FitSugar

Reality Check: Skinny Water Won't Make You Skinny

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0800

Kristen Bell and Nicollette Sheridan are fans of Skinny Water, the beverage whose motto is "Get Skinny, Stay Fit." These beverages contain "0 calories, 0 sugar, and 0 guilt," and they're made with the green tea antioxidant, EGCG, to help tame your metabolism. While green tea has been shown to speed up your body's calorie-burning process, you can't add these drinks to your diet and expect to miraculously lose weight, which is what Skinny Water implies. On their XXX-Detox drink's description, it says "Three Xs and you're . . . in the skinny club."

What you discover when reading the ingredients is that these drinks contain Splenda (sucrolose), an artificial sweetener that may be calorie-free, but is not exactly good for you. Skinny Water is basically like fruit-flavored Diet Coke - no calories, no nutrition. To get the benefits of green tea, you'd be better off drinking a freshly brewed cup.

I have a bit more to say on the matter, so to hear why Skinny Water annoys me read more.

Even the name of this drink bothers me because I'm tired of the constant emphasis on being thin. We get that message already from magazines and TV, so we don't need it from our beverages. Skinny Water reminds me of those thinkThin bars. Both products have callous marketing ploys to make people think thinness is a must, and that we have to eat these foods to achieve it. Grr! Am I just being overly sensitive, or do these kinds of products bug you, too?

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The Skinny On: Fruit Flavored Water

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 10:14:21 -0800

When it comes to hydration do flavored waters do the job?

Just about every water company has some new fangled version of water on the market, but are they as healthy as plain water?

Glaceau makes some vitamin waters that contain a lot less sugar than fruit juices making them an alternative. Plus each flavor contains a different set of vitamins and nutrients. They also make fruit waters which add a little bit of flavor to plain water, but they also add sugar and 50 calories.

Some fruit flavored waters, like Fruit2O, use artificial sweeteners like Splenda to sweeten up the drink without adding calories.

Fit's Tips: I wouldn't exactly put these flavored waters in the category of good old natural healthy hydrating water. It's a great alternative to soda, but don't replace it for water. When traveling, choose plain old water instead.

Biggest Loser Families Recap: NYC Makeovers

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

The competition on the Biggest Loser Families should be heating up, but last night's show was surprisingly free of drama. Well, not quite. There was Vicky's moment of paralyzing fear, verging on a tantrum, during the physical challenge, but even that little episode struck me as placid. Maybe because everyone involved, blue teammates included, seemed "over" Vicky's antics.

This week all the contestants were treated to a makeover in NYC. Their trip to the Big Apple included new hair fancy and flattering styles. The highlights from the salon: Vicky dyed her hair red and Ed got some highlights himself. Then all five contestants were treated to a shopping trip at Macy's lightly supervised by season-four winner of Project Runway Christian Siriano (didn't he often comment on how he loved the super-skinny models?). This was followed by a "live" reveal on The Tyra Banks Show, complete with a reunion with a friend, spouse, sibling, or parent. The reunions, full of lots of emotion, were pretty sweet watch.

Upon returning back to the ranch, the five remaining players competed in a physical challenge with a two-week spa vacation as the prize. The contestants had to wedge themselves in bottomless boxes suspended 12 to 15 feet above a pool of water. Vicky was first to call uncle, but refused to drop into the water. Heba, Ed, and Renee eventually followed dropping easily and gleefully into the water below. Michelle won the prize and was a disappointed to have her victory celebration marred by Vicky's attention-stealing freak-out.

To see who was eliminated and how they look today read more.

Since the contestants spent much of the week away from their trainers, Bob and Jillian packed in some serious workouts in two days' time. So it wasn't a huge surprised that the amount of weight-loss in all the players was low. Renee and Vicky both lost four pounds, Michelle lost five, while Heba lost seven but her husband Ed only lost three. Ed and Renee fell below the yellow line, and there were no surprises in the voting. Teams voted on their party lines, and Renee was sent home and she looks great. She is a mom with grown kids and a tremendous amount of energy.

Watch this video to see how she looks today.

Who do you think will make it to the final three? Did you see the surprise ending twist? Viewers will get to pick the third contestant to make it to the final three. Who do you think will win the whole shebang?

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Aging changes in body shape

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:18:22 -0700

Overview

Information

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Information

Many people are concerned with changes in their body shape as they age. Although some changes inevitably occur with aging, your lifestyle choices may slow or accelerate these changes.

The human body is made up of fat, lean tissue (muscles and organs), bones, water, and other substances. As we age, the amount and distribution of these materials will change.

Fat tissue may become increasingly deposited toward the center of the body, including around the abdominal organs. The proportion of body fat may increase by as much as 30%.

As fat increases, lean body mass decreases. Your muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells. This process is called atrophy. Bones may lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia, or at its later stage, osteoporosis). Tissue loss reduces the amount of water in your body.

