FitSugar

Corn Oil vs. Canola Oil

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:30:00 PST

Since Hanukkah is coming up on Dec. 4, I thought it'd be a great idea to chat about oil. When you look on a shelf at the store, there are many kinds of oil to choose from, and I always thought that canola and corn oil were the same thing. I was way off.

Corn oil is made from the germ of corn. Canola oil is actually produced from rapeseed oil and was originally made in Canada. The word canola comes from "Canadian Oil, Low Acid." Some people think that canola oil is unhealthy because rapeseed oil contains high amounts of erucic acid, which is know to have harmful effects. Don't worry though, canola oil is now made from a new plant that is similar to the rapeseed plant, but has a much lower erucic acid content.

So how do they compare nutritionally? To see the chart

	Corn oil	Canola oil
Serving Size	1 Tbsp	1 Tbsp
Calories	120	120
Total Fat	14g	14g
Saturated Fat	2g	1g
Polyunsaturated Fat	8g	4g
Monounsaturated Fat	4g	9g
Sodium	0g	0g
Fiber	0g	0g
Sugars	0g	0g
Protein	0g	0g

As you can see, canola oil is so great because like olive oil, it's low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. This kind of fat is good to consume because it can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol. Another thing, corn oil contains more polyunsaturated fat than canola oil. This type of fat has also been shown to reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, but too much can lower your HDL (good) cholesterol. Fit's Tips: Canola oil is a great choice when it comes to baking and sautéing, because it has a high burn point, meaning it doesn't start smoking until it reaches 238°Celsius. Just for reference, olive oil's burn point is 190°Celsius.

Killer App: Smoked Mozzarella Spread

Susannah Chen — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:58:47 PST

I've always chalked up my rare party planning to the fact that I get stressed easily trying to please a large group of people all at once. But since I've discovered an increasing number of easy killer apps, I've begun to second-guess myself.

Case in point: this smoked mozzarella spread. It's meatless, mind-bogglingly easy, doesn't require cooking, and only calls for four ingredients. And with its smoked and sun-dried elements, this dip and spread appeals to both the brainy as well as the brawny.

With an appetizer like this one, I've got no excuse to, say, not throw a Super Bowl shindig. Get your easy app on when you read more.

Dr. Ornish on the Power of Love, Chocolate, and Snacking

Lauren Turner — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:59:25 PST

We had a chance to chat with Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival. He's a featured health expert in the new documentary, Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, which examines the current state of our health care system and provides hopeful solutions based on lifestyle and dietary changes. A big proponent of chronic disease prevention through healthy habits, Dr. Ornish offered up some sound advice and simple changes we can all make to improve our health - chocolate included!

FitSugar: What do you think is the most simple, overlooked thing people can do for their health?
Dr. Ornish: Love more. What you eat, how you respond to stress, how much you exercise, whether or not you smoke, how much love and support you have. But of all those, probably the love and support. Study after study has shown that people who are lonely and depressed are 10 times for likely to die or get sick. You're more likely to smoke and abuse yourself if you're lonely and depressed. It's not enough to just work at a behavioral level and give people information; you have to work at a deeper level.

FS: Everyone has days where they don't want to exercise, how do you motivate yourself on those days?
DO: If I really don't want to, I don't, and then I'll do more the next day. What matters is your overall way of eating and living. So if you don't do something one day, do a little more the next. If I don't have time to meditate for an hour, I'll do it for a minute. It's not all or nothing at any age, and it's really up to you.

FS: People like to stick with their daily habits; how do you get individuals to change their behavior towards healthier choices?
DO: It's about helping people connect the dots between what they do and how they feel, and giving them the tools. Fear is not a sustainable motivator. You can scare people into changing for a few weeks, but not for very long. When you make changes, most people find that they feel so much better so quickly, it reframes the reason for changing from fear of dying to joy of living, and that's what makes it sustainable. Also, to realize that it's not all or nothing. Instead of saying this is good food and this is bad food, and don't ever eat meat, be a vegetarian - I never tell people that. I used to a long time ago and then I realized I was actually not only not helping people, but making it worse. It turns people off because even more than being healthy, people want to be free, so when you tell people what to do they stop listening. If you eat meat five times a day, eat it three times a day or have a meatless Monday and see how you feel. If you don't exercise one day, do a little more the next. Then you start to feel better and then it comes out of your own experience, not because some doctor or some book told you.

