FitSugar

Popcorn Hopping With Antioxidants

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:14 -0700

The list of super foods just got a little snackier: popcorn is loaded with antioxidants. We have known for a while now that blueberries and broccoli contain high amounts of disease-fighting micronutrients, but whole grains are also high in polyphenols that can help in the nutrition fight against cancer and heart disease. Even whole grain foods like cracker and cereals - especially those with added cinnamon and cocoa, which are both known for their beneficial antioxidant content - are high in polyphenols. The key word here is "whole grain."

Surprisingly, popcorn ranked highest in antioxidant content among snack foods. It can be considered a healthy snack if it's not coated with butter. It's still important to eat your veggies, since they're loaded with other nutrients as well. Go for a well-balanced diet and keep your carbs whole grain.

7 Winter Foods Rich in Antioxidants

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:30:00 -0800

When we talk about food rich in antioxidants - disease-fighting nutrients - all sorts of Summer berries come to mind. Even though these berries may be hard to come by in cooler months, there are still plenty of Winter foods chock full of antioxidants. To see if you are already enjoying these foods, start the slideshow to learn what they are.

Source

View Slideshow ›

Berries Soaked in Booze Are Better For You?

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

If you're a fan of cocktails, you'll appreciate this tidbit just in time for berry season and Summer-drink mixing. According to studies conducted by Thailand's Kasetsart University and the USDA, soaking berries in liquor increases their antioxidant capacity.

While testing methods for preserving strawberries, the scientists discovered that soaking them in grain alcohol also upped their antioxidant levels. According to the article:

Colored berry fruits like strawberries contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. Consumption of these compounds has been linked to the prevention of diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. . . . Similar benefits of alcohol treatment was found with blackberries, which means that soaking in alcohol will likely improve the antioxidant value of a variety of berries.

Celebrate this fun finding by making a drink with Summer berries, like this Raspberry Herb Cocktail from Martha Stewart. Though the study doesn't say how long you need to soak the berries, be sure to marinate them in the vodka before mixing your cocktail.

Açaí: Good For You and Hard to Pronounce

FitSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Often touted as the hot new superfood, açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a delicious fruit harvested from palm trees in the Amazon. The boldly flavored berry tastes sort of like chocolate-covered cherries, and its health benefits are just as enticing. The pulp is packed with antioxidants - more than you get from blueberries, pomegranates, or red grapes - plus lots of fiber, amino acids, and heart-healthy fatty acids.

According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, who calls açaí one of the top 10 superfoods, the antioxidants in this "energy fruit" help combat premature aging, while the "almost perfect essential amino acid complex" aids in muscle regeneration and the healthy fats help digestion. To find out how to get it in your diet, read more.

You can't just walk into a grocery store or even a farmers' market and buy açaí berries, but there are plenty of yummy methods for consuming this fruit. Most common are juices, such as those from Bossa Nova and Sambazon, which combine açaí with other fruits. The berries are also mixed into smoothies: Jamba Juice now offers an açaí blend, and Sambazon sells smoothie packs so you can make your own. At the Newsroom Cafe in LA not long ago, I devoured a delicious bowl of granola mixed with some sort of açaí-yogurt smoothie that was absolutely delicious. How about you? Have you tried açaí? If so, tell me about your experience with this super tasty superfood below.

Source and Source

Taking Vitamins May Shorten Your Life?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

It seems that doctors, chiropractor and other health professionals are always encouraging folks to take a daily vitamin. If you're a person who downs a bunch of pills with her morning cup of coffee or OJ every morning, then you may be surprised to hear this horrible news - research shows that people who take antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A and E, may be unknowingly shortening their lives. Ironically quite the opposite of what they are hoping to do. In this Danish review of 67 studies done on 230,000 healthy men and women, the team of scientists found no evidence that taking antioxidant supplements had any positive effect on preventing diseases such as cancer. Actually, some supplements may even increase susceptibility of getting sick and dying sooner.

Wait, I thought antioxidants were good for you. If you're confused too, then read more.

Yes, it's true. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, beta carotene and selenium, are considered essential for our health, because they support the immune system and help rid the body of free radicals that can possibly lead to disease. Many of us already get the recommended amount or these vitamins and minerals each day in the food they eat, and there's no scientific data that says that more is better. Plus, people aren't exactly sure about dosage amounts when it comes to vitamins. The RDI of vitamin C is about 75mg, but you can buy tablets of 1,000 mg. Taking a huge amount of any vitamin all at once could throw your system off balance.

Of course there are scientists who don't agree with these studies, and feel that there is some merit to taking a daily vitamin. For those not getting enough from their diets, vitamins could help to promote overall health.

