FitSugar

Kate Hudson Slims Down For New Role

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:05 -0800

Kate Hudson dishes the skinny on weight loss, Botox, and A-rod in the December issue of Elle UK, which hits newsstands this week. The already slim star has to lose 20 lbs. for her upcoming role as a terminally ill patient in the new film, Earthbound. Though she's not exactly sure of her exact weight, the mother of one thinks she's heading towards 110 pounds - pretty tiny given she's 5 ft. 6 in. tall.

How does an already slim and healthy girl like Kate get that tiny? Give up alcohol, apparently. It seems that Ms. Hudson is a fan of knocking a few back. "I love my glass of wine. I love tequila," says the star. "To be in New York for two weeks and not have one beverage! I'm not sure I've ever done that."

Given how many calories and sugar alcohol contains it makes sense that the sacrifice worked for her.

To see what this Kate thinks about Botox read more.

I think Kate looks great au naturel, but when the time is right she might get a little help to keep her youthful glow. "Everyone’s so obsessed with who gets Botox, but it’s great! Are you kidding? The fact that women can avoid going under the knife and get a little Botox treat and not have to worry about it? I’m glad it’s there for when it’s time."

For now, Kate is crossing her fingers that her Yankee man will find victory at this year's World Series.

Have You Ever Done a Cleanse?

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:47:09 -0700

I was asked recently if I've ever detoxed like Gwyneth Paltrow does. Personally, I've never committed myself to a rigid master cleanse or detox diet for a prescribed amount of time, but I've definitely made adjustments to my diet.

After an unusually indulgent holiday season spent away from home, I cut out alcohol and sugar for a month and ate nothing but brown rice and steamed veggies for two days. And though I do think putting limits on sugar and alcohol are helpful, you won't see me on a restrictive meal plan like that again. It's important for me to have a balanced diet that also consists of dairy, fruit, and lean protein, and most cleanses don't allow for that.

I have a few friends that cleanse at least four times a year and they swear it does wonders for them. What about you - have you ever cleansed?

You Asked: End of Summer Detox?

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:00:27 -0700

Dear Fit,
Over the Summer I've definitely been overindulging, chowing down at BBQs, eating tons of ice cream on hot days, and drinking more beer and cocktails in a weekend than I would in an entire month the rest of the year. I know it's not the healthiest, but hey, it's Summer and it only comes once a year. I haven't really gained weight, but I feel pretty disgusting. I'm wondering what you think about doing a detox to celebrate the end of my Summer diet, and the beginning of new healthier changes. I was just going to eat raw fruits and veggies, and drink water for two weeks to cleanse out my system.
- In Need of Detox

Well we've all been there, so you're not alone in taking in the goodness of Summer. While everything is OK in moderation, it's nice that you've recognized that you've crossed over that line. So now what to do? To find out if a detox is the answer, read more.

I cannot say this enough but no, a detox is not what you need. Raw fruits, veggies and water are healthy, yes, but you can't live on those alone for two weeks. You want to make sure you're getting enough protein, healthy fats, and other essential nutrients. If you don't, you'll experience symptoms such as loss of energy, headaches, muscle aches, irritability, and digestive issues.

Instead of a detox, what I do recommend is eating a diet full of all the healthy foods you can find including fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, lowfat dairy products, and nuts. Omit or limit the foods that are high in saturated fat, sugar, and alcohol, and you'll instantly feel better. There's no need to shock your system and go raw for two weeks. Just make the commitment to eat healthy, but be sure to allow yourself small indulgences every once in a while. If you deny yourself the things you crave completely, it can backfire and set you back to your Summer ways.

The Lowdown on Detox Products

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Stepping on the heels of yesterday's news that Gwyneth Paltrow is, yet again, doing a New Year's detox, there's a report claiming that products promoted as detoxifying agents lack meaningful evidence. The Oxford English Dictionary defines detox as the removal of toxic substances or qualities, yet none of the 15 products tested by members of the Voice of Young Science network met the requirements of that definition.

The group investigated various products with detox labels, like bottled water, shampoo, detox patches, and vitamins, and challenged the detox claims made by the companies behind these products. According to BBC News, the scientists said, "In the majority of cases, producers and retailers were forced to admit that they had simply renamed processes like cleaning or brushing, as detox."

The researchers identified detox products as a waste of money and said, "Anyone worried about the aftereffects of Christmas overindulgence would get the same benefits from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep." My thoughts, exactly.

