FitSugar

Is White Sugar Really THAT Bad For Me?

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:45:00 PDT

I think you know the answer to the question if white sugar is bad for you. White sugar comes from sugar cane, which is a plant, so why is it so bad for us? Can you say highly processed? Yeah, the gorgeous white crystals most people pour into their coffee every morning has zero nutritional value because it's all stripped away. White sugar is a refined sweetener, adding nothing but calories and taste to foods.

When you eat foods with refined sugar like sodas, candy bars, or high carb meals, it upsets the body's blood sugar balance. This triggers the release of insulin, which the body uses to maintain blood sugar levels at a constant and safe level. After insulin levels spike up, they quickly crash soon after, leaving you feeling sleepy, and possibly even hungry again. This often leads to more snacking and usually on sweet or refined carb treats. This cycle leads to overeating, since you are not really hungry, and weight gain. This is the reason carbs are often viewed as “bad” nowadays, and why the Atkins Diet is so popular.

Refined carbs such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, baked goods such as cookies have the same effect on your body, so that's why you should look for alternative foods made from whole grains. When you feel like snacking, stick to straight up fruits, nuts and ones that contain whole grains. These are slow burning carbs that contain vitamins and fiber too, so they'll give you a consistent flow of energy without the sugar meltdown.

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Look of the Day: Mellow Yellows

Marisa Tom — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:00:05 PDT

Fab reader Nettevartanian demonstrates that yellow-on-yellow can have a sweet, almost mellowing, effect. To do so, she tucked a loose-fitted white tank into a pair of neon lemon-lime skinny jeans, then she topped it off with soft yellow blazer. Instead of ending up with a loud look, the juxtaposition of bright vs. pastel creates an inversely cool, refined take on color. Finally, she accessorized with an embellished gold clutch and nude sandals.

Congrats Nettevartanian!

Everyone else, submit your looks, and we might just feature you on FabSugar!

Healthy Cocktail Tip: Skip Juice and Sugar For Fresh Fruit

Michele Foley — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:25:45 PDT

Start shaking and stirring; it's Friday, which means happy hour is on the horizon. Warm weather makes us feel like we're on a beach vacation where sweet and fruity concoctions are the norm - it all tastes good going down until you realize that you've just undone a weekday's worth of workouts. Instead of passing on the Mai Tais, skip premade mixes, sugary juices, and refined sugar, and sweeten cocktails with fresh produce instead.

Fruit like strawberry, watermelon, blackberry, pineapple, blood orange, and lychee are sweet enough on their own that there really isn't a need for additional sugar. Simply omit the usual sweetener from a standard cocktail recipe and muddle one of these nutritionally-rich fruits into the recipe instead. Strawberry and pineapple work especially well in rum drinks, like mojitos and daiquiris, while watermelon and lychee pair nicely with vodka, and if you're a gin fan, you'll love the way blackberry tastes when paired with the spirit.

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Look of the Day: Off-Duty Neon

FabSugar — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:00:53 PDT

Looking to keep your weekend wardrobe fresh with minimal effort? Fab reader Style Extraordinaire styled a cool off-duty look with an eye-catching twist. She paired easy basics - a gray t-shirt and cuffed skinny jeans - with polished add-ons, like a cropped white blazer and nude pointy-toe pumps. While this outfit already proves relaxed-cum-refined, it's her neon pink satchel that sets the ensemble apart from other similarly casual stylings. To finish it off, she accessorized with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses and a pendant necklace.

Congrats Style Extraordinaire!

Everyone else, submit your looks, and we might just feature you on FabSugar!

Kim Kardashian Gets Slim by Slamming Gluten

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:03:26 PDT

Add Kim Kardashian to the list of celebs praising a gluten-free diet. Along with this sexy snapshot, Kim tweeted, "Gluten free is the way to be . . . "

Kim is all about maintaining her slim figure complete with those signature curves. Earlier this year, she revealed the secret to keeping her size-2 body, telling Us Weekly, "Changing my eating habits makes a big difference," which includes eating a more organic-based diet, free of refined sugars. Kim isn't the only celeb linking a slimmer bod to ditching gluten. Miley Cyrus explained that her recent weight loss was due to going gluten-free because of "a gluten and lactose allergy."

While many have had success losing weight by eliminating gluten from their diets, it's important to note that a gluten-free diet isn't the magic ticket to a thinner you. There are many high-calorie foods that are gluten-free (and foods like pizza, bagels, pasta, french fries, and cookies all have gluten-free versions). Not keeping an eye on portion sizes of these kinds of foods can actually cause weight gain. It's hard not to ignore the buzz though, especially if you're having trouble losing weight with the traditional route of exercise and a healthy diet. I'm wondering . . .

Source: Instagram

Should You Cleanse Before Pregnancy?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:04:46 PDT

Every mama wants to give her baby the best start possible, but just how clean should that beginning be? Anna Getty, the organic living expert and founder of Pregnancy Awareness Month (which happens to be now), recently wrote about her thoughts on preparing the body for pregnancy on the Healthy Child Healthy World website. She shared her year-long, pre-conception plan to whip her body (and soul) into shape for baby, saying:

I cut out all forms of caffeine including black or green tea and (gulp) chocolate, all refined sugars, gluten, dairy, and alcohol, any form of pharmaceutical drugs like aspirin or Ibuprofen and ate a mostly raw diet. I also included acupuncture, colonics, meditation, yoga and juicing. I had planned on cleansing for a year, however, somewhere in the middle, maybe five months, of my pre-conception cleanse the spirit of my unborn daughter decided I was "clean" enough and graced my womb with her presence.

