FitSugar

Sulfite Sensitivity

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:03:00 PST

Sulfites are sulfur based preservatives that are used to prevent or reduce discoloration of light-colored fruits and vegetables. They are also used to prevent black spots on shrimp and lobster. They are used to condition dough and maintain the stability and potency of certain medications.

Most (except for a few) wines contain sulfites. Yeast naturally produces sulfites during fermentation and most winemakers add sulfites to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. All wines made in the U.S. require a "sulfite" warning label. There are no such rules for wines made in other countries.

Why am I telling you all this? Because according to the FDA, 1 out of every 100 people has a sensitivity to sulfites. They lack the natural enzyme to break them down. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, chest tightness, nausea, hives or anaphylactic shock.

Sulfites can occur naturally in foods like wine and are added to certain foods as well. Some common foods that contain sulfites are baked goods, soup mixes, jams, pickled foods, bottled lemon and lime juice, maraschino cherries, and dried fruit.

Look at the ingredients and you may see:

sulfur dioxide
sodium sulfite
sodium bisulfite
potassium bisulfite
sodium metabisulfite
potassium metabisulfite

These are all sulfites, so if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you may try avoiding sulfites to see if your symptoms go away. Or you can try sulfite free food and wine.

We're Sweet on Vintage Valentine's Day Ads

Tara Sharp — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:23:58 PST

Happy Valentine's Day! Take a trip back in time with these funny, cute, romantic, and sometimes sexist vintage V-Day ads. According to these ads, it seems the best way to impress a woman (and get some lovin') on Feb. 14 is with a box of chocolates, and for men it's cake. Alluding to sexual favors in exchange for Valentine's Day gifts may seem retro, but the concept hasn't gone away in advertising, as we saw in Teleflora's "give and receive" Super Bowl ad over the weekend. See some of the good, bad, and most bizarre vintage V-Day ads!

Bar Refaeli, Anne V, Chrissy Teigen, and More Wear Bikinis For SI's Swimsuit Issue

Allie Merriam — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:12:53 PST

The annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue features some of the world's most famous models in their two-pieces. Bar Refaeli wore a bikini for a spread with some well-known athletes like Rafael Nadal, Michael Phelps, and Chris Paul. Chrissy Teigen, Anne V, and Irina Shayk also show skin in the magazine. Click through to see highlights from SI's latest, which features Kate Upton on the cover, and make sure to check out all the 2012 Sports Illustrated bikini pictures!

Watch Old Hollywood Glamour Take Over on Jenny Packham's Fall 2012 Runway

FabSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:04:37 PST

Jenny Packham paid homage to 1940s women, showcasing a palette of rich red, black, and white gowns - perfectly tailored for any red carpet. These true Old Hollywood style frocks included beautiful embellishments and silhouettes that hug every curve. Watch her entire runway show here!

They Dated?! Fun Celebrity Couples From the Past!

Lauren Turner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:59:50 PST

Happy Valentine's Day! We've already given you 100 hot celebrity PDA pictures and taken a look at sexy guys saying "I love you" in honor of the holiday, and now we've got fun star matchups from the past. Remember when Seal dated Tyra Banks and Matt Damon went out with Winona Ryder? Click through to see those duos and more celebrity pairs now!

Also, don't forget to check out all of our Valentine's Day coverage across the network.

Marc Jacobs Fall 2012

Marisa Tom — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:45:08 PST

One thing's for sure - nothing is off limits or out of the realm of possibility when Marc Jacobs is at the helm. Set in a Rachel Feinstein-designed storybook-inspired castle-in-ruins Winter wonderland, he presented his Fall '12 lineup with more than just a little fashion fanfare. The first word that comes to mind? Hats! And lots of them, all by mastermind milliner Stephen Jones; each one more wonderfully whimsical than the one before. These wild toppers, in addition to the parade of rich, slightly oversized outerwear, giant safety pin closures, bejeweled square-toed shoes, luxe ostrich-skin handbags, and more, served as a serious testament to Marc's vivid imagination. All flights of fancy aside, though, there were ultra-wearable pieces peeking out from under the more fantastical garb. To this point, we spied cozy layered tweeds in muted tones, shimmery metallic pencil skirts in looser silhouettes, and slick cropped pants sent out in leather, brocade, and jacquard versions. Marc Jacobs's Les Misérables-meets-Dickensian disco-meets Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter tea party collection certainly highlighted the fact that fashion, at its core, is whatever you make of it . . . and yes, wildly fun.

Trends: rich textiles like brocade and jacquard, floppy hats, oversized outerwear, fur-accented accessories.
Colors: Muted jewel tones - green, purple, ruby red, pink, slate gray, and black.
Key Piece: Slightly oversized coats in luxe fabrics and cropped pants in every texture, from leather to brocade.
Accessories: Fabulously fantastical hats in every color, square-toed shoes with crystallized buckles, long opera-length gloves with finger cutouts, and large boxy totes, some covered in fur, some made in decadent ostrich skin textures.
Who Would Wear It: The fashion-daring set, like Anna Dello Russo.

Top OMG Moments From Gossip Girl "Crazy, Cupid, Love"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:43:54 PST

This week's episode of Gossip Girl is a tangled web of Valentine's Day love and loss. Blair tries to play Cupid to bring Serena and Dan together, Nate hosts a high school-themed party to hang out with Lola, and Ivy returns to the Upper East Side to speak with Lily - only she ends up speaking to Lola instead. Let's recap the Charlie Rhodes drama, who kisses who, and all of this week's top OMG moments.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Watch Zac Posen's Body-Conscious Fall 2012 Collection Featuring Coco Rocha

FabSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:43:40 PST

Zac Posen's body-conscious Fall 2012 collection drew inspiration from the Far East. Complete with trumpet skirts, mermaid gowns, floral prints, and Asian-inspired accents, Zac made sure his designs had women feeling - and looking - like sirens in their own skin. Check out his entire runway show here, featuring Coco Rocha.

We're a Little Obsessed With Rose Gold Jewelry

Lucky — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:36:34 PST

Lucky magazine is one of our favorite sources for great shopping tips. We're thrilled to share this fabulous story on pretty rose gold jewelry from our friends at Lucky!

We love jewelry of all kinds, so picking one metal over another seems a little futile. But there's something about rose gold that's just so cool. It's rarer than yellow gold and more eye-catching (we think) than silver and other common metals. Simply put, rose gold makes an imprint, and we're a little obsessed.

But while we're pretty familiar by now with which clothing colors and styles mix well with silver and yellow gold, we're not so sure what the rose gold mandates are. What can you wear it with? What can't you wear it with?

After a little deliberation, here's our verdict: the metal's pink glow can make pairing it with blues and purples feel like a Katy Perry in Candyland imitation. Instead, we prefer the blush-colored metal with warmer tones (military green, rich oranges, chocolatey browns) or crisp whites and blacks, like the combinations below:

Click over to Lucky to see and shop the whole story

For more fashion and style from Lucky, here are more Lucky stories.

See Chris Benz's Vibrant Throwback Party Attire at His Fall Presentation

FabSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:33:44 PST

Imagine what your mother looked like in the '60s: bouffants, full skirts, and pleats. Then add floral prints, lamé, and a whole lot of sequins, and you'd have Chris Benz's Fall 2012 collection - a fun, retro twist on party attire. Check out his entire presentation here.