FitSugar

What in the World Is Maltodextrin?

FitSugar — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:34:23 PDT

If you're obsessed with reading labels, then you've probably come across the ingredient maltodextrin. Sounds like some type of sugar, but is it safe to eat? It'll settle your mind to know that this common additive is an easily digestible carbohydrate made from rice, corn, or potato starch (celiacs beware - it can also be derived from barley or wheat). It's made by cooking down the starch, and then acid and/or enzymes break the starch down even further.

Maltodextrin is a white powder often used in processed foods as a thickener or a filler since it's fairly inexpensive, as well as in pharmaceuticals as a binding agent. You'll find it in canned fruits, snacks, cereal, desserts, instant pudding, sauces, and salad dressings. Since it contains fewer calories than sugar, it's also found in sugar substitutes, such as Splenda or Equal.

Maltodextrin is usually used in such small amounts that it doesn't have a significant impact in terms of the amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, or fiber it adds to foods. Although maltodextrin is processed and it's not the healthiest thing to put in our bodies, at least we know it's made from real food, not some nasty chemicals.

Style For Style: Easy Traveling With Cotton

FabSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:00:22 PDT

Even though it's been a while since the Transportation Security Agency implemented airport liquid regulations, I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Simply put: it's freaking annoying. But, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize my trip. What I can do is minimize the liquids I take on my travels with me. For cotton items, like this Victoria's Secret Plaid Shirtdress ($68), I learned a brilliant solution to keep them wrinkle-free and travel-easy.

To easy-travel with cotton,

To keep my cotton dresses, shirts, and pants crisp, I use spray starch, like this Faultless Spray Starch ($4). When traveling, however, I don't bring the bulky can with me. So here's what I do . . .

Spray all cotton clothes with starch the day of the flight.
Cover them individually with a plastic bag.
Neatly fold them into luggage or hang them in garment bag.
Upon arrival of destination, take starched clothes out of plastic bags.

Just don't forget step two; you don't want to mess up your non-cotton clothes.

Know Your Ingredients: Manioc Starch

Susannah Chen — Thu, 12 May 2011 04:14:59 PDT

A recent preoccupation with Brazilian recipes has led me to discover a number of South American pantry staples that aren't commonly used in the United States. Manioc starch is one of those; this powdery, flour-like ingredient comes from the cassava (also known as yucca or mandioca). In many tropical countries, this root vegetable gets pressed in order to make cassava meal, thereby releasing starchy juices that, when dried, is called manioc starch.

In Brazil, the starch comes in two forms: polvilho doce, or sweet manioc starch, is made from fresh juice; polvilho azedo, or sour manioc starch, is the byproduct of fermented manioc juice. Both are crucial ingredients to making the culture's famous cheese bread. (Don't confuse it with manioc flour, a more coarsely ground version.) Manioc starch can also be used as a thickening agent in gravies or sauces, a gluten-free replacement in baked goods, and in desserts such as banana poe. Have you ever cooked with cassava?

A Makeover For Your Grocery List

LilSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:17:02 PDT

If your child has been diagnosed with a food allergy, you know both cooking at home and dining out can quickly become a challenge. Since healthy eating begins at home, and eating at home begins at the grocery store, we turned to Amie Valpone of The Healthy Apple for some advice on how to stock your pantry for success, whether you're dealing with food allergies or just want to take a cleaner approach to your family's diet. See how Amie, a nutritionist who specializes in clean eating, fills up her own grocery cart, and how you can transform your own to accommodate your family's dietary needs.

"Cleaning" Up Your Grocery List

Essential Condiments

Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaxseed oil
Grape seed oil
Champagne vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Organic Dijon mustard
Organic coarse, seeded mustard
San-J wheat-free tamari soy sauce
Amy's Organic salsa
Sun-dried tomatoes
Hummus (try Tribe, Wild Garden, Sabra, or Cedar's)
Hot sauce (try Cholula or Sriracha)
Miso (white, barley, and red)
Organic lemon juice

Continue reading for what to buy in the gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer departments.

4 Earth-Friendlier Kitty Litter Substances

PetSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:00:00 PDT

Choosing kitty litter is a tough decision! There are so many options out there, and changing litter types can upset your cat and cause naughty "elimination" behaviors. Many users shy away from the traditional clay or silica gel varieties which can contain carcinogens and burden landfills, and choose more eco-tastic styles instead.

To see my four earth-friendly alternatives, keep reading.

Colorful and Varied: A Brazilian Food Primer

Camilla Salem — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:00:34 PDT

Photo: Susannah Chen

For a country as large as Brazil, it's no surprise that each region has its own traditional recipes and dishes. Regional cuisines have been influenced over time by immigrants and what natural crops are available to them. In the North, you will find caruru, a dish featuring okra, onions, shrimp, peanuts, and palm oil, and in the South, you'll be able to sit down to a plate of lasagna. The Northeast enjoys a stew that has been made for 300 years, while the Southeast is more accustomed to meals featuring rice and beans. Regardless of all of the differences, all of the different cuisines sound fresh and flavorful. Find out some basic Brazilian dishes and ingredients when you keep reading.

