FitSugar

Healthy Eating Tip: Add Some Fat to Your Tomatoes

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:00:39 -0700

After years of being maligned, fat is making a comeback. Fat is necessary to absorb fat-soluble nutrients, like carotenoids, the antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A. This family of antioxidants gives fruits and veggies their orange and red hues as well.

Take tomatoes, for instance. They're known for being high in the antioxidants lycopene and beta carotene, both types of carotenoids. But since lycopene and beta carotene are fat soluble, tomatoes need to be paired with a bit of fat for us to absorb these important nutrients. Spritzing a little olive oil over your tomatoes adds flavor and will help you reap the benefits of this fruit disguised as a veggie.

Healthy Cooking Tip: Olive Oil Shelf Life

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:00:02 -0700

Being the cornerstone of the Mediterranean-style diet, olive oil tastes great and offers a wide variety of health benefits. But that bottle that has been in your pantry for two years - not so much. As olive oil ages, it loses its nutritional potency. Researchers found that when stored for over six months, the antioxidants in olive oil decrease by about 40 percent. If you don't use much of the oil, buy smaller bottles to keep it antioxidant rich. Olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark space to help prevent oxidation, which not only compromises the taste of the oil but the nutritional benefits as well.

How long have you had your bottle of olive oil?

Fat Update: Eat Fat to Feel Full

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Fat has a bad reputation. While some of this rep is deserved, let us not forget that not all fats are bad. In fact, unsaturated fat offers some surprisingly healthy benefits, especially for dieters.

New research from UC Irvine indicates that monounsaturated fatty acids, affectionately known as MUFAs, can actually help you feel full. When they reach your small intestine, these fats ignite the production of a compound that tells the brain to stop eating since you're full. MUFAs help stop the hunger signal so you don't overeat.

This property of monounsaturated fats might be why the Mediterranean diet is so successful at helping people maintain their weight. Unsaturated fats, both poly and mono, help keep belly fat at bay. And belly fat can increase your risk of heart disease and high blood sugar levels, so you want to work to keep weight off your midsection.

To see what kinds of food will help you feel full, just read more.

I feel lucky because some of the foods high in MUFAs are a few of my favorites.

Avocado
Olive oil
Almonds
Peanuts
Cashews
Canola
Pistachios
Hazelnuts

Even if you are dieting and cutting calories, don't forget to eat some nuts with your meals. All these foods are easy to throw on top of a low-fat salad.

Source

Cool Healthy Gadget: Misto Olive Oil Sprayer

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:00:00 -0700

I am a huge fan of olive oil, but too much of a good thing can be bad, and I often go overboard with how much olive oil I use while cooking. In light of this, one of my favorite healthy kitchen tools is the Misto Olive Oil Sprayer ($9.95).

All you do is fill the sprayer with olive oil. Pump the cap to pressurize. Then spray on anything your little heart desires. A couple of spritzes will do just fine. You'll end up using less oil, which ultimately means fewer calories, all while still benefiting from its good fats (monounsaturated fats).

The sprayer is non-aerosol, which means it's not harmful to the environment. Plus, you can refill the sprayer and reuse again and again.

Falafel Mix: It's Fantastic

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:45:00 -0700

How many of you love falafel? There's a place near me that makes the best I've ever tasted, and I just turn the other cheek when I see the little balls being deep-fried. If only there were an easy and healthier way to make it myself....

There is! I picked up a box of Fantastic Falafel Mix that a friend recommended to me, and now I'm sharing this gem with you. It's quick and easy to make, and you can add your own veggies in the wrap to make it even healthier. It's got the perfect amount of crunchy chewiness, and it's made with garbanzo beans, so it's got protein too.

Want to see what it really looks like, what the nutritional info is and how to make it yourself? Then read more

This mix makes about 24 balls. I only wanted to make half of that, so I measured out about 6 oz of the mix (3/4 of a cup).
Pour it into a bowl and add 5/8 of a cup of water (that's 1/2 a cup plus 1/8 of a cup of water). Mix it together and be sure to let it stand for 15 minutes to absorb the water. If you don't give it enough time, your balls will fall apart.

Turn a burner onto medium and get a frying pan ready. Pour olive oil into the bottom. The directions on the box say to pour enough so the oil is 1/2 inch deep, but I just poured about 1/4 cup in. Who needs all that oil?
You can pre-form the little balls, but I just use a small spoon to scoop out the mix and then I plop them in the pan one at a time. Using the back of the spoon, I smoosh them down into little disks, so there's more surface area getting cooked.

Fry the balls about 5 or so minutes, or until they're golden brown. Then flip them individually like potato latkes.
While they're browned to your liking, you can cut up veggies to go in the wrap. My favorite are tomatoes and cucumbers.
After they're done cooking, you can place the balls on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any extra oil.
Now place 6 pieces of falafel in the middle of a wrap and then your veggies. Pour about 2-3 tbsp of Annie's Goddess Dressing on top, wrap it up and enjoy!

Well, if you only have 3 balls, as the serving size suggests, I'm happy with the nutritional content. If you are feeling extra hungry, and want to have 6 balls (as shown in the wrap above), I listed that nutritional info too.

Holy moly - that's a ton of sodium for one meal, considering the RDI of sodium is 2,300 mg. If you're watching your salt intake, and you've already eaten a good portion of your daily sodium before getting to dinner, you can just use 3 balls, and add a ton of veggies to fill you up. If you haven't eaten much sodium all day, I'd go for the 6 balls of falafel.

Either way, this falafel must be healthier than the oil-drenched falafel balls I get at my favorite cafe. I'm a huge fan of this Fantastic Falafel Mix!

Serving Size	about 3, 1" balls	about 6, 1" balls
Calories	130	260
Total Fat	2g	4g
Saturated Fat	0g	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	omg
Sodium	350mg	700mg
Carbs	21g	42g
Fiber	6g	12g
Sugar	3g	6g
Protein	7g	14g

At Home Spa Treatment: Moisturize Dry Hair

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:45:00 -0700

We all know olive oil is a healthy fat that is essential to our health, but it's not just for salads and warm bread. You can use it to nourish your dry and fuzzy hair. I've tried leave-in conditioners and deep conditioning treatments, but they don't seem to work. Here's something I do about twice a month, but you can do it once a week if your hair is really thirsty.

Here's what you'll need:

1/4 cup olive oil (you may need more or less depending on how long and thick your hair is)
plastic grocery bag

Here's what to do:

Rinse your hair with warm water.
Pour about 1 tbsp into the palm of your hands, rub them together to warm up the oil, then using your fingertips, gently massage it into your scalp and hair.
Continue doing this until your hair is covered evenly with the oil, making sure the ends of your hair are treated too.
Now place the plastic bag over your hair, tying the ends in a knot or securing it closed with a hair clip or clothespin.
Keep the oil on your hair for at least 30 minutes. Then rinse, shampoo and condition as usual.

That's it. Your hair will look and feel shiny, soft, and smooth. It's especially good if you have thick and curly hair, but it's also great to do in the summer when the sun and saltwater can really dry out your hair. Try it and let me know what you think.

Fit's Tips: If your hair is NOT dry, do not try this treatment - your hair will end up looking really flat and greasy.

Source

Not So Fishy Sources of Omega-3s

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:45:04 -0700

I could talk your ear off about omega-3 fatty acids, but hopefully you know by now that they are super beneficial to the body. They increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, prevent irregular heart beats, and prevent blood clot formation. Omega-3s are the fats you should love because they also reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Last week when I posted about which fish are both high in omega-3s and low in mercury, I received a lot of comments from folks that just don't like eating fish. So here is a list of foods high in omega-3s.

Flax seed and Flax seed oil: Uncle Sam breakfast cereal contains whole flax seeds and it is high in fiber, which means there are multiple reasons to eat it for breakfast. Flax seed oil can be used in salad dressing or on toast as a butter alternative. Calorie wise you get the most bang for your buck with flax seeds - 95 calories of flax seeds provide over 100 percent of the Daily Recommended Intake of omega-3s.
Walnuts: Raw walnuts are a great treat, tossed into a green salad or your morning oatmeal. 2 ounces of walnuts contain 5.2 grams of omega-3s. Plus you can use walnut oil - it is great in salad dressing or on toast.
Soybeans - 1 cup of cooked soybeans contains just over 1 gram of omega-3s. While that is not a lot, I say every little bit counts. Cook up some for your dinner veggie tonight...they are also great to munch on while you're cooking.

Canola oil also contains omega 3s and can be used at high temperatures so it is great for baking and cooking.

Fit's Tip: The current dietary recommendation is to eat 7 - 11 grams of omega-3s a day. So plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so you can eat all you need of this fat. Remember, just because it is a good thing doesn't mean you should go overboard. Fat is still fat, even if it is good for you.

Nutrition Myths: True or False

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Short quiz on nutrition myths.

Snack Attack: Oscar Night Popcorn

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Whenever I curl up on the couch in front of a good movie, I have to have a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. So the same goes for the Oscars - a night celebrating all the movies we love. Now I'm not talking about microwave popcorn here, there's way too much garbage in it.

There's two ways I make it:

1. The old-fashioned way:

Take a 1 quart size saucepan and pour enough canola oil on bottom just to cover it with a thin layer. You can also use olive oil, but I don't think it tastes as good.
Now pour 1/4 cup loose popcorn kernels in, shaking the pan a little to coat them with the oil.
Turn the burner on between medium and high. Place a top on the pan and shake it constantly from side to side over the heat. You get to work your arms a little bit too.
You'll start to hear the kernels begin to pop. Once the popping slows down a great deal, take the pan off the heat and pour the popcorn into another bowl.
Allow it to cool off a bit before sprinkling it with salt.

Want to know an incredibly easy way to make popcorn without the oil? Then read more

2. Fat-Free Popcorn: When my dad was on the Pritikin Diet, he couldn't eat any fat, and we used to make popcorn like this all the time. Here's what you do.

Take a small brown bag, the kind you use for lunches, and open it up.
Pour enough popcorn kernels in to cover the bottom of the bag.
Close the bag by folding the opened end tightly 3 times.
Place the entire bag in the microwave, with the folded side on the bottom.
Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes, or until the popping slows down. If it cooks for too long, you'll have yourself a bag of burnt popcorn.
The popcorn tastes just like it came out of an air popper. Add salt for more flavor.

Got a great (and healthy) snack to share? Join the Snack Attack Group and tell us all! I may even feature your snack right here on FitSugar!

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.