You may become shorter. The tendency to become shorter occurs among all races and both sexes. Height loss is related to aging changes in the bones, muscles, and joints.

People typically lose about 1 cm (0.4 inches) every 10 years after age 40. Height loss is even greater after 70 years old. In total, you may lose 1 to 3 inches in height as you age.

This varies, however. Physical activity, a proper diet, and treating osteoporosis can help reduce height loss.

Men often gain weight until about age 55, then begin to lose weight. This may be related to a drop in the male sex hormone testosterone. Women usually gain weight until age 65, then begin to lose weight. Weight loss is, in part, caused by a loss of muscle tissue.

Of course, weight loss or gain varies from person to person, too. Diet and exercise play a large role in these changes.

A change in total body water may make older people more likely to get dehydrated. Pay attention to how much fluid you drink. Body changes also play an important role in how your body uses drugs. Thus, medication doses may need to be adjusted in older people.

The loss of muscle mass in the legs and changes in body shape can affect balance, contributing to falls.

Although many age-related changes cannot be prevented, you can take certain steps to help slow or reduce them. These steps include exercise, avoiding smoking, and eating healthfully. Excessive alcohol use and illicit drug use can accelerate age-related changes.

The picture of a hunched over, frail man or woman with pot belly and skinny arms and legs does not happen to everyone. Lifestyle plays a large role in how fast these age-related changes take place.

Gear Review: Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I'm sure you've heard the bad news. Polycarbonate water bottles that contain the chemical Bisphenol A, like the ever popular ones made by Nalgene, are probably bad for you. Studies show that hard, clear plastics might possibly cause cancerous tumors, urinary tract problems, and early puberty. With news like that, you're probably in the market for a new, safer water bottle. Enter Klean Kanteen!

This Klean Kanteen water bottle ($16.95) is made of stainless steel (SIGG bottles are made of aluminum). It holds 27 ounces of water, is toxin free and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, which I love. The mouth of the bottle is wide enough to handle ice cubs, and the polypropylene screw cap is easy to grip and seals tight to prevent leakage. The bottle is skinny so I can slip it into my backpack easily or in the cage on my bike. If you are super outdoorsy, you can use a spare carabiner to attach the bottle to the outside of your backpack with the handy loop on the bottle lid.These are a little cheaper than SIGG bottles (a 20-oz. bottle is about $20), so if you're trying to save some dough, I'd definitely pick one of these up. You can buy one here.

Healthy Dose Link Time!!!!!

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:00:00 -0700

That's Fit exposes fast food photo doctoring. And you thought magazine covers were bad.

Health Bolt has the skinny on the science of deja vu.

diet blog has some crazy stats on how your job could be making you fat. Job stress and obesity seem forever linked.

Curious what a week at a fancy spa can do for your running? Complete Running Network has some eccentric tales for you.

YumSugar wants you to enjoy tomatoes while they are still tasty. Check out this recipe for Stuffed Tomatoes. My mouth is watering right now!

Back in Skinny Jeans shares the worst gym ad ever!

Fitness Fixation has some sweetly emotional motivation going on! Enough for you and your friends!

About: Yoga has something to say about the yoga facelift!

fitPod's "SlamminJammin" 50 minute, free music mix will definitely help you meet your fall fitness goals!

Leslie at the Weighting Game has something to say about the discovery of the "skinny" gene.

Mark's Daily Apple weighs in on The Raw Food Diet.

It is a day of inspirational posts! Elastic Waist waxes poetic on the notion of "personal best" and weight loss goals vs. fitness goals!

The Skinny Website dishes on Michelle Pfeiffer and her relationship with Krispy Kreme donuts.

girlawhirl has finally found the perfect yoga mat bag.

Healthy Recipe: Tips from Jennifer Garner's Chef

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Having your own personal chef must be nice. Unfortunately most of us are not lucky enough to have that luxury. Jennifer Garner, however, is lucky enough. Her chef, Richard Florczak, shared some of his best lean cooking tips he uses for Jen with Self.

Make skinny sauce. For stars craving Alfredo, Richard Florczak, of Los Angeles, serves up high-flavor, lowfat pureed red peppers with chicken or pasta.

Do it yourself. Roast 3 red bell peppers or drain a jar of water-packed roasted peppers. Sauté with onion and garlic until soft; place in a blender with 1 cup chicken broth. Puree until smooth and creamy.
Dress to drop pounds. Salad is only as good as its dressing, Florczak says. Surprise your greens with something new to wear.

Do it yourself. Make a fresh dressing on Sunday to use all week. Florczak's no-fat vinaigrette: Combine 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp chopped garlic and 1 small peeled and chopped shallot in a blender for 30 seconds.

There's one more helpful tip so read more.

Trim down treats.
"I don't fake rich desserts with less-fattening ingredients. It's not satisfying," Florczak says. The solution: smaller portions done up in a big way.

