SCARY

HYDROGENATED OIL (AND ADDED SUGAR)

Although most companies are trying to adhere to a trans-fat-free way of existence, you still need to peek at the nutrition label to figure out if bags contain the toxic ingredient that can extend shelf life, but also raise your LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower your HDL (the good guy). As a general rule, to cut back on calories, fat and sugar, the smaller the size the better. Stick with “snack size” and “fun size” options:

Mini Dots, 70 calories, 1 box

York Peppermint Patty Pumpkin, small size 50 calories each

Raisinettes, fun size: 56 calories each

Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels Snaps 100 Calorie Packs

FUN

ALLERGY FREE

Most schools are “no peanut” zones these days, so it’s a good idea to consider this when buying for your visitors. Peanut Free Planet’s candy bars, trail mixes and chocolates are all peanut free and holiday appropriate with their spider, mummy and bug shapes.

SCARY

NATURAL, BUT…

We like trail mix. It has that sweet and salty thing going on and is actually filled with some healthful nutrients in its nuts and dried fruits. However, the portion sizes on these babies deserve a close paying attention to. A cup could of trail mix could add up to 700 calories and 44 grams of fat with added sugar and sodium depending on the specific content. Aim for the individual 1 oz. size bags with 150 calories or less. For the stay at home crowd, make it yourself.

Our favorite mix: Combine a pound of raisins (or craisins), unsweetened pineapple rings, raw sunflower seeds, raw almonds or walnuts and toss together. One handful clocks in at 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber with some protein, calcium and iron.

FUN

ECO-FRIENDLY

Because you don’t want to be the neighbor that gives out fruit, dole out individual packs of Surf Sweets.-eco-friendly, gluten and allergy free candies (made from organic and natural ingredients) instead. These chews are loaded with 100 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C and are only 120-130 calories, have 22 grams of sugar (yes, this is high so share it or save 1/2 for tomorrow!), zero fat and cholesterol.

SCARY

IGNORING YOUR CRAVING

If you’re craving a chunky chocolate chip cookie and are eating plain almonds instead, your taste buds won’t be tricked. They’ll just stomp their little glands until they get what they want. Rather than trying to eat the “healthier” option (and eventually doubling up on calories), decide which lip-smacking snack you want to have and dig in…a little. Just try to keep it to one serving (below 150 calories).

FUN

ENGLISH MUMMIES

Courtesy of Disney FamilyFun Magazine

Spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin. Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils. Lay strips of cheese (pull-apart is easiest) across the muffin for the mummy’s wrappings. Bake at 350° until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty, about 10 minutes.

WATER FIGHT

Sugar has long been a legitimate go-to for stressful moments, and justifiably so. With it’s ability to release endorphins, hormones that make you relax and smile, chocolate-ly sweet snacks can make any frustrating deadline go away…temporarily. However, researchers at the University of Chicago recently discovered that plain old water may have the same effect. Add a green tea bag for extra giddiness.

PAIN KILLER

As if being hunched over your computer rushing to meet a deadline isn’t enough stress, flu season is upon us. Don’t be surprised if you feel achy and only in the mood to curl up with a Snuggie. To help you make it to the couch more easily, fill your refrig with foods replete with phytochemicals, which protect your immune system and promote resistance to certain diseases. Fall is full of them. Try a warm winter squash with apples, cinnamon and a splash of agave nectar or honey. It will tickle your endorphins also.

Or make a salad or hot soup with a few of these pain-fighting foods:

Dark leafy greens vegetables, carrots, sweet peppers, leeks, pumpkins, tomatoes, peaches, oranges, tumeric and thyme.

Omega 3 fatty acids not protect your hair and nails, but also minimize inflammation and speed up recovery time.

• Eggs fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
• Wheat germ and other whole grains
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• Deep water fish–herring, salmon, sardines, mackerel
• Walnuts, Brazil nuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Avocados

Kick off the weekend with a mood boost and soothed muscles when you eat the foods that are wired to do the trick. And no, chocolate isn’t the only one equipped to do so.

