FitSugar

Foods to Stop Avoiding: Mushrooms

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:30:00 PST

Just like anything else foods can get a bad reputation. The thing about reputations is that they can be repaired and scientist are working round the clock to make sure we're not skipping out on foods just because we've heard it through the grapevine that they're bad. Mushrooms, avocados, peanuts, eggs, and coffee top the list of foods with the worst reputations to stop avoiding.

Here are highlights on why you should stop avoiding mushrooms:

Mushrooms
Misconception: Mushrooms are a low-calorie food with little nutritional benefit.
Why they're good for you: They may be 90 percent water and have only 18 calories per cup, but mushrooms are getting serious scientific attention. Laboratory reports and animal studies show that compounds in mushrooms may do everything from bolster immune function to suppress breast and prostate cancers and decrease tumor size. And now, Penn State researchers found that mushrooms, from the humble button to the giant portobello, harbor large amounts of an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. The scientific buzz is that fungi, for the moment, are the only foods that contain this compound.

Source

Foods to Stop Avoiding: Coffee

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:00:00 PST

Just like anything else foods can get a bad reputation. The thing about reputations is that they can be repaired and scientists are working round the clock to make sure we're not skipping out on foods just because we've heard it through the grapevine that they're bad. Avocados, peanuts, eggs, and coffee top the list of the top foods with the worst reputations that you should stop avoiding.

Here are highlights on why you should stop avoiding coffee:

Coffee
Misconception: The only thing you get from drinking coffee is a caffeine buzz.
Why it's good for you: The average cup of coffee has hundreds of different chemical compounds. Maybe that's why news reports about coffee vacillate between lauding its health benefits and labeling it harmful. Still, the benefits of coffee seem to outweigh the negatives.

To name just a few: Some Arizona researchers recently discovered that caffeinated coffee helps improve memory in older adults. A new study from the United Kingdom suggests that small amounts of coffee consumed throughout the day can increase alertness and improve performance on all kinds of tasks, including those that require hand-to-eye coordination and attention to detail. Preliminary studies suggest regular coffee drinking may lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Source

Foods to Stop Avoiding: Eggs

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:15:00 PST

Just like anything else, foods can get a bad reputation. The thing about reputations is that they can be repaired and scientists are working round the clock to make sure we're not skipping out on foods just because we've heard, through the grapevine, that they're bad. Mushrooms, avocados, peanuts, eggs, and coffee top the list of the top foods with the worst reputations that you should stop avoiding.

Here are highlights on why you should stop avoiding eggs:

Eggs
Misconception: Eggs are high in dietary cholesterol, so they don't have a place in my heart-healthy diet.
Why they're good for you: Eggs contain a variety of substances that appear to promote good health. Choline, a nutrient that is critical to brain function, is one example. Eggs, it seems, are one of the richest food sources of choline. Scientists at the University of North Carolina found adding choline to the diets of pregnant animals improves memory performance in their offspring. It may seem like a leap to apply this finding to people, but researchers are already encouraging pregnant women to eat eggs and other choline-rich foods (such as beef liver) during pregnancy.

Source

Do You Avoid Eating Late at Night to Prevent Weight Gain?

Leta Shy — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:18:46 PDT

On one hand, knowing how to eat right can be simple - eat when you're hungry, and stick to nutritious foods that fill you up and keep you satisfied. But another component of playing the weight loss game is when you eat, and that's when things can get complicated.

While studies have proven that eating late at night doesn't automatically lead to your body storing more fat, a new study in mice has found a link between when you eat and weight gain. Researchers looked at two groups of mice, both of which were fed the same amount of a high-fat diet, and found that the mice who were only allowed to eat during an eight-hour period during the day ended up gaining less weight than the mice that were allowed to eat the same amount of food any time during the day and night.

Researchers believe that the difference in weight gain is due to the fact that the body's organs operate at peak efficiency at different times, so everything from your liver to your muscles may be burning more calories and working harder depending on the time of day or night. Frequent eating throughout the day and night, they say, may throw off your body's metabolic cycles, so you may be more successful with weight loss if you stop eating at a certain point during your day (even if you are eating the same amount of food).

This newest study is just one more piece of information in the late-night eating debate, but the theory hasn't been tested on humans yet. And it's important to note that this study doesn't prove the myth that you shouldn't eat past a certain time to avoid your food turning into fat - the study is just saying that restricting when you eat to a certain time period may help regulate your metabolic cycles. In any case, what's your take on the issue: do you avoid eating late at night to prevent gaining weight?

Stop Biting Your Nails Without Exercising Crazy Willpower

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:04:36 PDT

The majority of people have, at one time or another, bitten their nails. And as anyone who's gotten caught in a cycle of biting can tell you, it can be painfully difficult to stop. Like food cravings or a nervous tic, the longer you hold off, the more anxious and distracted you get. It takes time to develop an alternate outlet for your nervous energy, and in the interim, going cold turkey rarely works. So what's a dyed-in-the-wool biter to do? Just keep reading.

