FitSugar

You Asked: Is There Anything Wrong With a Fat-Free Diet?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 PDT

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Hey Fit,
I've been trying to lose these 15 pounds I seemed to have put on in the past year. I'm exercising regularly and have ditched all fat from my diet. So no meat, fried foods, nuts, peanut butter, oil, butter, baked goods, hydrogenated oils, and I only eat fat-free dairy products. I seem to be losing weight, which is great, but is there anything wrong with this kind of diet?

-Fat Free Fiona

I'm sure many people have gone on fat-free diets in an effort to lose weight, so you're not alone. I'm glad you're asking about whether it's a healthy way to slim down and the answer is yes and no. The reason is because there are both healthy fats our bodies need and unhealthy fats our bodies can stand to go without. So you don't want to ditch every amount of fat imaginable. To find out which ones to eat and which ones to avoid

As you can see from the chart below, unsaturated fats and omega-3s are important to include in our diets since they have cholesterol-lowering properties. They also promote healthy skin and some, like nuts, are great sources of fiber and protein. Only 20 to 35 percent of your diet should include fat, so shoot for 44 to 77 grams of fat a day (for a 2,000 calorie diet). You're doing your body right by getting rid of hydrogenated oils and fried foods, but don't skip out on healthy fats such as nuts, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and olive oil.

Avoid - Trans fat such as hydrogenated oils (found in processed foods such as crackers, dips, frozen foods, baking mixes, and baked goods), some margarine, shortening (Crisco), candy (caramels and some chocolate), and some fast foods such as french fries and biscuits because they can increase your risk of heart disease.

Enjoy in moderation - Saturated fat such as high-fat dairy products such as butter, cream, whole milk, cheese, and sour cream. Also watch out for high-fat meats such as ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, ribs, and chicken and turkey skin. Unfortunately coconut and coconut oil and some chocolate contains saturated fat too, so limit these foods because they're hard to digest and full of artery-clogging cholesterol.

Include these - Unsaturated fat since they are essential to your overall health. There are two kinds. The first, monounsaturated fats, can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol), so enjoy foods such as avocado, olives, and olive oil, canola and peanut oil, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and nut butters made from them. The other kind, polyunsaturated fats, can reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, but too much can also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol, so don't go overboard with walnuts, corn and sunflower oil, certain brands of margarine (Earth Balance), and pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

A necessity - Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish such as albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, sardines, and salmon, soy products such as tofu, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, and canola oil. These have anti-inflammatory properties, can lower cholesterol, and have been found to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Source

Nighttime Fasting: A New Way to Lose Weight?

Shape — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:09:52 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

If you couldn’t let anything cross your lips from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., but you were allowed to eat anything you wanted for eight hours a day and still lose weight, would you try it? That’s the apparent bottom line of a rat study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, which recently stirred up the weight loss pot.

Top 50 Summer Diet Foods for Weight Loss

Scientists put groups of mice on different diet regimens for 100 days. One group of rodents ate healthy food while animals in two of the groups chowed down on high-fat, high-calorie feed. Half of the junk food eaters were allowed to munch whenever they wanted to while the others only had access to feed for the eight hours they were most active. The conclusion: even though they ate a fatty diet, the mice who were forced to fast for 16 hours were almost as lean as those who ate the healthy fare. Interestingly, the round the clock junk food eaters became obese and developed health problems, even though they consumed about the same amount of fat and calories as the time-restricted junk food fed mice.

See if a nutritionist thinks nighttime fasting works after the break!

One-Minute Slimming Food Tricks That Work

Prevention — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:34:33 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Sarah Robertson, Prevention

Here are successful strategies to cut calories and burn fat that take 60 seconds or less. With about 1,000 waking minutes in every day, you'll find plenty of opportunities to slip these tips into your routine and watch the scale go down. If you've already begun your weight loss, these tricks can maximize your efforts and speed results.

Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

Dip your bread
Use olive oil in place of butter. It's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories on average than those who used butter.

