FitSugar

Healthy Holiday Eating: Keep a Food Journal

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:22 PST

If the thought of decadent holiday food is stressing you out already, take control and try keeping track of your holiday eating with a food journal. It seems simple, but by writing down what you're eating throughout the day, you'll develop a real awareness of what you're putting in your body. A treat here and there, if you're not keeping track, can feel like it's no big deal, but writing it down will give you a real record of what you've eaten and make it easier to judge if you really do want dessert.

As a trial, test out how food journaling works for you over Thanksgiving, and if it seems to boost your healthy eating habits, keep it going through Christmas and the New Year. Plus, you can make it even easier to keep track by using your phone to journal, or if you decide to get into it, pick up one of these inconspicuous little journals or try an iPhone app. You might just find that this is a health trick you want to stick with.

Holiday Eating Tip: Rebound After the Gorge

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:15:00 PST

Marty, a contestant from season three of The Biggest Loser, once said: "The largest [dieting] obstacle is getting back on track after a cheat day." I have to second that. With the biggest cheat day of the year being Thanksgiving, I thought I would remind you to get back on the healthy lifestyle wagon right away. Don't allow one day of indulgence send you into a downward spiral.

Plan on exercising Friday. Morning is always best, because that way you are sure to fit a workout into your busy post-holiday schedule. Also avoid the temptation to eat pie and leftover stuffing for breakfast - or am I the only one who does that? Instead, have a healthy, balanced breakfast, then make yourself a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread and hold the mayo.

The bottom line: So you might overindulge for one day. Fine. Just don't let it push you off track until the New Year!

Source

Holiday Eating Tip: Watch Those Calories

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:30:00 PST

If you're not looking to gain any weight between Thanksgiving and Jan. 1, 2008, then take this into consideration.

Eating 88 extra calories per day between Thanksgiving and Jan. 1 will most likely leave you one pound heavier by 2008 - that's like eating just over three Hershey's Kisses (or a quarter of a slice of pumpkin pie) a day.

Source

Holiday Eating Tip: Eating in Groups

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:30:00 PST

The holidays are approaching which means all of us healthy eaters need to be armed to go into holiday meals with our best tricks up our sleeve.

In light of this and because it's time to start thinking about the holidays, CalorieLab.com offers some great tips and tricks for surviving holiday meals. Here are highlights:

Sit next to the slowest eater at the table and match that person’s pace
Always have some food left on your plate to forestall the “one more helping” impulse
Decide how much you will eat before the meal takes place
Be the last person to begin eating
Limit your meal to the entree plus a maximum of two items, with dessert, appetizer, bread and so forth constituting an item each

Source

5 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Paying For College

LearnVest — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:15:23 PDT

Paying for college is such a complex issue. LearnVest helps simplify it by answering some key questions in regard to paying tuition.

If you believe everything you read, then you might think you need to be a Rockefeller to have kids.

That, of course, isn't the case.

Yes, kids are expensive, and thinking about paying for a college education can be scary and frustrating . . . but that's where we come in.

As with everything else in life, figuring out what to do about your kid's college savings is all about the planning, says Stephany Kirkpatrick, CFP, LearnVest's director of financial planning. Depending on where you are in life right now and how old your kids are, you may have questions about how to set up a 529 plan (which is an education savings plan designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs), what to look for, and when to start saving.

If you're pregnant or have a newborn and are starting to think about this, then good for you! The earlier you get started socking away cash for their college, the easier it will be. You'll learn a lot in this article, but you should also check out our Baby on Board Bootcamp, which will tell you everything you need to know - financially - to be ready for a baby. It includes 529 advice, as well as financial tips on everything from putting together a will and picking out a life insurance policy to buying nursery basics.
If your kid is slightly older and you’ve done your research but haven’t yet started saving in a 529 plan, then first read the four mistakes to avoid when choosing a 529 plan, and then check out the different college savings plans available to you.
If this is the first you’re thinking about it, no matter your kid's ageI, then don't worry about it. You have to start somewhere!

Read on for more.

