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5 Foods That Fight Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:30:08 -0700

It's pretty easy to name a list of fatty foods - french fries, donuts, and cakes are a few that come to my mind. But what about fat-fighting foods?

Besides being good for you already, there's a growing list of foods that actually help burn fat. Check out our list of what to stock up on if you want to slim down.

Source: Flickr User thebittenword.com

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Take it From Someone Who Has Heart Disease...

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:30:17 -0800

Heart disease is a killer, making it a very scary thing. The risk factors for heart disease include family history, diet, smoking and a lack of exercise -- 3 out of the 4 are factors that we have control over.

Maybe if you don't know anyone with heart disease, it is hard to realize the harm and pain it brings. Charlie Hoff, former CNN reporter, has experienced heart disease first hand and he tells his story in his most recent blog on CNN. Here is an excerpt:

The pain associated with the onset of a heart attack is angina. Angina is non-discriminating and may attack your body in places other than your chest. My first episode was signaled by a pain in the neck - I was alone, confused and in denial. I did not get help for several hours and I have paid the price.

To read his full blog and to hear how someone with heart disease deals, visit CNN.com. The best way to avoid heart disease? Prevention (healthy diet and proper exercise, which I am teaching you here on FitSugar). You really do not want to have to go through angina and finding treatments to make life livable.

Avoid Crash Diets: Healthy Weight-Loss Tips

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:55 -0700

I read a very sad and unfortunate tale of an English bride-to-be's death after crash dieting. After eating only 530 calories a day for 11 weeks, the 34-year-old collapsed. Having weighed 244 pounds at the start of the controversial LighterLife diet, Samantha Clowe had lost 42 pounds when she collapsed and died of heart failure. Her family and fiancé are in my thoughts, and in light of this tragedy, I would like to review five rules for healthy and sustainable weight loss.

To lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than you are expending. Think of it like this: calories coming in need to be fewer than calories going out. It really is pretty simple.
To lose one pound a week you need to be in a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. The best way to do this is to combine eating fewer calories and burning more calories - that means exercise! Cardio is great for burning calories. See these posts for ideas to freshen up your cardio routine.

Learn the other three tips when you continue reading.

The Only Proven Heart-Healthy Diet

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:00:00 -0700

By now we know that certain types of food do more for our health than others, but when it comes down to it, a lot of the research we read states that a particular item "may" promote heart health. Researchers sorted through 50 years of studies to weed out the definites from the maybes and discovered that only some diets claiming heart-healthy benefits are supported by strong evidence.

They found that the Mediterranean diet, incorporating plenty of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, cheese or yogurt, and fish, legitimately promotes heart health, and diets rich in vegetables and nuts also serve to lower your risk for heart disease. While there's some evidence about the ability for omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, alcohol, vitamins E and C, beta carotene, folate, fruit, and fiber to positively affect heart health, the jury is undecided on whether or not these elements live up to the claims.

While more research needs to be done to qualify those dietary factors as being heart healthy, there is conclusive evidence that diets high in red meat, butter, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products, high-glycemic index foods, and trans-fatty acids are harmful to heart health. If you're concerned about heart health, revising your diet to resemble the typical Mediterranean diet could be a good place to start.

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Diet Tip: Two Weeks of Healthy Dinner Options

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:00:00 -0800

There is no question that January equals diet time. Who couldn't use a little outside inspiration in the food department? If you are looking for low cal, healthy recipes USA Today has got you covered. They have created two weeks of sample menus with recipes for their 5th annual Weight Loss Challenge. The recipes are from popular diet plans like Volumetrics and healthy living cookbooks like the Great American Eat Right Cookbook. The menus are a little salmon heavy and are definitely for carnivores, but the recipes all look quick, easy and most importantly tasty.

Visit USA Today to check out the recipes. Trying these recipes is kinda like test driving the cookbooks. If you like the highlighted recipe, you might want to investigate that diet plan a little more thoroughly. And if you don't like the recipe, you know what plans to skip.

