PopSugar

Sushi Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Oftentimes we think of sushi as a healthy way to eat out, while that may be true some rolls can pack a lot of hidden calories and sodium. Hopefully this breakdown will help you to be wise in your choices the next time you're eating sushi.

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Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)
Edamame (1/2 cup)	90	5	3	2
Seaweed Salad (1/2 cup)	70	4	10	8
California Roll (1 roll)	361	6	66	7
Philly Roll (1 roll)	517	20	59	7
Shrimp Tempura Roll (1 roll)	508	21	64	10
Tempura Roll (1 roll)	531	11	82	10
Dragon Roll (1 roll)	507	18	66	13
Rainbow Roll (1 roll)	489	9	66	7
Veggie Roll (1 roll)	349	7	65	9
Spicy Tuna Roll (1 roll)	449	11	57	7
Salmon Nigiri (1 pc.)	68	1	9	1
Eel Nigiri (1 pc.)	108	5	11	2
Shrimp Nigiri (1 pc.)	44	0	8	1
Egg Cake Nigiri (1 pc.)	73	1	13	5
Tuna Nigiri (1 pc.)	60	0	8	1
Yellowtail Nigiri (1 pc.)	54	0.5	8	1
Pickled Ginger (13 g)	9	0	2.4	1
Wasabi (4 g)	7	0	1	0
Soy Sauce (1 pkt)	16	0	2	0

Fit's Tips: The spicy items tend to be higher in calories as the spicy sauce is usually mayonnaise based. Also, tempura (aka fried) means higher calories, so don't go tempura if you're looking for lighter fare. Finally, look for a lower sodium soy sauce, most restaurants have both options and the low sodium will greatly reduce your salt intake.

Tips For Keeping Sushi Healthy

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

I love sushi just as much as the next girl. In fact, I could eat it everyday if I could afford it. The problem with sushi is that it has such a healthy stigma attached to it but there are many rolls and dishes that are super high in calories and saturated fat. One shrimp tempura roll (fried shrimp) can have upwards of 508 calories. That's disheartening since I could put down two shrimp tempura rolls on my own - yikes!

So because I wanted to find a way to still be able to eat my sushi and enjoy it, I searched for ways to keep it healthy. Here are some tips from the Honolulu Advertiser that can help make ordering sushi a little more healthy:

Steer clear of fried or battered foods, such as dumplings, tempura and spider rolls. There's no sense in making fish unhealthy. When ordering at a Japanese restaurant, look for broiled, grilled or steamed items. Typically, soup and sashimi are low in calories.
Avoid new-wave sushi. Be especially careful when it comes to rolls with duck, cheese or other high-fat ingredients. Also stay away from eel, which is high in calories and fat.

There are more great tips so read more.

Keep sodium down. Use less soy sauce or request the low-sodium kind. Also note that miso is quite high in sodium.
Limit the extras. Mayonnaise, cream cheese and even a creamy Japanese dressing on the green salad can add significant calories to what you're eating.
Avoid the feeding frenzy. Yes, there are many good sushi choices, but try to stick to one or two lower-calorie rolls. Order steamed veggies, hijiki (cooked seaweed) or oshitashi (boiled spinach with soy sauce) to fill you up.
Keep your food safe. Any raw fish or shellfish can contain parasites, their eggs and other disease-causing microorganisms. Moreover, fish accumulate mercury, which at high enough levels can damage the nervous system.

Fit's Tip: Be sure to also check out my Sushi Breakdown to be even more armed with healthy choices before you eat sushi next.

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Learn to Love: Miso

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Starting off a sushi dinner with a steamy bowl of miso soup is a ritual I can't seem to break. The soft tofu and seaweed flavored with yummy miso makes for a comforting starter, and I'm benefiting my health to boot. While the soup is a standard on Japanese menus, there are plenty more uses for miso and a list of reasons to pick some up at the store.

Miso's high sodium content makes it an ideal salt substitute in meals. The flavor enhancer is made by fermenting soybeans with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, making it a good source of the vitamin, and one tablespoon of miso provides two grams of protein and has just 25 calories. The zinc and copper found in miso support the immune system and energy production.

You can find miso paste at many supermarkets, so pick some up and start including it in your recipes. Try using it to flavor soups, salad dressings, sauces, stir-fries, and marinades. Have you experimented with miso in your cooking?

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Healthy Habit: Get Fishy When Dining Out

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Eating dinner out does not have to be a diet debacle. Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, believes dining out is an opportunity to eat fish without making your own kitchen smell fishy. Sounds reasonable right? Stay tuned for more tips from Alexa, and be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway for a chance to win a personalized nutrition plan created by Ms. Fishback, along with many other amazing goodies.

