Mike Cheliak: Photography, Fitness, Nutrition and Life

How to buy a Digital Camera

DO THE DUE (DILIGENCE)
Before you buy any larger priced item, it is critical to do your research first.  With the Internet, it is now ridiculously easy to accomplish all of your comparison shopping at your own pace, from your own computer and without a commission sales person pressuring you.  All the information you need to narrow your search is right at your fingertips.  Once you have selected some possible candidates, take your information, print it and go shopping!  

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO USE YOUR CAMERA?
Buying your first digital camera can be really confusing given all the functions, details and differences. The most important part of your camera and equipment choices will be determined by how you intend on using it.

- Will you shoot most of your photos indoors or outdoors?
- Will you shoot mostly static (still) scenes and portraits or will you shoot mostly action sports?
- Will you be shooting landscape scenes, close-up (macro) or distance shots (nature, sports)?
- Are you a hobbyist, a sports mom or dad, a serious amateur or a budding pro?
- What will you do with your photos (print, web, desktop publishing…)?

SIZE MATTERS
You have to figure out what you are going to do with your camera and one key aspect is the size of the actual unit.  There are cameras that fit in your pocket and then there are professional DSLR cameras that are very large and cumbersome.  Where do your needs fall?  If you are simply using your camera as a carry around for family shots, vacation photos and similar things, a small full feature point and shoot is what you want.  If you are a sports mom or dad who wants to do some really good stop action photos of your son or daughter, you want a DSLR that has enough features to do this.  Remember, you have to carry the camera and supportive equipment with you so take all of this in consideration.

THE LENS
Digital point and shoot cameras come with a zoom lens built into the camera.  Zoom lenses on these cameras range from 3X – 12X Optical zoom and getting more all the time.  Digital Zoom is of no real consequence unless we are talking about video cameras.  If you need more flexibility, better optics and interchange ability, you would be best served considering a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex).

GET A DIGITAL COPY OF THE MANUAL
Every camera has a manual in the box.  Most companies also support their cameras with an online PDF version of the manual.  Go to the site and download it!  The online version is much more readable and user friendly.

WHICH MODEL IS MOST CURRENT?
The digital camera market is one of the most competitive consumer electronic markets around.  Companies are constantly upgrading their camera lines and go through new model cycles about every 14-18 months.  This is something to research.  Check the forums and Google searches for information on when the new model you might be interested in will be launched.  This can work in a number of ways.  You may want the latest and greatest version, you may fall into a great deal on “last year’s model” and you can also do a bunch of review research on models that have been on the market for a while. Newer camera releases are much harder to get reliable reviews on.

RESEARCH CAMERA MANUFACTURER SITES
The digital camera market is wide open.  It seems everyone is launching their line of cameras.  The old names in the camera business (Nikon, Canon, Kodak…) have been joined by other companies with a long history in consumer electronics, computers and imaging products (Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Sony.  This is both good and bad for the camera market.  It adds a lot of companies into a finite market and some just won’t survive.  This leaves the consumer with some serious choices into which company they put their faith into.  On the other hand; it also creates a very active market and which leads to better pricing strategies by the companies in the mix.

CHECK ONLINE RESOURCES
Forums like Photo.net (www.photo.net) and review sites like Digital Photography Review (www.dpreview.com) are popular and very well trafficked sites.  They have a wealth of information from people like yourself and expert users alike.  Other reviews and news sites that are useful are Steve’s DigiCams (www.steves-digicams.com) and Digital Review (www.digitalreview.ca/) have been around for a very long time and are great resources as well.

 VISIT MORE THAN JUST “BIG BOX” STORES
When you are in the final stages of purchasing your camera, go to as many resources (online and offline) as you can.  Check online places like eBay, Amazon and Henry’s (they also have physical storefronts).  Also make a point of visiting your local camera store.  You will be surprised at the ability of these smaller stores to match prices.  You may have to wait a few days for your purchase but you can be assured of great service both at the sale and with any follow up.  Most of these stores also have very knowledgeable people who are themselves photographers.
  