WATER FIGHT

Sugar has long been a legitimate go-to for stressful moments, and justifiably so. With it’s ability to release endorphins, hormones that make you relax and smile, chocolate-ly sweet snacks can make any frustrating deadline go away…temporarily. However, researchers at the University of Chicago recently discovered that plain old water may have the same effect. You can add green tea bags and get an extra lift.

PAIN KILLER

As if being hunched over your computer isn’t painful enough, flu season is here too. Don’t be surprised if you feel achy and only in the mood to curl up with a Snuggie. To help you make it to the couch more easily, fill your fridge with foods replete with phytochemicals, which protect your immune system and promote resistance to certain diseases. Fall is full of them. Try a warm winter squash with apples, cinnamon and a splash of agave nectar or honey.

Or make a salad or hot soup with a few of these pain-fighting foods:

Dark leafy greens vegetables, carrots, sweet peppers, leeks, pumpkins, tomatoes, peaches, oranges, tumeric and thyme.

Omega 3 fatty acids not only protect your hair and nails,  but also minimize inflammation and speed up recovery time.

• Eggs fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
• Wheat germ and other whole grains
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• Deep water fish–herring, salmon, sardines, mackerel
• Walnuts, Brazil nuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Avocados

.

SEAL OF APPROVAL

FAIR TRADE: Fair Trade shares October Awareness with breast cancer, perhaps because such practices may help thwart the disease. This stamp indicates that farmers and their workers are adequately compensated and that the food they produce isn’t loaded with potentially harmful synthetic pesticides.

USDA ORGANIC: You are what you eat, and what your food once ate too. USDA Organic ensures that animals are fed only organic feed without growth hormones and absorbed antibiotics purely for therapeutic purposes. Plus, the plant food on your plate doesn’t leave a trail of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, or sewer sludge in your system.

THREE VITAMINS A DAY

Vitamins A, D and E spell prevention.

A: Citrus fruits, green pepper, broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries

D: Fortified milk, freshwater fish, button mushrooms and 15 minutes a day of direct sunshine, vegetable oils, and wheat germ

E: Fortified cereals

COOKWARE

After making the right food choices, make sure you prepare them in safe equipment.

AVOID: Teflon-coated pans, made with toxic chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), that has been shown to cause cancer and birth defects in animals, but not yet in humans.

USE: Slightly more expensive pots made of enameled cast iron or layered with aluminum and copper between stainless steel.

AVOID: Storing your goodies in containers made with numbers 5 (Polypropylene), 6 (Polysterene aka styrofoam) and 7 (Bisphenol A—BPA) as they contain chemicals that are potentially carcinogenic and may pose a health threat.

USE: A stainless steel thermos or glass bottle for drinking water and microwave leftovers in glass or ceramic bowls and plates.

AVOID: Plastic wraps that contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), especially when microwaving.

USE: Wax paper to preserve your snacks.

Both in the form of sniffles and the brrr weather.

Posting pictures kicking it beachside as your desktop wallpaper is one way to say the shivers ain’t so. But let us recommend a more effective option: setting up an old school tea party, kettle, flowery cups, fragrant bags and all. You get the mugs, we got the goods.

Two Leaves and a Bud

While traveling through Asia and India, Richard Rosenfeld quaffed many a “good cuppa organic tea.” But in North America? Not so much. So he brought them over in the form of biodegradable sachets from Japan, India and Sri Lanka, among other exotic spots. A member of Trust Organic Small Farmers Initiative and determined to support all Fair trade Teas, these beverages warm you up with the constant do-gooding and flavors as soothing as Alpine Berry Herbal.

Tea Beyond

Without soda’s carbonation or the brute strength of coffee, it can be challenging to choose to fill our mugs with quiet, healthful tea. But when a lily or a peony may emerge from the pot? Yeah, we’re sold. That’s what happens when you dunk a Tea Beyond bag into your glass (preferably 4” tall with 2”) tea pot filled with 12-15 oz. of boiling water. The English Marigolds, a European salad topper and Sweet Olive flower, a Chinese bread and ingredient are safe to snack with your drink.