Seven Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working

Learn more one-minute diet secrets after the break!

3 Gluten-Free Make-Ahead Snacks to Satisfy Salty Cravings

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:35:31 PDT

When you're craving something salty, crackers and pretzels are a popular choice, but they're not an option if you're avoiding gluten. You could buy pricey gluten-free alternatives, but they're not exactly the healthiest snacks. Here are three salty snacks you can prep ahead of time that are free of wheat, barley, oats, and rye.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Bites

Made with cooked quinoa, gooey mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil, you won't be able to resist dipping and noshing on these chewy quinoa pizza bites. One piece contains 48 calories, .7 grams of fiber, and 2.8 grams of protein. They're so zesty and filling that after three, your salty cravings are sure to be satisfied. Prepare a batch and keep them in the fridge so they're ready when your salty cravings strike.

Keep reading to find out how to make the savory zucchini and sweet potato squares above, and for one more gluten-free salty snack idea.

A Reader Recipe: Chunky Monkey Super Omega-3 Energy Bars

Fit Community — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:07:38 PDT

FitSugar reader For the Love of Fiber offers vegan, gluten-free, and kid-friendly energy bars inspired by the Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream flavor. She shared it with us in our Healthy Recipe group in the Fit Community.

Chunky Monkey Super Omega-3 Energy Bars
Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
12 medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup quinoa flakes
½ cup chia seeds
¼ cup milled flaxseed
¼ cup cacao nibs or dark chocolate chunks
1 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

See the full recipe after the break!

How to Splurge This Weekend Without Gaining a Pound

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:49:28 PDT

For many who have stuck to their healthy ways all week long, the weekend is a time to loosen up the reigns a little, ignore weight-loss rules, and indulge in some high-calorie Cinco de Mayo goodness. If you're not careful though, an entire weekend of living it up could make you gain the pounds you've worked so hard to keep off all week. Here are some ways to splurge a little this weekend and not feel guilty on Monday morning.

Sip on this: If you're starting the Cinco de Mayo festivities a little early tonight, pass on the margaritas made with premade sugary mix and go for a glass made with real lime juice and a splash of simple syrup to save calories (opt for no salt on the rim). Or you can skip the margarita altogether and whip up a batch of this low-cal sangria-inspired cocktail made with heart-healthy red wine, unfiltered cranberry juice, and fresh strawberry puree.
Skip this calorie-loaded app: Ordering an enormous plate of nachos topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, seasoned ground beef, and avocado means devouring a huge amount of calories before your entrée even arrives. Start with a small taco salad instead made with fresh greens, peppers, tomatoes, corn, black beans, a few crushed tortilla chips, and sprinkled with an avocado vinaigrette.

Keep reading for more calorie-saving tips.

Give Your Desk a Healthy Makeover With These Tips

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:44:46 PDT

Since you spend so much time at your desk, it's important that you make it a healthy environment - especially since there are so many ways your job can make you fat. Here's how to make over your desk to stay healthy while you work.

Stash snacks: Vending machines and office candy jars can be too much temptation, especially when your grumbling stomach is egging you on. Instead, stock your desk drawer with a few filling snacks, like almonds, trail mix, all-natural homemade fruit and nut bars, and green tea bags to satisfy tummy and taste buds before you give up and reach for the leftover break room doughnuts.

Use a reusable water bottle: Nothing reminds you to drink more water than a filled water bottle living on your desk. Drinking enough water throughout the day is crucial for both your health and your mood, since dehydration can lead to fatigue and irritability, so fight that afternoon slump (or the urge to snap at your fellow co-workers) by drinking up. Find out how much water you should be drinking here.

Deal with germs: Many times, lunch at your desk is just inevitable. Those days dining in front of your monitor can make things a little messy at your desk. Keep your area germ-free with desk wipes and all-natural hand sanitizer (find out how to make your own hand sanitizer here).

