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Healthy Eating Tip: Find Healthier Alternatives

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:30:00 -0700

Even if you're trying to lose a few pounds or stick to your health kick, I don't recommend ever giving up the foods you love. Moderation works for me (most of the time), but when I can't hold myself back from devouring more than just a few tasty bites, I try to make or find healthier alternatives. Here are some of my favorites. If you have healthy alternatives to the foods you crave, please share them in the comment section below.

Do you have a healthy alternative you rely on when craving something crazy? Share it in the comments section below.

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A Healthier Easter Basket

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:30:00 -0700

You've seen the Easter Candy breakdown. You cast your vote for your favorite Easter Candy over on YumSugar...and now you're thinking maybe I should make a healthy Easter Basket. Well you know I am going to second that option. I am going to go so far as to give you some suggestions.

Carrots - The Easter Bunny likes to share
Fresh fruit
Homemade cookies that are filled with healthy ingredients like oats, raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, and dark chocolate chips

Bars of Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate covered peanuts, pretzels, or raisins
Mini banana bread muffins
An exercise DVD
A scented candle
Hand soap shaped like bird's eggs (my girls love these)
A jar of all fruit jam
Granola bars
A potted plant
Small picture frames
Herbal teas and a mug
A CD of relaxing music
Silly Putty - it comes in its own egg
For kids: a coloring book, colored pencils, puzzles, small toys, stuffed bunnies, stickers, play-doh, magnets, disposable cameras, packets of seeds and gardening tools, plastic eggs filled with coins, beads, and books about Easter.

Fit's Tips: I don't believe in denying yourself anything, especially during special family and holiday times. Make sure you do enjoy yourself (and the treats), and try the things you love, just don't go overboard and eat the ENTIRE 12 inch chocolate bunny in one sitting.

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Concession Stand Concessions

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 13:02:17 -0800

We now know how high in calories the food we buy at the movie theater concession stand really is, so we need to find an alternative because watching a movie and snacking go hand in hand.

I have yet to really figure out how frowned upon it really is to sneak snacks into the movie theater, but as far as I'm concerned if they aren't offering healthy alternatives, it is the only option.

Healthier alternatives for snacking at the movies:

Air popped popcorn with no butter or salt added
Fruit that you can pop in your mouth (as you would Starburst) such as grapes or berries
Nutrition/energy bars like nectar bars from Cliff
High Fiber Cereal such as Kashi that you can pop in your mouth

The key is to bring items that are easy to bring in and easy to eat that won't be super distracting to you (or the other movie goers).

Fit's Tip: Make sure that the food you bring is not too messy and/or sticky.

Have you own tricks of the trade? Share them below!

Craving Fries? Try These Alternatives

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Looks like I am not alone when it comes to my love of french fries since they topped many users' lists for favorite cheat foods. A lot of you offered some great suggestions for healthy alternatives. Check these out:

shopgrrl suggested boiled, salted, edamame because they're both starchy and salty.
I can't wait to try these mustard-roasted potatoes that syako likes. They sound tasty.
SublimeChica bakes her own spicy fries by adding Tony Cachere's Creole seasoning which is "spicy and oh-so salty." Adding flavor with spices and herbs is a great way to make food flavorful without adding extra calories.

If these suggestions don't work for you or fries are not your weakness, you can always follow Nitrobezene's advice – eat the food you love, just eat less of it. I like onesong's philosophy too – eat what you are craving, but eat healthy foods and healthy portions for the rest of the day.

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Healthy BBQ - Tofu Pups

FitSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Although hot dogs hail from Frankfurt Germany, they are about as American as apple pie. Sometimes you don't want to eat processed meat or sodium nitrate that is found in most hot dogs.

I found a meatless alternative called Tofu Pups (cute name, eh?). The thing about regular hot dogs is that they pretty much taste like crap until the hot dog people add seasonings. That smoky kind of taste isn't from the meat - and the Tofu Pup people know that. They take good old healthy tofu, add the special hot dog flavor, shape it into a hot dog and voila - instant healthier hot dog. It has no cholesterol, no nitrites, half the fat and one-third the sodium of a meat hot dog.

Now when you go to try these - don't think they are going to be exactly like real hot dogs. The taste is similar, but the texture is completely different. Since Tofu Pups are made out of tofu, they're much softer than the meat version, which I actually prefer.

They take a lot less time to cook too, so make sure when you grill them, you watch them closely and turn them frequently. They don't need to be cooked - they just need to be warmed up.

Fit's Tips: If you find that grilling your Tofu Pups dries them out, try boiling them in water for a few minutes instead.