AVOID THE GRAY AREA
Gray market products have flooded the stores and are very prevalent in some online sites.  A gray market product is a cheaper version sold in a country or distribution zone outside of the normal area of business.  This almost always voids the warranty and tech support once the product is purchased.  Check the serial number of the product and request information from the manufacturer in your Country to verify its authenticity.  Most online resources like eBay have very strict rating systems and you can do some in-depth research on the vendor via the eBay site and feedback.

HOLD THE GRAVY PLEASE!
Package deals (camera plus lens, plus bag, plus flash, plus tripod) are really no more than the stores way of sprucing up a deal with some low end budget items.  The most critical part is the lens.  Often, a consumer buying their first DSLR will get a packaged lens with the deal only to find out that your camera is only as good as what it sees!  A budget lens is no deal at all.  Treat every accessory including tripod, flash, bag, memory card, batteries…with the same respect as you do the camera.  Do your research, establish your needs and fit them into your budget.  Most stores will be happy to give you a good price on a bunch of items that you pick out.  If they don’t, go to another store!

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
When you are ready to purchase your camera and equipment, you have a number of things to consider.  Price of the equipment, local taxes, shipping and handling (if purchased other than locally) and the duties, taxes and currency exchange (if purchased from another country).  Be very careful when doing your cost estimates.  The hidden costs of purchasing the camera can turn around and bite you if you don’t factor them into your budget.  If purchasing your camera from most big box stores, you will likely be hit with “THE EXTENDED WARRANTY” pitch.  My advice is to take the chance; the manufacturer’s one year warranty and don’t buy the extended warranty.  Like insurance, these warranties are just money machines for the companies selling them.  Most are never used and the money is substantial.  Is satisfaction GUARANTEED?  This is a question you need to know.  If you aren’t happy with your purchase, how long do you have to return it for a refund or exchange?  Know the store policy in advance to avoid any problems if they arise.

IN SHORT
You are making a big purchase.  Doing your research in advance will make sure you have all the information needed to make a confident well informed decision.  You also have to make a realistic budget based on your needs, wants and uses.  While it would be nice to be able to just say “give me the best and don’t worry about the price”; most of us live in the real world of work, family and finite income and spending money!

In Happiness and Health as Always…

Mike C.

Time Efficient Workouts

Spending hours at the gym has been proven to actually be counter productive to your fitness goals.  Your ideal window of opportunity to see real results is about 45 minutes.  Warm-up and cool down periods and be thought of as extra but I really try to hammer out my workouts in under 50 minutes including everything.

Using Turbulence Training has helped me to not only gain amazing results in the gym but it has also taught me how to put together programs for myself that are based on the same time proven principles.  The key is to maximize the work you do in the most efficient amount of time.  While this does not mean running around like a lunatic; it does mean that you don’t sit around admiring yourself in the gym mirrors for 3-5 minutes between sets.

The principles of Craig’s programs are not unique but they are refined.  The programs you do are based almost exclusively on super-sets (2 exercises back to back).  This idea has been around for a long time but using it effectively has been a challenge.  The important part is that you MUST challenge yourself to do your exercises correctly, with excellent form and at a level of intensity that makes you work hard and limit the time between your sets (usually about 1 minute).  These adjustments alone will kick-start any fitness program.

Combining super-set movements is not exactly easy in that you have to do work that will challenge two separate muscle movements.  Combining any two exercises together won’t necessarily work.  You need to have a plan and that is where the expertise of someone like Craig Ballantyne comes in.

Now that the resistance part of the workout has been covered, let’s move on to the next phase; CARDIO!  Actually, using cardio in a fat loss program simply sucks.  It is counter productive to your final goal and wastes valuable time.  The use of HIIT (High intensity interval training) has come to the forefront in the last few years.  HIIT is more efficient, more productive and more effective than Cardio…PERIOD!

Long periods of steady state cardio exercises are highly catabolic (it eats muscle as well as fat).  In a fat-loss program, you need to build muscle in order to increase the rate at which you burn calories.  HIIT on the other hand increases your metabolic burn by almost 4 times that of regular cardio and in the process doesn’t make you lose muscle.  In 10-20 minutes of HIIT, you supercharge your body for HOURS after the exercise is done.  In other words, your metabolism keeps cooking the fat off!