It seems everywhere I turn these days, I hear someone talking about the latest juice cleanse. Friends, colleagues, and celebrities are busy touting the weight loss and detoxifying benefits of the drinks but I never thought about using them to prepare for pregnancy. You clean baby's linens and clothes before she uses them, but do you need to clean your womb before she enters it?

Source: Flickr User Meagan

Avery Island, Part Deux: Boils, Bottles, Bloodies & Boudin

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:45:45 PDT

If you're itching for a culinary adventure, there's no need to leave your home! Escape to Avery Island for a crawfish feast with Food Orleans.

This was my lunch. I ate it all.

Avery Island is a gorgeous place; it's surrounded by a long lace of bayous, has plenty of wildlife roaming around freely (deer, bears, raccoons, alligators), and houses the beautiful Jungle Gardens and Bird Sanctuary. You can spend a full day there soaking up the splendor, especially if you pack in a trip to the Tabasco factory.

We had a lovely, long ride down the bayou to the McIlhenny family's trapper's camp, just so we could get in some air boat rides (FUN!) and a little of this:

My favorite lunch in the world! These fellas were HUGE.

I'm only partly responsible for this amount of crawfish carnage. Let's just say that my tablemate, Cecil, is one fast picker.

Earlier that day, we had a tasting of all seven flavors of Tabasco sauce, led by CEO and Chairman of the Board Paul McIlhenny. His chief flavor developer, Charlie Chang, who has worked for the McIlhennys for over 30 years, was also present at the tasting. It was fascinating listening to the two describe how certain flavors were inspired, or how they were refined to become what they are today. I have to say, my new favorite hot sauce is Tabasco Habanero. It's Jamaican inspired and has a lot of fruit flavor to it, plus it packs a slow, intense heat that hits you at the end. For the tasting, we had saltine crackers and softened butter to help us tolerate the high amounts of heat in some of the sauces. I discovered that a saltine cracker spread with butter and topped with a little Habanero sauce is extremely delicious--like eating a wicked little butter cookie. I'm in love.

For more on this tasty adventure, plus a Tabasco-inspired mixology lesson, keep reading!

6 Ways to Look Better Without Spending a Cent

Annie Tomlin — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:56:40 PDT

Looking good doesn't have to cost a lot of money. In fact, it doesn't have to cost a thing. There are plenty of ways to look better without spending a single penny. We talked with top dermatologists, hair stylists, makeup artists, and estheticians to score their secrets for looking your best for the best price of all: free. Read their tips here.

7 Websites That Inspire Cooking With Kids

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:25:12 PDT

Cooking with your kids can teach them all kinds of lessons, from timing and measuring skills to cutting and cooking techniques, and it gives them a greater appreciation for the food that is served at the table. As an added bonus, kids are usually more willing to try new and healthier foods if they are part of the cooking process. These seven websites inspire kids of all ages to cook with mom or dad, so check them out, try a recipe together, and let us know which site is your family's favorite resource.

Fit For a Feast is designed to teach kids how prepare delicious, kid-friendly recipes with safety and precaution. The website offers instructional food videos with colorful graphics, nutritional info for kids, knife safety tips, and advice on how to prep and store food.
Cooking With My Kid is a photo-filled site with nutritious snack and meal ideas that you can prepare together as a family. Simple and totally enjoyable, this guide offers step-by-step instructions for recipes like giant chocolate-covered raisins and sweet potato and lentil stew.
Hey Kids, Let's Cook includes instructional videos for multicultural, kid-friendly cuisine, especially good if you are unsure about how to get your kids involved in the kitchen. The host Kathy clearly demonstrates engaging, fun techniques for her kid cooking assistants, like using a melon baller to create beautiful shapes in a fruit salad. The video section also includes mini table-etiquette tips, taught by one of the kid cooks.

Click here for more kid recipe sites.

Do You Think Sugar Is as Addictive as Drinking or Smoking?

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:12:57 PDT

If you thought a little sugar never hurt anyone, think again. 60 Minutes reported that the average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar a year, and scientists are confirming that this overloaded amount is causing liver damage, heart disease, and cancer. While we are biologically designed to enjoy sweet tastes because they are a sign that a food isn't poisonous, in today's society, most of our sugar ingestion comes from a refined source, stripped of its nutrients, fiber, and natural makeup.

Sugar, even the smallest amount, activates the brain and releases a burst of dopamine into the bloodstream, much like cocaine's effect on the body. Just like drug addictions, the highs diminish with the more sugar you consume, so you develop a craving for more and more to get that same feel-good fix.

While it's hard to fathom that sugar is as addictive and deadly as a drinking or smoking habit, several studies are currently proving otherwise. How do you feel about the great sugar debate? Perhaps in the near future, we could see warning labels appear on soda cans and candy boxes, urging consumers to reduce consumption.