FitSugar

Scientists Develop Heart-Healthy Barley Flour Pasta

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:28:00 PDT

It's hard to resist a heaping plate of creamy pasta primavera or sizzling spinach lasagna, but traditional pasta isn't always the healthiest of foods. Made with semolina and enriched flour, pasta is high in carbs and somewhat low in nutrition. Whole wheat pasta is much healthier - containing fiber and protein - but its thicker, grainier texture can be a turnoff for many pasta lovers. A newly developed barley pasta may finally be the healthy pasta they're looking for.

On the quest to make a more nutritious, tastier noodle, scientists in Italy and Spain spent time in the ~~kitchen~~ lab developing a new type of "super spaghetti" made from barley flour, as reported by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin E, this whole grain is a popular ingredient often added to foods to make them healthier.

While it hasn't hit store shelves yet, the barley pasta will be higher in fiber and antioxidants than traditional spaghetti made with semolina. And, under current FDA requirements, producers can make claims on the packaging of barley pasta about the food helping people's hearts and digestive tracts.

Type of Pasta	Calories in 1 cup cooked	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Traditional elbow-shaped pasta	182	35.5	2.1	6.7
Whole wheat elbow-shaped pasta	174	37.1	3.9	7.5

As you can see from the chart above, whole wheat pasta is lower in calories and also higher in fiber and protein. I'd be curious to see how this new barley pasta stands up nutritionally, but also to twirl my fork around a bite and see how it tastes. Would you try this new type of healthier spaghetti or do you prefer sticking to the traditional pasta you grew up with?

Fittingly Mad: "Functional" Junk Foods

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:00:39 PDT

Companies are always coming up with new ways to entice customers to buy their products. Recently, a whole line of functional foods has evolved - regular foods that are enhanced with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. These products sound really healthy, so the average consumer sees "Now With Added Fiber" or "Packed With Vitamin A" on the package and places it to the cart without even looking at the label. If they did peek, they would be appalled to see that these products are often just junk food disguised as healthy food. Many of these products contain loads sugar, corn syrup, sodium, and the dreaded trans fat.

Food companies are preying on lazy consumers who see buzz words like "antioxidants," "fiber," and "omega-3s," which make us think we're not getting enough, so we feel compelled to buy these products. The truth is, if you eat a healthy diet full of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins, you don't need all these enhanced foods. You get enough of what you need from your diet alone. If you're worried about making your quota of certain nutrients, then opt for eating a food that naturally contains what you're missing, instead of foods that are artificially enriched.

Maramor Dark Chocolate With Omega-3s: Try It or Pass It By?

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:30:00 PDT

Multifunctional foods are all the rage, like cholesterol-reducing milk, which is good for your heart and your bones. I just read about a new chocolate fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, the fat that is beneficial to your health but lacking in most American's daily diet. Maramor Dark Chocolate is high in antioxidants, but one square also supplies 105 milligrams blend of omega-3 fats with only 50 calories. Sold!

Then I read in Self that you should freeze the chocolate to diminish the fish taste. Mentally, I put this chocolate back on the shelf. I think I will stick with my fish-oil supplement and let my chocolate be just chocolate.

If you want to Maramor-fortified chocolate, you can find this multitasking food at GNC. A box of 30 squares will cost you about $15.

What about you . . .

One Shot That’s Worth Giving A Shot: Promise Activ SuperShot

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:45:00 PDT

Functional foods take on cholesterol...

Unilever has 150 clinical studies showing that two grams of plant sterols a day can lead to a 15% reduction in cholesterol backing up its new Promise Activ SuperShot Yogurt. Plant sterols are found in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and vegetable. These three-ounce yogurt-based drinks aim to give you a daily shot of 70 calories and omega-3s and 2 grams of plant sterols, which could lower your cholesterol by about 10% (if you have one per day).

The SuperShots should hit grocery stores this June (retailing for about $3.99 per four-pack), so keep an eye out. I can't wait to try them!

Are Functional Foods Worth the Extra Cash?

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:00:00 PDT

A lot of us (including me, guilty as charged) are shelling out extra cash for so called functional foods.

