FitSugar

Bloated? These Foods May Be the Culprit

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:07 PST

The gift of a bloated belly isn't only reserved for women during that time of the month. Sometimes it's the foods we eat that can cause that full, gassy feeling. Here's a list of foods that may be contributing to your balloon-like belly, so you may want to think about limiting or avoiding them.

Dairy products: Lactose intolerance can range from mild to severe, but either way, gas is usually a symptom. Try limiting the amount of milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream you eat and see if that helps. If it does, you don't have to ditch dairy altogether. Drink lactose-free milk, or take Lactaid pills to help your body digest milk products.
Apples and pears: These fruits contain about four grams of fiber per serving, so they're an excellent source of soluble fiber, but they can also wreak havoc on sensitive tummies. Don't avoid them entirely though. Eating half or a quarter of these fruits along with other foods will allow you to enjoy their flavor without paying the price.
Beans: This magical fruit contains oligosaccharide, a type of sugar which is not normally digestible by our bodies. When this sugar reaches your large intestine, the bacteria go to town eating it up, and the gas you produce is an unfortunate byproduct.

To see what other foods may be causing your bloated tummy

When a Stomachache Needs Medical Attention

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:30:00 PST

Have you ever had a stomachache that makes you wonder, is this more than just a stomachache? You're not alone perhaps every time I have gas pains I wonder if I something more serious is going on down there.

Sometimes it is just hard to tell with our bodies, so I was thrilled to see this list of symptoms that would indicate that tummy ache is something more (and may even warrant a trip to the hospital):

Very sharp, severe and sudden pain
Fever along with your stomach or abdominal pain
Vomiting blood, or having bloody diarrhea
Soreness or tenderness in the abdomen
An abdomen that is hard and rigid
Inability to have a bowel movement, particularly if you are also vomiting
Pain in the chest, neck or shoulder
Dizziness or lightheadedness

Source

Don't Lick the Spoon! Holiday Baking Tips to Prevent Illness

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:38:56 PST

It's holiday baking time! But before you whip up all those fruitcakes and homemade Christmas cookies, keep these tips in mind to prevent the stomachache of food-borne illness and the headache of chemicals in foods.

Don't Lick the Spoon
Spritz cookies with a side of salmonella? Sounds like the worst holiday ever. Prevent a horrible bout of food poisoning this season by resisting the gooey, sugary raw cookie dough. One in 10,000 eggs may be contaminated with salmonella inside the egg shell, so it's just not worth the health risk. The same goes for ready-to-bake dough purchased at the grocery store. Recent news linked the 2009 E. coli outbreak to consuming prepackaged cookie dough, reinforcing the importance of baking batter to kill unwanted pathogens.

Keep reading to find out two more tips to stay healthy while baking this holiday season.

An Outside Eye on Her 3-Month Elimination Diet

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:32:29 PDT

This post is from the OnSugar blog An Outside Eye. Read her thoughts on doing a three-month elimination diet.

I just finished up three straight months of a fascist eating program courtesy of my insightful and talented acupuncturist, Caylie See. As I wrote about in the beginning, I went cold turkey off coffee and tea, sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, vinegar, soy, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers, among other things. I also took Chinese herbs three times a day for three months, swallowed a handful of acidophilus pills every morning, got needles stuck up in me weekly, did yoga regularly (yup), started hiking more, journaled every day, and just generally took immaculate and spectacular care of myself.

Now that I am wrapping up this program, people in my life are asking me how I feel. "You must feel amazing," they say.

The truth is, I don't feel that much more amazing than I did before - which was far from amazing. (What is the opposite of "amazing"?) My size six jeans still don't fit by a long shot; I still get a stomachache every single time I get anxious (which is always); yoga still feels like torture; I still can't walk straight up a hill without getting winded and really irritable. I still need 10 hours of sleep a night and feel like I have the flu if I don't get it. I still get nasty PMS and I still feel mildly congested and sinusy most of the time.

To find out what positive things came from the diet,

Top Trends From Aspen's Food & Wine Classic

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:46:18 PDT

What happens as a result of four days of nonstop eating and drinking? Well, in the case of Aspen's Food & Wine Classic, the answer isn't just limited to food comas and stomachaches (although we endured a few of those, too). After multiple meals and trips to the tasting tents, it became clear that there were themes among the many dishes we tasted. Here's what was hot at the Classic, and what you'll likely be seeing more of in the coming months.

You Asked: Could Wine Give Me a Headache?

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:50:53 PST

Dear Fit,
In college, I was more into sipping cocktails and drinking beer, but recently I started drinking wine with dinner. I love the taste and how it pairs with more complicated dishes I have started to cook. I've noticed that I get this dull headache when I drink it though. Is this common? Is there a way to prevent it?
- Whining About Wine

As Thomas Jefferson said,"Good wine is a necessity of life for me." Although Jefferson's "necessity" is considered a relaxant and offers a variety of health benefits, drinking wine can cause some unfortunate side effects, including headaches. To find out why, continue reading

Herbal Primer From Goddess Body: Red Raspberry Leaf

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:30:35 PST

The OnSugar blog Goddess Body shares why you should put some red raspberry leaf into your diet.

Red Raspberry leaf is used as a basic herbal foundation for all female organs and problems. Shoshanna from www.bulkherbstore.com shows you some ways to use red raspberry leaf. Here's more info from www.bulkherbstore.com:

Strengthens wall of uterus and entire female reproductive system.

Decreases profuse menstrual flow.

Good during all months of pregnancy. Alleviates morning sickness and nausea. Has been used as a preventative for hemorrhaging during labor. Assists labor, makes delivery easier and relieves after pains. Tones and regulates before, during and after childbirth.

Increases and enriches milk for lactation, can be combined with marshmallow tea.

Raspberry tea is mild and pleasant to taste. It is good for stomachaches and bowel problems in children. For diarrhea in babies.

Soothing to stomach and bowels and cankerous conditions of mucous membranes in the alimentary canal.

High mineral and vitamin source.

Please consult an herbal specialist when using herbal products.

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