So what's your opinion on taking supplements? Do you take vitamins everyday, or do you feel it's not necessary?

Source

Wine, Nationality, and Antioxidants

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:30:00 -0700

You all know I am a fan of red wine. But did you know that some reds have higher concentrations of the beneficial antioxidants? So if you are drinking wine for, among other things, its health benefits, do you know which country produces wine with the highest amount of antioxidants? Take this quiz and see.

Source

Take the quiz

The Raw and The Cooked: Broccoli and Carrots

FitSugar — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Are all veggies better for you when they are raw? It is a common assumption, but is it true? Take this two question quiz and see.

Source

Take the quiz

Eat a Rainbow

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:30:00 -0800

A colorful diet is a well-balanced diet since different antioxidants create many of the different colors in fruits and veggies. Antioxidants keep your body healthy on a cellular level by cleaning up free radicals that can lead to mutations and cause disease. So next time you're at the salad bar, or planning a menu, try to eat a rainbow because the more variety in color the larger the variety of antioxidants.

Prevention magazine has created a helpful color guide and here are the highlights.

Yellow/Orange: Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, mango, corn, and melon all contain a variety of carotenoids, which reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Green: Vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are high in lutein, which keeps your vision sharp and clear.

To see what the rest of the rainbow has to offer, just read more

Blue/Purple: Blueberries and blackberries are chock full of anthocyanins, which prevent tumors from forming and suppress their growth.
Red: Tomatoes and watermelon are loaded with lycopene, which may protect against cancer and heart disease.
White: Cauliflower offers the same cancer-fighting benefits as broccoli, its cruciferous cousin, and potatoes are a good source of vitamin C. There's also some evidence that the sulfur compounds in garlic and onions may ward off stomach and colon cancers. Other white foods, like poached chicken, seafood, reduced-fat cheeses, eggs, and tofu, provide all-important protein.

Source

Misconceptions About Mushrooms

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:30:00 -0800

I know there are many people out there who go out of their way to avoid eating mushrooms. They feel they are not missing anything, nutritionally speaking, by picking out the edible fungus from their meals. Things couldn't be farther from the truth, so I thought I should clear up some misconceptions concerning mushrooms.

Not only are mushrooms a low calorie food, containing only 18 calories per cup, but they are also 90 percent water. Most importantly, all varieties of 'shrooms contain large amounts of an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine, which is only found in fungi. This is a powerful antioxidant that fortunately is not destroyed when mushrooms are cooked.

A variety of animal studies have also found that compounds found in mushrooms may bolster the immune system as well as work to prevent both breast and prostate cancers. Mushrooms are also high in the mineral potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. In fact, five white button mushrooms have as much potassium as an orange.

So where do you fall in the mushroom debate. Do you love them or hate them? Tell me how you feel about fungi in the comments section below.

Source

Sugar Causes Wrinkles

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Who doesn't love sugar? I know I crave that sweetness (especially during certain times of the month), but experts now believe that eating too much sugar can make your skin look dull and wrinkled.

How? When you eat the sweet stuff, sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules in a process called glycation. These new molecules are called advanced glycation end products or, appropriately, AGEs for short – am I the only one that finds that acronym highly ironic? The more soda, candy, and deep-fried twinkies you eat, the more AGEs you develop.

Dermatologist Fredric Brandt says, "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion." Collagen and elastin are the protein fibers in your skin that make it firm, springy and elastic. Once they're damaged, they become dry and brittle, which leads to wrinkles and the ever-so-wonderful sagging.

Another thing about AGES is that they deactivate your skin's ability to produce antioxidant enzymes, which leaves your skin more vulnerable to sun damage (another cause of wrinkles).

It's never too late to work on reversing the effects. To find out how read more

Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of your daily calories.
Ditch soda and drink water instead. Not only are the hydrating effects of water good for your skin, but one 12 oz. can of soda contains about 40g of sugar. That's just about as much as a person should consume in a day.
Read labels meticulously. Processed foods can tend to have tons of hidden sugars under names like barley malt, corn syrup, dextrose and maltose.
Avoid high fructose corn syrup. This type of sugar is believed to produce more AGEs.
Make sure to get your B vitamins, at least 1 mg a day each of B1 and B6.
Don't forget your vitamin C either, since it may help fight wrinkles.
If you're still smoking, here's another reason to quit. Smoking can cause wrinkles on your face and it also affects the skin all over your body.

You can also try out anti-aging serums and creams, but they aren't guaranteed to work. Depending on your skin type, they may diminish lines for a brief time, or they may not work at all.