FitSugar

Are You a Snack Master?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:00:00 PDT

I do believe firmly in snacking and think it's losing its bad reputation. No longer perceived as a way to ruin mealtime, snacking can boost your metabolism and help you through that mid-day slump. Regardless of how you feel about snacking, are you a snack master? Take this little quiz to find out.

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Nighttime Fasting: A New Way to Lose Weight?

Shape — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:09:52 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

If you couldn’t let anything cross your lips from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., but you were allowed to eat anything you wanted for eight hours a day and still lose weight, would you try it? That’s the apparent bottom line of a rat study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, which recently stirred up the weight loss pot.

Top 50 Summer Diet Foods for Weight Loss

Scientists put groups of mice on different diet regimens for 100 days. One group of rodents ate healthy food while animals in two of the groups chowed down on high-fat, high-calorie feed. Half of the junk food eaters were allowed to munch whenever they wanted to while the others only had access to feed for the eight hours they were most active. The conclusion: even though they ate a fatty diet, the mice who were forced to fast for 16 hours were almost as lean as those who ate the healthy fare. Interestingly, the round the clock junk food eaters became obese and developed health problems, even though they consumed about the same amount of fat and calories as the time-restricted junk food fed mice.

See if a nutritionist thinks nighttime fasting works after the break!

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

How to Make Your Own Balsamic Reduction

Susannah Chen — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:30:02 PDT

If you're already a fan of making your own snacks, then why not start preparing your own condiments, too? One of the easiest in my book is balsamic glaze: all you really need is a bottle of balsamic vinegar and 10 minutes. Here's how you do it:

Pour a cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the heat to a boil without reducing the heat on the stove.
At this point, turn down the heat so that boil reduces to a simmer. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by at least half (for a thinner reduction) or more (for a more syrupy consistency). However impatient you may be, don't try to increase the heat, unless you want to be left with a stiff, hardened mess!
Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container; store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Use your new condiment as the base for healthy antipasto skewers, or serve it with fruit and ice cream for an easy yet sophisticated finish to your meal. Ready to move on to more condiments? Master recipes for homemade ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.

Have you ever made a balsamic reduction?

Source: Flickr User thepinkpeppercorn

3 Easy Ways to Get More Key Nutrients

Shape — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:10:31 PST

According to the most recent nutrition surveys, the majority of Americans fall short when it comes to hitting the recommended marks for the three most important food groups: fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Picture this: if you add up all the fruit and veggie servings the average American should have had over a lifetime that they did not eat, they would fill an entire football field. That’s a lot of missing nutrients!

If you tend to fall short of the targets, which are two daily servings of fruit, and three each for veggies and whole grains, start by focusing on adding one extra serving in each category per day. If you’re consistent, just these three changes can snowball into huge health benefits over time.

See how to get more nutrients in your diet after the break!

Harley Pasternak's Diet Tips For Brides-to-Be

Susi May — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:17:51 PDT

Harley Pasternak trains some of the hottest ladies in Hollywood, from Lady Gaga to Megan Fox. He's also helped a few starlets, including Hilary Duff and Katy Perry, get ready to walk down the aisle. Since Harley has a masters degree in nutrition, which complements his advanced degree in exercise physiology, he knows getting wedding ready is as much about diet as it is exercise. Here are some of his tips to help you get ready for your big day.

Don't waste calories on bevvies: Harley found that although many of his clients, brides-to-be included, would eat healthy meals, they chased the food down with a Jamba Juice or other high-caloric drinks. Instead of soda and coffee concoctions, those tasty but notorious calorie bombs, he recommends sparkling water, vitaminwater zero, FUZE Slenderize, or tea - unsweetened, of course. "These beverages are still delicious, still hydrating, and will keep you feeling full but are not too high in calories," explains Pasternak.
Snack wisely: Snacks are an important element of Harley's 5-Factor Diet. The eating plan consists of eating three meals and two snacks daily. The diet includes many snack options, but he suggests you "opt for something simple like nonfat Greek yogurt with berries or mix nonfat Greek yogurt with a little bit of peanut butter for dipping apple slices." Another option is a miniature open-faced sandwich with high-fiber crackers instead of bread. Wasa or Ryvita are two brands Harley recommends. Just remember to skip the mayo and use naturally low-calorie mustard as your condiment of choice.
Avoid the bloat: To keep your belly from pooching on your big day, Harley suggests "eating foods that are really easy to digest, like smoothies." Foods to avoid? "Beans and anything with a lot of roughage." It's also a good idea to minimize heavily acidic foods too.

