FitSugar

Eat Fat, For Your Skin's Sake

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:00:00 -0700

To keep your skin looking young and radiant, you can do more than apply sunscreen daily; you can eat fat. Let me clarify. I'm not talking about eating foods high in saturated fat, like ice cream or fried chicken. I'm talking about healthy fats, such as essential fatty acids (omega-3s and omega-6s) and healthy oils. These types of fat promote healthy skin since they are responsible for creating healthy cell membranes and keeping your skin lubricated.

So make sure to include salmon, fish oil, nuts such as walnuts, and flaxseeds in your diet. Also include healthy oils such as canola and olive. Look for ones labeled cold pressed, expeller processed, or extra virgin since these are less processed.

Fit's Tips: Since healthy oils can be high in calories, try to limit your intake to two tablespoons a day.

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5 Things: Almond Butter

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Almond Butter is one of my favorite treats. A spoonful of it with some dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries is absolutely divine and, not to mention, satisfying.

1 tbsp of almond butter contains 95 calories, 8g of healthy fat (this can help to lower LDL cholesterol), no cholesterol, 2g of fiber, and 2.5g of protein.
2 tbsp of almond butter contains 86 mg of calcium. Your RDI of calcium is 1,000 mg.
Almond butter is a good source or magnesium, Vitamin E, and potassium. It's also a great source of selenium, which has been shown to be effective in preventing cancer.
People who have a peanut allergy can eat almond butter (only if it's processed in a plant that doesn't process peanut products).
To prevent almond butter from going rancid, it should be stored in a cool dry place until it's opened, and then stored in the fridge after that.

Source

LARABAR Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:00:00 -0700

I am a huge fan of LARABARs, as you all must know by now. I've raved about their Cashew Cookie, their Banana Cookie, and the Jocalat bars too, but I really do love all their flavors (except for the Pistachio, but that's just me).

I always keep half a dozen different kinds lying around, just in case I need a pre or post workout snack. They taste great and the nuts give me lots of "get up and go" energy.

So I was wondering how they compared nutritionally. Are you wondering too? To find out, read more

1 bar	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)
Cashew Cookie	210	12	2	23	3	14	6
Cherry Pie	190	8	.5	28	4	21	4
Ginger Snap	220	13	1	22	5	18	5
Key Lime Pie	200	10	3.5	28	4	20	4
Cinnamon Roll	210	12	1	27	4	20	4
Apple Pie	180	10	1	23	4	17	4
Pecan Pie	200	14	1	22	4	16	3
Lemon Bar	210	11	1.5	26	3	18	6
Banana Cookie	210	10	0	24	5	17	6
Chocolate Coconut	220	13	2.5	25	5	18	5
Jocalat Mint	190	9	2	25	5	19	5
Jocalat Chocolate	190	10	2	24	5	18	5
Jocalat Coffee	190	11	2	24	5	19	4

Fit's Tips: So they're all fairly the same. Remember that LARABARS have a high amount of total fat because they are mostly made of nuts. These are healthy fats though, and these bars are great energy-packed snacks to include in your diet. Foods that are high in saturated fat are ones that you need to watch out for.

Fat Confusion: Which Ones Are Healthy Again?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

We all know that trans fat and saturated fat are major things to avoid, but what's the difference between the two? And what about unsaturated fats, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Are they bad too? What foods contain them? Are you confused about all these fats too? Let's get these fats straight once and for all.

Trans Fatty Acids: Commonly called trans fat, these are "The chemically-altered fats." Most trans fat is a side effect of partial hydrogenation of plant oils (companies use them to increase the shelf life of their products). Trans fat are neither required nor are beneficial to our bodies, and eating trans fat can increase your risk of heart disease, among other health related problems.

Some trans fats can occur naturally (in small quantities) in meat and dairy products that come from ruminants (hooved animals that digest their food in two steps such as cows, goats, and buffalo). These aren't considered as bad for you as the chemically-altered kind.

Look out for:

Processed foods like crackers, snacks, breads, chips, and baked goods
margarine
shortening like Crisco
candy like caramels and chocolates (Ghirardelli)
dips
Some fast foods such as French fries and biscuits
frozen foods

If you want to check out the others, then read more

Saturated fat: "The bad fats." These are often solid at room temperature, like butter. Saturated fats are not essential to your health. Most come from animals and are found in meat, eggs, and cheese. Some are found in vegetable oils such as palm, palm kernel and coconut oils. Saturated fats are harder to digest and full of cholesterol, which clogs your arteries.

