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.

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

Losing Your Hair? Eat These 9 Foods

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:36:18 PDT

Right around the time my daughter hit the 6-month mark, I freaked in the shower when clumps of hair came into my hands while shampooing. Then I remembered a mom in my postnatal yoga class complaining about gobs of her hair falling out months after giving birth. Losing hair after pregnancy is pretty ~~crappy~~ common, but if you didn't just have a baby and you're concerned that too many strands are ending up in your hairbrush, eating some of these nutrient-rich foods may help prevent thinning hair.

Tofu: This soy-based food is a healthy source of iron, with a one-cup serving offering 6.8 mg. If you're concerned about an iron deficiency, which is known to cause hair loss, make sure you're getting 18 mg of iron a day.
Cottage cheese: Dairy products are great sources of protein, especially since they contain whey and casein. If you're not a fan of the consistency of cottage cheese, snack on yogurt instead.
Oysters: These shellfish are another source of iron. A three-ounce serving contains 6.6 mg. People might eat oysters to inspire love, but they'll also inspire your hair to grow. Besides the iron, oysters are also high in the antioxidant zinc.
Flaxseeds: Another great source of iron, flaxseeds also contain omega-3s, which support scalp health and can encourage hair growth. One tablespoon of whole flaxseeds contain 2.3 grams of omega-3s, while one tablespoon of flaxseed oil offers 7.2 grams.

To see what other foods you can add to your diet to encourage a thick, lustrous mane keep reading.

Health Benefits of Pears

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:13 PDT

Apples are in season in the Autumn, but pears are too. The soft, sweet, buttery flesh of the pear makes this Fall fruit one of my favorites. Plus there are so many varieties to choose from - Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou - that they each seem like a different fruit. These juicy gems are pretty healthy for you, too.

Pears are high in fiber. One medium-sized pear contains six grams, so snacking on a pear can help you meet your daily requirement of 25 to 30 grams. They're a delicious way to keep you regular too, which can help prevent colon cancer. A diet high in fiber can also keep your cholesterol levels down, which is good news for your ticker. Getting your fill of fiber from fruit is also linked to a lower risk for breast cancer.
Pears contain a fair amount of vitamins A, C, K, B2, B3, and B6. For expecting or nursing moms, they also contain folate. Pears aren't too shabby in the mineral department either, containing calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Vitamin C and copper are antioxidant nutrients, so eating pears is good for your immune system, and may help prevent cancer.
Pears also contain boron, which our bodies need in order to retain calcium, so this fruit can also be linked to osteoporosis prevention.

For the other health benefits,

Eat Green, Get Healthy

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:45:00 PDT

St. Patty's Day is all about the green and it is just around the corner. That doesn't only have to mean green beer. There are numerous healthy foods that you can add to your diet to not only up the green, but to also up the health as well. Here are just a few:

Avocado: Avocado is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol, said Dr. Vickie Vaclavik, clinical assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern. Avocados also are good sources of both vitamin E and lutein, a natural antioxidant that may help maintain eye health.
Broccolini: It's packed with the cancer-fighting nutrients isothiocyanates, sulforaphane, and indoles all linked with reducing the risk of breast, prostate, cervical, lung, and other cancers and offers as much vitamin C as orange juice, said Dr. Jo Ann Carson, professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern.
Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts are another cruciferous vegetable with cancer-fighting phytochemicals. "They're also high in vitamin C and are a good source of folate, vitamin A, and potassium," said Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

There's more so