So the final idea I have tried to give you is this; More time in the gym can actually sabotage your results.  Get a program that allows you to be in and out in under an hour including your warm-up, resistance training, HIIT, cool down and stretching.  Doing this 3 times a week and adding in some light activity (walking, biking…) on off days while giving yourself one full day rest will give you sustainable and amazing results.

Don’t forget that if you are a novice in the gym or to any fitness program that you should consider getting professional advice first in order to ensure your safety and success.  Visit Craig online at Turbulence Training for a risk free trial to his programs.  You must also realize that no amount of working out can out train a bad diet.  If you eat lousy, your results will be lousy as well!

In happiness and health as always…

Mike C.

A Feel Good Hockey Story

As a sports photographer, I cover and provide services to a large number of minor league sports organizations and many different sports.  Once in a while you are lucky enough to be close to a story like this.

Rick Jones is a person I have known for almost 7 years now.  Though our dealings mostly have to do with the hockey league he is involved in, I also call him a friend.  His dedication to the Special Needs program he helps run is amazing.  Nothing but the best for all the kids and young adults that he coaches.

Late last week I got an email from Rick and I am going to post it along with the attached email he received from the RBC Local Hockey Leaders Program.  I will allow the content to speak for itself.

Most often, people like Rick are the last ones you will ever find seeking accolades for their volunteer efforts, yet they are the ones who truly deserve our support, acknowledgement and recognition.  If you know of someone in your local sports community who is devoted and deserves to be recognized, find a program like the RBC Hockey Leaders and nominate them.  They deserve it!

RICK’S EMAIL
Hi Friends & Family,

As many of you may or may not know, a while ago I received a letter from the RBC selection committee notifying me that I had been nominated to be a Local RBC hockey Leader in our community. I was very thrilled to find out that not only my very own daughter Rachel but one of the parents from our local Special needs CYO Heat team Mark Middleton, had written a letter to the contest. Five weeks later I was notified that I was a finalist in the selection process. This morning I was notified again to find out I was chosen to represent our region as an Olympic torch bearer and the winner of this contest. Below is a list of the prizes and things accompanying the award.
I am very thankful to these folks for their confidence in me and I will be making the donation of $10,000 TO THE CYO HEAT SPECIAL NEEDS HOCKEY  program. It will be a very exciting time doing this for our community and I hope that many of you will support me along the way. Please note the times this Monday for the official announcement on TSN 2 & TSN. I hope you all tune in.

Thanks again,
Rick.

RICK’S CONFIRMATION EMAIL
Hi Rick,

Congratulations on being named a 2009 RBC Local Hockey Leaders

As I mentioned on the call as an RBC Local Hockey Leaders you have won the following:
• $10,000 to a local minor hockey cause of your choosing
• A trip for two to Toronto for a special event at the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 16th, 2009 (flight and one night’s accommodations provided)
• a signed Team Canada jersey
• As an exciting addition, for the 2009 RBC Local Hockey Leaders program, each winner will receive a Team Spot for you and up to 20 of your friends and family to carry the Olympic Flame in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.
TSN2 will announce the RBC Local Hockey Leaders winners live during the first intermission of the RBC Cup at 4:30 p.m. EST.  TSN will air 0 it tape delayed at 8:30 PST. 
Your photo-op has been scheduled for: 1:30 p.m. Monday, at the Ice Dogs Arena
The photographers name is: Bobb Barrett, 905-357-2018
For the photo, please wear solid coloured clothing, if you have a minor hockey jacket or shirt, you are welcome to wear that.  As I mentioned the local RBC Branch manager will be in attendance to present you with the official RBC Local Hockey Leaders banner to be raised at your arena.  Please feel free to invite your family and friends to the photo-op.
 For more information on the program please visit www.rbclocalhockeyleaders.com.  Please find attached a copy of the nomination essay submitted on your behalf.  I will be in touch in the next week to arrange for your travel to Toronto, but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Congratulation on this well deserved honour,

Katie
RBC Local Hockey Leaders

My most heartfelt congratulations to Rick Jones for this amazing accomplishment.  Also many congratulations to all the great people that help to make the CYO Heat Program among the best anywhere! 

