SIL - Nov / Dec 2019

Real Life Nutrition
Making a Difference
Snacking Mindfully
The word “snack” can mean different
things to different people.
“Snack” could mean a type of
food, an eating event or eating
frequency, such as “I snack between every
meal.” Generally, snacks are food you
consume in addition to, and likely between,
meals. Snacks can be seen as unhealthy,
but it depends on what you eat,
how much and when.
Mindfully choosing snacks to satisfy
hunger can often provide nutrients that
we lack in our diets. Snacks offer a way
to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain
foods and low fat or fat-free dairy foods.
For children and teens, snacks can supplement
meals. Children and teens may need
to eat more often to get the calories their
bodies need to grow since their stomachs
are smaller. Adults, on the other hand, can
use snacks as an energy boost and to satisfy
midday hunger.
Snacking often gets a bad reputation.
Many times, people snack on energydense,
low-nutrient food and drinks while
overeating, such as chips, candy, cookies
or snack cakes. These poor choices can
lead to more added sugar, saturated fat
and sodium in your diet. Snacking too
close to meals can also lead to less intake
of nutrient-rich meals.
Did you know that watching television
tends to increase snacking? Or that
people eat or drink more when the snack
package or beverage cup is bigger? Overeating
is easy when you are mindlessly
snacking. Try to snack mindfully, not
mindlessly. Keep a variety of tasty, nutrient
rich, ready-to-eat snacks on hand. If
you do, you won’t be limited to what is
available from a vending machine, fast
food restaurant, convenience store or your
own kitchen. Portion out snacks before
eating. Put your snack on a plate or dish
instead of eating straight from the package.
Make your snacks count by choosing
fruits, vegetables, whole-grains or low fat
or fat-free dairy foods. Only snack when
you’re hungry. If you think you may just
be bored or stressed, try taking a walk and
see how you feel after.
Whether you are snacking on the go
or at home, you can make snacks a healthy
part of your day and diet! •
About the Author
Madisson Veatch, MA,
RDN, CD is a Registered
Dietitian with
Baptist Health Floyd.
She graduated from
Purdue University with
a Bachelor’s of Science
in Dietetics. She
completed her dietetic
internship through Ball
State University while
completing her Master’s
degree. She has been a Clinical Dietitian
with Baptist Health Floyd for three years. She
enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes with
friends and family.
Build Your Own Trail Mix
Before you and your family leave for a trip, have
a build your own trail mix bar. Provide everyone
with an individual bag that has their name on
the top. Everyone can build his or her perfect
road trip snack! Below are suggestions for possible
additions.
Ingredients:
Chex mix
Unsalted pretzels
Dried cranberries
Peanuts
Raisins
Banana chips
Mini chocolate chips
M&M candies
Dried cherries
Almonds
Toasted soybeans
Yogurt covered raisins
Pumpkin seeds
Pistachios
Butterscotch chips
Yogurt covered pretzels
Toasted coconut
Dried apricots
Directions:
Mix together and enjoy! Serving size = 1/4
cup of mix.
Toe-to-Toe for Life
Rock Steady Boxing classes help Parkinson’s patients fight back against the disease
Snacks to....
A
specialized group of boxing
enthusiasts get together a few
times a week in Southern Indiana
to improve skills for their respective
main events. They’re not seeking
accolades, trophies or riches — as other
pugilists might — but are on the ropes
and toe-to-toe with their bodies in a fight
for their very lives.
Members of Rock Steady Boxing in
Clarksville are in training to slow the progression
of their adversary — Parkinson’s
disease. Like Muhammad Ali, the threetime
heavyweight championship boxer
who fought the disease in the final years
of his life, and who was born across the
Ohio River from Clarksville in Louisville,
these boxers are in a fight against the ravages
of Parkinson’s.
“It’s a progressive disease,” said
Larry Raible, who was diagnosed with
Story and Photos by Tom McDonald
Keep on hand at home
Keep at work
Pack on the go
Choose from a vending
machine
Include two food groups
Whole fruits, washed and cut vegetables, low fat or fat-free yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat string
cheese, lean deli meats, hummus or salsa, whole-grain crackers, dried fruits, nut butters, nuts, yogurt
drink
Instant oatmeal, mini cans or pouches of water-packed tuna, dried fruit or single serve fruit cups,
whole-wheat crackers, snack-size cereal boxes, raisins, plain microwavable popcorn, whole-grain
granola bars
Sunflower seeds, trail mix, air-popped popcorn, whole fruits, dried fruit, whole-what crackers and lowfat
cheese
Small bag of peanuts, almonds, trail mix, whole-grain granola or cereal bars, whole-wheat crackers
with peanut butter or cheese, microwavable oatmeal
Fruit smoothie (100% fruit juice with low or fat-free milk or yogurt)
Apple or pear slices topped with cheese, Dried berry and nut mix
Whole-wheat tortilla stuffed with roasted veggies or lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and low-fat dressing
Raw veggies with hummus or Greek yogurt dip
Fruit and yogurt drink
the disease in 2010. The 71-year-old retiree-turned-fighter
has been attending Rock
Steady Boxing classes three times a week
for two years in an effort to maintain muscular
mobility. “The best you can hope for
is to remain where you are.”
For people who have Parkinson’s,
exercise is the key to survival, said Chuck
Dismang, owner of Full Moon Martial
Arts Academy in Clarksville, where Larry
and about 20 others attend Rock Steady
Boxing classes throughout the week. In
addition to his certification as a Rock
Steady Boxing instructor, Dismang holds
black belts in Kenpo and Chung Do Kwan
and has a doctorate in martial sciences
and philosophy. He opened his martial
arts academy more than 20 years ago, and
it has been in its current location on Cedar
Street in Clarksville for more than five
years.
Dismang’s success in physical training
brought him to the attention of the
founders of Rock Steady Boxing, and he
was encouraged by them and by a group
of concerned local citizens to bring the
program to Southern Indiana.
Rock Steady Boxing, headquartered
in Indianapolis, was co-founded in 2006
by Scott Newman and Vince Perez. Newman,
who at that time was the prosecuting
attorney for Indiana’s Marion County,
learned he had contracted the disease and
was researching ways to slow its progression.
Refusing to see his friend decline
without putting up a good fight, Perez
“turned to his experience as a Golden
Gloves boxer to design a program that
attacks Parkinson’s (disease) at its vulnerable
neurological points,” according to
the Rock Steady Boxing website. The pro-
42 • Nov/Dec 2019 • Southern Indiana Living Southern Indiana Living • Nov/Dec 2019 • 43