Do it yourself. Bake your cakes in mini-ramekins to make the petite sweets seem more special. "Clients feel satisfied after a small portion if it feels indulgent," Florczak says.

I am loving the pasta sauce idea. It sounds super tasty and easy too! What do you think?

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Snack Attack: Healthy Treats for Your Freezer

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Sometimes healthy snacks can get boring and it's nice to have some easy to make snacks on hand for anytime your tummy starts rumbling and you've already eaten dinner. eDiets has found the best healthy snacks to keep in your freezer and since I love almost everything on this list, especially Skinny Cow Ice Cream, I wanted to share it with you.

Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies: One entire bag has less than 200 calories.
Skinny Cow Ice Cream: These delicious ice-cream sandwiches are 97-percent fat free and have only 140 calories
Sugar-Free Popsicles: They are low in calories and sugar-free!
Edamame: These soybeans are low in calories and easy to make -- all you have to do is boil some water.
Gardenburger: These are delicious and hearty and have around 100 calories per patty.
Kashi Go Lean Frozen Waffles: Each waffle has 8 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and only 3 grams of fat!

What about you? Do you keep a "go to" snack in your freezer? Tell me what it is in the comments section below.

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:45:00 -0700

diet blog has a primer on preventing binge eating.

That's Fit wonders if aspartame is a good sugar alternative or not? Me? I don't like the taste of it.

HealthBolt reports that a German woman finally has a pencil removed from her skull after living with the object in her head for 55 years. Needless to say, her headaches have decreased.

About: Yoga teaches you the One-Legged King Pigeon. Talk about an amazing stretch and beautiful pose.

The Skinny Website ponders Janet Jackson's quick weight loss.

Mark's Daily Apple believes that vegetarians and carnivores can agree that factory farms stink!

Leslie at The Weighting Game dishes and reviews so many energy bars. Learn from her mistake and drink water with those bars.

iFit&Healthy investigates the Victoria Beckham diet.

Fitness Fixation finds the restaurant industry eeevvviillllll, primarily Cold Stone Creamery.

Back in Skinny Jeans exposes 8 diet foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup!

Since coffee might actually be good for you, don't forget to enter YumSugar's espresso machine giveaway!

Net Sweat reports that flip flop injuries are soaring.

The Truth Behind Urban Kitchen Myths

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:45:00 -0700

There's a lot of urban kitchen myths floating around out there that it is hard to know what is something to worry about and what is something to roll off your back.

Women's Health Magazine has validated and debunked popular urban kitchen myths so you can finally toss or start using those non-stick pans.

Cooking Method: Cooking with nonstick pans
Verdict:
The Facts: Nonstick savior Teflon is slippery thanks to chemicals called PFOAs (perfluorooctanoic acids), high doses of which can cause cancer in some lab animals. But according to experts, including David Schardt, a senior nutritionist and spokesperson at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, studies show no evidence that PFOAs in Teflon seep into the food we eat or the air we breathe. In fact, some research suggests that PFOAs are destroyed during Teflon manufacturing.
Keep In Mind: Even if PFOAs don't escape when nonstick pans burn, researchers say that other harmful gases may. For safety's sake, never leave an empty pan over an open flame or in a heated oven, where it can reach temperatures high enough for toxins to be released (about 700 degrees). Simply keeping food or water in the pan is enough to prevent this: They absorb excess heat.

What about eating raw cookie dough or eating salad straight from the bag? Curious? Then, read more

Cooking Method: Eating raw cookie dough
Verdict:
The Facts: Even though just one in every 20,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella, every expert we spoke with said the same thing: Do not eat foods that contain raw eggs. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, and cramping.
Keep In Mind: Still can't resist licking the bowl? Yeah, neither can we. If you must, go with pasteurized eggs - the high heat used during the process destroys salmonella, so the only risk you run is not fitting into your skinny jeans.
Cooking Method: Eating salad straight from the bag
Verdict:
The Facts: "The food industry goes to a lot of trouble to make sure products are free of pathogenic microorganisms," says James Marsden, Ph.D. However, a recent E. coli outbreak may be linked to bagged spinach. Don't risk it. The CDC recommends washing greens in cool, running water.
Keep In Mind: If E. coli bacteria are present, there's still no guarantee that rinsing the leaves will remove them entirely. For added protection, wash your hands before and between handling different types of foods and clean knives and cutting boards between uses.
Cooking Method: Micro-waving plastic wrap
Verdict:
The Facts: Some people worry that nuking plastic releases cancer-causing dioxins. They shouldn't. "Dioxins are not present in plastics used for microwavable food containers or plastic wrap," says Rolf Halden, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
Keep In Mind: "When it says 'microwave safe' on the packaging, manufacturers have gone to great lengths to prove that the product is safe," Dr. Marsden says. If you don't see those two magic words on the label, keep the item out of the microwave: Chemicals could escape during nuking. Avoid reheating Styrofoam takeout containers for this reason too.

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