In Happiness and Health as always…

Mike C.

Mother is not just a day

Happy Mother’s Day to all the dedicated women who are the anchor to their children.  It is only one day in 365 but we should really stretch our appreciation of Mom to all the days of the year.  Although my Mom passed away a couple years ago; I still take the time to appreciate all she did for us 5 kids.

Take time to honour your Mother.  Whether in memory, by a phone call or in person; take the time to make the effort to truly appreciate what your mother means to you.

Men, also take time to honour your wife on Mother’s Day.  As your partner in raising your children, it is her Ying to your Yang that makes your children.  Think of the one person besides yourself that you rely on to make the best decisions for your children.  Now think about all the times she has been there when you couldn’t.  Show your appreciation for this and all the little things she does to make all your lives more complete.

I honour my late mother’s memory and I give great thanks for my wife Rose who is the love of my life, the mother of our children and the common sense anchor that keeps everything in perspective.

I pay special attention to this on Mother’s Day but I also appreciate the same qualities and give thanks for them every day of the year!

In happiness and health to all on this celebration of our Mothers

Mike C.

Camera Resolution

In today’s consumer driven economy of bigger, badder, faster, it can be a bit confusing when you get to a camera’s resolution.  More mega-pixels equals better camera…right?  Not really.  The quality of the sensor, the type of sensor and the processing ability of the camera are all critical parts as well.

The term “resolution” has two meanings in photography.  Originally it referred to the ability of a camera system to resolve pairs of fine lines such as those on a test chart.  In this usage it’s an indicator of sharpness, not image size.  With the introduction of digital cameras the term began being used to indicate the number of pixels a camera could capture.

The pixel size of a digital image is specified in one of two ways— by its dimensions in pixels or by the total number of pixels it contains.  For example, the same image can be said to have 4368 × 2912 pixels (where “×” is pronounced “by” as in “4368 by 2912″), or to contain 12.7 million pixels or Mega-pixels (4368 multiplied by 2912).

As you might expect, all other things being equal, costs rise with a camera’s resolution.  Greater resolution also creates other problems.  For example, more pixels mean larger image files.  Not only do larger files take more storage space, they put greater demands on systems and networks when you edit, email, and post them on a Web site.  It also puts more emphasis on the type of media you use to capture the images.  Faster and higher capacity Compact Flash or SD cards are needed for higher res images.  You will end up spending a lot of money just on your storage media, let alone drive space on your computer
 
Commando Fact
Lower resolutions (screen sized images) such as 640 x 480 are perfect for Web publishing, e-mail attachments, small prints, or images in documents and presentations.  For these uses, higher resolutions just increase file sizes without significantly improving the images.

Beware of claims about resolution for cameras because there are two kinds of resolution; optical and interpolated. The optical resolution of a camera or scanner is an absolute number because an image sensor’s pixels or photosites are physical devices that can be counted.  To improve resolution in certain limited respects, the optical resolution can be increased using software.  This process, called interpolated resolution, adds pixels to the image to increase the total number of pixels. To do so, software evaluates those pixels surrounding each new pixel to determine what its color should be.  For example, if all of the pixels around a newly inserted pixel are red, the new pixel will be red.  What’s important to keep in mind is that interpolated resolution doesn’t add any new information to the image— it just adds pixels and makes the file larger.  This same thing can be done in a photo-editing program such as Photoshop by resizing the image.  Beware of companies that promote or emphasize their device’s interpolated (or enhanced) resolution.  You’re getting less than you think you are.  Always check for the device’s optical resolution.  If this isn’t provided, flee the product— you’re dealing with marketing people who don’t have your best interests at heart.

A few camera companies, even some that are otherwise respectable, try to deceive you into thinking their cameras have higher resolution than they really do.  They use software to inflate the size of a captured image and then use this inflated size in advertising claims about the camera.  This way each captured pixel can suddenly become four, and voila’ a 2 Megapixel image suddenly and magically becomes 8 Megapixels.

In happiness and health as always…

Mike C.