Rishi Tea

The other teas drink Rishi’s dust. After taking home 11 first place prizes at the 2009 World Tea Championship, the company decided to package ten of the golden brews (like cinnamon plumb and summer lemon) into the Award Winning Sample Set ($59.50). Since such quality can get pricey, Rishi is offering 31 days of giveaways via Twitter in support of Fair Trade Month.

SmartKetttle

Breaking away from the need to heat up on a stove was SmartKettle’s ($99.95) first hot move. This water-heater goes on to warm up faster than the microwave can, stay cool enough to sit on any surface and to be grabbed even while its contents are steaming.

Because sometimes a tea is only as sweet as its cookie, we’re dunking Late July’s green-tea infused vanilla bean sandwich cookies and Tea Aura’s all-natural shortbread cookies which are shaped like tiny tea leaves and chock full of antioxidants, in case you don’t get around to filling up your cup.

– Erica Goss

It’s National Breakfast Month. Not that you needed a holiday to remind you which meal is most important. No matter what your first a.m. craving is  (even Chinese food) or responsibility (early Urban Rebounding class, perhaps?) there’s a way to healthfully plate it to energize you for your day ahead.

KIDS MEAL

National Waffle Week ended Tuesday, but considering that Kashi GOLEAN’S Blueberry Waffles are packed with 8 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, we’ll continue celebrating…with some Zero Calorie Walden Farm Syrup drizzled on top. For an extra boost of nutrients (C, D, Calcium and B vitamins) add a 6 oz.  glass of Tropicana OJ with Calcium.

LEFTOVERS

You don’t have to wait until lunch to eat the leftovers from last night.  Salvage and cook up the remnants of your entree into an omelette.  Spray your pan with Gourme Mist Olive Oil and pan fry three to four large egg whites.  Add the remaining veggies and protein and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

BRAIN FOOD

When you definitely can’t Facebook your way through lunch, consider a breakfast filled with omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA, the main building block of the brain) to make sure you’re feeling especially sharp.  Fish and fish oils are loaded with these nutrients, so spread 3 oz.  of smoked salmon on a slice of whole wheat bread and top with  Toffuti Herbs and Chives Spread for an extra kick.

CHAMPION

Wheaties isn’t the only breakfast of superstars. Quinoa is too. This high protein food will fill you up, stabilize blood sugar levels and may ward off fatigue because of its high iron and Vitamin B2 levels.

Replace your oatmeal with quinoa.  Wash a 1/4 cup of the seeds and cook uncovered in 1/2 cup of boiling water for approx. 12 minutes. Pour into a colander and drain for several minutes to remove the excess moisture.  Stir and add milk.

or

Combine chilled cooked quinoa with juicy orange slices, chopped walnuts and chopped scallions for a refreshing salad.

SUGAR CEREALS

No one should have to give up her favorite sugar cereals. While it’s best to avoid making a whole bowl out of one with more than 5 grams of sugar per serving, there’s a way to fit them into the loop.

Pour 3/4 cup of a low sugar, high fiber option like Kashi Fiber One or Cheerios and add 1/4 cup of your sweet flakes of choice.

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It’s National Breakfast Month. Not that you needed a holiday to remind you which meal is most important. No matter what your first a.m. craving is (even Chinese food) or responsibility (early Urban Rebounding class, perhaps?) there’s a way to healthfully plate it to energize you for your day ahead.

KIDS MEAL

National Waffle Week ended Tuesday, but considering that Kashi GOLEAN’S Blueberry Waffles are packed with 8 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, we’ll continue celebrating…with some Zero Calorie Walden Farm Syrup drizzled on top. For an extra boost of nutrients (C, D, Calcium and B vitamins) add a 6 oz. glass of Tropicana OJ with Calcium.

LEFTOVERS

You don’t have to wait until lunch to eat the leftovers from last night. Salvage and cook up the remnants of your entree into an omelette. Spray your pan with Gourme Mist Olive Oil and pan fry three to four large egg whites. Add the remaining veggies and protein and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

BRAIN FOOD

When you definitely can’t Facebook your way through lunch, consider a breakfast filled with omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA, the main building block of the brain) to make sure you’re feeling especially sharp. Fish and fish oils are loaded with these nutrients, so spread 3 oz. of smoked salmon on a slice of whole wheat bread and top with Toffuti Herbs and Chives Spread for an extra kick.

