FitSugar

French Warnings on Junk-Food Ads: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0700

French women have long been admired for their ability to eat the rich, high-calorie foods of their cuisine without becoming overweight. They have inspired diet tips and books. This moderate food culture might have more to do with the government than we thought because the French Parliament seems to be legislating the two extremes of current weight issues. Recently, they outlawed images of extreme thinness and they are considering taxing fattening foods like ~~french fries~~ pommes frites and hamburgers.

A friend of mine recently visited France and saw health warnings scrolling on the bottom of television ads for junk food, and took a photo of her hotel TV, knowing I'd want to see. The text translates roughly to: "For your health, eat at least five fruits and veggies a day." These warnings are not just limited to TV ads; they can be heard on the radio and seen in print ads as well. The warning reminds me a bit of the warning labels on cigarettes. While I appreciate those labels, I am not quite sure they keep people from lighting up, but hopefully they get smokers thinking.

So what do you think about these warning messages. Do you think they could help solve the obesity problem? Should we imitate our Gallic friends? Are these warnings . . .

Ethnic Eating Out Tips: Thai, Indian and French

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:15:00 -0800

Navigating through a restaurant menu is often tough, but it's even harder when you're navigating through yummy food that you're not totally familiar with. WebMD has created an easy choose/avoid list for the next time you eat Thai, Indian and French.

THAI: My personal take out favorite, but it's definitely tough to sort through the often extensive menus.
Choose-
Sauces: lemon grass, lime, curry, sweet and sour, basil, chili, fish sauce
Stir-fried, sautéed, and braised dishes
Thai salads
Basil rolls
Broth soups
Any dish with lots of vegetables
Bean thread noodles
Seafood, tofu, poultry, lean meats
"Satays" -- skewered meat
Avoid-
Dishes made with coconut or coconut milk
Sauces with peanuts
Fried foods, including fried spring rolls
"Mee-krob" -- crispy noodles

To see what to choose/avoid when eating Indian and French, read more

INDIAN: Curry is the name of the game here, but there are also a lot of fried food land mines, so be careful.
Choose-
Basmati rice
Legumes (chickpeas and lentils)
Vegetable dishes
Yogurt-based sauces
Lean meats, poultry, and seafood
Mulligatawny or lentil soup
"Papad" -- baked lentil wafer
Tikki, tandoori, or kebab preparations
Avoid-
"Ghee" -- clarified butter
"Molee" -- coconut milk or cream
Any kind of fried foods
High-fat beef and lamb dishes
Creamy curry sauce
"Korma" -- cream sauce
(Limit portions of coconut and nuts)

FRENCH: French women could get fat if they stick to the foods on the avoid list.
Choose-
Broth-based soups
Plain vegetables
Vegetable salads with light vinegar-based dressing
Wine or mustard sauces without cream
Roasted or grilled lean meats, poultry, and fish
Avoid-
Cream soups
Cream or cheese sauces: au gratin, hollandaise, béarnaise, béchamel
Caesar salads or any with creamy dressings
Anything fried or seasoned with breadcrumbs
Pate, fatty meats, duck, and sausages

Salad Dressing Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 07:27:38 -0800

Since holiday feasting can leave you feeling full and bloated, salads are a great option to lighten up your meals. And what's a salad without your favorite dressing? Beware because those drips and drizzles can add on hidden calories and fat. In 2 tablespoons of dressing, you'll get:

Annie's Goddess: 13 g fat, 130 cals
Annie's Thousand Island: 7g fat, 90 cals
Hidden Valley Ranch: 14g fat, 140 cals
Hidden Valley Ranch Light: 7 g fat, 80 cals
Ken's Steak House Caesar: 18g fat, 170 cals
Ken's Steak House Lite Caesar: 6g fat, 70 cals
Kraft Zesty Italian: 11g fat, 109 cals
Kraft Fat-Free Italian: .3g fat, 20 cals
Maple Grove Farms Honey Dijon: 0g fat, 40 cals
Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette: 9g fat, 90 cals
Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette: 4g fat, 45 cals
Oil & Vinegar: 14g fat, 140 cals
Souplantation Blue Chesse: 14g fat, 140 cals
Wegmans Herb Vinaigrette: 9g fat, 110 cals
Wish-bone Western Creamy French: 11g fat, 130 cals
Wish-bone Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette: 6g fat, 70 cals

Fit's Tips: Instead of flooding your salad with dressing, try to use less or thin it with water. When dining out, ask for the dressing on the side. Or you could try tossing out the dressing entirely and add flavor by squeezing fresh lemon juice onto your greens.

