FitSugar

Drug Testing in Public Schools, A Good Idea?

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

We have all heard about random drug testing in our respective places of employment and in professional sports, but what about in public schools?

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recently announced that it would be holding four regional summits promoting random student drug testing in public middle and high schools. The program, which has actually already been implemented in almost 1,000 schools across the country, requires that kids submit to random drug testing if they would like to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities. The tests would be looking for cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, opium-based substances, oxycontin and steroids.

Do you guys think random drug testing in our schools is a good idea?

Food Review: Home Free Cookies

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

When I first cracked open a box of Home Free's peanut-free, tree-nut-free, egg-free, and dairy-free cookies, I thought: what poor person has all of those food allergies combined? I couldn't quite figure out the target market. But now I think I have it figured out. These organic cookies are meant for moms who want to serve treats guaranteed safe for any kid, whatever her allergy.

I'm skeptical about how big that audience really is, but for healthy sweets, these were pretty impressive. I tried two varieties: the soft oatmeal cookies and the mini chocolate chip cookies. Both had minor faults, but they were also much tastier than I expected. For my thoughts, read more.

The oatmeal cookie was pretty sizable and had a nice, chewy-oat texture with just enough sweetness. One cookie has 120 calories and four grams of fat with almost all organic and whole-grain ingredients, so I felt good about eating them. Each box contains three pairs of individually packaged cookies (why? so wasteful!), and unfortunately, each pair of cookies stuck together and didn't look pretty when I pulled them apart.

The mini chocolate chip cookies had a totally different vibe: crunchy and sweeter, much like a Famous Amos. While the oatmeal cookies tasted more like health food (which I liked), the chocolate chip ones could easily be served to kids who probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Each serving of six mini cookies has 140 calories and six grams of fat, but you could also just eat one for a little sweet treat.

Home Free sells all of its cookies online here, including a chocolate-chocolate chip flavor (full size and mini) and a full-size version of the chocolate chip. If you have food allergies (or just lots of paranoia about them), these are definitely worth taking a bite of.

Free Video Workouts From Women's Health

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:47:19 -0700

In these tight times, anything that's free is a major plus in my book. So if you're looking for workout routines you can download that won't cost a dime, Women's Health has got you covered.

They offer downloadable video workouts that you can put on your computer or portable media player, so you can exercise at home or at the gym. Right now they're offering two workouts:

The instructions are clear, and the video demonstrations are easy to follow. Many of the exercises were new to me, so these two workouts were fun and very effective.

To see a video clip of the 20-Minute Abs routine, read more.

Healthy T-Day Dessert: Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:30:05 -0800

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and my love of all things pumpkin is hardly waning. From yogurt to muffins, I relish this tasty flavor of Fall. If you're looking for a pumpkin pie alternative, these pumpkin-carrot bars are delish. The bit of cream cheese frosting adds a deceptive element of decadence.

Low in calories while remaining full of flavor, these pumpkin bars make a great dessert - perfect for potlucks (much easier to share with large groups than pies) and they're relatively guilt-free. They're high in vitamin A - and trust me you cannot even taste the shredded carrot - and a bar only contains 70 calories and less than two grams of fat. With nutritional stats like that, it's OK to go back for seconds.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Modified from SparkPeople

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
2 eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling
2/3 cup finely shredded carrot

Cream cheese topping:
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 15 x 10 jellyroll pan with cooking spray.
In small bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and baking soda.
In larger bowl, use electric mixer to beat sugar, Earth Balance, and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie filling, and carrots. Beat until well blended.
Add flour mixture and mix until well blended. Spread onto greased pan.
To prepare cream cheese topping: mix together cream cheese, sugar, and milk until thoroughly blended.
Drop teaspoon-fulls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl and cut mixture into batter with a butter knife.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into squares.

Makes 48 squares.

Print recipe with images | without images

Looking for more healthy recipes? Then check out the Healthy Recipe Group - the name pretty much says it all.

Food Review: Clean Cravings Gluten-Free Crusts

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

I experimented with a gluten-free diet in college for a variety of reasons. My strongest memory from that period of my life was missing pizza. Crust was a digestive curse. Now if Clean Cravings and its line of crusts had been around, things could have been much different. The brand has created a line of crusts made without wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, yeast, soy, corn, sugar, peanuts, or nightshade vegetables. For folks with food allergies, this is a blessing.

To see how Clean Craving mini crusts taste and their caloric content, read more.

	1 5-inch crust	1 5-inch crust (rosemary)
Calories	160	160
Total Fat (g)	1.5	1.5
Saturated Fat (g)	0	0
Cholesterol (mg)	3	2
Sodium (mg)	280	290
Carbs (g)	34	34
Fiber (g)	3	3
Protein (g)	2	2
Calcium (mg)	2 %	0 %
Iron (mg)	6 %	4 %

These crusts have a satisfyingly moist and chewy texture, and they're full of nutty flavor with subtle sweetness. Use them to make pizza, top them and serve as appetizers, make sandwiches, cut and toast them and serve with dip, or eat them on their own. As far as gluten-free foods go, I've tried my fair share, and these really do taste good. So far, my favorite way to eat them is to smear on a layer of pesto, sprinkle some mozzarella cheese, and add a slice of tomato. Pop it in the toaster and this savory snack tastes warm and chewy with a hint of crispiness. You can buy a three-pack of five-inch minis for $5.99, or a single 12-inch crust for $7.99 - definitely not cheap, but to avoid stomach cramps and still eat tasty foods, I'd say they're worth it.

