FitSugar

Pregnant Ladies - Don't Fear Fish

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:00:00 -0700

When the FDA and EPA warned pregnant women about mercury levels in fish, consumption of this healthy food dropped dramatically. Women were told not to eat more than 12 oz. a week, but confusion about which fish was OK to eat and fear about getting too much mercury made women give fish up altogether.

Now experts are saying that not getting enough Omega-3s is much more dangerous to the developing fetus than getting trace amounts of mercury. These important fats are found most readily in fish and are necessary for brain development and improved motor and cognitive skills. Some evidence suggests that it may also prevent premature delivery and postpartum depression.

These experts are pushing pregnant woman to eat at least 12 oz. of fish, while the government's advice is to eat no more than 12 oz. The thing is, the National Fisheries Institute is the one paying for this health message urging pregnant women to eat more fish, so the message seems like it's got money on the mind instead of babies.

What's the bottom line? Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to the health of growing babies. If you are pregnant and love to eat fish, go ahead and eat it, but stick to no more than 12 oz. a week. Salmon, tuna, sardines (yum), oysters, and mackerel are great sources. Not into fish? Great plant sources of omega-3s include flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, walnuts, soy products, canola oil, and enhanced foods such as Breyer's yogurt and eggs.

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5 Things: Eggs

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

The incredible edible egg! After a couple of decades of being considered not so good for you, eggs have definitely made a healthy comeback. A few questions still linger about the impact eggs have on cholesterol levels, so here are 5 things about eggs to answers some of those concerns.

Eating 1 egg a day does NOT increase a healthy person's risk of of heart disease or stroke, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
1 large egg contains 92 calories, 7g of fat, 210 mg of cholesterol, 94mg of sodium, .4g of carbs, .4g of sugars, and 6.3g of protein.
1 egg white contains no cholesterol and 1 egg yolk contains 210mg. If you don't have any problems with your cholesterol levels, you can eat up to 7 yolks in 1 week.
Egg yolks contain most of the egg's nutrients. 1 yolk has 21.9mg of calcium, 245 IU of Vitamin A, 18 IU of vitamin D, 66.3 mg of phosphorus, and 24.8 mcg of folate.
Most of the fat is found in the yolk, and if you are eating Omega-3 fatty acid fortified eggs, you've got to eat the yolk in order to get your fill of this healthy fat.

So, did you have an egg for breakfast? Let me know in the comments section below.

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Label Able: Certified Humane

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:15:00 -0700

If you are conscious about what goes into your body and you have respect for all creatures great and small, you need to be on the lookout for this Certified Humane food label. This label that makes it easier for conscious consumers to choose egg, dairy, meat, or poultry products that were produced with the welfare of the animal in mind.

A team of veterinarians and animal scientists created the Animal Care Standards to ensure that farmers, producers, and processors keep their animals in conditions that meet high standards of animal care.

If you see a product with this "Certified Humane" label, you know that the animals:

Were allowed to engage in natural behaviors.
Had sufficient space, shelter, and gentle handling to limit stress.
Had ample fresh water and a healthy diet without added hormones or antibiotics.

Humane Farm Animal Care is the independent non-profit organization that conducts regular inspections to make sure businesses are upholding these high standards.

Fit's Tips: Check out this list to find out which businesses and restaurants you want to support. Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs and Echo Farm are proudly on the list.

Dunkin' Donuts Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:06:22 -0700

Okay, okay, we all know that Dunkin' Donuts is not the healthiest place in the world. Besides donuts, they do offer other choices. Let's take a peek and see how they measure up.

Food	Calories	Fat in grams	Cholesterol	Sodium in milligrams	Carbs in grams	Protein in grams
Plain bagel	320	2.5	0	650	62	12
Everything bagel	370	6	0	650	67	14
Multigrain bagel	380	6	0	650	68	14
Cinnamon Raisin bagel	330	3	0	430	65	10
2 oz Plain Cream Cheese	190	17	55	190	4	4
2 oz Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese	170	15	45	340	4	2
2 oz Lite Cream Cheese	120	9	30	280	5	4
Banana Walnut Muffin	540	25	65	520	69	10
Honey Bran Raisin Muffin	480	15	60	480	79	8
Cranberry Orange Muffin	440	17	65	480	66	8
Blueberry Muffin	470	17	60	500	73	8
Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin	400	5	60	490	78	8