Foods that contain saturated fat are:

lard
butter
high fat dairy products such as cream, whole milk, cheese, and sour cream
high-fat meats like ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and spareribs
coconut oil
skin from chicken and turkey
chocolate

Unsaturated fat: "The good guys." These are often liquid at room temperature, like olive and sunflower oil, and are essential to our overall health. They are thought to reduce our risk of heart disease, enhance memory, and other mental functions. They are derived from vegetables and plants.

Monounsaturated fats are one type of unsaturated fat. These are liquid at room temperature, but solidify at cold temps. Some studies have shown that these kinds of fats can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol.

Foods that contain Monounsaturated fat are:

avocado
olives and olive oil
canola oil
almonds and almond butter
cashews and cashew butter
peanuts, peanut butter and peanut oil
sesame seeds

Polyunsaturated Fats are also healthy fats. This type of fat has also been shown to reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, but too much can also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol.

Foods that contain Polyunsaturated fat are:

walnuts
corn oil
some tubs of margarine like Earth Balance
sunflower oil
pumpkin and sunflower seeds
some salad dressings

Fit's Tip: Even if you are only eating the good fats, remember that 30 percent or less of your diet should come from fat. That equals to about 44 to 77 grams of fat a day if you are consuming 2,000 calories a day

Source

Go Nuts! Eat Healthy Fats

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Women are scared of FAT. We think that if we eat fat, we'll become fat. It's true that certain types of fat are unhealthy for us. Trans fat should be avoided like cigarettes. Also, foods high in saturated fat like butter, cream, sausage, bologna, and bacon can clog up your arteries, so moderation is key when it comes to those fats.

Then there are unsaturated fats. Nuts, olives, olive and canola oil, avocado, and pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds all contain these healthy fats. Some people avoid nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews, and peanuts because of their high fat content, but most of the fat is monounsaturated (a kind of unsaturated fat) - which can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol.

Besides lowering LDL cholesterol, nuts are great sources of protein, fiber, Vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, potassium, riboflavin, and selenium.

Fit's Tips: Try to include a variety of these heart healthy fats in your diet. You can replace unhealthy saturated fats with these healthy fats by spreading peanut or almond butter on your toast instead of butter. Also instead of adding chocolate chips to your cookies, add walnuts. You can also eat snacks that contain nuts such as LARABARs and KIND Fruit + Nut bars.

Source

Healthy Eating Tip: Saturated Fat Substitutions

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Let's remember the basics: Saturated fat is the destructive fat. It's not essential for our bodies like omega-3s, and it is actually rather harmful as it clogs arteries, raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, and can lead to heart attacks. As if that wasn't bad enough, a recent study shows that a diet high in saturated fat can also lead to cancer of the small intestine. With that said, it's best to ditch the saturated fat in your diet, but that doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love.

To learn about healthier alternatives to foods high in saturated fat, read more.

Instead of	Try this
Whole cream (when baking)	Plain yogurt
Half-and-half (in your coffee)	Silk soy creamer
Whole milk yogurt	Nonfat Oikos Greek yogurt
Butter (when baking)	Earth Balance sticks
Cream cheese (on your bagel)	Lowfat cottage cheese
Dulce de leche ice cream	Stonyfield Farm Creme Caramel frozen yogurt
Butter (when cooking)	Canola oil
Egg	Two egg whites
Mayonnaise	Nayonaise (made from soy)
Cheddar cheese	Mozzarella
Butter (on popcorn)	Nutritional yeast
Pork sausage	Chicken sausage
Hamburger	Veggie burger
Bacon	Lightlife Smart Bacon

If you have a substitution, share it in the comments section below.

Source

Healthy Recipe Idea: Low-Fat Ranch Dressing

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

In college I put ranch dressing on everything; I was also 20 pounds heavier. I have since curbed my ranch addiction but from time to time I still crave it so I was excited to try this recipe for Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch. It wasn't quite the same, but it did the trick while being way less in calories - regular ranch dressing has about 145 calories per serving, but this recipe only has 30 calories per serving.

To see the recipe read more.

