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Family Meals and Eating Disorders

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:45:00 -0800

It is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and the subject can't really be contained to one week. When thinking about eating disorders, and frankly getting a little sad about them, I remembered a positive news story I read a while back. There was a study on family meals and eating disorders, that as mother of two girls I found heartening.

Researchers found that sitting down for regular family meals may actually help prevent eating disorders. Girls who ate five or more meals with their families weekly were one third less likely to practice extreme weight control behaviors. Extreme weight control behaviors range from vomiting, taking diet pills and abusing diuretics. Interestingly enough, family meals did not seem to lower unhealthy weight control behaviors like binge eating, smoking or skipping meals. It is important to note that the researchers did say that how the family acts during these meals is important, because they could also promote unhealthy eating habits. Enhancing the meal time atmosphere and saving possibly emotionally loaded topics, like potential prom plans, for other times might promote a healthy relationship with food too.

Fittingly Mad: No Nutrition Labels on Grandma's Apple Pie

FitSugar — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Thanksgiving is an awesome time, so don't think I'm being a Debbie Downer here. Sitting down to that enormous dinner on Thursday night just got me thinking about family meals and how hard it is to know what you're eating. Who knows how many calories are in a slice of grandma's famous apple pie, or how much saturated fat is in the scoop of ice cream on top? Too bad we can't just turn the plate around and see the nutritional info.

If you're a label reader like me, it could drive you crazy not knowing what ingredients are in the food you're eating, or what the calorie, carb, or sugar content is. Since most people aren't as health-conscious as I am, they don't necessarily care that they're serving crackers loaded with trans fat, or that they could have used non-fat plain yogurt in their potato leek soup instead of heavy cream.

So you're going to have to use common sense and your best judgment when you sit down to eat home-cooked meals. I'm not saying you to skip out on any part (especially that amazing apple pie), but remember these three easy tips, and you should be good to go.

To see the tips read more

Don't be shy. Ask the grandma how she made her dishes. Chances are she'll feel flattered, and you'll get some piece of mind.
Since family-style meals are like a buffet free-for-all, be conscious of portion sizes.
Remember that moderation is key. Go ahead and try everything you want, just be sure to have little tastes of each instead of huge servings. That way you'll feel satisfied rather than stuffed.

Source

How to Work Off Thanksgiving Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:08 -0800

If you're worried about devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal and what that will mean to your waistline, have no fear. You can have your cake - I mean pie - and eat it too, you just have to get moving afterward. After the break, check out the calorie amounts for your favorite Thanksgiving foods and find out some ways you can work off those tasty calories.

To see the chart, read more.

Food	Amount of calories	Activity
6 oz. mulled wine	156	Swimming laps moderately for 20 minutes will burn 158 calories.
3.5 oz. white turkey meat	156	20 minutes of football burns 158 calories.
3.5 oz. dark turkey meat	186	Sneak away for a 20-minute jog and burn 197 calories.
1/2 cup mashed potatoes	150	Burn 158 calories by walking briskly for 40 minutes.
1/2 cup gravy	150	44 minutes of cleaning burns 152 calories.
1 small baked sweet potato	54	Stretching for 15 minutes burns 59 calories.
1/2 cup stuffing	180	A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 181 calories.
1 slice apple pie with 1/2 cup ice cream	555	Hiking for an hour and 35 minutes will burn off 561 dessert calories.
1 slice pumpkin pie	180	Take the family bowling for an hour and burn 180 calories.

Reality Check: Ashlee Isn't a No Carbs Kind of Girl

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:02 -0800

Even though she lives the So Cal lifestyle, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz told Women's Health that she doesn't starve herself for a Hollywood figure; she simply loves food, and one of her favorite feasts features Mexican fare. Once a week Ashlee and her hubby, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, invite family and friends over for taco night. Ashlee told the mag that she's not afraid of cheese, eats cheeseburgers with ranch dressing, and indulges in French fries. But don't spread the rumor that she's eating for two, because she's not, and Ashlee shares that she's even slimmer than ever.

She boasts about devouring whatever she wants, doesn't deprive herself of the foods she craves, and still has such a great figure. To find out what she asys is her secret, read more.

Ashlee's secret weapon is Bronx Pilates! Her 1-year-old son is in her arms all day, and carrying around that extra weight has helped to really tone her arms.

Before she gave birth, Ashlee had gained 50 pounds, and her breasts were up to a size E when she was nursing. So once baby Bronx was two weeks old, she was ready to start losing the extra pounds. A home-delivery meal plan didn't work since she's a big eater. She says, "If I want a grilled cheese sandwich, I'll eat a grilled cheese sandwich." So she turned to exercise, and with the help of a personal trainer, the new mama set up a home gym and started circuit training. Four weeks later, Ashlee had lost half her baby weight. Her diligent workouts have definitely paid off. Of course, this young actress also has her youth and genes to thank. Though she looks amazing now, Ashlee dispels the notion that her bod was a result of Hollywood stress. She says, "I wasn't in a rush to get back to this body for anyone else. It was more like, 'I wanna look good [for me]? I wanna feel good.'"

Ashlee is feeling great and very appreciative of her family and all life has blessed her with. On top of a great career and a healthy son, her hubby is a great source of comfort and support. "Pete isn't worried about stretch marks, " she says, "He always makes me feel sexy."

The way she explains it, she doesn't really do anything currently to maintain her figure. Do you believe it?

