FitSugar

Tips from Diets in Review

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:00:00 PDT

I'm always looking for dieting tips and while I think we all have the same theory behind our tips it is great to get a different perspective every once in a while. Here are some great tips from DietsinReview.com. Some tips you may already know, but here are some ideas for ways to keep healthy eating in check:

Eat a diet full of color: Fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are very low in calories. They help keep you satisfied longer, and are a great snack and can be eaten with every meal.
Eat regular meals: Eating meals throughout the day will help keep your metabolism stable as well as burn-ing calories all day long. When we don’t eat for an extended amount of time it actually inhibits calorie burning. Take mom’s advice to heart and be sure to have breakfast in the morning! Make sure and eat your 3 meals a day, but also sneak in some healthy snacks to keep your body going!
Give your stomach time to catch up: Many of us grew up being told not to snack before dinner as we would ruin our appetite. In actuality, having snacks can help prevent you from overeating. It takes our bodies 10-15 minutes to realize we’ve had enough to eat. Because of this delay, it is very easy to eat more than what our bodies actually need, leaving us feeling overstuffed. When eating at home watch your portions. When eating out at restaurants share your entrees as they typically serve larger portions. Go ahead, spoil your dinner with some snacks.
Eat whole fresh foods: In order for foods to last on our shelves in the grocery store they are filled with preservatives, which in turn deplete the nutrients and vitamins originally found in those foods. When possible, purchase fresh foods and avoid pre-packaged and convenient fast food, as these types of food are typically higher in calories, fat, and sodium.
Get moving: Our bodies were not meant to sit behind a desk all day long. We need daily exercise to benefit our overall health and especially to strengthen all our muscles including our heart. Exercise can also help you sleep better and improve your mood, so whether a high impact workout at the gym or a stroll through the neighborhood, hit the pavement and give yourself the optimal reward.

There are more tips so

Treat yourself: We all have those few foods that we know aren’t good for us yet we have a hard time avoiding them. When we try to restrict these foods from our diet, we tend to overindulge at some point. Allow yourself a treat from time to time, but remember to keep it within moderation. Try having a few bites of cake as opposed to the whole slice at a special occasion.
Be a detective with food labels: When reading the list of ingredients on packaged foods, if you do not recognize the ingredient or cannot pronounce it, perhaps this isn’t something you want to be putting in your body. If you see a product with a laundry list of ingredients, put the item right back on the shelf. Also, make sure when reading labels to review whether calories and fat listed are per serving and not the entire container.
Eat your whole grains: Whole grains are unrefined products that have maintained their nutrients and fiber content, unlike white products that are left with no nutritional value. An additional benefit to eating 100% whole grains, such as breads and pastas, is they help maintain blood sugar levels with less spiking and crashing throughout the day. Whole grains also keep you satisfied longer.
Eat the “right” fat: Fat has gotten a reputation for being bad for us and in many cases this is true unless we are speaking about healthy fats that our body actually needs. Overeating wrong fats (saturated fats) can lead to those unwanted pounds as well as increase your risk of heart disease. Stick to healthy fat sources that are unsaturated such as olive oil instead of butter or margarine, which contain saturated fat. You can use these for sauteing, baking, lubricating bakeware, and more - just be creative!
Beware of liquid calories: Extra calories can add up quickly, for example a 12 ounce can of regular soda can contain 10 teaspoons of sugar! These types of calories will not fill you up but they will most certainly add weight. Beware of the beverages you drink throughout the day, some of the perceived health drinks have several teaspoons of sugar per serving, which many of us tend to overlook tricky naming conventions thought up by slick marketing departments.

Thanks to Diets in Review for sending along these great tips!

I am not the only one thinking about these things. Dear has got some more tips for you in her How to Lounge: Approaching a diet post.

Source

Great New Site: Diets in Review

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:00:00 PDT

There are so many diets out there that it's hard to keep track of them all. Wouldn't it be nice if there were one place where you could go online to get reviews of all the latest diets?

DietsinReview.com is a cool new site where you can find reviews of nearly 100 diets and weight loss plans, including weight loss supplements like the ever-so-controversial OTC pill alli. The site is easy to use so you can quickly find diets in four categories and compare and contrast them with informative reviews of each plan. I really like that there is a section to leave your own comments and/or reviews on the specific diet.