How to survive a Gourmet Italian Gala

In my business, I often get invited to special functions for some of the organizations I provide service for.  As friends in business I always make every effort to attend these gatherings as they are very important in networking, maintaining positive relationships and to socialize and show your personal side as well.

From time to time these occasions include fairly extravagant dinners.  Tonight is one of those times.  The evening is a Supresatta contest.  Supresatta is an Italian Salt Cured Dry sausage that can vary by type of meat, thickness, spiciness and regional influence.  One thing for certain is that the Italian culture takes their Supresatta making VERY seriously!

The evening is at Club Roma (I photograph their minor soccer league and pro club team).  I am attending with my wife and close friends.  The evening is going to be an extravaganza of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, regional gourmet Italian courses, decadent dolce (desserts and sweets) followed by the finale of the evening, the Supresatta Championship judging.

Food, wine, friends and associates at an amazing banquet facility does sound great and WILL be a fantastic night.  The way you ensure that is to plan your evening well ahead of time.  An evening like this could easily top the 5000 calorie level if you let yourself go nuts.  Living and enjoying is one thing but being overindulgent can seriously train wreck your fitness and nutrition in one evening.

Here is my action plan to ensure I enjoy myself. 

Find out what is on the menu
I asked for a complete line up of the food that was being served so I could start planning my evening.  Most functions know well in advance what is on the ticket and are happy to let you know

Plan to drink responsibly
This goes without saying for obvious reasons but also for the calories and health implications. At an event like this the courses are often paired with wines. Enjoy a 2 ounce glass (1/2 portion or about 50 calories) during the reception.  Limit yourself to a couple ounces for each pairing (assuming there will be around 4 different selections).  That way you can enjoy the sensation of the selection and still be well under control.

Portion Control 101
This is where things get a little difficult to be accurate.  You really don’t know how many calories are exactly in each course but you can guesstimate.  My suggestion is this.  If there are 2 appetizers courses, 4 main dishes, 6 side dishes and dessert, you need to really limit your intake at each course.  There are a couple ways to do this.  If you know in advance what the menu is and that it is a plated affair (not family style), just ask your server to give you a “child’s portion” or a half portion of everything.  This will allow you to enjoy, still leave some on the plate and not look like you aren’t eating.

Be prepared to answer the question
If you are like me, everyone I know and call a friend knows that I take my health and fitness fairly seriously.  I lost a lot of weight and have achieved a level of fitness through following a plan and they know that.  You may however be with other people that don’t know this.  They will ask the inevitable, “are you on a diet” question or something similar.  My best stock answer is “no, I just really take care in what I eat as a lifestyle choice”.  This may sometimes spark some discussion as a lot of people search for answers to their health and fitness needs.  Be prepared to be informative and not preachy.  Tell them a little about how you made choices that helped you lose weight, get healthy and get fit.  The worst thing you could do is to be short when people ask these questions (at least if you want to have any friends!).

Don’t be a stick in the MUD
Being responsible about your nutrition does NOT have to make you a boring or uninvolved person.  If you are a fitness or bodybuilding competitor two days away from a contest…this doesn’t apply!  Of course most of us are just zipping along enjoying a better quality of life through better fitness and nutrition and enjoy the little indulgences and occasions that make life fun.

I for one really love the social aspect of evenings like this.  I am a complete chatterbox and love to yap about anything and everything.  I love good food, I enjoy a good wine and I certainly love spending time with my wife Rose and our friends.  Doing a little pre-event planning gives me a sense of control and allows me to really enjoy myself knowing that I may not be eating my regular selection of food, but I am experiencing amazing flavours and textures that should be truly experienced and enjoyed.

In happiness and health as always…

Mike C.

The Supplement Game

We all take supplements (most of us anyway).  Protein shake supplements and meal replacements, creatine, powders, potions and pills of any way shape and form or the more serious side such as diet pills, fat burners or steroids.  All of these are supplements and the industry that produces them is getting fat hoping you will use their products to get skinny (or buff, or huge).

I use protein shakes from time to time but don’t find myself compelled to use them obsessively to feed my muscles.  Heck…I know at least five thousand food choices that will achieve the same effect and are a lot better for you!

