The Skinny On: Mercury and Fish Oil Supplements


Updated 10/14/11 11:49 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 11 comments

Do Fish Supplements Contain Mercury or Harmful Pollutants?

Eating fish is a great way to get your fill of essential omega-3 fatty acids. This healthy fat can help fight obesity, improve your mood, prevent chronic aches and pains, and keep your heart healthy. If you're not a fan of preparing or eating fish, then you may opt for the convenience of fish oil capsules instead. You may have wondered how safe these supplements are when it comes to mercury Read more

3 Disease Cures Hiding in Your Supermarket


Updated 05/28/12 5:15 AM · Posted by · 0 comments

Foods That Help Gum and Eye Health

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Prevention here on FitSugar! Yup! You can demolish these diseases with your diet. By Molly Raisch, Prevention Here's one thing to add to your grocery list: disease-fighting foods. A growing body of research shows that you can squash certain symptoms with what you eat. In fact, eating the right foods may be just what the doctor ordered for Read more

Could Changing Your Mood Be as Easy as Changing What You Eat?


Updated 11/24/11 2:10 AM · Posted by · 0 comments

Foods That Make You Feel Better

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure: Turns out eating well won't just make you feel better in some abstract, "brown rice is healthy so I'll feel virtuous if I eat it" kind of a way. A diet that is specifically designed to reduce inflammation may boost your mood. Recently, inflammation has been implicated in nearly every physical woe, from blemishes to the biggies like Read more

More Than Half of Americans Take Supplements — Do You?


Updated 04/16/11 9:07 AM · Posted by · 8 comments

CDC Reports More Than Half of Americans Take Supplements

I've never been a fan of supplements, even during my Flintstones vitamin days. Between having to remember to take them and the odd tastes of some of them (yes you, fish oil), I prefer to get my nutrients from the farmers market. But according to a new report from the CDC, I'm in the minority. More than half of adults in the US take a supplement of some sort, including multivitamins (almost 40 Read more

The Best and Worst Flu Season Remedies


Updated 10/11/11 6:22 PM · Posted by · 3 comments

The Best and Worst Flu Season Remedies

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar! Find out which immune-boosting supplements really help — and which are just hype By the Editors at Prevention Flu shots, hand washing, healthy eating, and regular exercise are the best ways to avoid cold and flu. But sometimes even the most scrupulous germaphobes and healthy people get sick anyway. While Read more

The Paleo Diet: Are Our Ancestors the Key to Weight Loss?


Updated 10/30/11 5:26 AM · Posted by · 14 comments

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleo Diet, or Caveman Diet, is gaining momentum in the fitness world as a healthy way to lose weight. My trainer is all about the Paleo Diet — a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our Paleolithic, cave-dwelling ancestors. We're talking wild game, meat, and seafood, and vegetables, fruit, seeds, and nuts. What you won't find as part of the Paleo Diet are foods that developed during Read more

DrSugar Answers: Raising HDL Cholesterol Levels?


Updated 10/14/11 11:51 AM · Posted by DrSugar · 3 comments

HDL vs. LDL: Cholesterol Levels Explained

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar, I just had lab work done as part of my routine physical. My HDL cholesterol level is really low — 30. I am really scared. What can I do to improve the number? Is it possible to make it go up? —Freaked out about HDL This is a great question since cholesterol problems are quite common in Americans. High Read more

DrSugar Answers: Vitamin D Dosage?


Updated 10/14/11 11:50 AM · Posted by DrSugar · 13 comments

A Doctor Answers Question on Vitamin D Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)

DrSugar is in the house, and she's answering your health related questions. Dear Doc Sugar, I have heard from multiple sources (my kids’ pediatrician, an osteopath, an acupuncturist, etc.) about the importance of taking a vitamin D supplement. Coming from multiple sources has convinced me to start taking a supplement, but I am confused about how much to take. I just read from a Dr. Weil Read more

What's the Diff: Omega-3s vs. Omega-6s


Updated 10/14/11 11:49 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 3 comments

The Difference Between Omega-3s and Omega-6s

Omegas are all the buzz right now, and it seems like everywhere you turn, new foods are being enhanced with this essential fatty acid, or labeled as an excellent source. What people don't know is that there are different types of omegas, and eating too much of one kind can actually be harmful to your body. Omega-3s are found in flax seeds, walnuts, cod liver oil, and fatty fish like mackerel, Read more

Fights the Blues With Fish


Updated 10/14/11 11:49 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 8 comments

Fights the Blues With Fish

When thinking of food as medicine, we have gotten a little reductive. By trying to find the one active ingredient that makes a food healthy, we have forgotten about the food itself. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have been found to fight inflammation and reduce depression. But popping a fish oil supplement, rather than eating the fish, means you are missing out on the minerals and lean protein Read more