Of course, at Kay’s Naturals we already know this – thus, our snack and cereal foods are all very rich in soy protein and other natural ingredients. My current go-to item is Cookie Bites – just released in 2010, packed with energy-boosting, lean muscle-building protein (as much protein as 2.5 eggs in each serving), AND THEY SATISFY MY SWEET TOOTH! Stevia is the secret ingredient here – an all-natural, herbal sweetener that genuinely satisfies my sweet tooth but doesn’t add calories or make me worry about side effects (unlike many other sugar substitutes).

To check out the new Cookie Bites, click on the box!:

Click here to see the rest of the eDiets’s 10 Best Foods for Women,

As good as the gym can feel (especially if it has a hot tub!), winter doldrums can really get in the way of getting to there. Add to that all those winter comfort foods and — voila! — you may be experiencing what I call the “winter chubbies.”

SO, here to the rescue are 5 foods that fight fat, help us feel energized, and keep the winter blues at bay.

1. Power up with Kay’s Naturals high-protein, gluten-free snacks and cereals are THE PERFECT snack, high-energy meal replacement, and all around pick-me-up to get you going — whether you’re running out the door or running in the gym. With as much protein as 2.5 eggs in each serving, these foods are formulated with our patented Better Balance(TM) of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates to help you lose weight, build lean muscle, and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Just click here to check out the gourmet flavors (a savory winter-time fave is Lemon Herb Protein Chips. For something sweet, try brand-new protein-packed Honey Almond Cookie Bites).

2. Say Cheese! According to Shawn McKee at ediets.com, cheese is one of the most versatile and delicious foods of all time. It can improve your omelet, upgrade a burger or be eaten all alone as a tasty snack. And if those weren’t enough it can actually help you avoid gaining weight. McKee goes on to say, “According to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate an ounce of full-fat cheese daily gained fewer pounds than their cheese-deprived counterparts over the course of the study. Full-fat dairy contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is believed to boost your metabolism; cheese is also a great source of muscle-building protein. Is there anything this wonder food can’t do?”To get the benefits of cheese with Kay’s Naturals, try my personal favorite, Crispy Parmesan Protein Chips.

A Pain in the Foot

Plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammatory condition, can present a stubborn fitness obstacle. But with the right treatment and self-care strategy, it can be tamed.
A Pain in the Foot

By Nicole Adamson

Fitness Fixes Department,
January-February 2010

Mary Ann Joyce had just finished playing a round of golf last March when she felt a sharp pain in her left heel. “I didn’t feel it on the course, but as soon as I changed shoes afterward, it was there,” says Joyce, now 68. The Frankfort, Ill., resident, who was vacationing in Florida at the time, immediately made a podiatrist appointment. The diagnosis: plantar fasciitis.

An inflammatory condition of the tissue on the bottom of the foot, plantar fasciitis (pronounced fash-ee-EYE-tus) is the most common cause of heel pain, affecting about 2 million Americans every year. It can be difficult to treat, but it is almost always curable through conservative measures.

“Ninety-nine percent of the time, you can resolve symptoms through nonoperative treatments,” says Keith Wapner, MD, clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. For Joyce, six weeks wearing an immobilizing orthotic boot, followed by physical therapy to stretch and strengthen the muscles of her calves and feet, did the trick. Her symptoms disappeared in three months.

Here’s how to tell if you’re at risk for plantar fasciitis, along with some tips for prevention and treatment.

When Plantar Fasciitis Strikes
The plantar fascia is a thick, flat band of connective tissue that spans the sole of the foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes and supporting the arch. The exact cause of plantar fasciitis is unknown, but most experts believe excessive tension or stress creates small tears in the tissue, which then becomes inflamed.

The hallmark symptom, sharp heel pain, usually starts with the first steps in the morning or when standing after periods of rest. “As plantar fasciitis progresses, you still have startup pain, but it hurts more often,” Wapner says. “Eventually, it hurts all the time.”

Anyone can develop plantar fasciitis, but the following factors increase your risk:

Tight calf muscles: When your calf is tight, it pulls on your Achilles’ tendon and creates tension on the plantar fascia.

Improper footwear: Shoes that are overly flexible at the arch can increase pressure on the plantar fascia. Calf-tightening high heels also contribute to the problem.

Overtraining or a rapid increase in mileage: Increasing mileage by more than 10 percent per week can make runners more prone to developing plantar fasciitis.

Faulty biomechanics: “Overpronation [landing on the outside of your foot and rolling in] causes a lot of tension when the heels and toes lift off the ground,” says Stephen Pribut, DPM, a Washington, D.C., podiatrist and past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. Movement problems at the hip or trunk can also lead to compensation patterns.