Well that wasn't so bad. Wait until we get to the breakfast sandwiches. You may go into cardiac arrest just reading this. Want to see? Then read more

Food	Calories	Fat in grams	Cholesterol	Sodium in milligrams	Carbs in grams	Protein in grams
Maple Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich	690	45	180	630	45	25
Bacon Egg Cheese Bagel Sandwich	540	18	200	1400	69	18
Sausage Egg Cheese Bagel Sandwich	660	35	225	1450	63	28
Egg Cheese Sandwich	470	15	190	1120	65	20
Egg Cheese English Muffin Sandwich	280	9	140	1010	34	15
Supreme Omelet on a Croissant	590	38	260	1040	42	21
Southwestern Chicken Panini	420	10	45	970	57	23
Meatball Panini	480	19	40	1180	56	22
Turkey Pesto Sandwich	530	23	65	1630	46	33
Vegetarian Sandwich	420	21	5	480	51	9
Caesar Salad	390	33	35	980	14	10
Chicken Caesar Salad	520	36	85	1520	16	34
Garden Salad	240	12	30	430	24	12
Mediterranean Salad	220	11	315	760	23	10
1 cup Broccoli Cheese Soup	180	13	40	71310	10	7
1 cup Chicken Noodle Soup	140	3.5	45	840	20	8
1 cup Clam Chowder Soup	230	11	30	990	20	10
1 cup Timberline Chili With Beans Soup	230	8	35	890	260	15

America runs on Dunkin'? I sure as hell hope not. Get this, Rachael Ray is now the spokesperson - let YumSugar know how you feel. She's going to lead the company into developing "better for you" food and beverage options. Way to go Rachael!

IUD: Long-Term Birth Control

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 03:30:00 -0800

IUD, also known as a coil, stands for intrauterine device. - "intra" meaning within, and "uterine" meaning of the uterus. An IUD is about 1.5 inches long and it's inserted into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. They are 99% effective.

There are 2 types of IUDs, ones made out of metal, and ones that release hormones similar to those found in oral contraceptives (the Pill.) Most of the metal IUDs have a plastic T-shaped frame that is wrapped with copper. The copper is believed to have spermicidal effects, which is one reason why it works. You can wear this one for up to 10 years.

IUD's that release hormones are also T-shaped, but they are made out of plastic. The hormones make your cervical fluid thick and tacky, making it difficult for sperm to swim in, so they never make it to the egg, so therefore they can't fertilize it. You can wear this one for up to 5 years.

Both kinds of IUDs have little plastic strings attached at the bottom that hangs down past the cervix. The string is not visible and it won't cause any problems during intercourse. The string is a safety check so you can check to make sure your IUD is still in place.

An IUD has to be fitted inside and removed from the uterus by a doctor or nurse practitioner. IUDs don't stop you from ovulating, so you still get your period, but your flow may become shorter or lighter, or may even stop altogether. Some women complain that their periods are irregular when using an IUD as birth control.

Want to know how they work? Then read more

When something foreign is inside your uterus, your body produces white blood cells, or leukocytes to defend itself. These white blood cells attack any sperm or eggs that may find their way into your uterus. Even if an egg does get fertilized, the white blood cells will attack it. For this reason, people who are against abortion, believing that life begins at conception, are against the IUD.

Fit's Tips: An IUD is great if you are looking for hassle-free birth control. In no way does it prevent against STDs, so that's why it's great to use if you are in a long-term relationship with someone you know is disease-free. That is why they are most often recommended for women who are married and done having children. Ask your doctor to discuss if an IUD may be right for you.

Pete & Gerry's Organic Eggs

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are organically produced in the fresh air of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. So what makes them organic?

Their hens eat organic grain beginning on their second day of life. They don't give their hens antibiotics or medications. And no pesticides or herbicides are used in the production of the grain that they eat.

What else makes these eggs great? The grain their hens eat is made of certified organic flaxseed, which contains high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. The Omega-3 in the hen's diet is passed on to their eggs - each egg contains about 200mg of Omega-3. Two of their eggs contain as much Omega-3 as you'll get in 1.5 ounces of fish.

