FitSugar

How To Store Salad Greens

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:45:00 -0700

The vegetables of summer are amazing, making it so easy to eat healthy.

I love to buy baby lettuce and freshly harvested mesclun from local farmer's markets and vegetable stands. They taste amazing, and they're so crisp, but if you don't eat them within a couple of days, they can turn soggy and slimy.

Here's a great little trick I learned from a farmer friend on storing precious fresh salad greens:

Place greens in a plastic bag, close the top of the bag lightly with your fist, blow into the bag and fill it with air (carbon dioxide). Then seal the bag by twisting the top a few times before closing it firmly with a twisty-tie. Place it in the fridge and your greens are good to go.

Pretty simple, huh? The bag might take up a little bit more room in your fridge, but the loss of space is totally worth it. Your greens will stay bright, crisp and flavorful, so you can enjoy healthy salads all week long.

Fit's Tips: This tip works for all leafy greens - basil, parsley, cilantro, oregano, spinach, kale, and arugula.

Don't Skip The Garnish: Italian Parsley Is Loaded With Good Things

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:45:00 -0700

It seems that every recipe I make these days calls for chopped fresh Italian parsley to be sprinkled over the finished product. I will be the first to admit I have become a lazy cook and lately I've been skipping that final step. I've been going un-garnished. I was curious, by omitting this finishing touch, was I missing out on adding extra nutrients to my meals. It looks like the answer is yes; I have been short changing myself a bit.

This gem of an herb is chock full of vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, like most green, leafy veggies. Italian parsley is also full of flavanoids containing antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. Most importantly, parsley of all varieties is high in volatile oils that inhibit tumor formation in the lungs, at least in animals. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens.

With that knowledge I will take the extra minute or two needed to chop my parsley and toss it on my dish. How about you?

Cilantro Kills Bacteria So You Don't Have To

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:00:00 -0800

Popular in Mexican and Thai food, the herb cilantro (also called Chinese parsley) contains a chemical known as dodecenal, which has been found to kill the Salmonella bacteria that causes food borne illness.

Dodecenal is present not only in the leaves of cilantro, but also in its seeds, which are more commonly known as coriander.

This info could lead to expanded use of dodecenal as a tasteless food additive to prevent food borne illness - perhaps as a protective coating for meats in processing plants, or even as a disinfectant to be used in cleaning and hand washing.

But don't rely on cilantro alone to safeguard your food: There's only a small amount of the potent antibacterial in a typical serving.

So while it's nice to know that this herb is doing its best to keep us healthy, it won't necessarily save your life. But it can save your salsa, because I tell you, nothing beats the flavor of fresh cilantro.

Healthy Recipe: Waldorf Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:47:41 -0700

Early Fall is a wonderful and tasty time. Summer produce is still abundant and Fall's early harvest is available too. One of my favorite veggies, celery spans the two seasons beautifully. Last night for dinner I made a simple Waldorf salad that pairs crisp celery with crisp apples, merging Fall and Summer into one healthy, refreshing salad.

I replaced the traditional mayonnaise with nonfat yogurt, making the dish even healthier. It was a hit with the entire family - even my young daughters liked it. To see the recipe, keep on reading.

Food Review: Kashi Heart to Heart Crackers

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:00:34 -0700

If you're a fan of Triscuits, you're going to love Kashi's new Heart to Heart crackers. Both flavors - Original and Roasted Garlic - contain plant sterols to help lower cholesterol, and six natural antioxidants including green tea and grape seed.

To find out how they compare with the crackers you grew up with, read more.

As you can see from the chart below, these Kashi Heart to Heart crackers contain half as much sodium as Triscuits, which is great if you're trying to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. They're also lower in saturated fat and contain more fiber. What's more, the Kashi crackers also contain .4 grams of plant sterols per serving, which are natural compounds found in fruits, nuts, and veggies that have been found to help lower cholesterol. Other nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C have also been added to these little crackers, which help fight free radicals and keep your arteries healthy.

The Kashi crackers and Triscuits are actually very similar in taste and texture. Even though the Kashi crackers are lower in sodium, they don't taste like they're lacking in salt or flavor. I'd definitely recommend giving these a try if you're a cracker fan. They're delicious topped with hummus and veggies, cheese and apples, or homemade salsa.

	Triscuits (6 crackers)	Kashi Original (7 crackers)	Kashi Roasted Garlic (7 crackers)
Calories	120	120	120
Total Fat	4.5 g	3.5 g	3.5 g
Saturated Fat	1 g	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	180 mg	85 mg	75 mg
Carbs	19 g	22 g	22 g
Fiber	3 g	4 g	4 g
Sugars	0 g	0 g	0 g
Protein	3 g	3 g	3 g
Ingredients	Whole wheat, soybean oil, salt, monoglycerides.	Whole grain wheat, expeller pressed canola oil, plant sterols, cornstarch, sea salt, dehydrated vegetables (onion, garlic, and roasted garlic), spices, decaffeinated green tea extract, decaffeinated white tea extract, alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), grape seed extract, parsley, autolyzed yeast, malic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, spice extract, natural flavor, mixed tocopherols for freshness, beta carotene (source of vitamin A), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, folic acid.	Whole grain wheat, expeller pressed canola oil, plant sterols, sea salt, decaffeinated green tea extract, decaffeinated white tea extract, alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), grape seed extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), natural mixed tocopherols for freshness, beta carotene (source of vitamin A), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, folic acid.