5 Ways to Serve Corned Beef

Laura Marie Given — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:20:39 PST

If you're hoping to cook up some traditional Irish eats for St. Patrick's Day, corned beef should definitely be on the menu. Its association with Irish-American culture makes corned beef a holiday must, but feel free to get creative with your dish. From a morning classic to a salty, cheesy sandwich, here are five delicious ways to serve corned beef on March 17.

With eggs. Start your St. Patrick's Day with a tasty take on the traditional beef. Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs are sure to get your holiday off on the right foot. Try the canned version or create your own with this simple corned beef hash recipe.
On a sandwich. Stick to a classic Reuben sandwich recipe or keep things simple by adding slices of corned beef to marbled rye. A few condiment ideas: horseradish, mustard, or a layer of your favorite cheese.
With potatoes and cabbage. Get in the Irish spirit by serving smoked corned beef with boiled potatoes and cabbage. Need some extra flavor? Add salt, pepper, onions, and fresh chopped dill to kick the savory taste up a notch.
Over pasta. Get creative with corned beef by serving slices over pasta. Pick a recipe with an extracreamy sauce and let the meat supply a salty accent flavor.
On a grilled cheese. With Dijon mustard and creamy fontina cheese, you're bound to fall for this corned beef grilled cheese recipe. Add just a handful of sliced sweet onion and toast some buttered rye bread for a dish you'll love year-round.

Do you have a favorite way to serve corned beef? Share your tips in the comments below!

Source: Flickr User Jeff Kubina

Fitness Tips: Healthy Eating For the Holidays

Zelana Montminy — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:59:20 PST

‘Tis the season for holidays parties, and with the festivities come a myriad of tasty treats. But you don't have to resist every temptation to keep a healthy diet. With just five fit tips, we'll show you how to eat smart while you celebrate. Eat a healthy snack before a party, be choosy with your sweets, and B.Y.O.B: Bring Your Own Broccoli! When making your contribution to a party, opt for a veggie platter rather than a cookie tray. But no matter your strategy, enjoy yourself!

Don't Lick the Spoon! Holiday Baking Tips to Prevent Illness

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:38:56 PST

It's holiday baking time! But before you whip up all those fruitcakes and homemade Christmas cookies, keep these tips in mind to prevent the stomachache of food-borne illness and the headache of chemicals in foods.

Don't Lick the Spoon
Spritz cookies with a side of salmonella? Sounds like the worst holiday ever. Prevent a horrible bout of food poisoning this season by resisting the gooey, sugary raw cookie dough. One in 10,000 eggs may be contaminated with salmonella inside the egg shell, so it's just not worth the health risk. The same goes for ready-to-bake dough purchased at the grocery store. Recent news linked the 2009 E. coli outbreak to consuming prepackaged cookie dough, reinforcing the importance of baking batter to kill unwanted pathogens.

Keep reading to find out two more tips to stay healthy while baking this holiday season.

3 Tips For Staying Healthy on a Relaxing Weekend Getaway

Leta Shy — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:59:28 PST

Whether you're just traveling one town over or you scheduled a sunny reprieve from your snowy Winter, this long holiday weekend can be a time to rest and relax. But finding time for R&R doesn't mean you have to give up any healthy goals you've made. Here's how to have a healthy getaway this weekend.

Pack something fitnessy: You don't have to devote all of your precious suitcase space to fitness equipment, but you should try to bring something that inspires or reminds you to maintain part of your regular workout routine. Here are some great ideas for space-saving fitness equipment to pack before you leave.

Keep reading for more tips.

5 Ways to Banish Postholiday Bloating

Self — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:04:38 PST

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

Feeling sluggish after the busy holiday season? You're not alone. According to a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine, the average American gains a pound between November and January.

But rather than wallow in the aftermath of too many cocktails and Christmas cookies, we turned to fitness expert Angela Parker, who offered these easy tips to banish postholiday bloating fast:

Sweat your ass off! Give yourself a daily 60-minute sweat session three days in a row. No walking - go running or spinning.
If you want to shrink fast, stick to egg whites, fish, chicken, and veggies.

Read on for more ways to banish postholiday bloating.