That's Fit

I recently got married and moved into a new house, which means I'm cooking in a new kitchen and am all inspired to start trying new recipes. In the cabinets of a healthy kitchen, one of the most common players is olive oil (love a good stir fry) but getting what you pay for is isn't as easy as it should be. Many stores have bottles of oil that have been sitting for ages on the shelf (which diminishes not only flavor but also antioxidant benefits) and some companies are even fraudulently blending in filler oils like sunflower or soybean oil. For the best, healthiest olive oil, follow these tips:

• Go for the smallest brands -- smaller growers almost always produce higher quality oil than mass producers.
• Keep your olive oil cool and dark, and look for brands packaged in dark bottles.
• Read the label carefully, intentionally vague statements like "imported from Italy" can be deceiving (it wasn't necessarily made in Italy).
• "Extra virgin" isn't necessarily the best. To be labeled extra virgin, olive oil must have an acidity of 0.8% or less, which isn't that hard to do. For really good oil, look for 0.5% or less.
  

Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack, salad is one of the healthier options out there. But these days, salads are so rarely made up of only healthy stuff -- now once-healthy veggies are drenched in things like cheese and fat. But the most offensive salad ingredient? Too often it's the salad dressing.

Not all salad dressings are bad for you--vinaigrettes, for instance, are tangy and low in fat. But creamy dressings like ranch, Caesar, blue cheese and thousand island will pack a calorie wallop. In fact, some salads have a many calories as a cheeseburger, and it's all down to the dressing.

How can you dress up your salad without negating its health benefits? Make healthy dressing choices. Creamy ones are out -- instead, opt for vinegar and oil-based salad dressings. Noshtopia has a bunch of great ideas that you can check out here. And if in doubt? Make your own home-made dressings -- that way, you can control what goes in to your salad.

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Sunday's Parade magazine lists some Super Foods we ought to embrace. Each one is packed with nutrients. And flavor too. Can't beat that combo. Check out these six.

Coconut Milk
Coconuts are rich and saturated in fat. Sound scary? It shouldn't. The people in the South Pacific enjoy diets loaded with coconut oil, yet studies show that these people don't get heart disease. U.S. researchers are hot on the trail of this interesting fact, hoping to support the claim that the fatty coconut is a heart-healthy fruit. What they do know is this: Coconut flakes, coconut milk and cream, and coconut oil contain lots of an antiviral, antibacterial fatty acid called lauric acid. It's one of the immune-boosters babies get from breast milk.

Try this: Mix a can of coconut milk with a pint of chicken stock and some grated ginger for a healthy coconut chicken soup.

Grass-Fed Beef
All beef is a great source of iron, B vitamins, and zinc -- three nutrients most of us don't get enough of. But grass-fed beef (versus grain-fed beef) is best. It contains less fat, less saturated fat, more CLA (an anti-cancer fat), and more omega-3 fatty acids.

Try this: Use the very lean grass-fed beef for spaghetti sauce, chili, and meatloaf.

Nuts
Rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants, moderate amounts of almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts are a good addition to a healthy diet. Walnuts too. They are one of the best vegetarian sources of the omega-3 fatty acids that fight obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Try this: Put nuts in a blender with a little olive oil, milk or water for fresh nut butter.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon regulates blood sugar, inhibits cancer cells, and is anti-inflammatory. Can't beat that.

Try this: Sprinkle cinnamon on French toast, oatmeal, or a cup of hot chocolate.

Raw Honey & Molasses
Great for a sweet tooth, these whole and natural sweeteners make for a healthy sugar substitute. Unfiltered, raw honey contains lots of phytonutrients and enzymes to aid digestion. Blackstrap molasses is a surprisingly good source of iron and many other minerals.

Try this: Honey is best unheated but molasses already has been boiled, so there's no reason not to cook with it. Use with baked goods like muffins and pumpkin pie.

Olive Oil
Olive oil's monounsaturated fats reduce inflammation. Its phenols fight cancer. And its vitamin E lowers the risk of heart disease, protects skin from damaging agents, and prevents nerve damage.

Try this: Gently sauté vegetables in olive oil, drizzle it on salads, or use it in pesto.

Here's some interesting news I learned from The Beauty Brains: Dirty hair might save the environment. Ok, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but dirty hair is at least good for the environment because it absorbs ozone from the air. In fact, dirty hair absorbs seven times as much ozone as clean hair does. And according to scientists, this can help cut the amount of harmful ozone floating around your head. Surprising? I think so.

But, as the brains are quick to point out, this isn't going to save the world or anything. In fact, the ozone in the air can interact with oil in dirty hair to produce other harmful chemicals. Still, washing your hair too often will waste water. Instead? Try to find a balance. Or, just shave your head.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz. My high school offers very few sports, but I'd like to play something. I'd like to try out for football, but my old-fashioned mother thinks that will make me a "tomboy". What do you think? Katie

A. You've come to the right place Katie! I happen to have embedded myself in the traditionally male sport of full-contact kickboxing, and you know what? It made me a better woman! Sports are sports. Whether you play with a ball, racket, gloves or sneakers...sports are just a more fun way to exercise and flex your competitive muscles. Period.

