yogurt-related stories
Yogurt - The Tasty Way to Slim Down
New moms, listen up: Yogurt can help whittle away your waistline after pregnancy. As for the rest of us? Eating yogurt has just as many benefits -- it can help us lose weight, build up immunity and stay, ahem, regular. But not all supermarket yogurts are created equal -- many are loaded with excess fat and sugar, and the ones that aren't are usually full of artificial sweeteners and lacking in probiotics, which is what makes them healthy.
So what should you look for? Opt for a yogurt that is low in fat and sugar. Unfortunately, most fruit yogurts are packed with sugar, so plain yogurt is best. Can't stomach it? Make your own fruit yogurt with fresh berries and a touch of natural honey. Or, better yet, make your own yogurt! Also, be wary of calories. Some yogurts tastes as creamy as ice cream -- and they have a calorie count to match!
For more info on what to look for in your morning yogurt, check out this handy guide.
Kate Gamber's Going to Run a Marathon - For a Mouse!
That's Fit Club, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.
Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Everlast and Everlast Woman are giving gorgeous workout T-shirts to each featured member! To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!
Name: Kate Gamber
Age: 19
Occupation: College Student
How often do you exercise? Five to six days a week.
What type of exercise do you do? Long distance running, lifting, cardio, LAX.
What gets you to work out, even when you're feeling lazy? I know that I'll thank myself later!
Jo Wood's crash diet - yogurt and tea
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When Jo Wood, the recently estranged wife of Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood, felt her clothes weren't fitting as loosely as usual, she did what any normal woman would do -- she quickly booked herself an extended stay at an exclusive spa in Switzerland, where she lives on tea and sheep's yogurt for the better part of a week. Oh, wait a minute. That's not what a normal woman would do -- that's the kind of thing the rich and eccentric do. Wood, 53, says, "I looked at myself when I was 65 kg (143 lbs) and I was just so depressed. I thought, 'Oh come on Jo, you're just eating all the time, all this chocolate!' So I went to the Maya clinic in Switzerland and I just lived off tea. Tea and sheep's yoghurt, for five whole days!"
Well, it's healthier than Colin Farrell's quick weight-loss diet ... but that's not saying a lot. Still, she looks pretty good. What do you think?
Yogurt a surefire weight loss aid
I don't prefer yogurt because I've yet to find one low enough in sugar and good enough in taste. Some folks swear by yogurt, though -- maybe because experts, like those at RealAge, say it's a surefire weight loss aid.Take a group of obese people, put them on a reduced-calorie diet that includes three daily six-ounce servings of calcium-rich yogurt and they'll likely drop 61% more fat overall and 81% more fat around their waists, than those who don't get the yogurt. That's what some researchers have discovered. And they think calcium is the magic bullet -- seems it may hinder fat storage and boost fat loss.
Is yogurt on your grocery list?
How Many Calories ... in a Booster Juice smoothie?
How Many Calories?, Nutrition & Supplements
Smoothies are all the rage these days. Forget meals -- you can get all your nutrition in liquid form, served in a handy to-go cup. Not that there's anything wrong with giving in to the smoothie craze -- I myself have forgone the traditional meal in favour of a quick energy fix from the nearest smoothie vendor.
And there are smoothies to fit all needs -- whether you're looking to bulk up on protein, trim fat, get as many antioxidants as possible or fulfill all your daily fruit and veggie requirements in one drink. All that and they're usually absolutely delicious.
But conventional wisdom tells me that when something tastes good, it probably has lots of calories. Still, how many calories can there be in fruit juice and yogurt? What do you think?
The candy ban
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
My son is in the fifth grade this year. The school's cafeteria is small, so they scatter the times kids go out for recess and to lunch. As the oldest kids in the school, my son's class doesn't hit the cafeteria until 1:00. Considering he catches the bus at 7:30, that's a long span of time before lunch. His teacher has a scheduled snack time at 10:30 to help tide the kids over until lunch. She sent home a note regarding snack time for the kids. She recommended a list of healthy snack options which was great. But what was more impressive was this: she's banned candy from her classroom.
I thought it was wonderful. The kids will still be allowed to have candy on special occasions such as Valentine's Day. But on a day to day basis, my son's teacher is promoting good nutrition that will give them the energy they need.
Quinoa and grilled zucchini recipe showdown
Healthy Recipes, Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
What? What do you mean I've posted a quinoa and grilled zucchini recipe before? OK, I admit it, I did the deed. But since these two recipes are so radically different, I thought it would be fun to do a comparison of the two recipes; surely you'll choose a favorite.The new quinoa and grilled zucchini recipe has eggs, pine nuts, goat cheese and a tantalizing yogurt avocado dressing, all providing protein and other nutrients. The original recipe I posted has garbanzo beans as added protein.
Most of the flavor in the original quinoa recipe is provided by curry spices, like cumin, paprika and turmeric. In this new recipe, fresh cilantro dominates for a very different flavor. Both recipes use healthy spices, so we're win-win here.
Half and half
Do you have a junk food lover in your house? Sometimes it's hard to deny those cravings... especially when they're foods we've eaten for years and years. Women's Health has a great idea for making some junk foods a little bit healthier. You can mix healthier options in with your not-so-healthy favorites to create a treat that's not so damaging to you waistline. Better yet, when you start adding healthier options in -- like mixing a bowl of half whole grain cereal and half sugary cereal -- you're starting to retrain your taste buds. In time, you'll find you enjoy the healthier foods as much as the junky ones.
16 ways to make blueberry muffins healthier
Healthy Habits, Healthy Recipes, Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
The blueberry muffin: an eternal favorite, bursting with moist flavor, sabotaging diets everywhere. Your love of blueberry muffins doesn't have to translate to bigger hips; you can have your muffin and your slim figure.The trick is this: adding more nutritious ingredients while cutting out the excess bad fats and calories. In a past post, Jessica has rehabbed blueberry muffins into a pretty decent healthy breakfast treat. Let's take it several steps further.
Add more nutrition
Blueberries are one of the top antioxidants, but you can add more goodies to your muffins to make them even more nutritious:
- sunflower seeds, which also add a nice crunch, about 1/4 cup
- lemon peel and/or juice, zest and juice of one lemon
- whole oats, about 1/2 cup
- chunks of other fruits, like apple, pear or other berries
- nuts of your choice, 1/2 cup
- ground flax seeds, about 1/4 cup
The cookie is crumbling -- Fruit is top snack for young children (sort of)
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
A study conducted by the NPD group compared 14-day food diaries from mothers of young children back in 1987 to diaries recently completed, and found that today's children are less likely to consume carbonated soft drinks, ice cream, candy, cake, and fruit juice than kids the same age did 20 years ago. Additionally, they're more likely to snack on fruit rolls and gummy pieces, yogurt, crackers, granola bars, and bottled water. Whether they're considering sugary items, like fruit rolls and yogurt, as fruit is unclear.
Snacks are more important than some parents might realize -- a quarter of a typical child's calories come from snacks, and the way children snack when they're young can start patterns they'll follow the rest of their lives. Perhaps related to the change in snacking habits is the fact that the number of overweight children and women is holding fairly steady. With just a few more changes (like more fresh fruits and veggies), we can get that number to go down!
Healthy Recipe: Curried pasta and spinach
Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Yes, I've heard: white carbs are out, so you can't eat pasta. Well, that's not necessarily true. There are lots of good whole grain pasta options: whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice.Our fave? