FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

Healthy Eating Tip: Cook Pasta in Green Tea

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:00:00 -0700

I was perusing the October issue of Shape and found an interesting tip in one of their dinner recipes. They suggested boiling your pasta noodles with bags of green tea. I thought it was a little odd at first, but then I read that it actually makes your pasta healthier because the noodles soak up the rich antioxidants from the tea. So I decided to give it a try, adding six green tea bags to six cups of boiling water. When I cooked my two and a half cups of whole wheat penne, the green tea added a subtle earthy flavor similar to spinach pasta. Give it a try the next time you make noodles and let me know what you think.

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Foods That Fight Sunburn

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Let me start by saying the most effective way to protect your skin against sunburn is using sunscreen and plenty of it – a shot-glass worth – frequently. While a bit of sunlight is healthy, since we need UV rays to synthesize vitamin D, you should wear sunscreen daily.

You can, however, boost your skin's ability to protect itself from harmful UV rays by eating certain foods like tomatoes. Don't worry if you are still avoiding raw tomatoes, the beneficial antioxidant of tomatoes increases when it is cooked and more concentrated like tomato paste. The benefits of tomatoes drastically increase when paired with olive oil. I see an Italian dinner in my near future.

Green tea, super rich in phytonutrients, is a wonder drink when it comes to health. The antioxidants in this tea have been found to block DNA damage from UV light in studies involving human skin cells. You don't need to brew yourself a hot cup of tea to enjoy the benefits of green tea. One of my favorite drinks of Summer is a green tea-lime cooler. It is refreshing.

While you can't eat your sunscreen, you can boost your natural protection. Eat and drink up!

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Green Tea Lime Cooler

FitSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:30:00 -0700

After days of fog, the SF bay area has been hit by a serious heat wave. Yesterday, my ability to concentrate started to wane in the early afternoon and I wanted a caffeinated pick me up; but hot tea seemed too hot. I improvised a green tea with lime cooler and boy did it hit the spot. So much so, that I wanted to share it with you all. It is as easy to make as it is to drink and it is great way to blend citrus with green tea increasing the amazing antioxidant levels even more!

To see the recipe, just

You Asked: How Many Cups of Green Tea a Day?

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

"Dear Fit,
You've been extolling your wisdom on the benefits of green tea, but I'm unsure how much green tea you actually have to drink for it to make a difference. I've heard as much as 10 cups a day which sounds crazy!
Thanks so much!"
– Green Tea Gina

This a great question because green tea is amazing. I feel fortunate that I do like the taste so drinking a cup or two a day is no problem for me. This is good since both
Dr. Zuo Feng Zhang, a cancer epidemiology researcher at UCLA, and the University of Maryland Medical Center recommend two to three teacups (not mugs) a day will prove beneficial to your health.

To see what drinking five cups of green tea a day can do for you

Give Your Green Tea a Boost With Citrus

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0700

In case you were feeling like your green tea wasn't already healthy enough, scientists have found a way to make the wonder juice even healthier. According to research, adding citrus juices to green tea may increase catechins — antioxidants believe to be responsible for green tea's health benefits— levels by more than five times, while vitamin C boosted absorbable levels of catechins by up to 13 times. So moral of the story? Think about squeezing a little lemon into your green tea tomorrow. Not only will it add a little extra flavor to your tea, but you'll be boosting its antioxidant power as well.

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The Seven Wonders of Green Tea

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:45:00 -0800

Whenever I read the benefits of green tea I always think to myself, "Why do I drink anything else?" There are seven wonderful things about green tea that you may or may not have known. Regardless, here are highlights:

Cut Your Cancer Risk: Several polyphenols — the potent antioxidants green tea's famous for — seem to help keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body, by discouraging their growth and then squelching the creation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive.
Soothe Your Skin: Got a cut, scrape, or bite, and a little leftover green tea? Soak a cotton pad in it.
Protect Your Skin: In the lab, green tea applied directly to the skin (or consumed) helps block sun-triggered skin cancer, which is why you're seeing green tea in more and more sunscreens and moisturizers.

There are more so

Green Tea Keeps Mice Skinny

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:00:00 -0800

I extol the benefits of green tea regularly, and now there is another great health attribute to add to the list – blocking fat and keeping extra pounds at bay. Rather, a health attribute to hopefully add to the list of benefits in the near future, since this attribute of green tea has not yet been proven in humans.

A recent study found that mice, with an obesity gene, which were fed food laced with green tea had: less weight and fat gain, had less fat in their livers, and had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. That's plenty of good stuff coming from a cup of green stuff.