Turkey Breakdown: Light, Dark, and Tofurky

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:29 -0800

The main course for Thanksgiving has traditionally been turkey. This meat can be a great source of lean protein, but some parts of the bird are healthier than others. To see how your turkey choices add up, check out the nutritional info of this meat and also a meat-free option.

Which has more calories, white or dark meat? To find out read more.

Meat Type (4 ounce serving)	Calories	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (g)	Protein (g)
White meat	158	.4	97	34.1
White meat with skin	185	1.4	107	32.5
Dark meat	183	1.6	127	32.6
Dark meat with skin	206	2.4	132	31.3
Wing (2.1 oz.)	98	.7	61	18.5
Wing with skin (3.2 oz.)	186	2.4	104	24.9
Leg (thigh and drumstick)	180	1.4	134	333
Leg (thigh and drumstick) with skin	192	1.9	79	32.2
Tofurky Feast (1/5 of the roast, 5.2 oz.)	250	6	0	34

While dark meat does contain more calories, fat, and cholesterol, it also contains a considerable amount of iron, so go ahead and eat that drumstick you crave. Keep in mind that the skin contains a ton of calories and fat, so feel free to indulge a little, but don't go overboard. As for the Tofurky, I'm surprised to see that a serving size contains so many calories, but at least it's low in saturated fat and high in protein.

Enjoy whichever main course you choose, but remember that these numbers don't include stuffing, mashed potatoes, or gravy on the side. If you want to save room for a slice of grandma's famous pumpkin pie, limit the turkey fixings.

Healthy App: iPractice

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:00:24 -0800

I heart my iPhone because there are so many awesome apps to inspire healthy living, from iTreadmill to Slim Down Shopping List. Here's a new app from Yoga Journal called iPractice. It contains 15 yoga sequences all in the palm of your hand. The mini-classes are designed for different needs - some uplift your spirit, some calm your mind.

Once you pick the sequence, you can look at each individual pose on its own, or play the sequence in a slideshow format. A nice feature is that you can choose to have audio instruction walk you through the sequence, so you feel like you're in a class. There's also music to go along with the sequence, but I thought the dreamy tunes made it hard to hear the person talking. If you just want to hear the relaxing melodies, you can also turn the audio instruction off, and since there's text underneath each pose, you can follow along on your own. The photos of the poses were clear and colorful, and the sequences included a mix of both simple and challenging poses.

If you're interested in checking it out, download the free version here which offers two sequences, or the full version here for $4.99, which offers all 15 sequences.

View 9 Photos ›

Get your yoga on by getting iPractice on your iPhone.

Is Free-Range Meat Healthier?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:30:00 -0700

There are many phrases stamped on food labels designed to make food appear both ecologically sound as well as healthier to eat. One phrase that I find confusing is “free range,” which I have also seen it written as “free roaming.” While it sounds idyllic, the first bit of info you need to know is that this term “free range” isn’t heavily regulated by the USDA. The only requirement is that the animals have access to outdoor areas of where they could possibly “roam free.” The regulations do not specify how big the area needs to be either. This by itself, by no means, makes meat any healthier than conventional meat. Also beware “free-range” doesn't mean free of E. coli or salmonella.

When it comes to selecting meat, you want to look for are the words “hormone free” and “antibiotic free,” since both substances are stored in the animals fat and flesh and then passed onto you. Look for word “organic” too. This way you know the animal was fed pesticide-free foods. When it comes to beef, the ultimate label is grass fed and finished since the meat of grass-fed animals is higher in omega-3 fatty acids and beta carotene. Unfortunately, the USDA doesn’t regulate this term either. This is why it is best to find a ranch that follows the practices you believe in. Check out Local Harvest to find one near you.

Source

Lucy Free Sock Giveaway

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

My feet take a beating in my workouts, so I take my socks seriously. I like a technical sock, and even better a free technical sock. One of my fave fitness gear stores, Lucy, is giving away a two pack of its training socks ($14) for free!

Just print this coupon and walk or run on down to your Lucy store and pick up some new socks. No purchase necessary and the offer runs (pun intended!) through March 22, while supplies last, of course. Sorry, but the coupon is not valid online, but here is a Lucy store locator to find a store near you.

Jenny McCarthy Is Gluten- and Dairy-Free and in Shape

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:50:00 -0700

In Shape magazine, that is - on the cover of the May issue. Actress, author, autism activist, and mother Jenny McCarthy said she ballooned to 211 pounds after the birth of her son, who's now 6 years old. Weight Watchers helped her slim down since it taught her about portion control and to be conscious of what she eats.

Then three years ago she switched to a diet that's gluten- and dairy-free, to match her son Evan's diet. Not only did it help her shed even more weight, but it's greatly improved her son's autism symptoms. A typical day consists of an egg white omelet for breakfast, then for lunch and dinner she enjoys fresh fruit and veggies (she purées them to make her own soups) with fish. For snacks she loves “those little packets of nuts from Starbucks.” Jenny also stays strong and flexible by practicing yoga, and is even trying to teach it to her honey, Jim Carrey. Check out the May issue of Shape for her 15-minute yoga sculpting workout.

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