Now here's what she has to say on using dining out as an opportunity to eat fish:
The latest recommendation is for all women to enjoy at least 12 ounces, or 2-3 servings, of fish per week. The only caveat is that women of childbearing age avoid shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel as these large fish contain the highest levels of mercury. Otherwise - the beneficial qualities reaped from eating fish far outweigh mercury risks. It is a main source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Some of us are weary about preparing fish in our homes, so to see some good options to order when you eat out, just read more:

At a steak house, forgo the meat and go for the nice selection of grilled or broiled fish or lobster.
Try sushi. Go for one roll and several pieces of sushi or sashimi.
At a French bistro, try a white fish, filleted and covered with lemon juice - it is delicious. Or, order the mussels in white wine or tomato sauce.
At Italian, go for the warm seafood salad - trust me, it is as tasty as any of the pasta dishes with less calories and more nutrition.

For more tips, check out all of Alexa’s Healthy Habits or pick up her book, The Daily Fix.

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Weight Loss Tips for Vegetarians

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Contrary to popular belief, just being a vegetarian does not mean you're automatically going to be skinny -- Far from it actually. In fact, some vegetarians smother their food with cheese, which happens to be a big ticket item when it comes to calories.

To give those vegetarians an edge on weight loss, CalorieLab.com has come up with a few great tips on eating without the meat and the extra pounds:

Embrace tofu. A longtime vegetarian staple, tofu makes a great low-calorie alternative to meat. Try Nasoya Lite Tofu for even more calorie savings. Each 3-ounce serving contains 7 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of fat, all for a mere 40 calories. Add it to stir-fry, wrap it up in a tortilla with some veggies, or mix it with pasta and marinara.
Make a meal of veggies. All-vegetable meals don’t have to be rabbit food - there’s so much more than celery and carrot sticks. Ratatouille, a French dish of stewed vegetables, makes eating your veggies anything but boring. Chop up some fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, or whatever vegetables you have on hand. Fresh not available? Canned can be just as good, and the myriad frozen vegetable blends available make the possibilities endless. Other meal options include easy pasta primavera or supermarket vegetable sushi.

There are three more great calorie cutting ideas, so just read more

Bring beans to the table. Members of the legume family, such as beans and lentils, are all great sources of protein and fiber - both helpful in making you feel full. Although most varieties are available dried, canned beans make meal preparation much more convenient. Dried varieties often require overnight soaking while canned varieties are precooked; however, the canned varieties frequently contain high amounts of sodium. Look for low sodium canned varieties to top salads or stuff burritos. Canned beans also make whipping up meatless chili a snap.
Skip the cheese. Unfortunately, opting for a meat-free diet does not give you license to dump cheese on everything you eat. While cheese is a good form of vegetarian protein, it is still a good idea to keep an eye on your saturated fat consumption. When dining out, standard vegetarian dishes, such as Eggplant Parmesan and Fettuccine Alfredo, typically contain high amounts of cheese and cream. Consider ordering a hearty salad or soup instead. At home, use low fat cheeses to sprinkle on salads or pasta. Choose other low-fat dairy, such as yogurt and cottage cheese, for a satisfying and protein-rich snack. If you opt for a vegan weight loss plan, there are now low-fat soy versions of cheese, yogurt, and milk available.
Don’t be afraid of faux meat. In recent years there has been a noticeable proliferation of meat substitutes introduced to the supermarket. Brands such as Boca and Morningstar Farms make a wide variety of meatless wonders, ranging from deli meat to breakfast sausage. While these products often contain a hefty amount of salt, most are high in protein, low in fat, and almost always low in cholesterol. For example, if you substitute an original vegan Boca burger for the real thing, you’ll save 13.5 grams of fat and about 140 calories. With stats like that, it’s clear that faux meat makes slashing calories a cinch.

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Learn to Love: Edamame

FitSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Looking for a tasty snack that's full of protein and fiber but low in carbs and calories? I'm talking about edamame, baby soybeans still in the pod. Beans might not seem like the most delicious snack in the world, but once you try them, you'll fall for their fresh and slightly sweet flavor; plus they're a fun to eat finger-food. Sprinkle a little salt on them and they'll satisfy your salty cravings.

I first had edamame as an appetizer at a sushi restaurant, but you can pick some up to have at home too. Look for bags of frozen edamame. Buy them in the pods to eat as a snack, or for convenience sake buy them already shelled and add the beans to soups, salads, and stir-fries.

Just how healthy are these little soybeans? To find out read more

A half a cup of boiled edamame in the pods (just eating the beans inside) provides four grams of fiber and eight grams of protein, for only nine grams of carbs and 100 calories. Impressive indeed!

There has been some debate about the benefits and safety of soy. Some worry about the connection between eating soybeans or soy products and developing breast cancer, but as of now, the American Institute for Cancer Research stresses that there's no conclusive evidence between the two. Studies have shown that the isoflavones in soybeans may help to treat high blood pressure, prevent osteoporosis, and lower cholesterol (soy protein is a great alternative to high-fat animal protein). If you agree that those are some great reasons to start including more soy in your diet, then edamame is a great choice.

Let me know how you feel about this wonder snack in the comments section below.

Staying Fit While on A Cruise

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Unless it's a fitness cruise, most cruises are notorious for being horrible for your health. This could be due to the ever present buffets or the laziness that being on a giant ship evokes.