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Le Vin en Rouge

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:30:00 -0800

As if we needed another reason to have another glass of wine, but scientists have given us one!

Recent reports claim that drinking red wine from the Nuoro province, Sardinia, and southwest France are healthier for you than other red wines. This is in part due to the wine-making methods and use of the flavonoid-rich grape Tannat commonly grown in southwest France, which result in high levels of oligomeric procyanidins (the ingredient that contributes to heart health and longevity) in the local wine.

So go ahead and try a bottle of red from Madiran (a common red wine from the south west of France).

FITSUGAR SNEAK PEEK: Baskets Biologique

FabSugar — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 12:28:10 -0700

Hey guys: Get excited, because FitSugar is coming soon! See below for a sneak peek.

The French seem to have a flair for almost everything. (Well, except for that whole perpetual smoking thing.) While not everyone in France necessarily believes in the working-out-for-better-health theory that we Americans like to follow, they do believe in having good sneakers, which is something we can all agree on. The French sneaker maker Veja has created a sneaker you (and Mother Earth) can feel good about, because the sneakers, or baskets as the French call them, are made entirely from organic and natural elements.

The organic cotton is grown in northern Brazil, and the rubber comes from a small co-op in the Amazon. What's more, Veja claims that the sewing and assembly is done at co-ops where the workers rights are valued and respected. Oh la la! You can buy them online at Veja's web site, or if you don't want to pay international shipping costs, check out Scout LA, which also carries them. The boutique is located at 7920 West Third St. in Los Angeles; call (323) 658-8684 for more information.

Want to learn how to fit into those skinny jeans? Need to find a totally fab pair of running shoes that you can actually run in? Dying to know if dipping into your clothing budget in order to eat organically is worth it? Read about all of this and more on our next site, FitSugar!

FitSugar is coming soon. Sign up to receive an email notification as soon as we launch!

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Low Fat French Fry Alert

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:15:00 -0800

I know many of you have a weakness for french fries, and they are often your favorite cheat food. Well, folks in the food industry are looking out for you and have developed My Fries, which I will gladly share of course.

These revamped french fries contain 25 percent less fat than regular fries, which is good if you are trying to watch your waist line. They are coated with something called i3 advantage – a french-fry coating technology. Who knew that there were french-fry coating technologies? The coating impedes the fry from absorbing cooking fat, so the potato doesn't act like a sponge for oil and sop up all that fat. These fries are targeted for the fit-conscious consumer - do you feel targeted. Here's the nutritional info if you are interested. Looks like Pete Wentz and Kendra Wilkinson are enjoying ~~their~~ My Fries. Hopefully we will all be able try them soon at health-conscious, fast-food restaurants everywhere!

Source

Fast Food Breakdown: French Fries

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:45:00 -0800

What is it about french fries that makes us crave them so? Is it the saltiness? The crispy outside and soft, warm inside? Is it that they make ketchup taste so good?

Well whatever the reason, people love them and fast-food joints know that. Unfortunately deep-fried foods aren't exactly healthy for us, which we know, but maybe seeing some actual numbers will help prevent us from ordering the super-size fries at Mickey D's next time.

Want to see the nutritional info? Then read more

Check out how a large-size order of fries compares at these popular fast-food chains.

Place	Calories	Trans Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)
McDonald's	570	8	330
Burger King	500	6	820
Wendy's	540	1	550
Arby's Homestyle	566	1	1,029
Arby's Curly	631	1	1,476
Hardee's Regular	610	unknown	370
Hardee's Crispy Curls	480	unknown	1,190
A&W Regular	430	5.5	640
A&W Chili Cheese	400	4	990
In-N-Out Burger	400	0	245
Jack in the Box Natural Cut	640	10	1180
Jack in the Box Seasoned Curly	550	10	1,200
White Castle	700	11	560
Sonic Regular	280	0	135
Sonic Chili Cheese	450	.5	610
Dairy Queen	730	5	1,530
Carl's Jr.	620	unknown	380
Popeyes	310	1	660
KFC Potato Wedges	260	0	740

Whoa, hang on a sec. Did I read those numbers from Dairy Queen correctly? 730 calories and 1,530mg of sodium? Yikes. I've never tried their french fries but they better be the best-tasting potatoes in the world. White Castle's fries aren't too far behind with 700 calories and a whopping 11g of trans fat. The worst thing is that people eat these on the side. If french fries contain this many calories, I don't even want to think about what the total number of calories would be if you ate them along with a burger.

