Pit Stops that Refuel!

Through many conversations with clients, I have found that a lot of people are always struggling to find healthy options to eat or snack on within their busy lives. I can understand and realate. After a long day at work, I find myself getting into my car and driving to a one (sometimes both) practices to coach and train. And somewhere in between I have about 10 minutes to stop and refuel.

I have had this on-the-go lifestyle for quite sometime, so I have discovered the trick to eating quick and keeping it healthy. My go to is Circle K. Why? A lot of locations and a lot of options! For my east-coast followers, any convenience store will work. 

Here's what I commonly see people leave a convenience store with:

64oz Big Gulps

5-hour energy

Bear claws

Hot Dogs (really?!)

Candy Bars

Bag of Chips

Now there is nothing appealing about this:

God knows what those are made out of.

Here's a list of things that you can grab that will surely fill you up, give you energy, help build muscle and won't destroy your waistline, blood pressure or cholesterol.

Emeralds Almonds

Beef Jerkey

Kraft Cheese Stick

Banana

Kind Bars (All Natural, Gluten Free, Fruit & Nut)

Low Fat Chocolate Milk

Naked Fruit Smoothies (Hey now!)

These items are my go-to snacks on the fly. Yes, you may pay an extra $2-3 but it is roughy the same amount you will spend on fast food garbage. And I shouldn't have to ask you if you think it's worth it.

Little Sleep, Bigger Waistline

It's not too difficult to find someone in today's society who is sleep deprived. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that 30% of the people who surveyed the National Healthy Interview were sleep deprived. Roughly 40.6 million U.S. workers reported getting less than 6 hours of sleep. 

Sleep deprivation is a big culprit to weight gain, mainly from a hormonal perspective. When we are sleep deprived, we release a hormone called Ghrelin in large amounts. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells the body we are hungry and that sensation drives us to eat. 

 These poor sleep patterns also cause the body to suppress the release of Leptin. Leprin is a hormone that signals the body we are full and satiated. 

This altered hormonal environment is obviously not an ideal situation for someone looking to lose weight. Additionally, our metabolism becomes hindered and it makes it difficult for the body to perform efficiently. 

Take notice and commit to a proper sleeping habit of 6-8 hours a night. You will manage your hormone levels effectively and boost your metabolism, helping us become lean and mean.