FitSugar

Healthy Eating Tip: Have Your Produce Delivered

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Sometimes it's hard to eat enough fruits and vegetables each day. Many of us would eat more produce if we had it right in front of us and this could not be more true for me. Over here at Sugar HQ, we have fruit delivered into the office and I know I eat more yummy fresh fruits (not to mention more of a variety) because of it. Inspired by this, I have decided to have produce delivered to my home as well. In my searches I stumbled on a fabulous list that Women's Health has already created of produce delivery businesses nationwide. Check it out. After all, having your produce delivered might help you stock up on healthy foods instead of the unhealthy ones.

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Cut Costs, Not Nutrition: Part One

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0700

In this time of economic hardships, it's getting harder and harder to put healthy foods on the table every day. It's tempting to just hit the dollar menu at your local fast food stop, but there are simple ways that you can cut costs and still eat healthy. Reuters has consulted with Holly Scherer, a registered dietician at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, for a few ways to cut costs but not nutrition. Here are highlights:

Eating in season is one key way to cut your food bill.
Local co-operatives where you trade money or labor in order to reap the benefits of a larger community garden or local farm are another option for fresh fruits and vegetables.
You can save money by planting your own produce and herbs.
When fresh options are too expensive or unavailable, consider frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.

What about the most expensive part of your grocery bill? Protein. There are ways to cut costs there too so read more.

Try simply eating less meat with your meals.
Though the price of eggs has increased, they are still a cheaper source of protein than meat. Beans are another option for adding protein to meals at a low cost.
Less expensive cuts are often less tender, which makes them good choices for meals like stews and casseroles.
Watch for sales so you can purchase preferred cuts at a discount and freeze them for later use.
Buying chicken breasts with the bone and skin on and filleting and skinning them yourself will also save money because the price per pound is lower.

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Get Your Five-a-Day In-Season

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I usually figure out what fruits and veggies are in season when I shop at the farmers market. Unfortunately, that is not the only place I buy food. Since I prefer eating locally grown and seasonal produce it is a little problematic when I am trying to eat my five a day. You can imagine my excitement when I recently stumbled across the Seasonal Ingredient Map from Epicurious that makes figuring out which fruits and vegetables are in season each month for each state painless. It's easy to use, very helpful, and not to mention fun, so check it out here.

Five-a-Day Lowers Risk of Lung Cancer

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0700

If you're not already eating your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day then you may want to start, especially if you're a smoker.

New research has found that people who ate three servings of vegetables a day were 1.6 times less likely to develop lung cancer than those who didn't eat three servings. People who ate three or more servings of fruit were one-fold less likely to develop lung cancer. Researchers think that this is due to the fact that fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that stop the development of blood vessels that feed tumors.

Now that's not to say that if you are a smoker that eating fruits and vegetables can enable you to continue smoking and still be protected against lung cancer. The absolute best defense against lung cancer (not to mention a whole slough of other health risks associated with smoking) is to quit smoking altogether.

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Just 4 Things 4 Your Health

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:45:00 -0700

There are 4 simple things that have been proven to significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

They are:

Eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day
Exercising at least 30 minutes every day
Maintaining a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9)
Not smoking

These four things are basic components of having a healthy lifestyle and are easy to do. In fact, starting these habits at any time can help improve your overall health. To hear more on this topic I highly recommend you listen to the Fitness Rocks podcast of an interview between Dr. Monte, the host of Fitness Rocks and Dr. Dana King. Dr. King authored a long-term study on the benefits of getting healthy in the middle years. But there is no reason to wait for the middle years to get healthy.

Is it OK to Drink Your Daily Amount of Fruits and Veggies?

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:00:00 -0700

A lot of us are short on time so the best option for getting our daily servings of fruit and veggies may seem to be drinking it (V8, for example). The problem is that new studies show that drinking your daily amount is not the best choice for your health.

A few reasons support this. First of all, most fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants in the skins and peels, which do not make it into juice. Furthermore, solid fruits and veggies also provide dietary fiber not found in juice. Bacteria in our colon break down soluble fiber, producing fatty acids that some studies suggest protects our colon against cancer.

What's more? Fruit and veggie drinks are often high in calories, but we don't often take this (or reduce our calorie intake for other foods) into consideration when drinking them. When we eat fiber-rich food such as fruits and vegetables, however, we tend to feel full and thus, eat fewer calories.

Fit's Tip: Since only one in four of us are getting our daily fruits and veggies, I would say that the juice is better than nothing every once in a while, but always try for the real thing first. How many fruits and veggies do you eat in a day? Take the poll.

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How Many Servings of Fruits and Veggies Do You Eat Daily?

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

On the heels of the good news that cancer deaths are down comes America's grade on health - a C-minus. It may be a passing grade, but just barely.

Although we all know eating well and exercising regularly are key to good health, as a nation we are seriously slacking. One surprising statistic was that smoking rates had barely budged in 18 years. I find this shocking because quitting smoking is the best thing a person can do for their health. Fitness-wise, as a nation we are exercising less and eating worse. Only 26 percent of the participants from the rather large pool used for the poll ate five or more servings of fruit and veggies daily. I found that number rather disheartening.

I am curious about you all and if you are in the minority, part of the 26 percent, who eat an average five servings of fruits and veggies daily.

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Another Reason to Eat More Fruits and Veggies

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:30:00 -0800

Does the man in your life eat enough fruits and veggies?

A recent study reports that men who don't eat a lot of fruits and veggies may be less fertile than those men that eat plenty of fruits and veggies.

The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables may help prevent sperm damage, which causes them to become sluggish and unable to fertilize an egg. Mainly the antioxidants that are found in brightly colored produce such as leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers and oranges, were associated with strong, healthy sperm.

Looking to start a family? Then, you may want to start by feeding your man a big salad and some pomegranate juice.

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How Many Times Do You Eat Fruit & Veggies in a Day?

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Recent reports are showing that while most of us know the benefits of eating enough fruits and vegetables in a day, we aren't actually eating them. In fact only 32.6 percent of adults are eating fruit two or more times per day, and only 27.2 percent are eating vegetables three or more times a day. The recommended amount is currently at least five (fruits or veggies, or both) a day.

So I am curious about you guys -- How many times do you eat fruits & veggies in a day?

Are You a Fruit Person or Veggie Person?

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Food psychologist Dr. Brian Wansink has recently made the comparison between fruit lovers and veggie lovers to come up with these findings:

Compared to the average person, vegetable lovers:

Like to try new recipes and entertain at home
Enjoy spicy foods
Think you cook nutritiously
Enjoy an occasional glass of wine

Compared to the average person, fruit lovers:

Often eat dessert with dinner
Spend little time cooking
Avoid new recipes and entertaining
Enjoy an occasional candy bar

So what about you, are you a fruit person or a veggie person? And do the good doctor's findings resonate with you?

Thanks to user wackdoodle for the tip!

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