FitSugar

Is White Sugar Really THAT Bad For Me?

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:45:00 PDT

I think you know the answer to the question if white sugar is bad for you. White sugar comes from sugar cane, which is a plant, so why is it so bad for us? Can you say highly processed? Yeah, the gorgeous white crystals most people pour into their coffee every morning has zero nutritional value because it's all stripped away. White sugar is a refined sweetener, adding nothing but calories and taste to foods.

When you eat foods with refined sugar like sodas, candy bars, or high carb meals, it upsets the body's blood sugar balance. This triggers the release of insulin, which the body uses to maintain blood sugar levels at a constant and safe level. After insulin levels spike up, they quickly crash soon after, leaving you feeling sleepy, and possibly even hungry again. This often leads to more snacking and usually on sweet or refined carb treats. This cycle leads to overeating, since you are not really hungry, and weight gain. This is the reason carbs are often viewed as “bad” nowadays, and why the Atkins Diet is so popular.

Refined carbs such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, baked goods such as cookies have the same effect on your body, so that's why you should look for alternative foods made from whole grains. When you feel like snacking, stick to straight up fruits, nuts and ones that contain whole grains. These are slow burning carbs that contain vitamins and fiber too, so they'll give you a consistent flow of energy without the sugar meltdown.

Source

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.

10 Cereals With 8 or More Grams of Fiber

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:13:14 PST

We all could use a little extra fiber in our diets, since it's recommended that women eat between 25 and 30 grams a day. Not only does fiber keep you regular, but it can also help lower your cholesterol and prevent heart disease and certain cancers. Breakfast is a wonderful time to fill up on fiber-rich foods, so check out which cereals contain eight or more grams of fiber per serving.

Warm Up With a Healthier Bowl of Oatmeal

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:13:41 PST

In celebration of National Oatmeal Month (I know, I had no idea January was devoted to this whole grain either!), here are some tips on how to whip up a healthy bowl of this whole grain.

To increase the fiber and protein: Choose rolled oats over quick oats. They'll take slightly longer to cook, but a half-cup serving offers five grams of fiber and seven grams of protein - the quick oats only offer four grams of fiber and five grams of protein.

To increase the protein: After your oats have cooked, stir in a tablespoon of almond butter, peanut butter, or half a cup of plain Greek yogurt.

To increase the fiber: Cut up some dried apricots, throw in some fresh or frozen berries, or toss in some diced fresh pear or mango. Chia seeds are also bursting with fiber - one tablespoon has over five grams.

To get your fill of omega-3s: Sprinkle on one tablespoon of ground flaxseed. It offers 1.6 grams of omega-3s (1.1 is the recommended amount per day).

To decrease the amount of sugar: Instead of adding maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey to your bowl, sweeten your breakfast with unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or pureed strawberries.

Source: Flickr User norwichnuts

5 Unbelievably Bad Fast-Food Breakfasts

Prevention — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:06:39 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Molly Raisch, Prevention

Mom always said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” And she was right. Morning meals are essential to revving your metabolism and kick-starting your calorie burn, but indulging in a fat- and calorie-laden breakfast from your favorite fast-food chain could easily send you into sugar shock and pack on the pounds. Research shows that people who ate a big morning meal consumed an extra 400 calories per day, setting themselves up for muffin tops and pancake bottoms. Here are six breakfast drive-through disasters and their Prevention-approved healthier, make-at-home options.

Fifty Simple Strategies to Lose 10 Pounds

Starbucks® Zucchini-Walnut Muffin
Muffins are calorie sinkholes - they pack in the calories but somehow still leave your stomach grumbling. This muffin from Starbucks® seems healthy enough, boasting both zucchini and walnuts, but don’t be fooled by its veggie-based name. This morning baked good has close to 500 calories and 28 grams of fat.

Try Instead: Zucchini-Raisin Muffin
These scrumptious zucchini muffins are half the calories and nearly a third of the fat as their coffeehouse counterparts. Tricks of the trade: Load up your bread batter with tons of zucchini shreds and add raisins for a touch of natural sweetness.

Ten Breakfasts For Glowing Skin

McDonald’s Big Breakfast® With Hotcakes
When your breakfast comes off a fast-food menu and has the word “big” in it, your waistline is headed in the same direction. This hearty breakfast has scrambled eggs, sausage, a buttermilk biscuit, hash browns, and two hotcakes piled onto a plate, making it no surprise that one order accounts for over half your day’s calories and over 55 grams of fat. The worst part? This lumberjack breakfast is sky-high in sodium: 2,150 milligrams.

Try Instead: Pancakes With Berries and Cinnamon
Satisfy your hotcake cravings with these light and fluffy low-cal flapjacks. The secret to cutting fat and calories without losing any buttery flavor: bake them in the oven. Top with berries and cinnamon, and you’ve got a mouthwatering, guilt-free pancake breakfast the whole family will love.

Keep reading for more healthy breakfast swaps after the break.

Painless Ways to Add Fiber to Your Diet

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:26:16 PST

Whether you're a serious meat eater who considers a side salad enough greens for the day, or someone who just hates veggies, if one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat more fiber, here are some easy ways to increase your roughage without a disapproving peep from your taste buds.