Devilish Halloween Playlist

Susi May — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:23:49 PDT

Before you snack yourself silly on fun-sized treats, you should definitely work out. And why not rock out while you get your sweat on? I've rounded up some of my favorite ghoulish, dark, and devilish heavy metal tunes to super charge your workout. Caution: head banging on the treadmill can be dangerous, so be kind to your neck and rock out with care.

Take a listen!

To see the playlist keep on reading!

3 So-Called Healthy Foods That Aren't

Shape — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:58:20 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, here on FitSugar.

This morning I visited The Early Show to talk to host Erica Hill about healthy imposters - selections that seem nutritionally superior, but really, not so much! Here are a few examples:

Veggie Sticks or Puffed Veggie Snacks

They may look like dried veggies but the first ingredient in many of these snacks is potato flour with veggies far lower in the ingredient list (which means they make up a smaller percentage of each bite). They also tend to have more sodium - up to twice as much - and you only save about 30 calories and 3 g of fat per serving compared to their traditional counterparts. Stick with good old fashioned potato chips, as long as the only ingredients are potatoes, pure vegetable oil, and salt. They're much more natural and potatoes are a good source of potassium and antioxidants. 

Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

 Reduced fat PB can pack the exact same number of calories per serving and usually more sugar than regular PB. That's because they aren't able to take the fat out, so they have to add sugar or carbs to displace the fat content. Plus, the fat in peanut butter is "good" heart healthy monounsaturated fat (or MUFAs), which has been shown to reduce belly fat. Stay true to all natural regular PB or other natural nut butters, like almond, cashew, pecan, etc.

Keep on reading to learn one more food to avoid.

What's Yummy This Week

YumSugar — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 04:05:00 PST

Celebrate Mardi Gras with Damn Good Sweet's banana pudding.
Check out our comprehensive coverage of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
Meet the contestants of Top Chef Masters 3!
Why chef Scott Conant might be the most charming chef we've ever met.
Plan a Mardi Gras extravaganza, from finger food to hurricanes to a budget-friendly look.
Top Chef All-Star Fabio Viviani weighs in on this week's episode with memorable one-liners.
On hand at the reveal of Ben & Jerry's newest flavor, Late Night Snack.
Rick Bayless talks to us about Mexican cuisine in America.

Why You Might Feel Lousy When You Lose Weight

Shape — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:37:21 PDT

I've had a private practice for a long time, so I've coached many people on their weight-loss journeys. Sometimes they feel fantastic as the pounds drop off, as though they're on top of the world and have energy through the roof. But some people struggle with what I call weight-loss backlash, the physiological and psychological side effects of weight loss that are powerful enough to make you feel downright miserable. Here are three you may encounter (do they sound familiar?) and how to get through the rough patch.

Toxin Release
According to research published in the International Journal of Obesity, environmental pollutants trapped in fat cells are released back into the bloodstream when you lose weight. The data collected from 1,099 adults looked at blood concentrations of six pollutants as people lost weight. Compared to those who reported gaining weight over a 10-year period, those who had lost significant pounds had 50-percent higher levels of pollutants in their blood. Scientists say the release of these chemicals as body fat is lost may account for feeling ill as you shrink your shape.
Advice:
This study highlights why it's particularly important to eat a "clean" diet that boosts immunity and optimizes health as you lose weight. In my experience, low-calorie diets comprised of processed foods or ultra-low carb diets that omit antioxidant rich fruits and whole grains can add to feelings of sluggishness or symptoms like headaches and irritability. My best advice is to eat on a regular schedule to give your body consistency, which plays a major role in regulating hormones, and focus on the quality of your food by building meals made from nutrient-rich balanced portions of veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, plant-based fats, and antioxidant-rich seasonings.

See how to cope with the other negative side effects of weight loss after the break!