I love having interesting protein shake concoctions and I will be posting a bunch of my favourites in an upcoming post.  The one thing I use the powder for is to “legitimize” the smoothie.  Adding the protein and nutrient rich powder to fruit and other goodies gives you a complete meal balance and is really easy to do.  That is MY motivation for using protein powder.

Now on to the other things.  A lot of these products do serve a very good purpose for the right person.  If you are a competitive athlete, a body builder or figure model or another profession that demands an extreme level of fitness; you will benefit from some of these goods.

The whole point is that supplements aren’t all necessarily bad but WHO are they good for.  The average person looking to be healthy, happy and fit really doesn’t NEED all these magic elixirs.  What they need is a lesson in whole nutrition.  The food we eat is the foundation of our fitness.  Input and output, Ying and Yang…call it what you will, you can work out like a nut and get nowhere if you aren’t eating right.

This is where the supplement industry thrives.  The man or woman looking for the holy grail of simplicity for their nutrition.  They want you to use their products and insist that nothing else on the planet will do what their product does.  That again is a LOAD OF CRAP!  Everything that they serve is a variation, concentration or bastardization of REAL FOOD NUTRIENTS.  The only difference is that food is real and supplements are synthetic.

For the average person, these supplements have no purpose other than costing you a small fortune.  You can achieve better results, a more sustainable and controlled nutritional plan and better overall health by eating real food.  You will also save yourself a tonne of money.

Diet programs that “push” supplements should be avoided.  They are in the business of making you think that using these supplements will somehow magically transform you and if you don’t take them, you won’t succeed.  The only reason they push the supplements is that they have a hooked up income stream from all the products you purchase.

I am not a fan nor am I a complete disbeliever in supplements, but I am a real person who has had some success in my health and fitness and have done so by following a plan of better whole foods, better fitness plans and very few supplements.  I truly believe that you are doing yourself a disservice by relying on supplements to get to your goals.  It is much healthier and more sustainable to educate yourself about your body and its needs and to adopt a nutrition plan that limits any supplement use.

In happiness and health as always…

Mike C.

Time Management

In today’s world of distractions, it can be fatally easy to get off track in your daily activities.  Social networking, phones, email, media, Internet, text messaging and social interaction all play a part in our day to day existence. As a small business owner, you have to be acutely aware of these facets of life and be able to plug and unplug when needed.

As a business owner myself, there are times that I do “lapse” into bad habits with my time management.  The trick is to recognize the error and correct it.  I find that being hyper-meticulous about my calendar helps me to stay the course more than anything else.

I am almost obsessive about keeping my calendar up to date.  Everything and I mean EVERYTHING from my business to personal appointments and my personal dates, birthdays, Holiday’s and other special occasions are all in my Outlook Calendar and thus also on my iPhone.  My iPhone updates contacts, events and bookmarks using Mobile Me so it is seamless whether the change is done on my computer or phone.

Keeping a detailed and complete personal calendar is a big tool but it is only one facet of what you need to do.  Every day should have a schedule.  I am NOT a firm beleiver in making every day the same (IE – Answer email at 7AM, Twitter until 7:30 AM, eat breakfast at 7:45AM, kiss the dog and walk the wife at 8AM…you get the point).  I am more of a “Commando” when it comes to daily tasks.  The fact however remains that you do have to “map out” your day and accomplish what needs to be done and still have time to enjoy life, family and friends.

Each week I have a list of “things to do”. I compile this list on the fly and keep a record in my tasks on Outlook as well as on my wall Calendar (as a visual reminder).  The list includes things I have to do around the house as well as all the business work I need to accomplish (processing, delivery, bookkeeping – yuck…).  I balance my days of the week by making sure I balance my tasks.  I mix business stuff with home duties and personal obligations and always leave some flexibility.

Being somewhat rigid  when you are your own boss is important but being too rigid can really create a negative feeling in your business.  I personally started my own business because I wanted the freedom to spend more time enjoying life and less time being tied to someone elses demands.  You have to be responsible and productive in order to be successful but if you spend your entire life obsessing about your business, you have missed the point of enjoying your life.

