healthy eating tips

by Emily Bibb

This Summer, make swimsuit season even hotter with the addition of spice. It's true; spices curb your appetite, leading to a hotter you — no pun intended. According to Kate Geagan, MS, RD, author of Go Green, Get Lean, herbs and spices can play tricks on your sweet tooth. Adding a spicy combo to your meals expands your palette without extra calories. It may also decrease the amount of salt, fat, and sugar you use, keeping you satisfied without sacrificing flavor.

Take red chili peppers for example, research has found that sprinkling them on meals curbs your appetite because capsaicin — the heat factor — not only reduces hunger, it increases energy levels too. Try adding a spice rub to your meal's protein or a dash of cinnamon in your next cup of coffee. Because cravings are so overrated . . .

by Lizzie Fuhr

Even if you're not a dessert junkie, you might be shocked at some of the everyday foods that pile on the sugar. According to the American Heart Association, most women should be consuming no more than 100 calories from added sugars per day, or about 24 grams (six teaspoons of sugar). Added sugars come from sugars or syrups and are cooked into foods or sprinkled on at the table. While you should be concerned about all the sugar you're eating, generally speaking, naturally occurring sugars are less detrimental to your health — especially when they come in the form of a piece of fruit. The following list offers a mix of the two, but learning about all high-sugar foods will help you make smarter decisions in the future.

Spaghetti sauce: One cup of jarred marinara sauce from the store contains 14.5 grams of sugar, much of it from added sugar. Instead of buying the store-bought stuff, up the nutritional value and lower the sugar content naturally with this light and tasty raw tomato basil sauce, perfect for a refreshing Spring supper.

Juice: Robert Lustig, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital has said "juice is just like soda . . . there is no difference." It's not surprising that fruit juice is filled with sugar, but even a glass of V8 vegetable juice has eight grams of sugar per serving, and some store-bought green juices contain a large amount of apple juice. Grab your blender or juicer and go for a leafy green smoothie instead of a sugar-laden beverage. There's no need to drink all your sugar and calories for the day in one sitting.

Bread: Bread may seem like a strange place to find sugar, but two slices of whole wheat bread have four grams of sugar. Opt for stuffing all your sandwich fillings into a large whole wheat pita that only has 0.5 grams of sugar.

Keep reading for two more surprising foods loaded with sugar.

by Leta Shy

If your diet is lacking in enough nutrients, adding a smoothie to your diet can help immensely. Toss any of these six ingredients into your next smoothie along with your favorite fruits to get their nutritious benefits without sacrificing taste.

1. Broccoli: The fiber-rich vegetable helps keep you full without changing the taste of even your favorite smoothie combinations. You can use raw broccoli or steam it quickly first for a smoother consistency. This 330-calorie peanut butter, broccoli, and strawberry smoothie will keep you full throughout the morning.
2. Chia seeds: If you're looking to start the day right, add a tablespoon of chia seeds into every smoothie. The high-fiber seeds are also a great source of anti-inflammatory omega-3s, so you'll feel full and ready to take on your morning. This berry chia seed smoothie recipe masks the taste and texture of chia seeds if you're not a fan.
3. Green tea: Want a little energy boost in your smoothie? Add strong, cold green tea to any smoothie instead of water for a subtle caffeinated pick-me-up. We like the refreshing taste of this green tea, cinnamon, and honey smoothie.

Keep reading for more nutrient-rich smoothie ingredients.

by Jenny Sugar

There's nothing like biting into a homemade cookie right out of the oven, but all the butter, eggs, and cream add fat, cholesterol, and calories to your diet. If you can omit those ingredients and make your recipes vegan, you'll be doing your heart and your waistline a favor. Don't want to compromise on flavor? Of course, you don't. Here are five easy ways to veganize basic desserts so your butter-loving self will hardly notice the difference.

1. For eggs: You probably remember making volcanoes when you were a kid using baking soda and vinegar. That amazing foaming reaction can offer the same binding qualities as an egg. For every egg, use one tablespoon of vinegar along with one teaspoon of baking soda. This egg replacer works best in cakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads. If you want more fiber in your baked good, make flax eggs by mixing two and a half teaspoons flax meal and three tablespoons of water.
2. For butter: Instead of fat-and-cholesterol-filled butter or shortening, choose either avocado, banana, or prune puree. Whatever the amount of butter the recipe calls for, use half fruit puree and half Earth Balance margarine. Try it in cookie, cake, and quick bread recipes.
3. For milk or yogurt: This substitution is a cinch since soy, almond, and coconut milk taste like dairy milk. Choose vanilla-flavored for an even sweeter treat. The same goes for recipes that call for yogurt or sour cream. Just replace those ingredients with either soy or coconut milk yogurt. And tofutti cream cheese is made with soy but tastes so much like regular cream cheese that it makes a perfect vegan substitute.
4. For buttermilk: Mix one cup of soy or almond milk with one tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and let stand for five to 10 minutes.
5. For chocolate: Semisweet chocolate chips aren't vegan, but what's a chocolate chip cookie without them? Go for dark chocolate chips instead, like the ones used in these Vegan Samoas. Just be sure to read the label since some brands contain milk. Add a little espresso powder for a richer chocolaty flavor.

by Health

Curious if your foodie habits are hindering your workout results? Our friends at Health share five common missteps and how you can make healthy changes.

By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD

Whether you earn your living working up a sweat, or squeeze in workouts when you can, it's easy to fall prey to eating errors that unintentionally hold you back from getting the most out of your workouts. Here are five common missteps I see, and how to correct them to reap the rewards of your hard work.

