Haven’t done one of these in awhile, but I’ve been compiling
a list of things I really like that are all fitnessy and health-related.
I am eating one now, as I type.
Power Crunch bars:
I’m usually a chocolate-chocolate-CHOCOLATE kind of person when it comes to
protein powders and bars – the darker the better. But French Vanilla Crème Power
Crunch bars are fantastic. They have 14 grams of whey protein, only 5 grams of
sugars and 205 calories. They’re exactly like those sugar wafer cookies so they’re
light and crunchy, but since they have 14 grams of fiber, they have staying
power.
Balance Bar Minis: Way better than any 100-calorie pack of cookies or crackers or candy. Each sawed-off bar is 100 calories with 7 grams of protein and come in cookie dough and chocolate brownie flavors. They're great to keep in your gym bag, purse or desk drawer when snack time rolls around.
Taste the rainbow! (On second thought, that's a bad phrase to describe socks, but you get my drift.)
Thorlo Experia socks:
I have big feet (and I cannot lie, you other brothers can’t deny … sorry, got
carried away). All the cute socks come in ladies sizes, which I outgrew in
middle school. Dude socks are usually white, black and gray, but Thorlos come
in a rainbow of colors. More importantly, the arch support and cushioning are
amazing, which I find especially important if you’re walking or jogging in
minimalist sneakers. They’re not the kind of sock you buy in a giant bag at the
sporting goods store, so I treat mine nicely and wash them inside out to keep
the padded parts extra fluffy.
Jillian Michaels
podcasts: If you think Jillian is just some screaming trainer on “The
Biggest Loser,” you obviously haven’t listened to her podcasts. There, she
uncovers her more laid-back, supportive and even goofy side. And did I mention
that her podcasts are FREE? All you need to do is subscribe to them on iTunes,
or you can also find them on the TuneIn radio app.
Old-school oatmeal:
Publix was having a buy-one-get-one-free sale on Quaker oatmeal, so I went old
school and bought the old-fashioned oats. Turns out, they cook just as quickly
as the quick-cooking ones, as long as you don’t mind a little extra oaty
chewiness. But that was exactly what I was looking for – I figured that the
less processed oats would stick with me a bit longer and I was right. Oatmeal
is one of those foods I need to eat more of, as it keeps me full for ages,
which I can’t say for many other foods. Tuesday’s oatmeal contained a banana,
cinnamon, a tablespoon of almond butter, half a cup of lowfat milk and a
teaspoon of honey. I had it at 9 a.m. and as of noon, I still was full. Perhaps
I need to eat oatmeal for dinner …
Crystal Light Pure
lemonade: I’m adding this as the finale because I truly love the artificial
color and sweetener-free lemonade mix and to ask “WHERE THE HELL DID ALL THE
CRYSTAL LIGHT PURE GO?” Ominous clouds were forming on my horizon when I saw
the dreaded “clearance” tag on the shelf at Publix a couple months ago. Then –
poof! – gone. Can’t find it at Target or Winn-Dixie either. The Crystal Light
Facebook page also contains queries by quaffers wondering where it went, with a
cryptic “it’s not completely discontinued” reply from the Crystal Light
Facebook page manager. Then, on Monday, this message from the Crystal Light
genie: “We don't want to give anything away, but we
will be making an announcement about it later this week. We assure you that it
will be available for purchase in the near future, so hang tight!”
