The world belongs to those with the most energy.
Alexis de Tocqueville
Snack Attack
I used to be a "nosher", mostly of sweets. In high school I constantly had chewing gum in my mouth. Sometimes I would even fall asleep with it and in the morning wake up with it stuck to my hair. Ever since I can remember myself, I recall eating apples, and a lot of them! I made a rough calculation and presumably I have eaten in the last 15 years 27 thousand apples (maybe more). I eat the whole apple - including the seeds! Leaving only the stem. You could find scattered stems everywhere: all over the house, in my bags, in the car, in my bed... I can at least find comfort in the fact that it is a healthy snack, but I have lately found out that one of the most important fruits to eat Organic is apples. So maybe it isn't that comforting after all, since the apples I ate were not organic. I also used to be addicted to medjool dates. I couldn't eat just one or two - I'd go through the whole bag.
Over these last few years, as both my life and food are healthier and more balanced I have less a need to snack.
Still there's no denying that likely everyone, at one time or another, has had a snack attack. 
Views on snacking differ. Some of us feel that snacking is bad and that eating between meals leads to weight gain. Others believe that eating many small meals and snacks throughout the day is healthy for maintaining good energy levels and optimal weight. If there were only one way of eating that was right for everyone, we would all be doing it.
To alleviate snack attack guilt, try to understand why you are snacking and what snacks work best for your body. Perhaps you snack because your daily diet is missing nutrition, or because you are eating too little at meals. You might be snacking to soothe jangled nerves when you are emotional, or to entertain yourself when you are bored. Whatever your reason, acknowledge it and start thinking about how to create a life that is nourishing and truly satisfying.
Although snacks are no substitute for loving your life, they can be great energy boosters and mood lifters and a healthy and fun way to keep your body fully nourished as long as you use a little common sense. So many of the convenient snack foods, even those found throughout the health food stores, are highly processed and full of chemicals, additives, damaging fats and refined sugars. When a snack attack hits you, try foods that are filling and satisfying, but also nutritious. Snack on things that don't always come in a plastic wrapper or a box, like fresh fruit, vegetables, peas straight from the pod, rice cakes with almond butter or tahini and honey, nuts, dried fruits.
You can also try "upgrading". If you are craving something crunchy, upgrade from potato chips to raw carrots, apples or whole grain crackers; if you are craving a candy bar, upgrade to a handful of nuts and dried fruit; instead of a cup of coffee, upgrade to green tea or organic raw hot chocolate; instead of ice cream, upgrade to cold applesauce with cinnamon. Upgraded snacks are high in nutrition and give you a greater sense of satiety and satisfaction; you won't feel physically or psychologically deprived, and you'll have plenty of energy to sustain your activities for hours.
Snacking is enjoyable and there are a wide variety of healthful snacks for whatever you're craving, be it sweet, crunchy, salty, creamy or spicy. Dive in, be creative and enjoy your snack attack.
Food Focus: Fruit
A healthy lifestyle is the key to longevity, optimum weight, abundant energy and balance. By using fruit to satisfy our taste for sweetness, we can leave behind the use of chemical, processed and refined sweeteners. Fruits are easy to digest, are cleansing and cooling and are great for those who are overstressed and overheated from excessive mental strain or hot climates. Fruits are filled with fiber and liver stimulants, which act as natural, gentle laxatives. Whenever possible, buy fresh, locally grown fruit as opposed to imported fruits shipped from far-off places. This keeps you eating in season, and more in harmony with your environment and climate.
Eating raw fruit in summer months is highly cooling, while baking it in the winter months neutralizes the cooling effect. Fruit in the form of juice is a great choice for cleansing the body, but be aware that juice rapidly raises blood sugar levels, leading to an energy crash soon after. Frozen, whole, puréed or juiced fruit can make great summertime cool-down treats. Try frozen grapes, banana-melon shakes made into popsicles or lime juice ice-cubes in iced mint tea.
Whether you are having fresh fruit for a light early morning breakfast, a midday snack or evening treat, enjoy nature's sweetness and whenever possible buy organic.
Here are a few summer fruits and their health benefits.
Watermelon: Influences the heart, kidneys, bladder and stomach. The outer green rind is rich in chlorophyll and the white part in silicon - both are recommended to be eaten.
Apricots: Great for lung conditions and asthma; used to help treat anemia due to their high copper and cobalt content.
Cherries: Slightly warming in nature; increase overall body energy, remedy arthritis and rheumatism and are rich in iron, which improves the blood.
Papayas: Tone the stomach, act as digestive aid, moisten the lungs and alleviate coughing; contain carpaine, an anti-tumor compound.
Recipe of the Month: Fruit Nut Shake
or, as called in the USA - Smoothie
Prep time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 banana
1/2 cup water
1 cup cut mango or berries
1 cup diced melon
a few almonds
2-4 ice cubes
Directions:
Mix in blender for 1-2 minutes. Check taste. Pour into tall glass and serve.
Note: You can add other ingredients for added nutrition such as coconut oil, flax seed oil or spirulina powder. Try other fruit and nut combinations.
Best to drink while putting your feet up and concentrating on the great things in your life.
10% discount on Sprouter still availableWhomever hasn't yet checked out the shop "New Horizon" - feel free to live dangerously.
www.newhorizon.co.il
Tel Aviv store - located at 109 Nachalat Binyamin.
A great place to buy many healthy healing products.
If you knock on the door and say: "Springsprouts"
You'll receive a 10% discount on a sprouter (until the end of June).
Forward to a Friend
It's such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues, to whomever might be interested and inspired by it.
May we have the best summer ever. Full of mangos, watermelon, sun and Love.
Talya Lewin
Holistic health counselor
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