To find out Dr. Ornish's surprising favorite indulgence and his take on snacking just read more.

Why New Yorkers Live Longer Than the Rest of the US

Heather Dale — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:49:18 PST

Well here's a new year's shocker for you - The Annual Summary of Vital Statistics has just announced that New York City has surpassed national figures with its all-time high life expectancy of 80.6 years. That's right, New Yorkers are living longer than ever before, and not only that, but they are living, on average, two years longer than the rest of the country. "By investing in health care and continuing to encourage more New Yorkers to take charge of their own health, we've experienced dramatic improvements in life expectancy," says Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Here are the secrets behind New York City residents' longevity.

Go Girlie With Colorful, Fabric Tufting

CasaSugar — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:00:54 PST

Incorporating a tufted piece of furniture can add loads of panache to a space, but adopting such a traditional style might not be for everyone. If you still associate the trend with smoking jackets, formal libraries, and dark, glossy leather, think about adopting colorful fabric versions instead. The look is undeniably feminine and contemporary enough for a more modern aesthetic.

Jonathan Adler is a master at interpreting vintage styles in a fresh way, and he certainly doesn't shy away from color. He decorated fashion designer Liz Lange's apartment, playing with scale, texture, pattern, and of course color! The giant tufted ottoman he uses becomes the focal point of the room, not only because of its size and vibrant shade, but also because of the stark difference in textures between the clean lines of the sofa and the beautiful, feminine curves of the ottoman.

This mix of traditional and modern aesthetics creates interest in a room, and tufted pieces covered in bright hues cover both categories. Here are a variety of tufted beauties that achieve a similar look. Wouldn't this regal Palace Stool ($300) be stunning under a simple vanity? With small, spindled legs and a top-heavy shape, this Corrigan Chair ($1,700) looks incredibly cozy.

The ultimate "adult staple," though, is an amazing headboard. This Camden Headboard ($680-$1,535) almost looks like your grandmother's, but the ikat medallion print keeps it contemporary. Shop the tufted pieces above to add an element of this classic style to your pad.

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Salma Hayek Charms Us With Talk About Her Luxury Husband and Precocious Daughter

Annie Scudder — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:10:15 PDT

Salma Hayek stopped by for a friendly chat with David Letterman last night, to talk about everything from her family life to her smoking habit - which she kicked after she became pregnant. David asked a stunning Salma about her French businessman husband Francois-Henri Pinault, saying, "What's his deal?" Salma laughed and then said he was in the "luxury brand" business, and she admitted that there's "some money" there. In fact, her husband is a billionaire CEO who heads up PPR, which owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, among other high-end labels. But the cutest part of the interview came when Salma talked about her 4-year-old daughter Valentina, who wants to approve her mother's talking points, has strong opinions on her own hair style, and corrects Salma's English. Basically, Valentina sounds amazing. Watch Salma open up about her family.

Cara Kleinhaut Translates Hollywood Event Design Into Practical Decor Tips

Diana Nguyen — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:00:16 PDT

Hollywood A-listers gathered to honor nine leading ladies, including Jennifer Aniston and Barbra Streisand, at the Elle Women in Hollywood tribute Monday, but here on Casa, we think another woman deserves a spotlight: event designer extraordinaire Cara Kleinhaut. Cara and her award-winning design team at Caravents are not only responsible for the production at Elle's exclusive event, but soirees for top-notch Hollywood clients, including HBO, Target, and Condé Nast publications. Fresh from the intimate women-empowering award dinner, Cara talks to us about translating Hollywood event design into home decor, party tips, and throwing decor caution to the wind. Check out what Cara had to say:

CasaSugar: You recently designed the Elle Women in Hollywood event; what's it like to produce such a high-profile party?
Cara Kleinhaut: We do a complete room transformation at the Four Seasons in LA. We come in and build false walls, stage backdrops, room lighting . . . the room is completely built to reflect and represent the Elle brand, using Calvin Klein Collection as a big inspiration.

