FitSugar

Pete & Gerry's Organic Eggs

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:00:00 PST

Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are organically produced in the fresh air of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. So what makes them organic?

Their hens eat organic grain beginning on their second day of life. They don't give their hens antibiotics or medications. And no pesticides or herbicides are used in the production of the grain that they eat.

What else makes these eggs great? The grain their hens eat is made of certified organic flaxseed, which contains high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. The Omega-3 in the hen's diet is passed on to their eggs - each egg contains about 200mg of Omega-3. Two of their eggs contain as much Omega-3 as you'll get in 1.5 ounces of fish.

Their hens are raised in cage-free barns, where they can choose where they will lay their eggs and where they want to be. Their hens are also given access to the outdoors.

Their motto? "Happy chickens lay better eggs." I believe it. These are delicious, and I feel good buying them, knowing their hens are treated with kindness and respect.

Looking for a new way to eat your eggs? Check out these Square Eggs.

A Reader Recipe: Chunky Cherry-Chocolate Granola Bites

Fit Community — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:28:09 PST

FitSugar reader JuicyNoelle came up with this special cookie for Valentine's Day; she posted the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Tied with a festive pink ribbon and a little love, I’m hoping these cookies will be perfect for Valentine's Day. The whole-grain oats, nuts, and cherries in these cookies add heartiness, while the melted dark-chocolate chunks deliver bursts of richness. The chia seeds pack a nutty punch, and they are rich in fiber and omega-3s, too - perfect for supporting vibrant hair and skin during these cold weeks of February.

Learn more about the recipe after the break!

Savory Sight: Baked Eggs With Crispy Potato Cakes

Yum Community — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:31:46 PST

We've had baked eggs on our mind lately, and this recipe from Monica Bennett sounds divine, doesn't it?

If you have never had the opportunity to taste what an organic farm-fresh egg tastes like, I hope that one day you will. I had my first experience with these heavenly treasures a little over one year ago, and ever since then, I have been on a mission to find as many as these as I can wherever I happen to be. This recipe is quick, easy, and so rich and delicious. It will keep you sustained with energy for hours, and I bet that once you try it, it will become a part of your recipe repertoire.

Visit Monica's blog for the recipe, and share your brilliant breakfast ideas in the YumSugar community.

How Your Fridge Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:32:54 PST

The LG fridge might have features to help you lose weight, but since it's not yet available (and its price tag is a bit steep), give the fridge you already own a little makeover. It can help you reach your 2012 weight loss goals with these tips.

Get Organized
Organizing your fridge will help you make healthier decisions when it comes to food, and being able to see all different ingredients might even inspire you to cook. A decluttered fridge also helps you keep track of staples so you never run out of healthy snacks like Greek yogurt or breakfast basics like eggs. Versatile plastic storage bins, like these from Crate and Barrel ($10 to $12), are clear and stackable, making it easy to see the array of healthy foods available at your fingertips.

Snack Center in the Fridge
Create a "snack center" in your fridge (one of those Crate and Barrel bins would be perfect for this), so you have a go-to spot to find healthy munchables when hunger strikes. Place the bin in front at eye level, and stock it with premade 150-calorie baggies of popcorn, cheese and crackers, trail mix, cereal, pretzels, fruit and nut bars, fruit leather, and other healthy faves.

Continue reading for more ways your fridge can help you lose weight.

Hangover Cures That Work (and Ones That Don't)

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:17:53 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

You know you shouldn't, but sometimes a girl just can't help herself. You plan to meet up with friends for a drink after work, and one drink turns into many more, which then turns into a rough next morning. We hope you don't have a hangover reading this, because we bring you some not-so-good news. "There are a lot of myths about hangover cures," says Ruth C. Engs, RN, EdD, a professor at Indiana University who has done extensive research on the effects of drinking. "Essentially there is no cure other than consuming water and liquids like juice (i.e., not spiked) in the morning." The reason? Hangover symptoms are a product of dehydration, hypoglycemia, and the poisonous side effects from toxins in our drinks (sounds great, right?). Water will not only help hydrate your muscles and organs, but will also aid in flushing out the toxins. Juices such as orange juice accomplish both while replenishing your body with missing sugars.

That said, if you swear by a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel or a five-mile run after a night out on the town, you're not alone. We got the scoop on which remedies seem to prove real, and which ones are just part of the rumor mill.

Find out which hangover cures work after the break!

4 Toxic Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

Prevention — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:37:36 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Is your food loaded with toxins and chemicals? Here, simple swaps to protect yourself
By Anne Underwood

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing.

Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe - or not - to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health - and peace of mind.

The Best Packaged Foods to Shop For

1. Canned Tomatoes

Fredrick Vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A, gives us the scoop:

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

Low-Sodium Alternative Dinner Options

Keep reading to three more foods to avoid.

