FitSugar

What is the Deal With: Folate

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:15:00 PST

I just learned something new and I thought I should share it with you: folate and folic acid are the same thing. Well not exactly the same thing. Although they are both forms of a water soluble B vitamin, folate naturally occurs in food and folic acid is its synthetic form found in supplements and added to fortified foods.

Folate and folic acid not only prevent anemia during pregnancy, they also help to produce and maintain new cells. These two reason are why it is essential to take folic acid before and during pregnancy. So if you are planning on becoming a mama soon, make sure you're getting your daily value (DV) of this vitamin, which is 500 micrograms if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. For all other adults the recommended DV is 400 micrograms.

Aside from pregnancy, folate is an important nutrient since it is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. The "C" word usually catches people's attention, so now I want you to know what to eat for your DV of folate.

Foods naturally high in folate are: leafy green vegetables like spinach and turnip greens (don't toss the greens when cooking with turnips you can sauté them with garlic just like spinach), citrus fruits and juices, as well as dried beans and peas. Since 1998, folic acid has been added to "enriched" grain products like breads and cereals. Many fortified cereals contain 100% of your daily folate needs. Ahhhh...another reason to read those labels.

Why Do I Bruise So Easily?

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

Why is it that I can get the slightest bump and the next day, I've got a huge bruise? Sometimes bruises show up and I don't even remember hurting myself.

A bruise develops when small blood vessels under the skin tear or rupture. Blood leaks into tissues under the skin and causes the black-and-blue color.

As bruises heal, usually within two to four weeks, they often turn colors, including purplish black, reddish blue, or yellowish green. Sometimes the area of the bruise spreads down the body in the direction of gravity. A bruise on a leg usually will take longer to heal than a bruise on the face or arms.

Bruising easily does not mean you have a serious health problem. Tendency to bruise easily sometimes runs in the family. Also, you should know that women bruise more easily than men, especially from minor injuries on the thighs, upper arms, and bottom.

The amount of fat covering your body may also play a part. If you don't have much fat on your bones, then bruises will appear with the slightest knock. That's why children and the elderly tend to bruise easily.

Sometimes bruises are bumpy. This is called hematoma, and happens when blood collects and pools under the skin. This is no cause for concern, unless it is accompanied by a greater injury or intense pain.

Fit's Tips: If you are concerned about your vulnerable bruising skin, you may want to get checked by a doctor to make sure you're getting enough vitamins B12, C, K, and folic acid. Deficiencies in these vitamins could also be causing your skin to bruise easily.

What's the Deal With Folic Acid?

Natasha Dantzig — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:37:16 PST

Happy National Folic Acid Awareness Week! Most women of childbearing age have heard of folic acid: it's one of the first terms bandied about when women start talking about having children, but not everyone knows why it's so crucial to the health of the developing baby.

What's your folic acid IQ? Do you know how much to take and when, and why the B vitamin is so important? Take the following quiz and increase your awareness.

Take the Quiz

4 Cruciferous Veggie Recipes to Improve Breast Cancer Survival

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:54:42 PDT

While we know that crunchy, cruciferous veggies pack a big punch of vitamins and flavor, a recent study shows that they are also fantastic medicine for breast cancer survivors. The women with the highest daily intake of cruciferous vegetables had a 62 percent reduced risk of breast cancer mortality and 35 percent reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence. If you're not acquainted with cruciferous veggies, have no fear. Here are a few delicious seasonal recipes to get a heaping help into your diet.

Bok choy is fat-free, low in calories, and loaded in vitamins K and C. The calcium and potassium-rich cruciferous cabbage is beautifully highlighted in this healthy breakfast recipe for bok choy hash with poached eggs.

YumSugar's video recipe for broccoli romanesco is a simple and beautiful dish that will help you get your fill of this funky - even prehistoric-looking! - vegetable, rich in vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and fiber.

Keep reading for two more healthy cruciferous veggie recipes.

10 Things: Highest Sources of Folate

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:30:00 PDT

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin found naturally in many foods. If you've heard of folic acid, it's the synthetic version of it, found in dietary supplements and fortified foods. Not only is folate essential for expecting mothers, but it's necessary for all people since it's needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of the cells in our bodies. It's also needed to make red blood cells, to prevent anemia, and may also help prevent cancerous cells from forming.

The RDI of folate for women over 19 is 400 micrograms (mcg). If you're pregnant or trying to conceive, you need 600 mcg of folate. If you're nursing, you need 500 mcg. You can find folate in the food you eat without having to take supplements. Here are 10 excellent sources.