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Healthy BBQ: South Beach Diet Chimichurri Burgers

FitSugar — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I am always looking for healthy foods to make on the grill. These Chimichurri Burgers from the South Beach Diet: Taste of Summer Cookbook really fill that order. Instead of smothering your hamburger with condiments filled with hidden calories, this burger is topped with chimichurri, a thick herb sauce that hails from Argentina. Plus, we all know parsley (the herb in this sauce) is a healthy addition to any meal. I truly appreciate an alternative to the too sweet taste of ketchup

Recipe and Photo courtesy of: The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook, by Dr. Arthur Agatston (Rodale, 2007)

To see this tasty and easy recipe, just read more

South Beach Chimichurri Burgers
from The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook

Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt

Burgers
1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns - lightly toasted

Make the sauce first by:

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Pulse until just puréed, about one minute. Set aside.

For the burgers:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and combine.
Form beef mixture into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick.
Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium high.
Grill burgers 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees F.
Serve burgers on buns topped with chimichurri sauce.

If you are following the South Beach Diet this recipe is considered a Phase 1 recipe if you forgo the bun. With the bun, it is rated as Phase 2.

Print recipe with images | without images

Just in case you are interested in the nutritional information, here it is.

Phase	Calories	Fat (g)	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)
One	330	19	36	3	1
Two	450	21	40	25	4

Healthy Eating Tip: Text Your Food to DIET1

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:00:44 -0700

Deciding what you want to eat at a restaurant can be hard, especially when nutritional information is not easily accessible. In situations like this, just send a text message to DIET1 (34381). Include the restaurant and the menu item in your message, and the service will respond with a text containing the information you requested. I tried it out (several times) and it's really speedy, not to mention a little addictive. The database covers over 36,000 foods from 1,700 restaurants in North America, so try it out the next time you are dining out.

Until then, see how much you know without the help of your phone with this little calorie quiz on some of our favorite foods.

Smarter Eats: Don't Be a Slave to the Label

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:27 -0700

Michael Pollan's food rules and the news that we're not eating enough fruits and veggies has me inspired. I'm resolving to always make conscious food choices that will improve my diet.

One tip I learned from Chow is to eat things that don't have a label. I know that all packaged food isn't bad, but a lot of it is processed, or synthetic versions of whole foods. Even a lot of packaged "healthy" has been altered in some way. If I can, I try and make the real deal at home or buy my food from the farmers market, bakery, or my local butcher. By skipping the label I'm getting more whole, healthy, natural food and less processed, chemically altered, unpronounceable stuff. I also cut back on a ton of packaging!

The next time you're out shopping see if you can cut back on labels, too - you'll find that you have a better idea of exactly what you're putting into your body.

Diet Tip: Stock Your Kitchen With Healthy Convenience Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

If you're watching your waistline, you're probably watching what you eat, too, not to mention exercising regularly as well. Yay for you and your healthy and possibly new habits, but in truth they can sometimes leave you hungry. Set yourself up for success by loading your cupboards and fridge with healthy convenience foods. Stock your kitchen with ready-to-eat snacks that are healthy, delicious, and packed with fiber. These will satisfy your cravings and keep you feeling full longer, so you're less likely to return to the kitchen for more snacks. Here are some ideas:

Fresh fruits like bananas, apples, pears, and berries
Real fruit and veggie juices
Frozen edamame
Tomatoes (slice one and sprinkle a little cheese on top)
Hummus and whole grain crackers

What else makes for delicious and quick snacking ideas? To find out read more.

Containers of low-fat or drinkable yogurt
Granola bars
Dried fruit and nuts
Whole grain bread and real nut butter (peanut or almond)
Mini carrots
Cans of soup
Cooked brown rice (store it in the fridge)

What else do you keep in your kitchen for healthy snacking in a pinch?

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Diet Tip: Keep a Variety of Healthy Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:00:00 -0700

If you are looking for something to munch on in your kitchen and you see bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, hummus, salad mixes, carrots, almonds, hard boiled eggs, celery, high fiber cereal, yogurt, and Oreos, which would you choose? Sure, you may say Oreos today, and maybe tomorrow too, but wouldn't you get sick of eating Oreos after a while?

My point is this: Keep a variety of healthy foods available, but just one kind of junk food (for those times when you need something sweet and unhealthy). Eating the same kind of cookies every single day will get boring, and you'll be more likely to dig into the wide variety of healthy goods rather than those same old cookies, again.

It may not work for everyone, but try it out and let me know if it works for you
in the comments section below.

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