Healthy happy you.
Look, I know that the reason most of us eat a salad is because it's fat free, but fat free is not always the best idea when it comes to eating a salad as a meal. You could find yourself scrounging for more food soon after finishing all those leafy greens. I'm not saying you should drench your salad in Ranch, but instead add a little bit of good fats like nuts, seeds or avocado. The good fat will Read more
We all know that trans fat and saturated fat are major things to avoid, but what's the difference between the two? And what about unsaturated fats, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Are they bad too? What foods contain them? Are you confused about all these fats too? Let's get these fats straight once and for all. Saturated fat: "The bad guys." These are often solid at room Read more
Fat makes food taste good, but as we know, too much of this good thing is decidedly bad. A new study has even found that some people may be wired genetically to crave a higher amount of fatty foods than those who lack the fat-craving gene variation. Whether or not you're wired to crave fat, being more conscious of how much you are consuming can help you reduce those cravings. Take control of Read more
Not all fats are bad for you; in fact, incorporating healthy fats into your diet can actually be good for you! The general rule of thumb is that good fats are liquid at room temperature and bad fats are solid at room temperature. Therefore, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats fall into the good fats category, while saturated and trans fats fall into the bad fats category. Unlike saturated Read more
Baking is a great way to beat the chilly weather that comes with the change of seasons. Weekends are a great time to make sweet things with my sweet things — my girls love baking too. When making treats, I do try to make substitutes with healthy ingredients when I think I will not be sacrificing the texture and flavor too much. I found some substitutions at the American Heart Association, and Read more
We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar! The surprising ways you turn healthy foods into diet disasters By Nancy Rones, Prevention 1. Your marinades pack a big fat punch You're wise to choose skinless grilled chicken, but be careful with condiments. Barbecue sauce is filled with sugar, which equals calories (about 94 per 1/4 cup). The healthy move Ditch Read more
FitSugar reader Sophiew1 has found the virtues of healthy fats. She shares a recipe for an omega 3-rich snack in her OnSugar blog Sophie's Sweeties. I'm slowly recovering from what I call "fat-a-phobia." I've steered clear of fats only to overdo it later on carbs. I noticed my hands were dry (even my palms), my hair was dull, and my energy level was usually depleted. Healthy fats are crucial for Read more
DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar, I just had lab work done as part of my routine physical. My HDL cholesterol level is really low — 30. I am really scared. What can I do to improve the number? Is it possible to make it go up? —Freaked out about HDL This is a great question since cholesterol problems are quite common in Americans. High Read more
High cholesterol runs in my family, so I really need to watch what I eat in order to keep cholesterol at a healthy level. Your total cholesterol shouldn't exceed 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). Your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels should be 100 mg/dL or less, and your HDL (good) cholesterol levels should be 60 mg/dL or above. If you have high cholesterol, it puts you at risk for heart disease, Read more
Omegas are all the buzz right now, and it seems like everywhere you turn, new foods are being enhanced with this essential fatty acid, or labeled as an excellent source. What people don't know is that there are different types of omegas, and eating too much of one kind can actually be harmful to your body. Omega-3s are found in flax seeds, walnuts, cod liver oil, and fatty fish like mackerel, Read more