1/4 cup peanuts: 207 mcg
3 oz. beef liver: 185 mcg
1/2 cup garbanzo beans: 134 mcg
1 cup navy beans: 129 mcg
1/2 cup pinto beans: 117 mcg

1/2 cup lentils, split peas, black beans, or kidney beans: 114 mcg
1/2 cup black-eyed peas: 105 mcg
1/2 cup cooked spinach: 100 mcg
1/2 cup corn: 88 mcg
4 spears of asparagus: 85 mcg

Source

Toast to Valentine's Day With a Blood Orange Champagne Cocktail

Michele Foley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:50:49 PST

Fruits and veggies can be slim pickings during the Winter, but not when it comes to blood oranges. Since the crimson color of the fruit's flesh makes it a perfect pairing for Valentine's Day, putting it in a celebratory cocktail makes total sense. It's full of nutritional goodness, too: blood oranges are a great source of vitamin C, and also contains a good amount of vitamin B1 and folic acid. If you're not a drinker, substitute the champagne for soda water in this recipe.

Check out this citrus twist on the champagne cocktail when you

Blood Orange Champagne Sparkler
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

2 teaspoons black currant liqueur (crème de cassis)
1/2 cup strained fresh blood orange juice (from two blood oranges)
Chilled brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine
2 blood orange slices

Directions

Spoon 1 teaspoon each of the black currant liqueur into two Champagne flutes. Add 4 tablespoons juice to each glass. Fill each glass with Champagne, then stir gently.
Garnish each glass with a blood orange slice.

Makes 2 servings.

Print recipe with images | without images

Want to Age Better? Swap Your Morning Cup of Coffee For Green Tea

Leta Shy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:05:42 PST

We all know that green tea has many benefits - eye health, sunburn protection, and disease prevention, to name a few. Now, a new study can add another possible benefit to that list: green tea may help you remain functional as you age.

The Japanese study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked 14,000 adults 65 years old or older for three years and found that those people who drank at least five cups a day of green tea were about a third less likely to have functional disabilities than those who drank little or no green tea. Even those who only drank two to four cups of green tea a day also experienced a benefit as they aged. "Functional disabilities" were defined as the inability to do basic daily activities or necessities, like bathing or dressing, so the more green tea you drink the more likely you are to be able to stay independent when you're older. The study did find that those who drank green tea tended to have healthier lifestyles overall, but the researchers said a positive effect still existed when diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits were accounted for.

Five cups may sound like a lot, but it's actually a lot less than you think. So, how much tea should you actually be drinking to reap this benefit and possibly remain independent as you age? Read on after the break.

More Than Half of Americans Take Supplements - Do You?

Leta Shy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:15:18 PDT

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 percent of Americans take them), minerals, herbs, and other ways we try to get our recommended daily values outside of food.

I may not be a fan, but supplements do have their place. Doctors recommend anything from multivitamins for people on restricted diets to folic acid during pregnancy, and others, like vitamin D and calcium, have proven to be beneficial.

What to Eat to Get the RDI of Vitamins and Minerals

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:12:23 PDT

How much calcium should I get? What about vitamin B12? If you're curious to know how much you need each day of your basic vitamins and minerals, this chart is for you! It tells you the recommended daily intake (RDI) of each nutrient, and what you need to eat to obtain it.

Vitamin or Mineral	Amount	Eat This to Obtain RDI
Vitamin A	2,310 IU (700 mcg)	Two medium baby carrots: 2,758 IU
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	1.1 mg	One cup oatmeal: 1.2 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	1.1 mg	1 cup cottage cheese: .4 mg 3 oz. salmon: .4 mg 1 cup cooked spinach: .4 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	14 mg	Half an avocado: 1.3 mg 2 large carrots 1.4 mg 3 oz. salmon: 8.6 mg 1 medium sweet potato 1.7 mg 1 oz. almonds: 1.1 mg

Keep reading to find out if you're meeting your RDI of the other vitamins and minerals.

Roasted Chickpeas Two Ways

Yum Community — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:04:33 PDT

We're always looking for new healthy snack ideas and we just found a good one from CheesePlease: roasted chickpeas.

Try this simply and addictive healthy snack! Chickpeas are a great source of protein, folic acid and iron. Roast your chickpeas with this garlic-cumin-sea salt recipe, or a delicious honey-cinnamon version. It's hard to say which one is better. My advice: Make both and you will have options depending on your mood!

Want the recipes? Head over to her blog. Don't forget to share your delicious creations with us in the YumSugar Community. You could be featured here!