Their hens are raised in cage-free barns, where they can choose where they will lay their eggs and where they want to be. Their hens are also given access to the outdoors.

Their motto? "Happy chickens lay better eggs." I believe it. These are delicious, and I feel good buying them, knowing their hens are treated with kindness and respect.

Looking for a new way to eat your eggs? Check out these Square Eggs.

What Do You Eat More Often: Whole Eggs or Egg Whites?

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:47:28 -0700

The good old egg is an excellent source of protein. I always order scrambled eggs or an omelet when I go out to brunch, but I know many women who ditch the yolks and only order egg whites.

Although most of the calories, fat, and cholesterol come from the yolk, it's also very nutritious, containing protein, calcium, vitamin D, and folate. So I'm wondering . . .

Eggs vs. Egg Beaters

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Lately I've been hearing so many people talk about how they use Egg Beaters in place of eggs. Original Egg Beaters seem like a healthier alternative to eggs, because the label says it's made from real eggs and contains no cholesterol, but the truth is it only contains egg whites. That's where the protein comes from (6g per 1/4 cup serving). Then to make up for all the missing vitamins you'd get naturally from the egg yolk, synthetic vitamins, spices, and coloring are added back in to make them look and taste more like real eggs. From my experience, they look and taste a little weird.

To hear more about eggs, Egg Beaters, and your cholesterol then read more.

Just because your cholesterol is high, doesn't mean you have to swear off real eggs forever. One egg contains 210 mg of cholesterol, and since the American Heart Association recommends no more than 300mg a day, it's OK to eat one whole egg every day if you wanted to (as long as you're limiting your intake of steak, cheese, and bacon. Plus you don't want to give up the yolk since it contains less sodium than the egg white, and is a great source of valuable vitamins such as hard to come by vitamin D, as well as calcium, and folate.

Since I'm a firm believer in eating foods as close to the real source as possible, I choose eggs over Egg Beaters. After all it is really not that difficult to separate your own egg whites. If you're concerned about your cholesterol, try eating one egg with two egg whites instead of two complete eggs. This way you'll get the benefits from the low calorie, low fat, and high protein of the egg whites, but you'll also get the vitamins found naturally in egg yolks and only 210 mg of cholesterol. Not to mention, it makes me feel better to eat an egg cracked open fresh from a shell, rather than poured out of a container.

Omega-3 Eggs, Eat the Yolks

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:15:00 -0800

Omega-3 eggs are great, but don't waste your money buying fortified eggs if you only eat egg whites.

Eggs fortified with Omega-3 fatty acids are a great way to increase the amount of those polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet. However, if you buy Omega-3 eggs, then you need to eat the yolks because that is where the Omega-3s are found. The Omega-3s are a fatty acid and the yolk contains most of the fat in an egg as only a trace amount of fat is in the whites (mostly only protein). Since Omega-3 eggs are a bit more pricey than normal eggs, it would be a waste of money to buy Omega-3 eggs if all you are going to do is throw out the yolks.

So eat the whole Omega-3 egg. If you don't have any cholesterol problems, you can eat up to seven Omega-3 eggs a week.

Egg White Vs. Egg Yolk: Which Is Better?

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

A lot of us love to eat eggs for breakfast, especially after finding they could help with weight loss. You may be throwing away the yolks to cut calories and reduce cholesterol, which is fine but did you know that most of an egg's nutrients are found in the yolk? Take a look at the comparison below to see what you may be missing.

Want to see how an egg white and yolk compare head-to-head? Then read more

	Egg White	Egg Yolk
Calories	17	59
Fat (g)	.06	4.51
Saturated Fat (g)	0	1.6
Carbs (g)	.24	.61
Protein (g)	3.6	2.7
Cholesterol (mg)	0	210
Sodium (mg)	55	8
Calcium (mg)	2.3	21.9
Vitamin D (IU)	0	18
Folate (mcg)	1.3	24.8

Moral of the story: Think about keeping (and eating) a few yolks every once in a while -- If you don't currently have cholesterol problems, you can eat up to seven yolks a week. You can get even more detailed info, such as how much Methionine are in a white and yolk, at the USDA Nutrient Database.

Fit's Tip: If you are spending extra dough on Omega-3 eggs, then be sure to eat the yolks because that is where the Omega-3s are found.

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