A Few Words of Wellness.

Not so long ago, we started hearing rumblings that E.B. Lane was going to bring in a Health Coach to speak to the agency. To be honest, this frightened many of us. Visions of uber-permed, high-strung men in short-shorts plagued us for some time – until we got a chance to sit down and listen to Jaime Parker. A Corporate Health Specialist with the Wellness Council of Arizona, Jaime brings a lot of practical knowledge and advice to the table when it comes to nutrition and health. And yes, she did also bring high energy. But not the creepy kind. The kind that makes you want to listen and do things differently when it comes to your health.

 

So we issued her an invitation to do the same here on our blog. We asked her to share her random thoughts and discoveries on wellness. Having spoken to her at length, I can tell you these are just a few – so make sure and contact her if you have any questions. And click her breakdown on what to eat at some of the more popular eateries and restaurants as a start. Here’s to our health!

                                                                                                               

So in my quest to satisfy my sweet tooth this weekend, I stopped by Trader Joe’s looking for something “not too bad,” but definitely tasty. You wouldn’t know it by their title, but I found something truly delicious – Cranberry Mango Blueberry Bran muffins. Yep, four big ones to a pack.

I was super excited when I read the label: Just 2.5 grams of fat and no saturated. Yahoo! Sold.  After I had one … ok, maybe 2 later that day … I noticed the serving size.

1/2 muffin.  

Really? They expected me, or anyone, to only eat 1/2 the muffin!?  It was still a healthier choice than other things I’ve eaten in a craving moment, but this situation shows exactly what we’ve been discussing at E.B. Lane – you gotta’ read those labels.

That particular situation aside, here are a few things I’ve found lately that may help when choosing brands/items at the store:

1. Kashi and General Mills tend to be “high fructose-free” in their cereals, whereas Kellogg’s … not so much.
2. If you’re a hummus eater, check the labels. Depending how much oil they add, servings range from 2-8 grams of fat per serving (2 tablespoons, usually). Try and stick with ones that have 2 or less. Athenos is a great brand with 3 grams/2 T.
3. Yogurt: Go with Greek whenever you can. It has less sugar and more protein. Sweeten yourself with berries, agave or stevia.

Thanks for reading. More to come!  Be happy, be healthy.