Running With a Bun in the Oven

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:50:54 -0700

I consider myself a healthy person who takes care of myself by exercising regularly and eating right (I write for FitSugar so I have to toe the line), so when I became pregnant with my first about four months ago, it was important for me to keep up with that healthy lifestyle. Running was always a big part of my exercise routine, so if you were an avid runner who now also has a baby on the way, here are some tips on keeping up with your running routine.

As soon as you find out you're expecting, talk to your OB about continuing with running. Chances are your doc will encourage you to stick with it, but it's always good to be cautious when it comes to your growing baby.
Don't expect to do what you used to do pre-pregnancy. You'll probably need to slow down your pace, take it easy on hills, stick to even terrain to prevent falling, take breaks often, and decrease your distance.
Along the same lines, don't push yourself too hard physically. This is a time to maintain your fitness level, so signing up for your first full marathon isn't the best idea.
Listen to your body from day to day. Throughout your pregnancy, there may be days (or weeks) when you may not be feeling well or energetic enough for a four-mile run, so wogging - doing a combination of jogging and walking - may be a better option. Run (or wog) on days you feel like it, and walk on days you don't.
Your body is going through many changes physically, so while running, stop if you feel a pull, twinge, pain, or cramp.

For more tips on running while pregnant, keep reading.

DrSugar on Irritable Bowel Syndrome

DrSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:57 -0800

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's teaching us about digestive issues.

In last week’s column, I answered a great question from a reader who was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by her physician. I addressed her question regarding Candida infection of the gastrointestinal system but felt that a separate column on IBS was warranted, given its common prevalence and media attention. As many as one in five adult Americans have symptoms of IBS, making it one of the most common disorders diagnosed by doctors. It occurs more often in women than men; the onset of the symptoms occurs before the age of 35 in over half of people with IBS.

To learn more continue reading.

Get Fit For 2010: The Park Is My Gym

Fit Community — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:30:50 -0800

This week's challenge for the Get Fit For 2010 giveaway is to share a workout that you love. If exercising in a busy and stuffy gym isn't your thing, FitSugar reader caffeinecaptain agrees and has a great (much cheaper) alternative.

This is my first blog post in the Get Fit for 2010 challenge! I work out at a gym, but lately I've been getting a little bored with the elliptical and treadmill. I was thinking about the dryland training I used to participate in for ski racing, so I found a local park with a track and a small workout playground (a playground with pull up bars and such), and started looking for exercises that I could do outdoors. I downloaded some plyometric routines, and then some of the circuit routines here on FitSugar. I placed them in a binder that is weather durable and headed to the park! It's a bit of a commute, but I've been going two times a week and for a couple of hours and doing a mix of running, strength training, bounding, and yoga. I find it diverse and really peaceful because even when there are others there, it doesn't have the stuffy feeling of the gym.

It's not too late to share your workouts if you haven't done so already, so join our Get Fit For 2010 community group and write a blog post about your favorite workout. By participating, you'll not only be keeping up with your healthy lifestyle, but you'll also be entered into the drawing for our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card as well as an awesome grand prize.

Healthy BBQ - Gardenburgers

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:45:00 -0700

All this talk about beef being recalled and red meat being linked to breast cancer is making me crazy. Don't have a cow - reach for a veggie burger instead.

I love that so many companies make them now, but my favorite is made by Gardenburger. When you take a bite, you can actually see the whole grain brown rice, rolled oats, and veggies. All that good stuff makes them hearty, flavorful, and delicious when grilled.

They make exciting flavors like Portabella and Black Bean Chipotle. Some of their burgers are even vegan (made without dairy products) like the Veggie Medley.

I like the Sun-dried Tomato Basil best. It's made with whole grains, basil, red and green bell peppers, onions, garlic, and mozzarella cheese. One patty contains 100 calories, 3g of fat, 5mg of cholesterol, 15g of carbs, 5g of fiber, and 5g of protein. Delicious and healthy. Who could ask for more? I'd say this is a perfect entrée for a Meatless Monday.

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An Unlikely Pair: The Army and Acupuncture

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:00:41 -0700

Listening to NPR this morning, I almost choked on my toothbrush: the US military is using acupuncture to treat chronic pain.

Not known for its liberal leanings, the defense department is deploying alternative medicine as a weapon against chronic pain. Well, not all wings of the military; just the Air Force has an acupuncture clinic, which it opened in 2002. While the army used to rely solely on medication to treat chronic pain, they have found acupuncture to have minimal to no side affects, no complications, and no interactions with pharmaceuticals. One soldier, experiencing phantom leg pain post-amputation, explained that in the short term acupuncture treated the pain more effectively and more quickly than medication, but admitted that needling might not have a long lasting effect on the pain. He said the acupuncture left him euphoric, where pain meds leave him loopy.

The military advises that acupuncture is by no means a replacement for western medicine, but a great complement to existing techniques to ease the pain of injured soldiers. Have you ever been needled? What is your take on acupuncture?