HEALTHY SNACKS FOR A HEALTH

Being active during the hot summer months can make it difficult to stay healthy and hydrated. Maintaining a sufficient level of nutrients such as water, sodium, vitamins, and minerals can mean getting the best out of the short hot summer months rather than becoming ill and missing all the fun. There are healthy convenient snacks that can actually help active people stay healthy during the summer by helping to replenish nutrients important to help the body stay in good health.

There is a small company in Oshkosh, WI, who produce lean meat snack strips, which are shelf stable making them a convenient snack for in the car, on the golf course, or while doing daily chores. The strips are either skinless chicken breast or beef sirloin. Each strip has from 220 to 340 mg of sodium and eight to ten grams of lean protein. While each strip has 15-20 mg (5%-7% of daily value) of cholesterol there is only 1-2 grams of fat (2%-3% of daily value), .5 grams of saturated fat (only in the sirloin strip), and no trans fat. According to the American Heart Association small amounts of cholesterol are important because it helps produce vitamin D, some hormones, and to build many other important substances in the human body. The strips have a very small amount of cholesterol and almost no fat which make each strip healthy for any one and everyone.

Another health benefits that lean meat snacks have is the amount protein that each strip contains. The protein is important for people who are physically active because they need anywhere from 60-75 grams of protein to repair the muscle damage that occurs during physical activity. From Nancy Clark’s article The Power of Protein Protein, protein is needed to make red blood cells, produce hormones, boost your immune system, and help keep hair, fingernails, and skin healthy. Each strip has eight to ten grams of lean meat protein which is ideal for not only athletes, but also people who are exercising on a regular basis to sustain a healthy life style or lose weight, and people just trying to eat healthy.

While most people assume sodium is bad causing high blood pressure and other ailments sodium for the active person is very important. Sodium is important to transmit nerve impulses for proper muscle function along with helping maintain a healthy balance of water in the body, which is important for human survival. Salt and the Ultraendurance Athlete by Mark Jerkins explains that sodium is especially important for a person who is active because there is a lot of water and sodium lost while a person sweats and the balance can be disrupted causing nausea, cramps, or other weaknesses. This is often called Hyponatremia which is a low concentration of sodium in the blood. The strips not only have a healthy dose of protein for the average person, but also have a good amount of sodium for active people to maintain healthy levels in their body.Although these snack strips are a convenient healthy snack alternative they are also a great source of protein and nutrients for athletes, people who are trying to lose weight, and for healthy minded people in general. Most importantly, however, is that they taste great. Each flavor of strip is packed with spices so that each bite has a burst of flavor.