How to Prevent Bad Breath

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:00:24 -0700

We've all been embarrassed by occasional bouts of bad breath after eating a roasted garlic pizza or a sandwich piled with onions. If you're dealing with bad breath all the time, though, it can be mortifying. So here are some tips to keep your mouth smelling fresh.

Quit cigarettes if you're a smoker.
Get your teeth checked out by your dentist. Cavities and gum disease can cause bad breath.
Brush and floss during the day, every time you eat. When food particles hang out in your mouth, bacteria collects and emits stinky hydrogen sulfur vapors. So keep a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss in your purse at all times to use after coffee breaks, lunch, and snacks.
Drink more water. It'll help keep the bacteria in your mouth to a minimum.
Don't mask your bad breath with sugary mints. They'll freshen your breath briefly, but the sugar will only cause more stinky plaque to build up. If you can't brush, go for sugarless gum instead since chewing increases saliva production, which is your best weapon against bad breath.

What else can help prevent bad breath? To find out, read more.

If you suffer from allergies or sinus infections, postnasal drip in the back of your throat can cause bad breath. So get your symptoms under control with antibiotics or allergy meds.
Keep in mind, though, that certain medications such as decongestants or allergy pills can cause dry mouth, which can also lead to bad breath. When your mouth is dry, dead cells and bacteria accumulate on your gums, tongue, and teeth. When these cells decompose, they produce a foul smell. Water helps, but if your symptoms are really bothering you try switching medications.
Eat yogurt. Studies have found that one serving of yogurt each day reduces the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide in the mouth. Be sure to eat ones with active cultures.
Avoid certain foods such as garlic, onions, and alcohol. Once consumed, these foods get absorbed into your bloodstream, are carried to your lungs, and are given off in your breath.
To help prevent the buildup of plague, which can cause bad breath, eat crunchy fibrous foods such as apples, carrots, and celery.
Bacterium aren't a fan of foods such as citrus fruits, berries, and melon because they make the environment in your mouth too acidic, so get your fill of vitamin C. Another plus for consuming vitamin C is that it also helps prevent gum disease and gingivitis.
Chew herbs such as parsley, coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary, and cardamom. These all help fight bad breath.
Clean your tongue with a tongue scraper. Use it twice a day to remove bacteria and dead skin cells from your tongue.

Food Review: thinkGreen Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:50:40 -0700

When it comes to meeting my daily nutritional requirements, I like to eat my vitamins and minerals in whole foods. Occasionally, I fall short on this. I also often need a quick, easily digestible pre-workout snack. I thought I would attempt to satisfy these two needs with the thinkGreen bar, since the label reads "over one tablespoon of power greens."

The ingredient list contains some very green things: spirulina (green algae), spinach and broccoli powder, green tea powder, as well as powders from other veggies and fruits like beets, carrots, and apples.

To see how all these powders mix with chocolate and peanut butter and nutritional details for the bar, read more.

Here is the list of ingredients: Date paste, coating (evaporated cane juice, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, whole milk powder, soy lecithin, pure natural vanilla), brown rice syrup, peanut butter chips (evaporated cane juice, palm kernel oil, whey powder, partially defatted peanut flour, peanut butter, whole milk solids, soya lecithin, salt), raisins, thinkgreen Superfood (apple pectin, lecithin, organic alfalfa grass juice powder, organic spirulina, chlorella (cracked cell), brown rice germ, spinach leaf powder, broccoli powder, carrot powder, acerola berry juice powder, beet juice powder, green tea extract, grape seed and skin extract, parsley leaf powder, pea powder), raisin paste, peanuts, soy protein isolate, ground peanuts, cocoa soy crisps (soy protein isolate, calcium carbonate, cocoa powder), peanut flour, cocoa powder, honey, chocolate liquor, natural flavors. Contains soy, peanuts and milk.

Serving Size	One bar (50 g)
Calories	200
Total Fat	8 g
Saturated Fat	3 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	65 mg
Carbs	28 g
Fiber	2 g
Sugar	21 g
Protein	6 g
Potassium	170 mg
Calcium	10% RDI

The list of ingredients is super long, but similar to the simple Larabar, the base of the thinkGreen Bar is dates. The bar certainly tasted of chocolate and peanut butter, but it was very dry. I definitely needed water to get it down. The dryness factor would keep me from taking this bar on a long bike ride. I ate the bar in the late afternoon while carpooling children about town, and then ran an hour later. The thinkGreen bar kept me energized for a 50-minute pre-dinner run. In the end though, I think I will continue to work on eating my greens, actual spinach and broccoli rather than powdered versions of them. This bar will not become my mainstay energy bar, but I certainly won't avoid it either.

Have you tried this?