What I find most encouraging about this study is that the mice were fed the equivalent of seven cups of tea, while that might seem high it is by no means an outrageous amount of tea.

Me? I will keep sipping my daily dose of green tea, mostly because I enjoy the taste. How about you? Do you like green tea? Do you drink it daily? Tell me how you feel about green tea in the comments section below.

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Green Tea Good Weapon Against Colon Cancer

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:00:00 -0800

If green tea is your favorite form of caffeine, then I've got some great news for you. According to research presented at the Sixth International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention, green-tea extract may help to prevent colon cancer.

So far, the green-tea extract has been successful in fighting cancer in rats. When rats were fed a diet containing this extract, and then injected with tumor-causing azoxymethane (a chemical known to produce colorectal tumors that share many characteristics with colorectal cancer in humans), only 27 percent of the rats developed malignant tumors. Which is considerably lower than the rats who were not give green-tea extract – 67 percent of them developed malignant tumors.

The tumors found in the rats that were given the green-tea extract were also much smaller. When researchers examined those tumors, they found green-tea extract in them. This could be the start of using green tea in prevention and treatment of colon cancer in humans. Sounds like a great reason to sit back and enjoy a relaxing cup.

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Tea and Bone Density

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:00:00 -0700

I am always up for a cup of tea. I like all colors and varieties. Herbal, green, black, rooibos, iced, hot, with lemon, with cream — I am game for any and all.

I just learned of another reason to take time out for tea: It may slow the loss of bone density. A new five-year study measured the bone density of 275 women at the beginning and end of the study. They found that women who regularly drank black and green tea had higher bone densities. The results did factor in the use of calcium supplements and smoking history.

Researchers believe that it's the estrogen-like properties found in the phytochemcial called flavanoids, which are abundant in tea, that are protecting bones against thinning.

While the study focused on elderly women in their 70s and 80s, I think it is never to young to start a healthful habit. So put on the kettle and have a cup of tea.

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Green Tea: HIV's Newest Enemy

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:15:00 -0700

I write this as I literally sip on a cup of green tea. This stuff is amazing...

New reports out of the University of Sheffield in the U.K have found that green tea, or more specifically the EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) found in green tea, prevents HIV from binding to immune system cells. How is this possible? EGCG does this by binding to immune system cells first, leaving no room for HIV to attach to the cells.

It is important to understand however that EGCG is not a cure, and nor is it a completely safe way to avoid infection. British scientists are suggesting that it could be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected. What else is great about green tea? Check out the skinny on green tea.

Chocolate is Even Better for Us

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:30:00 -0700

OK. OK - You don't have to twist my arm. I'll eat dark chocolate already.

Recent reseach has discovered yet another health benefit of chocolate. Right On!!! Based on a study where patients consumed 8 oz of cocoa (without sugar) daily for 6 weeks, researchers found the patients had increased blood flow. Good news for your heart and your taste buds.

Cocoa and dark chocolate products are considered one of the most concentrated sources of flavenoids. Red wine, green tea, fruit, and vegetables also contain flavenoids, which are the pigments in plants that act as antioxidants.

This test does not suggest that everyone start devouring Hershey's kisses and Bon-Bons daily (darn), but it does suggest that we pay more attention to how dark chocolate and other flavenoid-rich foods might offer help to our heart and body. Who knows, maybe down the road your doctor will prescribe heart medication made out of cocoa.

The antioxidants in dark chocolate can also lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol. So if you're a chocoholic, make sure you're consuming the dark stuff. It has a higher percentage of cocoa than milk-chocolate.

Augustus Gloop knew this all along. No wonder he took a dip in Willy Wonka's chocolate river. Knowing what I know now about the health benefits of chocolate, I would too.

Tazo Tea for the Soul

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Have you heard of Tazo Tea? They're a unique tea company offering delicious tea from all over the world. The name Tazo actually means "river of life," and "fresh." It's a great name considering that Tazo teas are invigorating, satisfying, and all around good for the soul.

You can get black tea in flavors like Vanilla, Earl Grey, Citron, Darjeeling, and they even make a decaffeinated Chai tea.
Tazo also makes delicious green teas. You can get Green Ginger, Lotus, and Zen teas that combines green tea with the taste of spearmint, lemongrass, and a hint of lemon zest. I love the one named Om, which is a combination of green and black teas.

Since I have a sweet tooth, I love their herbal infusion teas. Flavors such as Sweet Cinnamon Spice, Wild Sweet Orange, and Tazo Honeybush are wonderful on a cold day.