If these numbers don't make you steer clear of fast-food french fries, maybe this video about McDonald's preservatives will seal the deal. It's disgustingly shocking. It makes you realize that it's not only the trans fat, calories, and sodium that are unhealthy, but you have no idea what kind of crap and chemicals these fast-food chains are putting into their food, and how it'll negatively affect your body.

Source

Healthy Breakfast Idea: 5-Factor French Toast

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Harley Pasternak, who is credited for getting Jessica Simpson super toned with his 5-Factor Diet, has given In Touch this yummy recipe for 5-Factor French toast that uses Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread. While I like the taste (and the nutritional packed goodness) of Ezekiel Bread, it's often too hard for me so this is a great way to use it as it will get less hard when you soak the bread. For the recipe just read more.

5-Factor French Toast (via In Touch)

2 slices Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread
2/3 cup egg whites
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp. Splenda
1 pinch of salt
Cooking oil spray
Sugar-free syrup

Whisk egg whites, milk, Splenda and salt. Soak the bread in the mixture. Heat skillet with cooking spray. Cook bread one slice at a time until light brown. Top with berries and sugar-free syrup.

*323 Calories per serving.

Print recipe with images | without images
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Diet Tip: Eat Like the French

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Our relationship with our Gallic allies waxes and wanes (remember the Freedom Fries episode), but we Americans could learn a thing or two from the French and their relationship to food.

The adult obesity rate in France is only 11% compared to the U.S. rate of 32%. Well folks at Penn State University and Cornell University decided to turn this statistic into a learning opportunity. Eating slower and savoring your food is a healthier way to eat since it makes less food seem like more and gives the body time to achieve satiation. It also reinforces the well know fact that smaller portions are better, because if there is less on the plate there is less for you to eat.

To read more on the study check out this article on MSNBC.com. Makes me want to head to the City of Lights right now.

Reality Check: Ashlee Isn't a No Carbs Kind of Girl

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:02 -0800

Even though she lives the So Cal lifestyle, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz told Women's Health that she doesn't starve herself for a Hollywood figure; she simply loves food, and one of her favorite feasts features Mexican fare. Once a week Ashlee and her hubby, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, invite family and friends over for taco night. Ashlee told the mag that she's not afraid of cheese, eats cheeseburgers with ranch dressing, and indulges in French fries. But don't spread the rumor that she's eating for two, because she's not, and Ashlee shares that she's even slimmer than ever.

She boasts about devouring whatever she wants, doesn't deprive herself of the foods she craves, and still has such a great figure. To find out what she asys is her secret, read more.

Ashlee's secret weapon is Bronx Pilates! Her 1-year-old son is in her arms all day, and carrying around that extra weight has helped to really tone her arms.

Before she gave birth, Ashlee had gained 50 pounds, and her breasts were up to a size E when she was nursing. So once baby Bronx was two weeks old, she was ready to start losing the extra pounds. A home-delivery meal plan didn't work since she's a big eater. She says, "If I want a grilled cheese sandwich, I'll eat a grilled cheese sandwich." So she turned to exercise, and with the help of a personal trainer, the new mama set up a home gym and started circuit training. Four weeks later, Ashlee had lost half her baby weight. Her diligent workouts have definitely paid off. Of course, this young actress also has her youth and genes to thank. Though she looks amazing now, Ashlee dispels the notion that her bod was a result of Hollywood stress. She says, "I wasn't in a rush to get back to this body for anyone else. It was more like, 'I wanna look good [for me]? I wanna feel good.'"

Ashlee is feeling great and very appreciative of her family and all life has blessed her with. On top of a great career and a healthy son, her hubby is a great source of comfort and support. "Pete isn't worried about stretch marks, " she says, "He always makes me feel sexy."

The way she explains it, she doesn't really do anything currently to maintain her figure. Do you believe it?