Is running your own business a lot of work…YES…should it consume you…NO!  I consider my business to be very successful.  I am a highly sought after Sports Photographer, I make more than I used to working in a high stress Government job, I very rarely if ever miss any special event for family or friends and I ALWAYS manage to have time to pick up and do things I could have never done before because I have the TIME!

Learn to manage your time by understanding that the important thing is to be productive, be efficient and more than anything else…BE HAPPY!  Spend your time doing what you have to so you can enjoy all the other things that come your way.  Whatever you do NEVER, kiss the dog and then attempt to take your wife for a walk…it HURTS!

In happiness and health as always…

Mike C.

Laugh

This really needs no other introduction other than WATCH and LAUGH…You will feel great!

Beating the Snack Monster

I was tweeting with a friend of mine and gave her a couple ideas about snacking.  It got me thinking that it would be better to post my little hints and ideas here as I don’t have to count to 140 and then repeat!

Snacking for many people has turned into an excuse to eat just about any convenient source of food without much thought about it.  There always seems to be an endless plethora of “convenient” and portion controlled food ideas just lining the shelves.

The latest trend of course is the “100 Calorie” packaging.  After all, it’s only 100 calories right?  WRONG!  It is 100 calories of processed carbohydrates that have little or no nutritional value.  The type of carbs that are associated with this play havoc with your blood sugar and cause an insulin spike which has many symptoms including…making you crave more!

Don’t kid yourself and think the manufacturers don’t know this.  They BANK on it.  That is why this trend as are many other “packaged” snack solutions are just unhealthy.  They promote the wrong idea about the “quality” of the calories you should be eating and give you a false sense of control over your eating habits.

OK, enough of the anti-snack food diatribe and on to something more constructive.  I again refer back to the mantra I follow.  Eat healthy, whole foods 90% of the time and allow yourself to indulge 10% of the time.  This is realistic, gives you that reward for being so good and promotes a lot more success by sticking to your plan.

Snacks for me are fairly typical and I don’t really try to reinvent the wheel.  A good and diverse selection of fruits, veggies, nuts, nut butters, high quality dairy (if you tolerate it) and beans and bean dips make up almost all of my mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.  I also really enjoy a number of really good protein shakes like my (Mocha Choco Monkey) once in a while.  I may actually have to do an entire blog on some of my concoctions!

If you organize your fridge and make a date with yourself to do some basic prep; snacking can be the easiest part of your meal planning.  You will also promote the idea of how easy and quick a healthy snack can be.  I put aside a few hours (with the family helping) to do some weekly prep.  This includes mostly chopping, washing, portioning and storing all sorts of things.

I cut up crudites like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peppers and wash them/store them in plastic containers in the fridge. That makes it totally easy to just grab and go.  I also make my hummus and bean dips for the week as well as wash all our fruit and portion out stuff like grapes into serving sizes.  You should really familiarize yourself with your ideal serving sizes.  I make my kids do it and now we don’t even measure…we just know how much because we are so used to it.

Keep good quality dairy like pro-biotic yogurt (non fruit) and add your own fruit when you are ready to eat.  Keep other things on hand like a good quality reduced fat cheese, nut butters (all natural and preferably organic), nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted if possible) and always keep a variety of containers to package them when you are on the run!

Here are some quick and really satisfying snack ideas:

Veggies and hummus, apple and almond butter or almonds, banana and peanut butter (one of my faves), 1/2 a pear, cashews and a 1/2 portion of reduced fat cheddar, sliced cucumber topped with reduced fat cream cheese and smoked salmon (very nice as a canape for guests as well), sardines and pickles (stinky but yummy), turkey pepperoni with reduced fat cheddar and some veggies.

The list is literally endless.  The one thing to keep in mind is to limit any processed (bagged or boxed) carbs during these snack periods.  I find I feel a lot better during the day and I don’t crave any type of packaged stuff.  Plan ahead, get your fridge organized with healthy choices front and centre when you open the door and start removing the “easy grab” boxed and bagged snacks.

In happiness and health as always…

Mike C.