Source

Reality Check: Gwyneth Paltrow's Detox Diet

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:30:00 -0800

There are many ways to usher in the New Year. After a couple weeks of nonstop holiday celebration replete with rich foods and plenty of drink, many folks decide that the best way to begin anew is with a detox cleanse. I firmly believe there really is no need to detox, but if you insist on doing a cleanse, you can detox without starving yourself. This issue is a place where Gwyneth Paltrow and I have agreed to disagree.

Although her daily diet is incredibly healthy, Gwyneth believes in the New Year detox. After collapsing last January at the end of a five-day live-food fast, she is at it again following a week long cleansing regimen. This time, though, she is following the advice of detox specialist Dr. Alejandro Junger. Gwyneth is also sharing the details, recipes and all, on her website goop.com.

The lovely, leggy blonde and mother of two writes:

It is that time of year, folks. I need to lose a few pounds of holiday excess. Anyone else? I like to do fasts and detoxes a couple of times during the year, the most hardcore one being the Master Cleanse I did last spring. It was not what you would characterize as pretty. Or easy. It did work, however. As I do not wish to subsist on lemon water in the middle of winter, I asked my doctor, a detox diet specialist, for the guidelines he uses to achieve a good detox that is not as hallucinogenic (in a bad way) as the Master Cleanse. He actually thinks that the Master Cleanse can be dangerous because the liver is not supported by the nutrients it needs.

To see what she is eating and why, just read more.

While her explanation sounds sensible, just reading over the menu left me feeling hungry and deprived. The majority of the meals are liquids - smoothies, soups, or juice with hardly any grains (read: carbs to fuel your brain) in the meals. The simplest way to explain is to list the foods she will be avoiding for seven days:

No dairy
No grains with gluten
No meat or shellfish
No processed food including all soy products
No fatty nuts
No produce from the nightshade family - potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant
No condiments
No sugar
No alcohol, caffeine or soda

While jumping back into my healthy habits might be a bit jarring this first full week of the year, I am simply going to return to my old health habits of eating well balanced meals and exercising regularly to cleanse myself of my holiday debauchery.

Gwyneth concludes the detox edition of her newsletter like this: "I will be suffering along with you to kickstart my year a bit lighter." I, for one, do not wish to "suffer" with Gwyneth. I want to enjoy every minute of 2009 and eating just soup is not my idea of health or fun.

Source

Detox After Your Thanksgiving Feast

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

Did you eat more than you wanted to at your Thanksgiving meal? If you answered yes, you are not alone. So to help the digestion process along, here are a few ideas.

After the meal:

Drink some tea, both ginger tea and chamomile tea improve digestion. Warm beverages promote digestion in general, so any kind of herbal tea will help.
Chewable papaya enzyme can help promote digestion as well.

To see how you can help yourself the day after T-day, read more

The next morning:

Oatmeal is high in insoluble fiber, which helps get things moving, if you know what I mean.
Drink plenty of water to help the body digest and eliminate waste. Insoluble fiber needs water to help it do its magic.

The rest of the day:

Eat foods high in insoluble fiber at every meal, like carrot sticks, with your turkey sandwich made with whole wheat bread, of course.
Get moving. Exercise stimulates the intestines and this will get things moving as well. A little sweating helps the body process and burn the extra calories you consumed. Plus a good workout helps eliminate any guilt you might be feeling about having second helpings of almost every dish.

Source

You Can Detox Your Body Without Starving Yourself

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Spring is here and it seems many of you are interested in Spring cleaning your body as well as your home. I have received many questions over the last few weeks about detox diets and fasting. Let me begin by stating, I never think fasting is a good idea, even a juice fast. Not feeding the body is just too extreme for me, plus it can lead to headaches, fatigue, irritability, aches and pains, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, muscle breakdown, loss of "good" bacteria and blood-sugar problems, not to mention frequent bowel movements. If you lead a busy life, have a full time job, and/or have two young and energetic girls to raise, living off of just water and juice isn't going to cut it. You're going to need energy, and energy comes from food. I also want to add here that exercise is a great way to help "detox" the body, but you shouldn't and probably wouldn't want to go for a run, jump rope or practice some vigorous yoga if you are not fueling your body with food.

To see what you can do to Spring clean your body, just read more.