Regardless of your reasons for gaining a few extra pounds while cruising, if you're planning a cruise this year, be sure to use these tips on staying fit on a cruise:

Eat 5-6 meals: Get out of your 3-meal rut. It's healthier to eat 5-7 small meals per day than 3 large traditional meals. Take advantage of the all-day food access by having more, but smaller, meals.
Grab a snack: If going on a day excursion off the ship remember to grab something healthy like a banana or an apple at the breakfast buffet so you can conveniently snack on it later.
Sushi is the same price as French fries: Many landlubbers eat junk food because it's cheap and easy. On a cruise, the food and its preparation are included in the price. Hence, healthy choices are as accessible as the 99¢ menu back home. Room service is often free as well.
Buffet tips & tricks: Buffets: Many people think "buffet" is a French term for "fat." This can be the case if you aren't careful. Start with the healthiest items you enjoy first. Odds are you may fill-up before you can get to the "danger" items. Danger items include: hamburgers, eggs benedict, pizza, creamy pastas, waffles with whipped cream, anything fried, sweets. Power foods include: oatmeal, almonds, salmon, turkey, sashimi, whole wheat bread, eggs/egg whites, edamame, peanut butter, fruit, low fat yogurt.
Drink plenty of water: While the food is included, sodas are not. Sodas can be expensive onboard the ship- often $2 per can. Sodas are full of empty calories; this is an ideal time to kick your 4 can-per-day Coke habit by drinking lots of water.

There are five more tips, so read more

Avoid fatty "side dishes": Don't fill up on the mashed potato or macaroni & cheese side items that come with an entrée. You are better off appeasing your appetite with two main entrees (e.g., chicken, fish) than filling up on these empty calorie side dishes. Remember the food is all-inclusive so there is no additional cost.
Sign-up for a class: Most ships come equipped with state of the art gyms. Many offer specialty classes (generally an additional fee of $10). Sign-up for a paid specialty class - if you have a paid commitment you will most likely stick to it. Take the opportunity to try something new like Power Yoga. If you can balance on a ship you can balance anywhere.
Get off the ship: When in port try and spend most of your time off the ship. Simply walking and exploring will help burn calories. Also, if you're doing an athletic event like snorkeling or hiking simply add 10 minutes at the end of it where you do a little sprint swimming or jogging.
Take the stairs: Skip the small and claustrophobic elevator rides and get some exercise by taking the stairs. At a minimum, avoid the elevators at peak times - generally around meals and when first arriving at port.
Jet Lag: Often you will be traveling to a location that has a different time zone. The first few days will take awhile for you to acclimate. Take advantage of your body waking up early by hitting the gym. Most cruise gyms are open 24 hours. Since it will be dark out, it's one of the few activities available at this time so you won't be missing out on anything.

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Rice Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

It's too bad that rice has gotten a bad reputation with this whole carb-free diet frenzy. As we all know, not only do we need carbs for energy, but carbs in the form of whole grains are a great source of fiber (which can help prevent certain types of cancer), and they keep you feeling full longer. Rice is one of my favorite whole grains since it's easy to cook, can be flavored millions of ways, and is easy to digest. There are so many different kinds though. To see how they compare nutritionally, read more.

Here's the breakdown of half a cup of cooked rice:

Kind of Rice	Calories	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Short-Grain White	133	29.4	0	2.4
Medium-Grain White	121	26.6	0	2.2
Long-Grain White	103	22.3	.3	2.1
Short-Grain Brown	180	38	2	4
Medium-Grain Brown	109	22.9	1.8	2.3
Long-Grain Brown	108	22.4	1.8	2.5
Sticky Rice	169	36.7	1.7	3.5
Wild Rice	83	17.5	1.5	3.3
White Basmati	150	33	.5	3
Brown Basmati	140	31	2	3
Sushi Rice	194	39	0	9.7
Jasmine	160	36	0	3
Chinese Black Rice	160	34	2	5
Arborio	160	36	.5	3

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Rice: Which Kind Should You Eat

FitSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:00:00 -0700

For a while, I was only eating brown rice, thinking it was the most nutritious, but is it? What about all the other kinds like jasmine, basmati, white rice, sushi rice, sweet rice (also called moshi or sticky rice), and arborio (for risotto). Depending on your dietary needs, you may want to choose one over the others. Take this quiz and see how they compare when it comes to calories, fiber, carbs, and protein.

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What Foods Do You Eat To Keep Things Hot?

partysugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 06:03:29 -0700

According to this week's Life & Style, when dining out, hot hollywood couple Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minnillo select dishes that are healthy and light, such as assorted sushi. Why skip the steak and desserts? Because the lighter menu choices are perfect for setting the mood for a steamy evening. Rich heavy foods lower the libido making the stomach and heart work overtime with little oxygen left to stimulate the brain sexually. Low-calorie, high protein foods give couples a delicious dose of exuberant bedroom energy. That being said, what foods do you eat to keep things hot?