Wheat-Free Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Pet Community — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:01:08 PST

For a delicious and seasonal doggie birthday treat, Yoo Eatz baked up some wheat-free pumpkin dog biscuits for her lucky pooch.

Disclaimer: Before we go any further, please take note that these are dog biscuits, not people biscuits. No harm will befall you if ingested, but I guarantee that your dog will enjoy them more that you will.

I'm a terrible parent. In fact, it makes me wonder sometimes what will happen when we have human children running around the house rather than the four-legged variety. So here it is: I forgot my dog's birthday. The real date is October 25th, and Lily reached a regal 13 years of age this year on that late Tuesday in October. But here we are one month later, and I have provided no gifts, no birthday cake, only a belated couple of pats on the head and maybe a few more toy tosses.

Of course, the truth is, she hasn't noticed. And she has no idea (nor sympathy) for the guilt that I feel. She's just worried about where her next meal is coming from, which is exactly the sentiment that helped me land on her birthday present.

This Thanksgiving, we're off to my parents' house which now goes by the code name "Disneyland" because the term "Grandma and Grandpa's house" now makes Lily so excited, she leaves puddles on the floor. And since we will be partaking of our own pumpkin-flavored treats, I thought it only fitting that the dog have her own. So I tracked down this wonderful recipe (and cute post) at Simmer Till Done for wheat-free pumpkin dog biscuits that are easy to make and also easy on an aging canine's tummy. This should serve to assuage my guilt, at least until I forget next year. For the recipe, read on.

A Reader Recipe: Banana Date Bread

Fit Community — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:42:33 PST

This healthy banana bread recipe from FitSugar reader JuicyNoelle looks delicious. She posted this recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Banana bread has been one of my favorite foods since I was a little girl. I usually follow a classic banana bread recipe, but this weekend I was inspired to try a little something different. Instead of white flour, I used a whole wheat pastry flour (a healthier alternative to white all-purpose flour). I also included an extra banana, some chia seeds (packed with omega-3s), and a few walnuts (also rich in omega-3s). I also opted to use some dates to help sweeten up the bread instead of so much sugar. It turned out beautifully. I hope you enjoy this bread as much as I do!

See the recipe after the break!

Leading Egg Supplier Under Fire For Health Violations

Susannah Chen — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:18:40 PST

Have you always pooh-poohed those cage-free, organic eggs sold at the supermarket? Well, read ahead, because a new story may have you thinking twice.

A 20/20 special airing today on ABC shows workers at Iowa-based Sparboe Farms - the fifth-largest shell egg producer in the US and main supplier for eggs at McDonald's - burning off the beaks of young chicks; dead, rotted hens being pulled out of cages; and live chicks being thrown into plastic bags to be suffocated. The footage, caught undercover by animal rights group Mercy for Animals, was powerful enough for McDonald's to announce today that it's broken ties with Sparboe Farms for good.

The FDA also issued a warning letter to Sparboe yesterday, citing 13 violations that could potentially contribute to salmonella contamination. McDonald's has issued a statement maintaining this controversy is "not a food safety issue for our menu items," but it's likely this egg exposé will be one for the books. If you have the stomach to watch the video, tell me: does it surprise you?

5 Sneaky Supermarket Tricks That Make You Eat More

Prevention — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:21:07 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Have a healthy (and cheap) trip to the grocery store
By Bari Nan Cohen, Prevention

You walk into a grocery store expecting to buy only the items on your list, yet you leave with a cart full of extras you may not really need - and a considerably lighter wallet. An accident - or lapse in judgment? Actually, the store setup is likely to blame. "You want to get in and out quickly, but the folks in charge want you to linger as long as possible, spend as much as possible, and ideally spend it on the highest-profit items," explains Ali Benjamin, co-author of The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters, One Meal at a Time (Storey Publishing, 2011). How, exactly, do they make you stick around and load up on items you never meant to buy? Here are eight ways to guarantee a healthier (and cheaper) grocery shopping experience every time.

Bring A C-Note - And Leave Your Credit Cards Behind
Cash is king when it comes to avoiding impulse buys. "I know that I spend way less when I use cash rather than credit," says Benjamin. And the research proves her right - Lindstrom advises shoppers to use a 100-dollar note for grocery purchases. "We find it emotionally harder to break a larger bill, so we spend less," says Lindstrom. "We don't have an emotional connection with numbers on a credit card statement."

20 Ways to Feed Your Family on $100 a Week

Watch Out For "Health-Washing"
You may not read labels with as critical an eye in a store like Whole Foods as in, say, Super Target says Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg, president of Monetized Intellect Consulting, Inc, in Brooklyn, NY. "The atmosphere in Whole Foods Market makes you feel like everything in the store must be healthy," he notes. "In Target you'll look at the calorie count on the same package of granola you buy without thinking in a 'healthy' grocery store."

Learn three more sneaky tricks when you read more.