Insanity's Shaun T's Last-Minute Diet and Exercise Tips

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:34:46 PDT

Shaun T, the personal trainer who's motivated millions with his at-home workouts, knows how to get people in shape in a short amount of time. After all, his Insanity workout program promises incredible results in just 60 days of sweating and jumping in front of your TV.

With Summer a mere few weeks away, we spoke with Shaun about how to get in shape for anything - whether it's a beach holiday, wedding, or event - when you've only got a little time. Find out his recommendations below!

Watch your drink calories: "Don't drink your calories. That's the number one rule of thumb: not to drink your calories. It will eliminate so many calories in your body. Everybody knows that sugar that's not burnt off eventually turns into fat," says Shaun, who's also holding live workouts nationwide to promote his partnership with Powerade Zero. Shaun recommends portion control and cutting the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet in half, but "still ensure you have enough energy during the day," he says.

Kick it up a notch: "If you're a person who works out at the gym, try to take [fewer] breaks," Shaun recommends. "If you're a weight lifter, while you're not doing weights, try to do some different cardio exercise in between to try to ramp up the calorie burn."

Keep reading for more of Shaun T's last-minute diet and exercise advice!

Energize Your Morning with 4 Wake-Up Moves

Self — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:28:59 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Can't get through your morning without your daily java fix? You're not alone. According to a survey conducted by the National Coffee Association, Americans spend an average of $164.71 on coffee per year. That's almost enough for a monthly car payment or a couple of weeks worth of groceries!

Want to wean yourself off of overdoing the caffeine without sacrificing your sanity? Then look no further than your local yoga studio. Warming up your body in the morning helps the natural release of endorphins, says Desiree Bartlett, a Los Angeles-based yoga instructor.

Not only does yoga do the body good, the energy you cultivate in a yoga class stays with you all day long. "There is a natural gauging of energy and we release old thoughts or judgments we no longer need," says Bartlett. "Through this practice of steadying the mind and observing the breath, the mind stays present, sharper and clearer because it is no longer reviewing the past or making to-do lists for the future."

Incorporate these four moves into your regular routine five days a week to start each day "with strength, clarity and a sense of empowerment." Desiree may have shot these on the beach (we're jealous!) but you can do them on your bedroom floor!

Get the moves after the break.

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

In The Mommy Diet, Alison Sweeney Offers Fitness Tips For Every Level

Leta Shy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:51:25 PDT

Between the encouragement among the contestants and the life-changing before-and-after shots that flash on the screen, there's a reason why The Biggest Loser gets your emotions going. The show is a positive, supportive look at the struggles people face with diet and exercise.

The new book by the show's host Alison Sweeney, The Mommy Diet ($14), is no different - it's chock-full of support and encouragement. The easy read is divided into stages of motherhood, from prepregnancy (such as foods to eat when you are trying to get pregnant) to the life of a busy mom. The actress weighs in on different aspects of pregnancy and postpregnancy body and mind, including fitness, diet, fashion, and romance tips.

Of course, exercise is a big part of her month-by-month plans, and Alison offers useful tips even if you aren't a new mom. If you're looking for advice on how to ramp up or kick-start a workout routine, you may find this book helpful. The actress recommends the old standards - making sure you are active every day, switching out high-fat diets for natural, whole foods, and elimination diets - to help start any regimen, and also offers exercises (fully explained and with some illustrations) and sample meal plans for people at every level of fitness.

But even if you are an old pro, the working mom and fitness fanatic has a few maintenance tips for you as well. Check out a few of her tips after the break!

Tech App-titude: 5 Free Apps For the Savvy Pet Owner

Sara Yoo — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:00:00 PST

If your iPhone is like another appendage, then you undoubtedly have apps to organize just about every aspect of your life: calendars, to-do lists, restaurant locators, pedometers, and diet monitors, to name a few. And these days, busy pets are just as lucky. We've rounded up our favorite free iPhone apps for safe and savvy pets and their companions, from medical references to dog-park finders to squeaky toys.

