What do growing kids look forward to? Snack time! A few snacks per day are essential for growing bodies. Instead of opting for store-bought snacks filled with refined sugars, artificial flavors, and ingredients you can’t pronounce, fill your child’s belly with healthful snack options. The snacks you choose should infuse kids with nutrient-dense energy from protein, fiber, and whole food source. In fact, snack time offers a great way to sneak in fruits and veggies your child would normally refuse. Here’s an assortment of easy, kid-friendly snacks that are delicious and healthy: 1. Trail mix If your child doesn’t have a nut allergy you’re in luck. Nuts are an excellent source of healthy fats, protein, fiber and antioxidants to support energy and growth. Choose a healthy mix of GORP (or good old raisins and peanuts), which offers a great energy boost that’s not too high in refined sugar. Look for mixes that combine nuts like almonds, peanuts, and walnuts with dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, and cherries for a healthy handful of a snack. 2. Veggie chips Pre-packaged veggie chips come in a variety of veggies and the kids are often none the wiser that they’re eating something that’s actually good for them.

If you happen to have either type I or type II diabetes, pre-planned snacks can go a long way in helping you keep blood glucose levels within a healthy range. Often registered dietitians will recommend a small, nutritious daily snack to energize you while keeping blood sugar levels controlled. However, snack consumption can be tricky with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The idea is to consume fibrous, protein-rich snacks that are low in sugar, but high in healthy fats. Here are a few healthy nutrient-dense snack ideas for diabetics: 1. Apple slices and nut butter Nothing is quite as satisfying as sliced apples with a smear of protein-rich nut butter to get you out of that mid-afternoon slump. Plus, apple slices take you back to the safe and loving arms of your mom or nursery school teacher. This well paired snack happens to be perfect for diabetics because it’s nutrient packed (i.e., potassium and vitamins C and B) from the apples and nut butter (i.e., manganium, vitamin E, and healthy fats), but little sugar. Plus, you can sample from different nut butters (i.e., almonds, sunflower, cashews, peanuts, and more) until you find a favorite. 2. Turkey roll ups This snack combines 2 of my favorite things (meat and cheese) plus it’s super easy to make in a pinch.

You probably already know that what you eat plays a large roll on your overall health. However, you may not know that certain foods can actually help reverse certain negative health conditions, particularly if you have high cholesterol. LDL (or bad) cholesterol increases the fats and triglycerides within the bloodstream, which can lead to clogged arteries and potentially life-threatening blood clots (and heart attack or stroke). Luckily, certain foods can help lower your levels of LDL cholesterol in these ways: 1. Fatty fish Salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna are all delicious fishes that help reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol. How you might ask? By eating fish a few times per week, you reduce the red meat on your plate, which is a primary source of LDL cholesterol and saturated fats. Plus, these fatty filets are loaded with heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids which are linked to lower triglycerides. 2. Olive oil If you’re looking for powerful allies to reduce LDL cholesterol, look no further than sterols and stanols, which impede the body from absorbing cholesterol. These potent plant-based substances are a natural part of nuts, seeds, legumes, and especially vegetable oils, like olive oil. Studies from Harvard University tout sterols and stanols to cholesterol-lowering benefits, so much so that many food manufacturers add them to foods.

Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout, or psoriatic arthritis—these painful inflammatory conditions affect the mobility of many essential bones and joints throughout our bodies. Yet, numbers from the National Arthritis Foundation estimate that over 54 million adults have been formerly diagnosed with some form of arthritis. Arthritis symptoms can range from flare ups of inflammation, joint or bone pain, radiating warmth, and chronic pain that causes severe mobility issues. Aside from taking doctor-prescribed arthritis medications, many patients find relief in the following natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving snacks: 1. Berry bowl Dark berries of all types (i.e., blackberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries) make a ripe addition to a yogurt parfait or smoothie, yet they also serve up plenty of anti-inflammatory benefits as well. All dark hued berries mentioned contain rutin, beta-cryptoxanthin, and quercetin, which are plant-based compounds that work as natural anti-inflammatories to soothe painful joint swelling associated with all types of arthritis. 2. Grapes I love grapes as a snack because they’re super easy and not-messy to eat standing up when I’m strapped for time between errands. However, grapes (particularly red grapes) are rich in antioxidants in their skin, known as resveratrol (yes, it’s also found in red wine), which means they work to naturally reduce inflammatory markers within the blood, and impede the formation of rheumatoid arthritis cells that cause painful joint thickening and inflammation.

Many people go through their daily lives with inflammation of the eyes, and think that it is normal. They may be suffering from an eye disorder called dry eyes. This is basically a disease caused by the eyes’ inability to make quality tears, or they make an insufficient quantity of tears. The eyes will generally itch, have constant watering, stringy mucus upon awakening, redness, blurred vision, and feeling that something is in the eye along with a few other symptoms. There are several natural remedies that can help relieve the inflammation of dry eyes: 1. Hemp seed oil This is a natural product that is the non psychoactive variety of the marijuana plant, or cannabis. It has many health benefits from the proteins, omega 3, and amino acid content. Hemp oil is legal to buy, and there is no need for a prescription. It helps soothe inflammation in the body, and that includes the inflammation of dry eye. It will help to greatly improve the ability to drive at night, eye fatigue, and sensitivity to light. Hemp seed oil is one of the natural remedies that is making a big impact on dry eye solutions. 2. Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3’s are a health benefit that works in many areas of the body.