Eat a robust and healthy diet low in fat (especially saturated fat), high in fruits and veggies and high in fiber. During a detox time, I would steer clear of meat (no pun intended) and eat a plant based diet. Not sure what to eat? Check out Top 10 Detox Foods. To that list I would add artichokes and dandelion greens.
You also need to lighten up the toxin load by eliminating alcohol, cigarettes, and refined sugars. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners as well.
Exercise! Your body eliminates toxins by sweating. Getting your heart rate up will get your blood flowing.
Drinking the lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper concoction from the Master Cleanse might be a good idea. Lemon juice is high in Vitamin C, which helps the liver create an amino acid chain that helps drive toxins away. Cayenne helps stimulate the body's self cleaning process and breaks up mucus that is clogging the body. Skip the maple syrup and add some hot water to your concoction and drink it like a tea. Just be sure to eat well too.
Breathe deeply and regularly. Chronic stress can have a toxic effect on the body, focused breathing, and meditating can reduce the power of stress.

I suggest taking a week to focus on healthy living and eating practices and detox without starving yourself.

Fit's Tip: Many people use detox cleanses and fasts as a means of losing weight. The weight lost during a fast is all water weight, which will be gained back once you begin eating.

Source

Top 10 Detoxifying Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:30:00 -0700

I'm not a big fan of detoxes. I think that in most cases, they're unnecessary for the average person. With that being said, there is nothing wrong with adding some good fruits and veggies with detoxifying properties to your existing diet to help keep things moving along.

You just don't have to torture yourself by drinking an unappatizing lemonade/maple syrup mixture for two weeks to gain the benefits. Yahoo has listed its top 10 detoxifying foods that you may want to think about adding to your diet. Here are highlights:

Green leafy vegetables: Eat them raw, throw them into a broth, add them to juices. Their chlorophyll helps swab out environmental toxins (heavy metals, pesticides) and protects the liver.
Lemons: Its vitamin C, considered the detox vitamin, helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that's easily flushed away.
Watercress: The peppery little green leaves have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system. And cress is rich in minerals, too.

There's more so read more.

Garlic: In addition to the bulb's cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk.
Green tea: This antioxidant-rich brew is one of the healthiest ways to get more fluids into your system. Bonus: It contains catechins, which speed up liver activity.
Broccoli sprouts: They pack 20 to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity into each bite than the grown-up vegetable.
Sesame seeds: They're credited with protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals.
Cabbage: There are two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver; this potent veggie helps activate both of them.
Psyllium: A plant that's rich in soluble fiber, like oat bran but more versatile. It mops up toxins (cholesterol too) and helps clear them out.
Fruits, fruits, fruits: They're full of almost all the good things above: vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids, and all kinds of antioxidants.

Source

How to Detox After Your Thanksgiving Feast

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 02:00:00 -0800

If you ate more than you wanted to at your Thanksgiving meal, you are not alone. So to help the digestion process along, here are a few ideas.

Drink ginger tea; it helps to improve digestion.
Chewable papaya enzyme can help promote digestion as well.

The next morning:

Oatmeal is really high in insoluble fiber, which helps get things moving.
Drink plenty of water to help the body digest and eliminate waste.

The rest of the day:

Eat foods high in insoluble fiber, like carrot sticks, with your turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread.
Get exercise: Nothing helps more than a little motion and a little sweating to help the body process and burn the extra calories you consumed.

Source

Detox Dangers

FitSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Detoxing is hot right now. I am not really sure how this trend came to pass, but somehow forcefully purifying the body of harmful (or even worse, toxic) substances by running to the restroom every other minute seems to be the "thing" to do right now.

The thing is, our bodies (ones without major medical conditions) do a darn good job of getting rid of any toxins all by themselves. Remember your liver, kidneys and lungs? Yeah, detoxing the body is one of their jobs and those organs are good at it. MSNBC is backing this claim further in a recent report on detoxing. The report also says that headaches, fatigue, irritability, aches and pains, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, muscle breakdown, loss of 'good' bacteria and blood-sugar problems - not to mention frequent bowel movements - are just some of the lovely side effects to these detox plans. Sounds fun, eh?

I know a good detox sounds tempting, [insert sarcasm] especially after hearing the side effects, but if you want to lose a few pounds or rid your body from the toxins you've built up, then think about trying this 'health detox'. This means eating a low-fat, high fruit and veggie, high fiber diet. No funky concoctions or frequent pit stops, and the best part, you get to eat solid foods. As with anything, moderation is key and there is no silver bullet, albeit full of lemonade.