New York City Personal Trainer

We all want to include more green veggies in our diets, but often struggle to know how.  These easy snacks are gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and delicious! 

- Kale Chips: yummy, salty, spicy, crunchy, these little green snacks are loaded with calcium, vitamin K & vitamin A.   That's right, vitamin A is not only in carrots!  For locally grown & locally made kale chips, try NY Naturals brand, which comes in great flavors like Spicy Miso and Bombay Ranch.  In addition to kale chips, NY Naturals also makes kale crackers  and granola! (Which they call greenola, since it's made from greens.) To give kale chips their wonderful nutty flavor, the leaves are dipped in ground nuts or seeds.  If you're allergic to nuts, it's important to know that most kale chips contain cashews!  For an organic and nut-free twist on kale chips, try Rhythm Superfoods brand, which comes in amazing flavors like Mango Habanero, Bombay Curry, and Texas BBQ.

- Raw Pistachios: packed with protein, you can get them plain or spicy!  For some people, cracking open the shells is part of the fun.  For others (especially those eating in the car or on a train where you're trying not to make a mess), buying them already shelled is a better option.  

- Edamame: today, far too many people are eating an unhealthy, processed form of soy called "soy protein isolate."  It's time to get back to organic, unprocessed forms of soy like edamame!  These light green cooked beans are perfect by themselves or sprinkled with iodized sea salt.  If you want to make them yourself, it only takes a few minutes.  Buy them in the freezer section at Whole Foods (choose the ones in the shell for best flavor).  Or order them at fine Japanese restaurants.  

- Green smoothies: while making a green smoothie at home only takes about 1-2 minutes, you can also purchase one in two seconds at places like Juice Generation, a local chain with many locations throughout NYC.  Green smoothies not only taste amazing, they're filled with beneficial enzymes and phytonutrients.  

What are your favorite green snacks?

By James Fantone  

Fantone Fitness Fun Fitness Fact #1. Your stomach is about the size of both of your hands held out in front of you cupped together like a bowl. It's your body's fuel tank. It is the right size for your body. In a car, if you overfill your gas tank, it will spill out on the ground, wasting the gas. In your body, the fuel doesn't spill out. The body saves it as FAT!"

Fantone Fitness Fun Fitness Fact #2. If you want to get in shape, take some time every day to do something physically challenging. Every day! That could be going to the gym, going for a run, riding your bike, yoga, aerobic class, push-ups, walking lunges, jumping jacks, toss a frisbee, or chase your cat or dog around. The key is to do something "Every Day". Yes, every day. You can play every day, it's OK.

Fantone Fitness Fun Fitness Fact #3. People always ask me "how do you get a six-pack?" The truth is everyone has the six-pack muscles. They are already a part of every body. You couldn't move properly without them. The problem isn't in the muscle, it's in the "stuff" that's covering the muscle. You guessed it, "body-fat!" So the goal is to reduce body-fat between the skin and those lovely abs.  How to do that? Ahh, the million dollar question. If I had a buck for every time...anyway.

Here's my "plan". That's what I call it. Time to get back on the "Plan"

Eat clean. Eat real foods, not processed. Soda is processed, get used to drinking water. Just do it! Eat single ingredient foods like vegetables, fruit, lean meats, eggs or egg whites. Eat nuts and seeds in moderation (and if you can't do moderation, leave the nuts alone). If you are vegetarian, you know where to get your protein. Eat single ingredient foods as they come from nature, not processed. And do not add salt! You'll get used to it. You know this stuff. You keep hearing it over and over, but you don't want to believe it. Well, it's true. Eat healthy and exercise at least moderately, and I guarantee you will lose body-fat. If you do, those lovely six-pak muscles will be working their way to the surface. Maybe slowly, but one day, Pow! There they are. You've got a six-pack. If I can do it, so can you.

Fantone Fitness Fun Fitness Fact#4    Love handles are from loving junk food. Crunches won't affect them. Only a better diet will. Oh yeah, and some exercise to burn calories will help too. Keep it simple.

Fantone Fitness Fun Fitness Fact #5

Plan to Succeed. Have a plan of what you'll eat today. Don't wait until its a last minute decision and you end up eating "Fast Food".  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Eat healthy.

Fantone Fitness Fun Fitness Fact #6  After your workout is the best time to eat a high quality meal.  Your body is craving nutrition. Eat within 1 � hours after your workout for the best results.

Let us know what you think

Body Mass Index (BMI) is essentially a height to weight ratio.  Am I a healthy weight for my height.

Remember, speak to your doctor before starting a fitness program and then seek out the right personal trainer for correct program design.  Enjoy your workout!