Let’s talk “Fast Food”!

As you might guess, I’m not a frequent visitor at places like McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s.  There is nothing on their menus that I’m allowed to eat.  Even the apple slices have stuff on them to “preserve” them.  The only place I drive through is Starbucks, and then I get a plain brewed coffee.  Sometimes, if I’m honest, I miss those days of being able to pull through and grab something quick to eat.  As much as I assure myself I’m better off, it doesn’t stop the pangs of hunger I get when I catch a whiff of fresh french fries out of the fryer.  It’s really bad when I’m traveling for a long distance and my fellow travelers are chowing down on a Double Double or the like.

The other thing that I am envious of are those people who can drink the protein shakes to help them lose weight, or have a fast meal.  As much as these companies try to accommodate “sensitive eaters”, they can’t come close to anything I can consume.

Do I let that get me down?  Sometimes.  However, I’m a pretty stubborn individual and kept seeking out solutions to my quandary.   Constantly I’m reading labels on new products, and old ones, hoping they’ve improved them enough for me to be able to eat them.  By doing this, I ran across LaraBars. http://www.larabar.com/  This company is non-GMO, for those of you who prefer that, but most importantly to me, was the fact they don’t use but a few ingredients in their bars.  For example, the Cherry Pie bar has only 3 ingredients.  REALLY!!!   Unsweetened cherries, dates, and almonds are all they use.  It gives me a portable snack that is 1/4 cup of fruit and 5 grams of protein.  Granted, there are some that include chocolate, and those I can’t have, but there are so many yummy other ones.  Most of the time I pick them up by handfuls at the Smith’s store, unless of course it’s holiday time.  Around Thanksgiving, LaraBar comes out with my two FAVORITE bars – Pumpkin Pie, and Gingerbread.  Absolutely life altering! It’s then that I buy whole box fulls!  😀  They are a great thing to throw in my purse or my car console to have when those hunger pangs come out of nowhere.

larabar

As for those protein shakes…  It took a while for manufacturers to get it together, but now I can buy unsweetened almond milk.  Yes, I could make my own, and it’d be better, but for convenience sake, I can now get it without tons of other junk in it.  For my smoothies, I blend almost two cups of almond milk, with some coconut milk (Trader Joe’s has one that is pure and doesn’t contain sugar – it’s the “Light” version), a banana, some honey, vanilla and cinnamon.  It’s super good and pretty fast.

Although I try to keep these blogs short for all my ADD friends, this one might be a bit longer so I can give you the benefits of that shake I have.  Here are 10 healthy reasons for using almond milk:

10 Benefits of Almond Milk

1. It helps with weight management.

One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, as opposed to 146 calories in whole milk, 122 calories in 2 percent, 102 calories in 1 percent, and 86 calories in skim. It makes for a great substitute that will help you lose or maintain your current weight.

2. It keeps your heart healthy.

There’s no cholesterol or saturated fat in almond milk. It’s also low in sodium and high in healthy fats (such as omega fatty acids, typically found in fish), which helps to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease.

3. It keeps your bones strong.

While it doesn’t offer as much calcium as cow’s milk, almond milk does offer 30 percent of the recommended daily amount, as well as 25 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin D, reducing your risk for arthritis and osteoporosis and improving your immune function. Plus, these two nutrients work together to provide healthy bones and teeth formation.

4. It keeps your skin glowing.

Almond milk contains 50 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E, which contains antioxidant properties essential to your skin’s health, such as protecting it against sun damage.

5. It barely impacts your blood sugar.

Almond milk (with no additives) is low in carbs, which means it won’t significantly increase your blood sugar levels, reducing your risk for diabetes. Because of its low glycemic index, your body will use the carbs as energy so the sugars aren’t stored as fat (score!).

6. It contributes to muscle strength and healing.

Although almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it contains plenty of B vitamins such as iron and riboflavin, both important for muscle growth and healing.

7. It keeps your digestion in check.

Almond milk contains almost one gram of fiber per serving, which is important for healthy digestion.

8. It doesn’t contain lactose.

Lactose intolerance impacts about 25% of the US population, which means they have difficulty digesting the sugar in cow’s milk. This makes almond milk a suitable, lactose-free substitute.

9. It tastes better than cow’s milk.

Almond milk doesn’t taste like cow’s milk, perfect for those who are turned off by the taste. It has its own unique flavor many describe as being light and crisp. Bonus: it’s versatile, meaning you can use it instead of cow’s milk in recipes that require it. It won’t have the same taste, but it will have the same consistency.

10. It doesn’t require refrigeration.

Knowing that you don’t have to refrigerate almond milk means you’ll be more likely to take it with you to work, or on a camping trip. It’s perfectly fine at room temperature which makes it a convenient, nutritious staple to pack, automatically upping your daily intake of all the fabulous nutrients above.

As for coconut milk:  Coconuts are highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Unlike cow’s milk, coconut milk is lactose free so can be used as a milk substitute by those with lactose intolerance. It is a popular choice with vegans and makes a great base for smoothies, milkshakes or as a dairy alternative in baking.

And we all know bananas are full of potassium and help lower blood pressure, but if you need 25 reasons to add more bananas to your diet, check out this site:  http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/25-powerful-reasons-to-eat-bananas

Honey is a natural antibiotic, which is why people tell you to have tea and honey when you’re sick, but honey is a great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies. Honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. So, before your run in the morning, have a teaspoon of honey to help you run a bit further!

Cinnamon has antioxidants, which have been linked to better heart health,  blood sugar regulation, diabetes protection, better brain function (who couldn’t use THAT!! 😉 ), and many other wonderful attributes.

So, I may not be able to have packaged smoothies, but I think mine is pretty healthy.  😛

6 thoughts on “Let’s talk “Fast Food”!”

  4. Almonds are also one of the few protein sources that are alkaline. Keeping the body alkaline creates an environment that parasites hate, and so does cancer! For those battling GERD, or other digestive issues, almonds are a gift from God because eating them (or drinking the milk) doesn’t add acid… Gotta love those almonds! 😀

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