I loved getting in the ring to try and knock an opponent out. I loved the strategy, speed, and power of the event. Fighting, in fact, is one of my favorite things to do. Some of the girls I've competed against thought they had to take on some sort of macho persona. Short hair, yucky jeans, and mean snarls. I, on the other hand, preferred to act like a monster in the ring and show up to the after-party like a lady in a pretty dress and heels. Embracing my athleticism, strength and courage has allowed me to appreciate how wonderful it is to be a woman. A strong, athletic, educated woman who loves to have the doors held for her.

As much as I enjoy splurging from time to time on pricey beauty products, I also really like trying out simple, DIY beauty items. Not so long ago I wrote about home-made hair care -- using foods like mayonnaise and beer to soften and brighten your hair. I think what I like about at-home beauty is that, since the tips are usually cheap, barring any major disasters you can figure out which products you like without having to waste a tonne of money on stuff that turns out to be not so great.

I was pretty excited to find this list of 10 great budget beauty products that you can make at home. They're all really simple, containing only a few ingredients each. In addition, a number of the 'recipes' include a lot of the same ingredients -- like essential oils and rubbing alcohol, so you only have to buy a few things and can still try most of the ideas. All you need is a range of empty bottles and containers and you're good to get started.

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Nutrition experts have long claimed that Mediterranean diets are some of the best around. Heavy on fish, fruits, and vegetables; moderate in nuts and red wine; and low in red meat, these diets are tops for heart health, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic. One more item puts the Mediterranean diet high on the heart health list: Olive Oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to be exact.

The Super Food olive oil, containing monounsaturated fat, helps lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in your blood, unlike saturated and trans fats (found in better, tropical oils, and hydrogenated margarines) which spike these levels. Get two tablespoons of olive oil per day -- make it "extra virgin" or "virgin" for less processing and more polyphenol antioxidants -- and you'll be on your way to better health.

It's not just your heart that will benefit from regular doses of olive oil, made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. Prevention magazine cites one Greek study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 1999) indicating a little olive oil can dramatically cut the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Study participants with the lowest consumption of extra virgin olive oil had a 2.5 greater chance of developing the condition, in fact.

I'm always shocked and amazed that anyone would actually consider the doughnut an appropriate part of breakfast. I imagine most folks would snub the idea of eating cake as a good idea in the morning. The doughnut is literally FRIED CAKE! Who the hell thought that would be a good idea for a meal?

In my younger years, I suppose I just considered doughnuts, well.......doughnuts! My parents always seemed to have a bag or box of them on the counter and they were a fairly regular part of my breakfasts growing up. (My Mom probably never thought about what she was actually feeding me either!) Then one day I had the epiphany. Doughnuts are made by frying cake batter in oil for about 90 seconds. They're also often filled or covered with cream, chocolate or just pure sugar.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Help Fitz! I'm mortified, because when I asked my husband what he wanted for Christmas today...he answered, "something sexy"! I could die! Fitz, I'm about 40 pounds overweight and could not squeeze into anything sexy at all. Christmas is about four weeks away. How do I lose weight fast? Marcy

A. Oh my Marcy! I think you're confused here. It sounds to me like you don't have to do a darn thing for that man of yours to think you're sexy. Since he specifically asked you for a sexy gift, he already wants you bad! Nice going. In fact, if I were you.....I'd be feeling really great about myself right now. Start thinking in terms of an actual gift.

Lingerie doesn't always have to be super slinky. How about a cutesy little elf outfit? A little velvet and fur are always racy this time of year. Maybe you can sign the two of you up for Latin dancing lessons? Hace Calor! A weekend away, a couples massage, body lotions, and adult toys obviously fill the sexy requirement as well.

If you want to lose weight Marcy, do it the right way. Change the habits that led you to gain 40 extra pounds in the first place. Start eating highly nutritious and lower calorie foods. Exercise daily as well. But, you don't need to do a thing for that man to think your sexy. He wants to have fun with you. Hooray! Let him! Just keep this in mind. Leary, uncomfortable, and miserable are not sexy qualities.....even on a supermodel. Confidence, energy and passion are always hot. I normally don't say this, but I wish you a very Sexy Christmas! Fitz

Q. What's up, Fitz? I'm hosting a small holiday party for a few close friends next week. I'm totally in to fitness and always eat really healthfully, but some of my friends do not. Am I going to seem like a total loser party pooper if I don't serve them crap food? I just don't want to bring that greasy, sugary junk into my home. Nonetheless serve it to my friends. Have any suggestions? Rey

The food sleuths at Good Housekeeping reveal in their October 2007 issue three food items that may appear healthy at first glance but in reality, are really not so good for us.