CHAMPION

Wheaties isn’t the only breakfast of superstars. Quinoa is too. This high protein food will fill you up, stabilize blood sugar levels and may ward off fatigue because of its high iron and Vitamin B2 levels.

Replace your oatmeal with quinoa. Wash a 1/4 cup of the seeds and cook uncovered in 1/2 cup of boiling water for approx. 12 minutes. Pour into a colander and drain for several minutes to remove the excess moisture. Stir and add milk.

or

Combine chilled cooked quinoa with juicy orange slices, chopped walnuts and chopped scallions for a refreshing salad.

SUGAR CEREALS

No one should have to give up her favorite sugar cereals. While it’s best to avoid making a whole bowl out of one with more than 5 grams of sugar per serving, there’s a way to fit them into the loop.

Pour 3/4 cup of a low sugar, high fiber option like Kashi Fiber One or Cheerios and add 1/4 cup of your sweet flakes of choice.

EAT

Green tea shouldn’t just be paired with those post-yoga, relaxing moments. Give your cocktails a shot of Zen Green Tea Liqueur, the only one of its kind. Try making your own “Zen Moment” or order one from the bar at Boom (152 Spring St.) or Aspen (30 West 22nd St.).

ZEN MOMENT

1 part Zen Green Tea Liqueur

3 parts Sauvignon Blanc

Squeeze of Lemon

Add all ingredients to pitcher filled with ice and stir. Garnish with Lemon slice.

SWEAT

Pilates can be intimidating, especially when it entails using equipment called the Guillotine. But Alycea Ungaro, P.T., owner of Real Pilates, aims to ease newbies and veterans into every element of the sport with her recently launched Pilates Platter ($99). Like cocktail party nibbling, you’ll sample three sessions–a one-on-one, group Tower class and Reformer class.

Real Pilates, 177 Duane Street New York, 212-625-0777

CHILL

You’ve dipped green teabags into mugs, martini glasses and now, foot basins. When you get the antioxidant green tea pedicure ($59/55 minutes) at Ohm Spa, your feet will swim in the healthy stuff, get lathered in a mud masque and then of course, get smoothed and polished.

SHOP

If you plan to stay-cay, make sure your apartment plays the part. Stock up on room sprays and candles from Italian beauty company LAFCO on Fridays when this fragrant spot slashes its prices. Lorenzo Villoresi room sprays cost $8 ($42 originally) and Claus Porto vanilla-scented soy-blend candles for $13 (were $32).

LAFCO 161 Sixth Ave (between Spring and Van Dam Sts), Friday 10a.m.- 6 p.m.

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It’s not easy finding an excuse to zip up our cowboy boots in this town. But at Smart Workout’s Wild West dance class, you’ll kick up your spurs, bust out line moves and get away with saying, “Y’all” with Johnny Cash and Keith Urban howling in the back.

Wild West at Smart Workout, 124 E. 40th St., Suite 603, 212.61.1660, Fri., 7 p.m.

EAT

We’re getting our hands on as much Julie & Julia related activities in tribute to the legendary chef as we can. After watching a screening of the film, you’ll learn some of Julia Child’s trademark dishes like Crepes Fourrees et Flambees at The Institute of Culinary Education, where Julia Child was a frequent guest instructor, and eat dinner paired with Sancerre and Burgundy.

Institute of Culinary Education, 50 W 23rd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (800-522-4610, iceculinary.com). 3–10pm, $115.

SHOP

It won’t stop raining, but we’re still running in it, with Zoot’s Women Ultra Ether Jacket. The Dual Nano System technology from BRISEtex protects from water and wind, without adding too heavy of a layer. On sale at SBR for $44.97 reduced from $74.95.

Chill

Because dipping is our favorite thing to do (you couldn’t tell?), we’re getting soaked in a Chocolate Delight Body Wrap ($80) whose cocoa may have a slimming effect.

Madison Spa, 422 Madison Avenue (4th floor at 48th Street), 212-758-3899

Your weekend starts here….

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