Map My Dog Walk: You and Fido conquered an awesome hike last Fall, but a few months later, it's tough to remember the route. This app allows you to log your walk routes, share them with friends, and even calculate calories burned!
Remind My Pet: For any pets on medication, this app keeps track of dosing schedules and emails or texts you when they are due for their next one.

For the rest of the list, keep reading

Udi's: Finally, a Good Gluten-Free Bread

Michele Foley — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:40:02 PDT

I love bread, something that became very apparent to me while doing the Remove diet. Since gluten was off-limits, I tried my share of gluten-free bread, and from my own experience, most of it is not good. Store-brand gluten-free breads are rock hard and are really only edible when toasted, but even then, they're still pretty bad. It ended up being easier to give up bread altogether than eat the gluten-free stuff. That was until I found Udi's Gluten Free Foods - a line of bread products that could easily pass for having gluten in them.

The first thing that you notice about Udi's is that it's not sold in the frozen-food aisle with all the other gluten-free bread. Udi's has somehow managed to come up with a bread that is shelf-stable and can be eaten directly from the package; no heating necessary. Then you'll notice how light Udi's is - it's airy, moist, and looks like bread. It also tastes good, and for those living with celiac disease, it's a chance to enjoy good bread, muffins, bagels, and pizza crust without having to make them yourself. Udi's will also fool your gluten-eating friends. It was weeks before my boyfriend realized that he was eating gluten-free bread. Compare that to the previous gluten-free bread I had that he promptly spit out.

Months after ending the Remove diet, I'm still eating Udi's bread. Partly because it's good, and because it's good for me. Having learned that I'm sensitive to gluten, I now pick and choose when and what gluten-based products I eat. Having Udi's makes it easy to enjoy toast with my eggs, a healthy pizza for dinner, or a sandwich for lunch. And while I don't know how they make it unlike any other GF bread on the market, mu guess is it's because Udi's comes from a group of artisan bakers. Udi's already had several cafes and bakeries in Colorado before coming up with a bread for their gluten-intolerant friends. I'm just glad that they eventually made their way into stores.

Source

Are Your Birth Control Pills Safe?

Shape — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:06:17 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Last year during my annual exam, when I complained to my doctor about my terrible PMS, she was quick to pull out her pad and give me a prescription for the birth control pill Yaz. "You're going to love this," she said. "All of my patients that are on it think it's the best. It's even helped some of them lose weight!"

Less PMS and not having to worry about my weight? I was sold, even though I'd only intended to talk to her about lifestyle and/or diet modifications since my birth control needs were already taken care of. Before I stopped into the pharmacy, however, I looked up the pill online (Paging Dr. Google!). The results were anything but the lovefest I'd been promised. In fact, the information I found scared me so badly that I never filled that prescription.

Am I Normal? Your Top Six Sex Questions Answered

It quickly became evident that I wasn't the only woman concerned when Yaz and it's sister pill Yazmin, two of the most popular pills on the market, came up for review by the FDA after reports that the manufacturer may have hid and minimized critical health risks. But is the hysteria warranted?

Find out how safe birth control pills are after the break!

5 Reasons Your Workout Isn't Working

Shape — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:44:13 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Have you been working out consistently for months (maybe even years) and yet the scale is creeping up? Here are five ways your workout could be keeping you from losing weight, and what our experts recommend to start shedding pounds again:

1. Your workout routine is making you eat too much.
Is your workout causing you to use the "I burned it, I earned it," excuse when it comes to your diet? "Studies show that people tend to eat more calories when they take up exercise," says Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery, and creator of the Perfect Legs, Glutes & Abs DVD.

Think your 45-minute morning run was enough to burn off that slice of chocolate cake on the dessert menu? Consider this: the average, 140-pound woman burns about 476 calories (at a 10-minute mile pace) running for 45 minutes. The average restaurant dessert clocks in around 1,200 calories (or more), so even if you only eat half of a slice, you'd still easily eat away your run - and then some - in less than 10 minutes.

The solution: Make your workouts count by pairing them with a healthy diet that stays within the appropriate calorie range your body needs in order to lose or maintain your weight. Olson recommends writing down what you are eating to keep track of calories consumed, and then subtracting the calories you burned, for your true daily number.

See even more reasons why your workout isn't working after the break!