Functional food are foods that do more than just feed your hunger, they offer the promise of allowing you to be more regular, get full with extra antioxidants or drop your levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. New studies are finding that these foods may not be worth the extra cash (about a third more per serving extra), if you're already getting a healthy diet rich in fiber.

From yogurt to water to margarine, we're seeing lots of foods labeled to have supposed benefits from things like probiotics to antioxidants. As a consumer it is hard to identify between what we need, what we think we need and what we want. The outcome is simple: If you want to spend the extra money on these functional foods, it certainly won't hurt anything but your wallet. However, if you are eating a diet full of fruits, veggies and dietary fibers (your basic healthy diet) you don't necessarily need to shell out the extra cash.

10 Cool Facts About Olfaction

BellaSugar — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:30:00 PDT

We all have a sense of smell, and we all use it constantly, whether we realize it or not. Scents and smell are two of the most important yet often overlooked elements of everyday experience. Want to learn a few truly amazing facts about the things your nose knows? Then just keep reading.

How to Curb Salt - but Not Flavor - in Your Cooking

Susannah Chen — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:39:05 PDT

By now you're probably familiar with MyPlate, the government's new food pyramid replacement; in case you hadn't heard, based on the updated guidelines, Americans are consuming far more sodium than they should. And new research suggests that overconsumption of salt affects cognitive function. High blood pressure, water retention, and stupidity? That's too much to bear. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to cut down on salt in the kitchen without impacting the deliciousness of your dinner. See a few easy steps, when you keep reading.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Makes You Stupid, Omega-3s Make You Smart

Leta Shy — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:56:36 PDT

As if you needed another reminder to stop eating processed foods: a new study has found that foods high in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can make you stupid. But there's good news, too: eating foods high in omega-3s can help combat loss of brain function.

The study looked at different groups of rats that had been trained on a maze. After a few days on the maze, some of the rats were fed an HFCS-sweetened solution as their drinking water for six weeks, with some also receiving a diet high in omega-3s. After the diet, the rats were tested on how well they could recall the maze. The researchers found that the rats who ate the omega-3 diet were faster at completing the maze than the other rats, whether or not they were also given HFCS. Not only that, but the rats given the HFCS and not omega-3s were the slowest at completing the maze, and their brains showed a decline in activity and memory function.

This latest lab study is yet more evidence that processed foods can mess with our minds (other studies, for example, have linked fast food to depression) and that a diet high in omega-3s can help protect your brain from aging and mental decline. Ready to swap that fast-food burger for a mind-sharpening meal instead? Here's a list of vegan sources of omega-3s and five staples of the omega-3-rich Mediterranean diet.

One Month Till Memorial Day Weekend! How to Get Bikini-Ready Now

Self — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:12:29 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

With spring in full swing, we've already said goodbye to the winter blues. But as you enjoy the milder weather and longer days, keep in mind that Memorial Day weekend is merely a month away - meaning it's almost time for bikinis and short shorts! So, is one month enough time to score your best body yet?

It sure is, says Jim White, registered dietician, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But you'd better get started now. "After all the shrieking and gasping about how 'time flies' and it's 'too soon' to be exposing that muffin top, it's time to get realistic and take action," he explains. "A month is not a tremendous amount of time to shed any accumulated winter fat, but before you break out into cold sweats, it is not unreasonable to lose 10 pounds or one dress size in that time."

To make sure you score your best bikini bod before you hit the beach, sign up for SELF's free Drop 10 plan - it'll have you slimmer and stronger than ever in only five short weeks! Then, follow White's basic rules for healthy eating. "Healthy eating is a must if you expect weight loss," he says.

Read on for the one-month plan!

High-Calorie Foods Women Shouldn't Avoid (and Why)

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:00:15 PDT

Watching your intake of high-calorie foods like ice cream, cookies, and french fries can be a key move in helping you reach your goal weight, but be careful about snubbing certain high-calorie picks that are actually good for you. These six foods may be high in calories, but they also offer your body essential nutrients to function normally and prevent disease.

Source: Thinkstock and Source: Flickr User nate steiner