Fit's Tips: I always keep Tazo's Calm tea in the house when I need to relax with the soothing taste of chamomile. Tazo's Refresh is great for a tummy ache with its mix of peppermint and spearmint. In the summer time, I love to make iced tea out of Tazo's Passion tea. It's a light red tea with a delicate hint of hibiscus flowers.

Fit Finding Follow Up: Tea to Try

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:30:00 -0800

Tea was one of the trends YumSugar spotted at the Fancy Food Show. I was so inspired that I asked you all to Fit Find your favorite tea for me to try.

Here's a few I think sound really tasty:

Thanks:crispet1, scratch5, and DesignRchic for all of the suggestions.

You should definitely check out all of the teas.

If the term "Fit Find" is new to you, please read and watch geeksugar's excellent explanation of our bookmarking system. It will get you started and you will be bookmarking all over the internet.

Fit Finding: Tea - Green, Black, White, Red or Herbal

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Tea has been in the news a lot lately. But here's a new tid bit for you: To get the most health benefits from tea you need to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less antioxidants.
There is still time to Fit Find your favorite tea. Any kind of tea, be it green, black, white, red, herbal - I am interested in all kinds.

Be sure to "tag your finds with the phrase "tea to try."

If the term "Fit Find" is new to you, please read and watch geeksugar's excellent explanation of our bookmarking system.

Fit Finding: Tea - Green, Black, White, Red or Herbal

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Tea, ya know I love a good "cuppa." I am wondering if you do too? Earlier I told you about the free samples from Yogi tea, but I know there are so many teas out there that I have yet to try. So let's go Fit Finding for some tea. Any kinds of tea, be it green, black, white, red, herbal - I am interested in all kinds.

Be sure to "tag: your finds with the phrase "tea to try."

If the term "Fit Find" is new to you, please read and watch geeksugar's excellent explanation of our bookmarking system.

Free Yogi Tea

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:30:00 -0800

As you guys know already, I am really into tea. One of my favorite brands, Yogi Tea, just happens to be giving away FREE samples right now. What's more? You even get to pick out your desired tea experience (A World of Flavor, Fragrant and Uplifting, Seasonal Support, Wellness from Within and Especially for Women).

Don't worry, you don't have to take a long survey or anything -- Just fill out the informational form so they know where to send your free samples. Visit YogiTea.com to get your free tea.

It doesn't get any better than that!

The Skinny On: Green Tea

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Green Tea is so good for you. But do you have any idea why?

The reason lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. HUH? Basically EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that lowers LDL cholesterol levels and inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots. Ahhh... but there is more.

Drink it to keep your mind sharp. A 2006 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that elderly Japanese people who drank more than 2 cups of green tea per day had a 50% lower chance of having cognitive impairment than those who drank less or who consumed other tested beverages.

For another reason to drink green tea

FITSUGAR SNEAK PEEK: Relax Already!

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:57:21 -0800

Hey gang - Get excited because FitSugar is coming soon! See below for a sneak peek:

Jessica Biel spends a lot of time walking her dogs. Maybe she is doing it to relieve some of the stresses of being named Sexiest Woman Alive.

Here are some tips for simple ways to lower your stress to a level that you (and everyone else around you) can handle:

Take Fido for a nice long walk. Your adorable four-legged companion is desperate to spend time with you so go outside to make both of you happier. Besides, Fido makes you smile, that is why you got a dog in the first place, right?
Antioxidants, antioxidants, antioxidants! A big ‘ole glass of pomegranate juice or green tea is not only delicious and de-stressing, but it also detoxifies. What’s better than that?
Get off your butt! Kinetics generate positive energy. If you’re feeling stressed, hop on the treadmill and tune your iPod to motivating music…try Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On to keep you rambling on.
Write in a journal. Get your thoughts out in a personal way. Sometimes it just helps to have your thoughts, worries and stresses out there. Don’t forget to include all your fabulous happenings too!
A quick and easy de-stressor that everyone should have on hand is Bach Rescue Remedy. A few quick drops of this gentle flower essence under the tongue or in a small glass of water will bring anyone’s stress level down. You can use it on your dog, your children, your husband… the options are endless. A bonus is that it’s small enough that I always carry a bottle in my purse.

Want to have Jessica Biel's body but don't know how to get it? Need to learn how to de-stress the healthy way? Itching to discuss whether eating organic is worth it or totally over-hyped? Read about all of this and more on our next site, FitSugar!

FitSugar is coming soon. Sign up to recieve an email notification as soon as we launch!

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