Food For the Seoul: A Korean Cuisine Primer

Sara Yoo — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:40:04 PDT

Source: Flickr User aemosion

The Korean Peninsula's position between China and Japan might lead you to believe that the cuisine is heavily influenced by both countries, but over the centuries, Korean food has developed into a genre quite distinct from its neighbors. Perhaps best known for smoky barbecue and spicy pickled cabbage kimchi, the cuisine actually is heavy on seafood and vegetables with plenty of nonspicy options. Of course, we'll never turn down piping hot charcoal barbecue or bubbling, peppery stews, but we're happy to sample any of the region's deliciously diverse dishes and soulful seasonings. For some popular dishes and ingredients keep reading

Endurance Athlete Brendan Brazier on How to Fuel an Active Lifestyle the Vegan Way

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:23:09 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

Ironman triathlete and ultramarathoner Brendan Brazier realized early on in his career that diet would play a big role in his overall performance. "Longer events really level the athletic playing field. It becomes more about training and the speed of recovery than about natural ability," Brazier says. "Nutrition allows you to train harder and recover faster."

The refined white starches he had added to his diet to make up for the carbohydrates he was burning weren't increasing his energy levels as much as he had hoped. After extensive research, Brazier found that about 80 percent of recovery is linked to good nutrition. "Eating more doesn't always mean more energy. You can be overfed while being undernourished," he says.

Brazier eased into a whole food-based, vegan diet heavy on healthy whole grains (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat), plant proteins (hemp, pea, rice), and dark leafy greens. Besides increasing his rate of recovery, he discovered that this eating plan of frequent, small meals helped him be more productive and sleep better.

"Look at Google. They were trying to decrease the amount of sick days their staff members were taking, so they put in cafés with healthy food. Since everything was free, employees would graze throughout the day. There was no midafternoon crash, and many people were more productive and took fewer sick days," Brazier explains.

Today, Brazier enjoys fitness recreationally and advises professional athletes about nutrition (Montell Owens, a Jacksonville Jaguar Pro Bowler, and Simon Whitfield, an Olympic triathlete, among others). He guest-lectures at Cornell University, has written three books, most recently Thrive Foods, and just launched Thrive Foods Direct meal-delivery service.

We couldn't wait for the meals to hit our doorstep, so we asked Brendan to share one of his favorite recipes. Keep reading to learn how to make his superpowered pizza.

More from Fitness Magazine:

How to Rewind Your Health History

Go Green! Springy Superfoods to Add to Your Diet

Reboot Your Metabolism

Source: brendanbrazier.com

Turning Japanese: a Japanese Cuisine Primer

Sara Yoo — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:28:46 PST

We know it best for sushi, ramen, and teriyaki chicken, but Japanese cuisine actually encompasses a vast range of dishes and flavors. Japan may be a relatively small island nation, but its topography is peppered with snow-capped mountains, broad agricultural fields, and plenty of seashore. Pasture land is at a premium, so the diet tends to be low in animal fats and relies heavily on locally sourced vegetables, grains, sea plants, and fish, with recipes adapted to the country's diverse regional preferences. But before you write it off as complicated and intimidating, know that you can complete your Japanese pantry with just a few staples, and most dishes are designed to be prepared in under an hour - perfect for a weeknight meal! Ready to learn more about turning your kitchen Japanese? Get started when you keep reading.

Eating Tips From The Bigger Loser's Former Nutritionist

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:17:18 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

When Cheryl Forberg - registered dietitian, James Beard award-winning chef, and creator of The Biggest Loser meal plan - signed onto the show for its first season, she was shocked at the contestants' states of health. "Most of what I did was not on camera; at the beginning of every season, the applicant pool was huge. Season five alone had 220,000 applicants. Once we weeded applicants out down to about 75, we could start doing physical tests while I met with them to talk about eating habits and their weight loss and weight gain tendencies," she said. "The first season was shocking to hear their eating habits, but after a few seasons, I realized I was hearing the same thing over and over again."

Read below as Forberg shares her experiences with The Biggest Loser, the nutrition factors she used to make the meal plan, and a healthy spread you can make easily at home.

What were you most surprised to discover about with the diets of the past contestants on The Biggest Loser?

I found all the contestants had things in common, like the belief that skipping meals promotes weight loss, drinking too many calories, having too much processed fast food, not eating very many fruits and vegetables, little to no water consumption, not eating enough whole grains, and forgetting to plan ahead. Everybody had a different combination of one these things, but what they all had in common was prioritizing their family, work, or something else over themselves. They needed to put their head in the game and get healthy so that they could be around to take care of the people and things they loved. They needed to start taking care of themselves.

More healthy eating tips after the break.