Have a sweet tooth? Add spinach to homemade brownies, mash baked sweet potato into pancake mix, or add shredded carrots to banana bread.
Don't just grab any ol' box of cereal. Choose a cereal that has at least eight grams of fiber per serving.
Become a fan of flax. Sprinkle whole flaxseeds onto your bowl of cereal, or if the texture is a turnoff, use ground flaxmeal instead. You can also add flaxseed or flaxmeal to pizza dough, pancake batter, and cookie and muffin recipes.
Make a smoothie for breakfast (or even dessert) with tons of fresh or frozen fruit. Throw in a few spinach or kale leaves for added fiber. The sweetness of the fruit hides the taste of the greens and since it's blended so well, the texture is completely smooth - no chewing your veggies required.

Keep reading for more fiber-boosting tips.

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

Little Daily Tricks to Wake Up Slimmer

Health — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:01:00 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Jessica Girdwain

We get it: you want to lose the jiggle but don’t want to blacklist your favorite eats, count every single calorie, or overdose on gym hours. The great news is, you can drop weight without dieting: experts say making small change-ups to your day is one of the best ways to lose.

We grilled health and fitness pros for the tweaks that will help your shape the most. Road test a few, and you could shed five (this week!), 10, or even 20-plus pounds without a whole lot of effort.

Health.com: Diet Tricks the Pros Tell Their Friends

Power up PB
"Buy natural varieties of peanut butter and pour off the oil sitting on top. Each serving will have 20 fewer calories and two to three fewer grams of fat. It’s a small difference that'll add up to a couple of pounds per year."
-Amelia Winslow, personal chef in Los Angeles and founder of the healthy food blog Eating Made Easy

Pop to It
"Skimping on fiber will make you gain weight. Forget the pretzels and go for a bag of low-fat popcorn. It has five times the fiber and only 90 calories for six cups, so it’s filling and satisfying.

A recent study found that when women doubled their daily fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams, their bodies absorbed 90 calories less per day. You could lose almost 10 pounds in a year!"
-Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss

Health.com: Fill Up on Fiber

Dance Your Butt Off
"Kick up your heels and go dancing with your girlfriends - or have a solo dance session at home. Fast-tempo dances are not only a blast to do, but in an hour you’ll torch 400 to 500 calories. That’s equivalent to light jogging on the treadmill, but it’s way more fun!"
-Christine Avanti, author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food: Lose the Fake Food and Kickstart Your Weight Loss

Keep on reading for great slimming tips!

Calories and the Weight Loss Formula

Leta Shy — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:39:58 PST

Whether we're burning calories by sweating it out at the gym or resisting the call of the cupcakes, calories definitely affect our waistlines. Understanding the fundamentals of calories is about more than just reaching for the low-cal option. If you're watching your weight or looking to lose some, here's what you need to know about calories to keep you going.

What's a Calorie?
A calorie is just a form of energy. We burn calories all the time, whether merely breathing and sleeping or running a seven-minute mile. Metabolism is the rate at which our bodies use up this energy; the amount of calories we burn by simply existing is called our BMR, or basal metabolic rate (calculate your BMR here). Your BMR, age, and activity level are used to determine how many calories you should be eating in order to maintain your weight.

If you want to lose weight, however, the formula is simple: burn more calories than you eat. But that doesn't mean it's easy. It can be hard, and all-consuming, to keep track of every single calorie you eat or burn. Whether you're a calorie counter or someone who barely glances at labels, read on for tips on how to track calories to help you lose weight.

6 Surprising Health Mistakes Even Smart Women Make

Prevention — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:05:18 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

When was the last time you got 8 hours of sleep or lifted weights at the gym? You're not alone if you can't remember: Even some of the most savvy women didn't get the memo about these health-wrecking habits. Find out if you're among them.
From the Editors of Prevention

You're supposed to watch saturated fat and eat lots of vegetables — that's why you usually pick up a salad for lunch and dinner (even when the kids get burgers). But you're not obsessed with the scale like some women you know. You brush your teeth twice a day, and you last flossed, oh, maybe two weeks ago. You exercise but avoid lifting so you don't bulk up. The tummy pains you got last week? Must have been gas — nothing serious. And hey, you'd like to get 8 hours of sleep, but the days are short, and it's hard to get everything done. Sound familiar? These so-called "good" habits may actually be derailing your health. Here, experts share the surprising things you're doing wrong — and how to recover.

1. You Always Order a Salad
Don't assume that bowl of lettuce is always the healthiest menu pick.

Truth is, a lot of take-out and restaurant salads are basically a burger in a bowl, says Brie Turner-McGrievy, RD, clinical research coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Washington, DC. That's because add-ons like fried chicken, croutons, and full-fat dressing pack major calories, fat, sodium, and other unhealthy nutrients. One example: McDonald's Bacon Ranch Salad with Crispy Chicken and Newman's Own Ranch Dressing has 540 calories and 35 grams of fat; a Big Mac has 540 calories and 29 grams.

The fix: Don't scratch take-out salad off your menu; just use a few common sense rules before you order. Avoid high-fat add-ons such as sour cream, extra cheese, croutons, bacon bits, and creamy dressings like Caesar and ranch. Opt for salads that aren't just a fiber-free mound of iceberg lettuce dotted with a few carrot and red cabbage shavings. And plan ahead: Most fast-food chains supply nutritional info online so you can scout out the best options before you leave.

Avoid These Surprisingly Unhealthy Salads

2. You Rock Out While You Work Out
Do your ears ring after a long iPod-powered workout?

Check the volume on your iPod or MP3 player, advises Andrew Cheng, MD, an otolaryngologist at New York Medical College. The normal range of an MP3 player is 60 to 120 decibels; persistent exposures above 85 may cause hearing loss. If you're concerned, ask a friend to stand next to you while you listen: If she can hear your music, it's too loud.

Learn the fix and four more other common mistakes, when you read more.