CS: How did you come up with the design palette?
CK: Calvin and Elle are minimalists and chic, and L'Oréal Paris is very colorful and feminine. So it was about marrying the different aesthetics that work for everyone. We used a color palette of white, slate charcoal, with pops of plum and a beautiful burgundy. And a texture palette of ultrasuede, hammered silver, plexiglass, and smoked plexiglass. Everything was a partnership with Elle, and the calla lilies were a group decision. They are extremely elegant, very structured, tailored looking, and extremely chic. It was my favorite detail of the night. Barbra Streisand loved our calla lilies!

Keep reading for Cara's tips on how to throw a fabulous Fall fete.

How to Maximize the Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Zelana Montminy — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:24:53 PDT

Chances are high you use olive oil regularly, but do you know how to best reap its health benefits? Recent studies confirm the numerous benefits of a Mediterranean diet, a diet focused on healthy fats largely sourced from olive oil. To find out how to get the most from this prized oil, I sat down with Laurent Halasz, olive oil expert and the owner of Fig and Olive, the celebrated Mediterranean and French Riviera-inspired eatery with locations in New York and Los Angeles (where the president recently dined!) to get the scoop.

Better Than Butter
Laurent suggests using olive oil instead of butter while cooking, especially as a finishing step by drizzling the oil on your dish. Drizzle it on everything, even on the most unexpected choices such as desserts - I can vouch that it's surprisingly delicious mixed with sweets!

Taste Trumps Color
When asked whether flavor or color matters more for identifying healthful oils, he notes that the health benefit of the oil comes from the level of natural antioxidants, or polyphenols. Laurent explains that "a high polyphenol content can be identified when we taste the olive oil and it creates an assertive, peppery astringency in the back of the throat and makes us cough. A bitter, unpleasant or flat olive oil usually indicates an oil that has oxidized and has low antioxidant content."

Keep on reading to learn more about olive oil.

The Vampire Diaries "The Birthday": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:00:13 PDT

The Vampire Diaries is back! The series marked its return with a birthday party, a highly anticipated sex scene, and a sadistic new personality for Stefan. While Elena and Damon are left in Mystic Falls, Stefan is off gallivanting as Klaus's puppet, partying it up and dismembering the occasional Southern belle.

While we didn't get to see much heat between Damon and Elena (aside from a jealousy-inducing bubble bath scene), the premiere episode set up and even gave us a cliffhanger and a couple brief moments of emotion. To talk about it all, just check out the good, the bad, and the bloody after the jump

Justin Timberlake Defends Britney and Says He's Not the Friends-With-Benefits Type in Playboy

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:27:00 PDT

Justin Timberlake opened up in the latest issue of Playboy about his Summer movies, Bad Teacher and Friends With Benefits, and his past and present loves. JT has been linked to sexy starlets from Olivia Wilde to Mila Kunis since his split from Jessica Biel a few months ago. He seems to be staying single for now, but Justin explained to the magazine that it's almost easier for him to date fellow famous people despite the attention and press that goes along with it. The former boy-band leader seemed at ease talking about his early life and career, including his days as a teen heartthrob and ex Britney Spears. JT even admitted to smoking pot and also shared sweet sentiments that revealed why he's really a romantic at heart. Justin Timberlake told Playboy:

On the viral video comparing Britney's old performances to her new ones: "The Internet is a cruel place. What a f*cked-up thing to do. I don’t have too much to say about her situation. I can’t remember the last conversation I had with her. But this thing that happens online bothers me - these anonymous commenters. People think they can say anything, and it doesn’t matter to people. I’d love to see the people who comment about Britney online say those things to her face, because they couldn’t. Also, in Britney’s defense, if you pulled up a video I did from 2003, I couldn’t do the sh*t I did then either."
On whether it would just be easier to date a nonceleb: "Technically, I guess. But you can’t help who you have feelings for. If you turn it off because someone is famous, then you’re being unfair to yourself. You could walk down each of those roads and find pros and cons. The girl from the dry cleaners is not going to understand how I feel about the work schedule and pressures I have. You probably gravitate toward people who understand your scenario. At the end of the day, you just want someone who gets you, who can be a friend. That’s kind of the point of Friends With Benefits. As corny as it sounds, the 'friends' part counts just as much as the 'benefits' part, if not more."
On if he thinks casual hookups between friends can work: "God, I’m the worst person to ask about that. I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever had that type of relationship. I get hooked on every level when I get close to someone. If you build enough chemistry to want to be intimate like that, someone’s going to catch feelings, and usually it happens quickly."