Easy Ways to Get More From Your Food Budget

LearnVest — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:48 PDT

Go the extra mile with your food budget with these tips from LearnVest.

For years, many people - my husband, mom, sister and even my son - told me to stop wasting so much food.

Throwing away half a piece of chicken here or a handful of grapes there never seemed like such a big deal to me. If I was full or no longer in the mood for that particular food, then I had no problem tossing it.

That is, until I experienced a bad case of sticker shock during a recent trip to the supermarket. The cost of bread, eggs, fish - basically everything I was purchasing - had increased. And, according to the USDA, we can expect prices to rise even higher this year.

As I forked over my money and left with only a handful of bags, I realized just how important it is for me to pay more attention to what I spend on food . . . and to confront how much of it I shove down the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one with wasteful ways. In 2010, 33 million tons of food was thrown away, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Obviously, wasted food means wasted money, but figuring out how to make your grocery budget go further can be a challenge.

To keep more food in your fridge (and more money in your pocket), try these expert tips.

1. Ward Against Freezer Burn

Those large bags or packages of frozen veggies or meat come in handy when you have a large family, but "each time you open a bag of frozen food, air gets in and will cause freezer burn within two to three weeks," says consumer saving expert Andrea Woroch. Freezer burn will dry out the meat and make it less tasty. Woroch suggests going small.

Read on for more.

It's Easy Being Green (If You're Talking Concealer)

Jaime Richards — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:59:00 PDT

Ever been confused by the multicolored concealer palettes you see at the stores? The confusion stops here. Over the next few days, let's explore the art of these color-correcting concealers, starting with green. Wicked Witch of the West? Don't think so, my pretties. When it comes to color correcting, it's all about using the color wheel to figure out a balance.

Green, for instance, is opposite of red on the color wheel. In theory, it will neutralize any unwanted red hues from things like acne, rosacea, birthmarks, port-wine stains, ruddiness, pimples, and even scars. But do green correcting sticks, powders, and primers work? When it comes down to it, yes, but to find out a few ways to avoid looking as if you've been hit with a bad case of food poisoning, just read more.

Simple Tips on How to Stay Healthy All Day Long

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:18:51 PDT

When striving to be healthy, a few everyday changes can make a world of difference to your body. Maybe you're just focused on a morning workout or staying away from the wrong activities before bed, but if you want to reboot your lifestyle for the long haul, you've got to commit to a healthy lifestyle all day long. Interested in what I mean? Read through these tips to help you keep your healthy living on track whether it's morning, noon, or night.

Morning

If a morning gym session fits your schedule best, then our early morning exercise tips are a must read. From laying out an outfit the night before to scheduling a session with a trainer, these tips can help kick off your day with an energetic bang.

We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Whatever your dietary needs or time restrictions, we've got you covered. Start the morning with healthy whole-grain hot cereal recipes or low-sugar breakfast ideas or save some time in the morning with a healthy breakfast made the night before.

Think outside the box and mix up your standard morning beverage routine. Take your pick of these inventive drinks to boost your energy to get your head right for your commute and commitments.

Keep reading for tips to stay healthy during the afternoon and evening.

Savvy Links: Weird Tax Deductions That Actually Work

Emily Co — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:01:31 PDT

Weird tax deductions that actually work - The Jane Dough
7 things to consider before starting your own business - LearnVest
Compulsive eating at work: How to stop eating at your desk - HuffPost Women
How to avoid new carry-on luggage charges - Wise Bread
Ways to get a better credit score now - Credit Karma
Strategies to fight food inflation - Bankrate
5 illegal interview questions and how to dodge them - The Daily Muse
Ways to get more exercise when you work all the time - The Grindstone
12 insanely smart young people that give us hope for the future - Tecca

A New Way to Deal With Your "Picky Eaters"

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:57:03 PDT

Picky, picky, picky! Any parent that's ever dealt with a picky eater knows how frustrating it can be. It's a constant battle to force the kids to finish the broccoli on the plate or even eat a few bites of the meal mama preciously prepared. Marta De Wulf, a nutritionist, mother, and cofounder of a nutrition iPad app for parents and kids called Smash Your Food ($3), offers up these tried-and-true tips to help parents learn more about their children's food preferences so the food wars can end once and for all.

Stop the name-calling: Avoid labeling or calling your child as a "picky eater." It only gives your child permission to push food away. Instead teach them discernment or discuss why they choose a particular food over another, which is a healthy behavior.
Start a conversation: Children are very sensorial and they often judge what they see first. Introduce new foods (or foods your child has previously rejected) and have a conversation about it. Start by saying to your child, "I don't mind if you like this or not, what I want to know is what do you see? Describe it to me? Do you like or dislike the color? Smell? Texture?"

Keep reading to see more about Marta's tasting method.