Excess weight: Studies have found that overweight people were more likely to develop plantar fasciitis because of added stress to the tissue and joints.

Heel-ing Powers
As with most overuse injuries, you can’t expect to resolve plantar fasciitis overnight. Seek treatment as soon as you feel heel pain — a medical professional can formulate a treatment plan incorporating the following strategies:

* Stretch it out. “The basic tenet of treatment is increasing flexibility in both the gastrocnemius, which is the large calf muscle that forms the Achilles’ tendon, and the plantar fascia itself,” says Wapner. (See “Foot Fixes,” below, for suggestions.)
* Upgrade your footwear. Avoid high heels and flip-flops, and wear supportive shoes even around the house. Some patients find relief in orthotics, which support the arch and distribute pressure in flat feet or high arches.
* Try massage. Myofascial techniques can soften tough, inflexible tissue and increase blood flow, Marcus says. Try rolling your foot over a tennis ball. (Start gently!)
* Wear a night splint. “A splint keeps your foot dorsiflexed so you don’t spend eight hours reversing the stretching you’ve done,” says Wapner. Two studies published in Foot & Ankle International found night splints had an 80 percent success rate in reducing plantar fasciitis symptoms.
* Apply ice. Icing the plantar fascia helps soothe pain and reduce inflammation. For a DIY ice massage, roll your foot over a frozen water bottle or use an ice-filled paper cup.
* Strengthen your feet. Some experts believe you can strengthen the muscles on the bottoms of your feet to take the pressure off the plantar fascia.

“For severe cases, your doctor might recommend a corticosteroid injection to help reduce pain and inflammation, though the injection can make the plantar fascia a bit more prone to rupture,” says Edward Laskowski, MD, codirector of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center in Rochester, Minn. And there is a surgical option that cuts the plantar fascia from the heel bone, though this is rarely performed, and experts advise at least a year of noninvasive therapy before even considering that route, which can lead to further complications.

Making an Active Recovery
You can continue to exercise with plantar fasciitis, but Laskowski suggests that you avoid sports that involve heavy pounding and replace them with low-impact activities such as swimming or riding a stationary bike. Runners who find it unrealistic to abandon their sport can try reducing mileage, provided their gait is not affected.

But the rule is, if it hurts, don’t do it. “If you keep going when you feel pain, it’s going to get worse,” says Curt Marcus, PT, DPT, the Chicago-area physical therapist who treated Mary Ann Joyce. Listen to your body and follow a treatment plan consistently. And be patient: About 90 percent of plantar fasciitis cases resolve within two months, so your chances of getting better are excellent.

Nicole Adamson is a freelance writer and personal trainer in Chicago.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis Illustration

Doctors theorize that plantar fasciitis develops when the plantar fascia (the red band in the illustration) is stressed, causing small tears to develop in the tissue. These micro-tears cause the fascia to become irritated or inflamed. Because the plantar fascia starts at the heel (just inward from the center of the bone), the strain — and pain — is greatest there.

Foot Fixes
Most plantar fasciitis treatment programs include stretching to reduce the tension on the plantar fascia and icing to decrease inflammation; others also include foot-strengthening exercises. Medical experts consider the following treatments safe and effective.

Calf Wall Stretches

Lean against a wall, with one foot about an arm’s length behind the other. First, stretch the gastrocnemius (the large muscle in the calf) by keeping the back leg straight (A). Next, stretch the soleus (the smaller, deeper muscle) by bending the back knee (B). Perform three sets for 30 seconds each.

Plantar Fascia Stretch

Sitting with your leg comfortably in front of you (straight or bent), stretch the plantar fascia by holding the heel with one hand and pulling the toes up toward your shin with the other. This helps relieve the pressure in the bottom of the foot by increasing the flexibility of the connective tissue. Perform three sets of 30 seconds for each foot every morning and after activity.

Towel Toe Curls

Do toe curls with a towel to strengthen the small muscles of the feet and take pressure off connective tissue. Placing a towel on the floor in front of you, keep your heels on the towel and curl your toes, gripping the towel and pulling it toward you. Do two to three sets for 15 to 20 seconds every day.

Iced Paper Cup

To reduce inflammation, freeze water in a paper cup and use it to massage the bottom of your foot. As the ice melts, tear off the paper to expose more ice. Aim for five to seven minutes in the morning and after activity.

Need to take the pressure off?

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Read more in this new eDiets article.

You want to know five more foods that will pump up your drive for flat abs? Click here for a great little article from eDiets.com. It begins, “There is more to getting great abs than just exercise. Find out which foods will help you get great abs…”

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The podcast’s description: If you are like most people, the month of January finds you dreading the tighter fitting clothes and regretting all the excess calories you ate during the holidays. Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner shares some interesting results of his research into how we seem to eat more and more and what we can do to take charge of our health.