Adjust that chair: You're sitting there for most of the day, so make sure you keep your chair and computer comfortably aligned with the position of your body to prevent back, wrist, and neck pain. Not sure if your monitor is too low or if you are sitting correctly? Read our tips for creating an ergonomic desk here.

One Month Till Memorial Day Weekend! How to Get Bikini-Ready Now

Self — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:12:29 PDT

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

With spring in full swing, we've already said goodbye to the winter blues. But as you enjoy the milder weather and longer days, keep in mind that Memorial Day weekend is merely a month away - meaning it's almost time for bikinis and short shorts! So, is one month enough time to score your best body yet?

It sure is, says Jim White, registered dietician, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But you'd better get started now. "After all the shrieking and gasping about how 'time flies' and it's 'too soon' to be exposing that muffin top, it's time to get realistic and take action," he explains. "A month is not a tremendous amount of time to shed any accumulated winter fat, but before you break out into cold sweats, it is not unreasonable to lose 10 pounds or one dress size in that time."

To make sure you score your best bikini bod before you hit the beach, sign up for SELF's free Drop 10 plan - it'll have you slimmer and stronger than ever in only five short weeks! Then, follow White's basic rules for healthy eating. "Healthy eating is a must if you expect weight loss," he says.

Read on for the one-month plan!

5 Reasons Why You Should Remember to Eat More Berries

Michele Foley — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:54:32 PDT

Berry season is right around the corner, and if a big bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries didn't excite you before, maybe this news will: eating at least two servings of berries per week can help delay age-related memory loss in women. A recent Harvard study followed 16,010 women over the age of 70, finding those who ate berries slowed memory loss by almost three years. Researchers cite the plethora of antioxidants packed into these small fruits as being the reason. If preventing memory loss weren't enough, here are five more reasons why you should up your berry intake.

They help with weight loss: Berries are loaded with the antioxidant anthocyanin, which has been shown to alter the activity of genes found in human fat cells, making it more difficult to put on weight. Blueberries, specifically, have been shown to diminish stubborn belly fat.
They are good for your brain: Investigators with the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston found that the polyphenols in berries help the part of the brain that takes care of regular maintenance and "housekeeping." Blueberries and strawberries were said to contain the most polyphenols.
They are good for your eyes: Berries, especially blueberries and raspberries, contain lutein, which is important for healthy eyes and sharp vision.
They help protect against disease: Berries are brimming with carotenoids, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Other phytonutrients in berries have been shown to protect against heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Those deep hues pay off tenfold when it comes to maintaining the health of your body.
They help slow down the aging process: The powerful antioxidants in berries prevent free radical damage in your body, and less free radical damage means slowing down the aging process to help you live longer!

Amped up for berry season yet? Mix things up by making one of these healthy berry recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail hour!

3 Ways Cottage Cheese Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:53:15 PDT

In order to lose weight, eating low-calorie protein is a must. Protein offers sustained energy, satiates your hunger, and curbs sugar cravings. After you eat a protein-packed food, you feel so satisfied you don't have the urge to reach for extra bites, and this translates to weight loss. Choosing low-calorie, low-fat protein sources is a must and while Greek yogurt has gained a lot of recognition, don't leave out the unsung hero of the protein world - cottage cheese. Here are some ways this simple food can help you drop pounds.

Breakfast: High-Protein Addition
You know how after you eat a bagel for breakfast it's tough to shake that sluggish feeling all morning? Protein has the opposite effect. It offers you energy for hours, so you feel bright-eyed and ready to tackle the day. Eggs and yogurt are popular choices, but for something a little different, whip up a smoothie and you guessed it - add cottage cheese to the blender. For 81 calories, four ounces will add a whopping 14 grams of protein to your glass. The blender will puree the cottage cheese into a smooth consistency, so your taste buds won't even know it's in there. Not into smoothies? Enjoy a bowl of cottage cheese topped with fruit for fiber and sweetness, and nuts for even more added protein.

Keep reading to find out two more ways cottage cheese can help with weight loss.