Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Magic Cookies are great on-the-go snack

I never travel without snacks, especially after once forgetting to bring along something munchy on a day-long adventure in Dubai. Activities and sightseeing often mean irregular meal times, so now I always stock my backpack with quick eats to ward off hunger when I’m out and about.

Oatmeal raisin cookie
from Biosanes
Recently I sampled a yummy new product that provides a boost for sagging energy.  The Magic Cookie is a product made and distributed by the Dallas company called Biosanes, which means “life and health.” Not only is the natural oatmeal raisin cookie tasty, but it meets the nutritional requirements of a meal for both adults and children.
Co-founded by a mother-daughter team, Biosanes also makes a gluten-free granola cranberry cookie and a meal replacement shake.  I tried both cookie flavors during my recent trip to Switzerland and can recommend either as a healthy snack. I’ve tried other meal replacement bars that were hard to digest (probably too much fiber), but that wasn’t the case with Magic Cookies. Here's the nutritional breakdown: protein 7 g, carbs 32 g, soluble fiber 4 g, fat 8 g, calories 170.

These products can also be used for weight loss, although that wasn’t my objective. If you want to check out Biosanes products or order the cookies online, go to www.biosanes.com.
Right now you can do even more good—your healthy choice will help someone in need have a nutritional meal.  Between now and September 30th, when you buy a box of Magic Cookies (7 or 14 count) one person receives a healthy meal from the North Texas Food Bank. Cookies are sale priced until July 31. Phone: 888-670-5433.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Rolling along Lady Bird Lake


Wisps of hair blew around my face even though I was wearing a helmet. With knees slightly bent I stood on the platform of my gyroscope-balanced device, zooming in circles around large oak trees on the open grassy space. I was in a field beside Austin’s Lady Bird Lake doing figure eights on a Segway—and dodging four friends who came along on this crazy adventure. Riding free-form through the field, cutting fancy figures, and revving up as fast as we dared proved to be a favorite part of the tour.

Yes, it really is that much fun!
We had signed up with Gliding Revolution in Austin, Texas, and although my husband Larry and I had ridden Segways many years before, the others were novices. But it didn’t take long to learn basic moves for starting, stopping, and backing up. The rider’s body movements determine how the Segway goes: Lean forward and the device moves forward.  Lean back, and that’s where you go. Your body is also the braking mechanism—stand up straight (with a slight booty tilt) to stop.  Each little shift in position causes a change in motion and direction, but once you get the hang of it, you can glide along with minimal effort.  After few minutes practice on the self-balancing transporters we were raring to hit the trail.
Our group had opted for the Lady Bird Lake Tour, which explores an area near the urban lake and then glides through an eclectic 1920’s East Austin residential neighborhood. Although the lake was in view during the first half of the ride, we purposely avoided paths crowded by joggers and bike riders.

Since we were on the evening p.m. tour, the last hour found us rolling in darkness past an area that’s developing into a favorite city night spot. Long-time residences on Rainey Street have been transformed into funky bars that attract a mostly young crowd, even on week nights, for music and drinks. It was a lively vibe not expected in this unfamiliar area.
The guides were very helpful and made sure everyone could maneuver the Segway safely before leaving the training area. Along with leading us through beautiful natural scenery and a quixotically charming part of Austin, our guide shared bits of city trivia that made the tour interesting as well as fun. Even better, riding Segways is an earth-friendly way to tour a city.

Visitors new to Austin might prefer the Segway City Tour, an historical adventure that glides through downtown, zips by the Capitol building, and takes in scenes along famous (or infamous) Sixth Street.
During the summer, check out the Bat Watching Tour. At dusk, glide on Segways past Austin landmarks while watching Mexican free-tail bats fly on their nightly excursion from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Additional food, bicycle, and kayak tours are also offered by the company.

Segway tours last about two hours, and reservations are required. Call 512-495-9250 or click www.glidingrevolution.com for more information. The office is located inside the Holiday Inn on N. IH-35, so there’s plenty of on-site parking.