Eating too little fat
Despite my recommendations to include good fats at every meal, like avocado, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil, some of my clients remain fat phobic, and will scale back, fearing that fat is "fattening." But the truth is, getting enough fat is a smart strategy for both sports nutrition and weight control, because fat: delays stomach emptying, so you feel fuller longer; increases satiety, to shut off hunger hormones; boosts antioxidant absorption, which in emerging research is related to leanness; and ups metabolic rate, to help you burn more calories. In fact, fat is one of the most vital nutrients in your diet, because it's a structural part of your cells, which means you can't heal a cell or construct a new one without enough fat to perform these important jobs. Cutting back too much can result in fatigue, chronic hunger, or a lack of satiety, irritability, depression, a weaker immune system, and an increased injury risk. So even if you're trying to reduce your body fat percentage, don't be afraid to add almond butter to a smoothie, top your salad with avocado, and sauté your veggies in extra virgin olive oil. Filling the fat gap can be the key to finally seeing results.

Health.com: Are You Making These Dieting Mistakes?

Using a sports drink when you really don't need one
If you sweat heavily, work out for more than 90 minutes, or exercise in hot, humid conditions, reaching for a sports drink rather than plain water is a smart way to keep hydrated, stay fueled, and replace the electrolytes lost in sweat. But if you're exercising for less than an hour and a half, in a climate-controlled gym, plain water should be fine. The carbs in sports drinks are designed to keep you going when you can't stop to eat, but if your muscles don't need the fuel, just one 20 ounce bottle means consuming a surplus 35 grams of sugar, the amount in about 20 gummy bears. And while unsweetened coconut water is a little lower, an 11-ounce jug still contains 15 grams of potentially unneeded carbs.

Keep reading for more three more mistakes.

by Jenny Sugar

You're famished after a tough, heart-pumping, muscle-burning workout and you're ready to grab a snack. It's important to choose a healthy pick-me-up to refuel your body as well as repair and build your muscles — so no, a doughnut isn't the best choice. Aim for a snack that contains more carbs than protein and a little bit of fat. A rough ratio could be 25 percent protein, 60 percent carbs, and 15 percent fats. Be sure to eat your around 150-calorie snack within 30 minutes of completing your workout. Here are a few you can try.

Vanilla Banana Protein Smoothie

Photo: Leta Shy

Calories: 169
Carbs: 25 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 16 grams

Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas

Calories: 146
Carbs: 23 grams
Protein: 6.2 grams
Fat: 2.6

Creamy Peanut Buttery Apples With Grapes

Calories: 151
Carbs: 21.5 grams
Protein: 8.4 grams
Fat: 4.2

Keep reading for two more post-workout snack ideas.

by Jenny Sugar

In the beginning of a weight-loss journey, pounds melt away like ice on a hot Summer's day. But as you get closer to your goal, it's not unusual to hit a plateau. Here's how to keep those pounds dropping and keep the weight off for good.

• Beef up your workouts: If you've been steadily working out and following the same routine, your body has probably grown accustomed to the routine. Rattle your body's chain a little and kick up the intensity of your workouts to further challenge your muscles. Work out longer or harder, increase the size weights you're lifting, do more reps of strength-training moves and vary the order, or try doing two workouts in one day.
• Go for fiber: Since your metabolism is already working pretty efficiently, eat fibrous foods that take longer to digest, so your body has to expend more energy to break them down. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are where it's at, but focus on these foods with the highest amounts of fiber.
• Include these foods: Imbalances in your digestive tract have been linked to weight gain, so to restore the balance of bacteria in your gut, eat nonfat yogurt for the probiotics. Lack of calcium as well as vitamin D can also make it harder to lose weight, so be sure to eat dairy products and these calcium-rich fruits and veggies, as well as these foods high in vitamin D. Omega-3s are also vital for a healthy metabolism, so include fish, eggs, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds in your diet too.
• Get your z's: Not getting adequate sleep (at least six hours) can also decrease leptin, the hormone that makes you feel satiated, while it increases ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Research shows that feeling sluggish the following day causes you to eat an average of 549 extra calories without even realizing it. Lack of sleep also slows down your metabolism, making you burn 20 percent fewer calories a day.
• Cut out the cocktails: Boozy beverages not only offer your body empty calories, but since your body is working so hard to get rid of toxins, they also inhibit the production of glucose, which is needed for maintaining normal blood sugar levels and in turn slows down your metabolism. Not to mention, getting a little tipsy also clouds your judgment so you're more likely to say yes to another cosmo and a slice of cheesecake to go with it. Go for water or metabolism-boosting green tea instead.

by Jenny Sugar

If Friday night means heading to the nearest pub for a beer and a burger, you probably don't want to know that your simple order of a burger and fries can run you over 1,400 calories. That's a day's worth of calories in one meal, not even counting the added calories of a beer or dessert. You don't have to give up on your burger entirely — just follow these calorie-saving tips.

Make it a veggie patty (100) instead of beef (306):
Calories saved: 206

If going veggie doesn't do it for you, eat half the beef patty instead of the whole (306):
Calories saved: 153

Skip the cheese:
Calories saved: about 100 per slice

Can't enjoy your burger without cheese? Add a slice of provolone (98) instead of cheddar (113):
Calories saved: 15

Side salad with dressing (140) instead of fries (395) with ketchup (20):
Calories saved: 275 calories

Only eat half the bun instead of the whole (160):
Calories saved: 80

Two tomato slices (7) and mustard (5) instead of ketchup (20) and mayo (90):
Calories saved: 98