You might think Sun-Maid's Vanilla Yogurt Raisins are a health food. The raisins are OK. The yogurt is OK. But the white coating mostly consists of sugar and partially hydrogenated palm-kernel oil. A one-ounce box containing about 35 raisins has 120 calories and a pretty hefty dose of saturated fat -- 20 percent of the recommended daily limit, to be exact.

How about some Calbee Snapea Crisps? They're just baked peas. But they're also full of fat. One ounce -- about 22 chips -- packs 150 calories which is the same as regular potato chips. Eat the entire bag and you'll consume 500 calories.

Now get this. There's a lemon lime spritzer out there, made my R.W. Knudsen, that surprisingly contains 170 calories per can. For a seltzer? Yep. It's sweetened with fruit juice concentrates and even has more sugar and 30 more calories than a can of Coca-Cola Classic.

This news certainly inspires me to double check the labels on seemingly healthy food items. It hope it does you too.

instead of holding back on eating fish and taking fish oil supplements, pregnant women should actually eat more fish in order to get those healthy oils in their system, according to a new recommendation from a coalition of nutrition experts and groups this past week.

Several federal agencies joined the coalition's suggestion that came to challenge government warnings about fish consumption by pregnant women due to mercury contamination in most volume-processed fish.

While that may be true (to a point), the health benefits of eating about 12 ounces of fish per week outweigh possible exposure to small amounts of mercury. A report from 2004 put out by the FDA and EPA is being criticized in the process here as well.

Are you a fan of Crisco? How about that good old standby, canola oil? Although canola was a staple of mine for years, back in 2005 I started using olive oil for just about everything I cooked that needed oil. Result? Very tasty prepared dishes (like those stir-fry meals) as well as the knowledge that the oil you're cooking with is not bad for your health.

In fact, it's just the opposite, and I use olive oil in low-calorie salad dressings now. In what's becoming popular at nicer restaurants these days, try dipping some whole-grain, fresh-baked bread into a mixture of raw olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roast some fresh garlic in that over and add it.

This is a much healthier alternative than the white bread / butter spread combination that most of us know. Yes, the garlic portion takes more time, but it's not required. Fresh whole-grain bread and olive oil is enough. It's healthy and tastes great. If you've never tried this, it's worth it for the possibility of picking up a new, healthy habit alone.

Want to model some of the best eating habits in the world? Then consider adopting a Mediterranean diet. People from this region of the world have low cholesterol, few incidences of coronary heart disease and cancer, and much longer lives than those who eat the typical American diet. Amazingly, their diet is significantly higher in fat than what the American Heart Association recommends. How do they do it?

Well, they eat loads of plant foods rich in antioxidants. Think colorful fruits and vegetables. Seafood, abundant with heart-healthy nutrients, is also a staple in their diet. Most important: Their diet is free of the two bad fats we tend to consume without a second thought -- saturated fats and trans fats, the ones that stick to our arteries like glue. Try extra virgin olive oil and grapeseed oils to trim your intake of these fats.

It seems the Mediterraneans have the right idea. We should be so wise to follow their lead.

If you love the taste of butter, but don't love all of the fat and calories involved in the consumption of it, Smart Squeeze is for you. Since other butter substitutions like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray are full of fat....Smart Squeeze stands out as the only choice providing genuine butter flavor with zero fat and only five calories per tablespoon.

Did you know that I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray has zero calories and fat ONLY IF YOU USE 1.25 sprays? If you use any larger portion though.....you're screwed. I'm not even sure how one could accomplish a .25 spray! One teaspoon bags 20 calories and 2 grams of fat. Deceptive in my book. You really have to read the fine print to figure that one out.

So! If you want to enjoy a guiltless buttery piece of corn on the cob or some toast....go for it. Just get it in the white bottle with the green cap. Smart Squeeze is truly a smart product.

Vitamin D is a nutrient that is crucial to bone health. Older Americans greater than age 50 are thought to have a higher risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. It is found naturally in only a few foods like the oily fish salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines and fish liver oil. It is often added to milk, cereals, and orange juice. But sunlight is the main source for most people. The ultraviolet rays from sunlight stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D. Many Americans don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies.

During the winter, sun exposure is considerably less for the average person and vitamin D blood levels are usually lowest from October to April. Many individuals don't spend much time outdoors, even during the summer, and are using sunscreen as a safety measure for skin cancer. But are we at more risk for vitamin D deficiencies or skin cancer. Sunscreens block vitamin D manufacture and decrease natural production even more. In addition, individuals with darker skin make less vitamin D after the same level of sun exposure as a person with lighter skin. Sunscreens decrease natural production of vitamin D even more.

vitamin D lowers the risk of many autoimmune diseases and also lowers the risk for cancers like colon, breast, lung, pancreatic, and endometrial. Taking a daily 15 to 30 minute walk in the sunshine without sunscreen is recommended for your body to produce natural vitamin D.