FitSugar

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,

read more 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.

What in the World is Maltodextrin?

FitSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:30:00 PDT

You know I have become obsessed with reading labels, and since I keep coming across maltodextrin I decided to find out what it really is.

Maltodextrin is an easily digestible carbohydrate made from rice, corn or potato starch. It's a white powder used in processed foods as a thickener, or a filler since it's fairly inexpensive. Also used in pharmaceuticals as a binding agent, it is also found in sugar substitutes, like Splenda for example.

Maltodextrin is made by cooking down the starch, and then acid and/or enzymes break the starch down even further, kind of like what the body does to digest carbohydrates. It's usually used in such small amounts, so it doesn't have a significant impact in terms amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, or fiber. Every gram of maltodextrin has 4 calories, which is not really a significant caloric load.
Although maltodextrin is processed and it's not the best thing to be consuming, at least now we know that it's made from real food - not some nasty chemicals.

Fit's Tip: Celiacs beware! In Europe, maltodextrin can be derived from barley or wheat, but then it should be labeled as "wheat maltodextrin."

Source

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?

Feel-Full Quick Tricks

Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:49:40 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Health.com

It's not just what you eat that can make you more satisfied - it's how you eat, too. Try these tips to feel fuller longer.

H2O some more
Drink two eight-ounce glasses (16 ounces total) of water before each meal. It will fill up your stomach and trim up to 60 calories per meal.

Health.com: Which Foods Burn the Most Fat?

Flavor of the day
Use vinegar (or vinaigrette) and cinnamon for flavor whenever possible. These two ingredients can help regulate blood sugars after meals and help you feel full longer after eating, according to a study from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, in Zurich, Switzerland.

Keep reading for quick feel-full tricks.

How to Get Rihanna's Rock-Hard Abs

Shape — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:32:58 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Rihanna is one hot singing sensation. Having recently been named the best-selling digital artist of all time - thanks to a whopping 47.5 million downloads of her hits - the sexy songstress is also a top contender for album of the year at this year’s Grammy Awards.

But not only does the Barbadian beauty know how to rock a stage, she also rocks a bikini, too! No stranger to showin’ off some skin, getting that taut and tight tummy definitely takes work.

The Top 10 Best-Dressed Stars at the Golden Globes

That’s where inspirational fitness expert extraordinaire Ary Nuñez comes in; she’s been training the artist hard for almost four years. “We focus on the core muscles and we do a ton of repetitions,” Nuñez says.

See Rihanna's ab workout after the break.

3 Simple Ways to Eat Healthier in 2012

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:55:57 PST

You might have told yourself that this year is about trimming down your sugar, coffee, and fatty food intake. However, cutting out these foods quickly can make you feel deprived, which may lead to overindulging later. Rather than cutting out all the bad stuff, add in a few healthy, tangible choices to your daily diet. Here are three small foods you can easily eat, so you can feel healthier and accomplished each day.

Green smoothie or juice: Sometimes it's tough to get your daily dose of veggies and fruit, so why not start the day off right with a large glass of something that's packed with antioxidants and nutrients? If you're a smoothie drinker, try Kimberly Snyder's Glowing Green Smoothie. If you have a juicer (or are looking to invest in one), try out this sweet and gingery green juice recipe.

See more tips.

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

Beyond Mashed Potatoes: 10 Ways With Spuds

Susannah Chen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:04:06 PST

Potatoes are a starch available year-round, but with rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, and yams taking root, there's no better time than now to enjoy the good old spud as well. How should you use them? Well, if you had more than enough mashed potatoes over Thanksgiving, try eating potatoes a different way. Here are a bunch of our favorite ideas.

Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder's Thanksgiving Advice

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:08:09 PST

Thanksgiving dinner is all about decadent dietary splurges, yet if weight loss or weight maintenance is on your mind this Thursday, there are still ways you can have your stuffing and eat it too. We asked Kimberly Snyder, a celebrity clinical nutritionist and the author of The Beauty Detox Solution, what she recommends you should load onto your Thanksgiving plate, so you can feel good about your dietary choices.

Here are Kimberly's three tips:

"You can enjoy the heavier foods at Thanksgiving, since it is a special meal and time of the year, but be sure to still load up on veggies. They will act as a natural form of portion control for the heavier foods."
"If your family or friends do not usually serve salads or veggies, offer to make or bring some. Try to include green, non-starch baked veggies such as zucchinis, broccoli, or cauliflower."
"Sweet potatoes, full of beta carotene and fiber, are a more nutritious choice over white bread, sliced breads, or buns that may be on the table. It is a good idea to load up on sweet potatoes, and skip all the bread."

If you end up overindulging after all and are looking for a quick way to get back on track, Kimberly recommends her Glowing Green Smoothie to jumpstart your metabolism.

Source: Lenka Drstakova

Happy Thanksgiving Digestion Tips: Before, During, and After

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:09:23 PST

You know it's Thanksgiving when your gut is bloated, the top button of your pants is undone, and a terrible heartburn sends you to bed. Overeating might be causing some of these digestive pains, but there are several other measures you can take to avoid a post-Thanksgiving belly as well as help your body break down the fatty meal.

Before the Thanksgiving dinner: Wait to eat until you are sitting down. It may be tempting to pick at the buffet of offerings in the kitchen before you take your place at the table, but it's harder to control portions if you're standing up and snagging bites here and there. By waiting, you actually prime your body for digestion. The smells and sights of the delicious buffet trigger the production of extra saliva and digestive acids to help break down food. If you don't give your body enough time to produce these natural digestive aids, you will feel some discomfort and bloating later, as your body works harder to break down the food.