Low-Fat Buttermilk Ranch
from Good Housekeeping

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed with press
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients and mix dressing in a small bowl with a whisk or fork. Or combine ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to blend. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving*)
Calories 30
Total Fat 2g
Saturated Fat --
Cholesterol 4mg
Sodium 150mg
Total Carbohydrate 2g

*Nutritional information is based on a 2-tablespoon serving.

Source

Print recipe with images | without images

If you try it out, let me know what you think!

Eat Fat - Burn Calories?

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 03:58:13 -0800

It may sound weird to include fat in your diet when most of us want to dissolve the fat we already have.

A low-fat diet was all the craze, but studies now show that increasing your fat intake a little (to 30-35% of total calories) doesn't translate to bad news on the scale. By including healthy fats in your fiber-rich and lean protein diet, you may find it easier to lose weight permanently, stay fuller longer, and avoid the binging that packs on the extra pounds.

In order to burn calories effectively, you need to consume regular doses of healthy fats. Sorry to say - I'm not talking about junk foods that contain saturated or trans fat.

Some foods containing these good fats good-for-you-fats are nuts like walnuts and cashews, nut butters like peanut and almond, seeds like sesame and sunflower, salmon, avocado, flaxseed, green and black olives, and olive oil.

Fit's Tips: Snack on a handful of nuts to get your fill of healthy fats. Instead of buttering up your bread with dinner, try brushing on some olive oil.

FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:50:03 -0800

You can go easy on the butter in your mashed potatoes when you use Yukon Gold spuds.
New Moon star Nikki Reed says hiking with her boyfriend is her fitness secret.
How well do you know the calorie counts of Starbucks's holiday drinks?
Worried about falling off the healthy wagon? Here are eight ways to get back on track.
I'm curious to know how many days a week you work out.
Ashlee Simpson-Wentz firmly believes in taco night and baby weights.
If you're starting to strength train, check out this guide to beginning weights for lifting.
Learn just how long you need to exercise in order to burn off a slice of T-day pumpkin pie.
I have some great gift ideas for the healthy cook in your life.
Learn a bit more about the fat-burning zone.

Don't Blow Your Healthy Habits at the Movies This Weekend

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:53 -0800

It's a big movie weekend, for sure. With New Moon finally out, I've already committed myself to spend an afternoon at the theater - the only complication is that I'm not so fond of the movie-theater fare. It's an admittedly challenging place to stick to healthy food choices, since there usually aren't any to begin with. Just in case you don't believe me, recent research is revealing just how unhealthy movie popcorn can be - and it's probably a lot worse than you think.

An article from WebMd highlights the Center for Science in the Public Interest's findings on the state of popcorn, which claims movie theater popcorn is just about as bad for you as "a pound of baby back ribs and a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream or maybe two Big Macs" - and that's before you even add the butter. For the study, researchers sent samples of popcorn and toppings from three different movie theater chains and compared their findings to the chains' own nutritional information. What they found is likely to make you rethink how you view your movie treat.

The study's results show that the calorie count of movie theater popcorn ranges from just about 400 to 1,200 calories, and contains an alarming serving of saturated fat that's equivalent to three days worth of your daily recommended portion, and anywhere from 200 (in the smallest 6-cup size serving) to 1,500 milligrams of sodium. Additionally, the study revealed that both AMC and Regal theaters pop their popcorn in coconut oil, which has a saturated fat content of a whopping 90 percent. Cinemark theaters, which pops their popcorn in canola oil, earns the rep as the healthiest chain, with a significantly lower saturated fat content - ranging from 2 grams in the 420-calorie small size to 5 grams in the 910-calorie large popcorn bucket. But, keep in mind that popcorn is usually just a part of the order - add a soda or your choice of candy, and your order is easily nearing 1,700 calories.

To learn about healthier options at the movies read more.

To avoid a serious caloric overload on your movie outing, the solutions are simple. Opt to share a small, unbuttered popcorn, and request that it be popped without salt (according to the article, these chains will happily oblige), or knosh on something healthy before you head out. If you can, bring a small bag of almonds or a piece of fruit along. Be smart about your choices, and don't let one afternoon at the movies spoil your healthy habits. It's totally fine to indulge every now and then, but a 1,200-calorie serving of popcorn that packs more saturated fat than you need in three days is hardly a treat for your bod or health.