The Dieting of Mothers Visits Daughters in Eating Disorders

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:00:16 -0700

Parents model behavior for their children, whether consciously or not. A recent survey conducted by British teen mag Sugar (no relation to the PopSugar Network) found that a dieting mother can have unfortunate consequences for daughters.

Out of the 512 girls surveyed, ages 12 to 18, six percent had an eating disorder; that number rose to one in 10 among girls with mothers who dieted. Girls learn how to create a self-image from observing their mothers, and when mom labels certain foods bad and dangerous, her daughter internalizes the message. It has been shown that regular family meals can help prevent eating disorders, and when the female head of household removes herself from the ritual of the family dinner impressionable eyes are watching. Negative body image from mothers affects girls too. This is why I learned to stop talking smack about my thighs. Did your mom diet? Did it affect your relationship with food?

When You're a Pro, What Does Time Off Mean?

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:00:49 -0700

Runner Kara Goucher made her marathon debut a year ago in the Big Apple, but she's skipping the New York Marathon this year. At the Nike Running Summit, she explained she wasn't planning on racing again until Boston because she's doing some planning of a different nature - family planning.

When you're an elite runner, skipping an event doesn't go unnoticed, making it difficult to keep it a secret that you're trying to get pregnant. Kara explained to me in a short but sweet interview that she's "taking a few months off to see what happens in her personal life."

But what does "time off" mean after running 120 miles a week? For Kara it means only running 30 miles a week, a number I would love to have as my hard-core weekly mileage. Although she does admit to getting a little softer now that she's only running a quarter of what she's used to, Kara's relationship with food hasn't changed, since she has always been "a healthy eater." Body fat is an issue for runners, but her attitude is pretty simple: "It is just weight and it will come off." Which is great since this runner, a proclaimed "queen of the 30-minute meal," is spending her newly found free time cooking, mostly Italian, and making sauces from scratch.

To see how Kara answered when I asked her if she could be an elite athlete in another sport, what would it be, just read more.

She admitted that this was a tough question, but that she has always leaned toward tennis. Kara finds the combination of individual strength and one-on-one competition quite compelling. Then there's the fashion side of things: "They wear cool outfits."

Kara's long-term goal: racing in the London Olympics in 2012 and bringing home the gold. Go Kara!

Avoid Crash Diets: Healthy Weight-Loss Tips

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:55 -0700

I read a very sad and unfortunate tale of an English bride-to-be's death after crash dieting. After eating only 530 calories a day for 11 weeks, the 34-year-old collapsed. Having weighed 244 pounds at the start of the controversial LighterLife diet, Samantha Clowe had lost 42 pounds when she collapsed and died of heart failure. Her family and fiancé are in my thoughts, and in light of this tragedy, I would like to review five rules for healthy and sustainable weight loss.

To lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than you are expending. Think of it like this: calories coming in need to be fewer than calories going out. It really is pretty simple.
To lose one pound a week you need to be in a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. The best way to do this is to combine eating fewer calories and burning more calories - that means exercise! Cardio is great for burning calories. See these posts for ideas to freshen up your cardio routine.

Learn the other three tips when you continue reading.

Healthy Dinner Idea: How About Breakfast?

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Sometimes it can be so hard to come up with exciting ideas for dinner, so a couple times a month, my family and I like to have breakfast for dinner - the girls love it. It's not just because we love breakfast foods, but they're also high in fiber and protein, so they're healthy, too. Check out the nutritional info for some simple breakfast meals.

For a quick and satisfying meal, cereal and milk:

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Chol. (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)
1 cup skim milk	91	.7	5	130	12.3	0	12.3	8.7	316.2
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal	140	1	0	85	30	10	6	13	60
1/4 cup sliced strawberries	13	.1	0	0	3.2	.8	1.9	.3	6.6
Total	244	1.8	5	215	45.5	10.8	20.2	22	382.8

To see the nutritional info for a veggie omelet and berry french toast keep reading

Fried Food Ban at Hospitals: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:35:15 -0700

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what does fried food bring? Ultimately a heart attack according to many cardiologists. This is why more than 250 hospitals across the country are participating in the Healthy Food Pledge, which not only involves serving healthier fare in hospitals but using locally grown food as well.

This pledge means no more fried food in one New Hampshire hospital cafeteria. Although the nursing staff is lamenting the lack of "chicken finger Monday," the staff is sympathetic to the nutritious cause since patient meals will be free of fried food as well. The only drawback is emotional: french fries, the ultimate fried food, are America's comfort food. Hanging out in a hospital usually implies stressful times, so this ban will be forcing patients, staff, and family members to seek new forms of comfort food, which is maybe not such a bad thing after all.

This healthy food initiative comes on the heels of the smoking ban imposed by many hospitals. What do you think?

Practice Moderation Like World's Oldest Man

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:00:14 -0700

The world's oldest man is an astounding 112 years old, born in September 1896. Walter Breuning has lived such a long and fruitful life by keeping busy, taking an aspirin, and eating two meals a day, and most importantly, by practicing moderation. To live a long life, he recommends staying active in body and mind, don't eat too much, and be good to people. This is much healthier advice to live by as compared to the world's previous oldest man, Henry Allingham. Before passing away at 113, he jokingly attributed his remarkable longevity to "cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women."

Breuning revealed that longevity doesn't run in his family. His father lived until 50, his mother until 46, and his four brothers and sisters died in their 70s. Walter says he's more grateful for his health than he is for a world title.