re-vamp your list of treats -- eating the popcorn every week can add up fast.

Here are some tips for eating well at the movies:

-Instead of a candy bar, go for Glossett Raisins. They have less calories and just as much flavour. Or, instead of chocolate, go for licorice. It has less fat. Or, go for those all-fruit gummy bears for an even healthier choice.
-Instead of regular chips, by some baked chips. Your theatre might not have them so bring a large purse or backpack and smuggle them in.
-Instead of movie popcorn, make your own at home. You can opt for the microwave variety, or make your own on the stove. Again, pack it in the big purse/backpack.
-If you need some sort of sweet drink, choose Gatorade over pop -- it has less sugar and more nutrients. Or, if you want to be even healthier, opt for water.

After the recent "popcorn lung" incident was discovered, the U.S. Congress acted this week to limit the exposure to workers who are employed at plants that produce microwave (and other) popcorn, citing exposure to diacetyl. Diacetyl is a common butter flavoring used on many butter-flavored popcorn products.

Stating that further delays could cost lives, Congress dismissed OSHA's non-stance on safe exposure levels of diacetyl, while the Republicans in the U.S. House hastened the move as being "premature."

Although diacetyl is found naturally in many foods (cheese and butter, for example), the concentrations inhaled by popcorn factory workers have been blamed for lawsuits claiming illness due to bronchiolitis obliterans -- otherwise known as "popcorn lung."

It can be tough to make a conscious effort to pass on easy and tasty fast foods in favor of products that are good for you. You've got to take the time to learn how to eat healthy and to educate yourself on exactly what that means, in addition to learning to like the taste of stuff that's good for you.

I imagine that for those who have made the shift, this article could be pretty frustrating because it points out what types of normally healthy foods you should stay away from. For that reason it's definitely worth a read but who wants to hear that the foods they've switched to might actually be bad for them?

So what should you look out for?

• Fish - Fish is full of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, but some types like tuna can be full of mercury while farmed salmon contains PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyl), which can cause cancer.
• Yogurt - Boasting health benefits like high calcium and protein content, a lot of the yogurt at the store is full of sugar and even fat.
• Green Tea - Consumption of brewed green tea is linked to better cardiovascular health among other benefits but the hot drink has become trendy, leading companies to sell bottled blends that contain almost as much sugar as soda.
• Popcorn - Despite what a lot of people think, this high fiber, low calorie snack food is actually pretty good for you -- until it gets loaded up with salt and butter that is. Movie popcorn is often the worst culprit.
• Pizza - When covered with veggies, lean meats and low-fat cheese, I'm a firm believer that pizza can be a really healthy meal. When ordered from a fast food joint and smothered with extra cheese, processed meat and no vegetables, pizza is extremely high in calories and fat.

All is not lost though, there are still ways to enjoy the otherwise healthy foods. To find out more about how to keep them healthy, you can read the entire article here.

One of my favourite indulgences is popcorn. I especially love the stuff you get at the movie theatre but I know how bad it is so I satisfy my salty cravings with some homemade kernels. If I'm feeling lazy, I'll use the air popper but my favourite way to pop corn is on the stove, with a bit of olive oil. It's tasty, fresh and not all that bad for you, if you don't add extra butter of course. Have you made popcorn this way? If you answer's yes, you know how good it is. No? DIY Life has an informative video for you on how to make it. It's so easy!

Next time your craving popcorn with a movie, don't head to the theatre -- make some at home. Of if you just have to go to the theatre, sneak some homemade popcorn into the theatre and enjoy it with some cold water.

I've come to realize that there are two types of people in the world: the sweet and the salty. No, I'm not talking about their disposition, I'm talking about their cravings. Some people have a major sweet tooth and when they're craving something, they reach for the chocolate or the ju jubes. Others crave salty things and will go for the chips. That's not to say that sweet people can't crave salty and vice versa, but they usually have one or the other as their default craving.

My point? I'm a sweet, so I've done a few posts on low-cal sweets that can satisfy this palate of mine. But I though I'd give the salties something to munch on and offer these suggestions, which include:

• Edamame, which is steamed soy beans lightly sea salted
• Roasted pumpkin seeds with a dash of salt
• Reduced-Fat Triscuits
• Light microwave popcorn (or air-popped -- even better!)

Salties, what's your favourite indulgence?

All the dieting experts are saying it lately: total deprivation does not work. It leaves you craving things you normally might not, because when you can't have it, you want it. Here's a better idea: why not allow yourself a few smart indulgences? The key to a 'smart' indulgence is to indulgence in moderation. AOL offers up these great indulgences. What made the list? Hershey kisses for the chocoholics, Cool Whip light for the creamy sweettooths, Air-popped popcorn for those who need something salty, plus a few more. I'm a cheese fiend so one of my favourite treats is a mini babybel or a couple of non-fat laughing cow wedges.

What treats do you allow yourself?