I hope this won’t spark a debate about whether snacking is good or bad, or about good carbs versus bad carbs…I just know that we’re all human beings, and darn it, humans are hungry people – hungry people who might want a snack. With that in mind (and because I like to snack too!), I decided that once each week I would highlight a “healthy” snack that I have personally taste tested, and approved (i.e, I’ll only highlight snackies that I liked, and that are also healthy).

Corazonas Tortilla Chips

First up…Corazonas tortillas. A couple of years ago, a big box full of Corazonas products arrived on my doorstep, unsolicited, but welcome none-the-less   I was coaching local teams for Moms in Motion at the time, and the company sent us a bunch of tortillas and chips to sample. As luck would have it, our family was head to the Outerbanks for a week of fun, and I thought it would be nice to share them with the other relatives vacationing with us. By day 2, the stuff was gone. Eaten. Devoured. Yet, the overwhelming comment was, “they were really good.  Different, but good.” And that’s the thing – you can grab any tortilla chip, and most of them will taste the same, and most of them are full of trans fats, sodium, processed gobbledy-gook, and Lord knows what else. I shudder to think. But Corazonas tortillas are different, in both taste and the way they are manufactured. They are healthier.

First, the tortillas are gluten free (Celiac sufferers…rejoice!). Second, these chips have plant sterols that help lower cholesterol. They use healthy oils, such as safflower oil and sunflower oil, and are lower in sodium than competing brands who shall remain nameless (but it starts with Tost…). Each serving has 18g of whole grains, 3g of fiber, no sugar, and 40% less fat than regular tortillas. Yes, these still have fat – 7g per serving, but 5g of that are monounsaturated, and 1.5g are polyunsaturated – so, “healthy fats” (and no, this doesn’t mean you can eat the whole bag in one sitting.) Finally, the chips truly are very tasty. And, they taste different – especially the black bean and cheese, but yummy different, not gross different.

So, IF you’re tempted to grab a snack, or you’re headed to a party and are looking for a healthy snack to bring, Corazonas probably won’t kill your diet in one serving – just practice control and eat them in moderation (they are very addicting – trust me!) Grab some organic salsa to go with too.

Where to buy:
Target, Safeway, Costco, Winn Dixie, a bunch of other retail grocers (check here online), and they are also available from Amazon.

(Disclaimer: I am not a Registered Dietitian, but I do try to eat well as often as possible, and avoid like the plague foods that contain trans fats, hydrogenated oils regardless of how they are worded (partially-, fully-, whatever, it is all bad), salt, sugar and high fructose corn syrup, chemicals and other GMOs – in other words, I’m a fan of whole foods, healthy carbs, fruits, veggies, fish, organic varieties of nearly everything, and you get the picture. But I am not a dietitian, and I can’t tell you what to eat. But, I can tell you what I like. Just don’t sue me if it makes you sick.

One of the most frequent comments made by women is, “When I am skinny…I’ll feel better, I’ll be happy, I’ll have more dates…” Unfortunately, what you are seeking can’t come from your pant size, it has to come from within. Switch your focus from the scale to your attitude, and the rest will fall into place.

What is a great attitude?

Having a great attitude is more than just having a positive state of mind. It means you have good self-esteem, understand the value of being physically fit, and recognize your individuality. Having a great attitude also means that you understand the path to health requires a long-term dedication toward exercise, good nutritional practices, and the focus required to stay on track. You understand that potions, pills, magical supplements, and fad diets aren’t the solution to lasting weight loss. And finally, having a terrific attitude means that you want to be fit and healthy for you, and not to achieve an unhealthy ideal represented on a magazine cover, or to make someone else happy.

Want to get your attitude in its best shape? Follow these tips:

o Adopt a “lifestyle approach” to health. Switch your focus from a single-minded, ‘diet-only’ or ‘exericise-only’ mindset, to a lifestyle approach that encompasses healthy eating, regular exercise, self-respect and self-control. Recognize that a balance of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health are all required to achieve optimal “health.”

o Eliminate the word “diet” from your vocabulary. Recognize that the purpose of food is to fuel and nourish your body. To that end, selecting the best foods from a variety of food groups will enable you to get the most out of every calorie.

o Know that exercise does more than burn calories. It improves your cardiovascular system, reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke, lowers total blood cholesterol and triglycerides, increases levels of high-density lipoprotein (the “good cholesterol”), reduces feelings of anxiety and depression, helps build healthy muscles and bones, and lowers your risk of developing type-2 diabetes mellitus. And the list doesn’t stop there. Know that every time you take the time to exercise, you are doing your body a world of good!

o Stop thinking you have to be thin to be “in shape” or happy. Ask yourself, “what will it mean when I can fit into a smaller pair of jeans?” Are you trying to achieve an ideal weight to find happiness? To please a loved one? To succumb to societal pressure to be thin? Or are you losing weight to improve your overall health, reduce your risk for developing heart disease or diabetes? Perhaps you want to have more energy to play with your kids?

Whatever your reasons are for embracing a healthier lifestyle, the bottom line is this: choose to be healthy by accepting who you are rather than an unhealthy ideal, and most of all, make changes that you can realistically sustain long-term.