Seasonal Allergies, Foods, and Itchy Mouths

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

About 20 percent of the population suffers from the itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose, and sinus congestion that accompany seasonal allergies. Of those people, 25 percent also suffer from oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Symptoms include uncomfortable itchiness, tingling, or swelling in the mouth, lips, or throat when consuming certain fruits, vegetables, or nuts. Proteins in allergy inducing pollens are so similar to the proteins in certain types of foods, and this similarity creates the OAS reaction. Kind of creates a different meaning to "cross pollination." The body recognizes those food proteins as an allergen, and as soon as the person eats the offending food, it triggers their sensitive immune system to release chemicals that cause cells in the mouth and throat to swell. These reactions, called cross reactions, are usually mild and last for 10 to 30 minutes. Only fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts can cause OAS reactions. Eating canned, cooked, dried, or frozen versions of those same foods usually cause no reaction. Also, just so you know, OAS is different than a nut allergy. In order for a person to have OAS, they must have an allergy to pollen.

Are you curious to know which foods are connected to which allergens? Then read more.

Note: Cross reactions may occur with some or all of the foods listed in the right-hand column.

Type of Allergy	Foods That May Cause Cross Reactions
Birch Tree pollen	Almonds, apples, apricots, carrots, celery, cherries, coriander, fennel, hazelnuts, kiwi, lychee fruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, persimmon, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, wheat, zucchini, walnuts
Grass pollen	Celery, watermelon, oranges, peaches, tomatoes
Ragweed pollen	Bananas, melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew), gourd family (cucumber, zucchini and squash), chamomile, echinacea, sunflower seeds, zucchini
Alder pollen	Celery, pears, apples, almonds, cherries, hazelnuts, peaches, parsley
Mugwort pollen	Celery, fennel, carrots, parsley, coriander, sunflower, peppers

Just because you have an allergy to one of the pollens listed above, does not mean you'll automatically have a reaction to the foods listed to the right. If you've been noticing swelling, itching, or tingling in your mouth or throat, it's best to get tested by an allergist.

Source

Got Allergies? These Foods Might Set You Off

FitSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:00:00 -0700

If you suffer from seasonal allergies to pollen, you may be part of the one-third who also suffers from oral allergy syndrome (OAS). Symptoms include uncomfortable itchiness, tingling, or swelling in the mouth, lips, or throat when consuming certain fruits, vegetables, or nuts. The reaction occurs because the proteins in pollens are so similar to the proteins in certain types of foods. OAS causes the body to see those food proteins as an allergen, and as soon as the person eats the offending food, it triggers the sensitive immune system to release chemicals that cause cells in the mouth and throat to swell. These types of reactions are called cross reactions, and are usually mild and only last for a few minutes. Only fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts can cause OAS reactions. Eating canned, cooked, dried, or frozen versions of those same foods may be less likely to cause a reaction. Also, just so you know, OAS is different than a nut allergy. In order for a person to have OAS, they must have an allergy to pollen.

Are you curious to know which foods are connected to which allergens? Then read more

Note: Cross reactions may occur with some or all of the foods listed in the right-hand column.

Type of Allergy	Foods That May Cause Cross Reactions
Birch Tree pollen	Almonds, apples, apricots, carrots, celery, cherries, coriander, fennel, hazelnuts, kiwi, lychee fruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, persimmon, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, wheat, zucchini, walnuts
Grass pollen	Celery, watermelon, oranges, peaches, tomatoes
Ragweed pollen	Bananas, melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew), gourd family (cucumber, zucchini and squash), chamomile, echinacea, sunflower seeds
Alder pollen	Celery, pears, apples, almonds, cherries, hazelnuts, peaches, parsley
Mugwort pollen	Celery, fennel, carrots, parsley, coriander, sunflower, peppers

Fit's Tips: Just because you have an allergy to one of the pollens listed above, does not mean you automatically have OAS. If you've been noticing swelling, itching or tingling in your mouth or throat, it's best to get tested by an allergist.

Source

Healthy Holiday Recipe: Flame-Grilled Eggplant Dip

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:30:00 -0800

In my experience, a lot of grazing happens over the course of Christmas day. You wake up early to open presents and often eat late. This is why it is important to have healthy snacks to nosh on throughout the day. This flame-grilled eggplant dip has a surprisingly festive look. The red of tomato chunks and the green bits of Italian parsley pop against the neutral eggplant background. Mild, yet flavorful, this Mediterranean style dip seems geographically appropriate for the holiday as well.

To see the recipe, read more.

Flame-Grilled Eggplant Dip
Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Crudites, bread, and crackers, for serving

Directions

Place eggplant over a gas burner set on high (or place under broiler). Cook, turning as needed, until blackened and soft. Set aside to cool. Remove skin; discard.
Coarsely chop eggplant; drain in a colander for 15 minutes.
Combine eggplant, tomato, onion, olive oil, vinegar, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with crudites, bread, and crackers.

Makes a little over one cup.

Print recipe with images | without images

Not sure what you're making for Christmas or Hanukkah? Check out these healthy holiday recipes to help you stay healthy and happy throughout all the season's festivities.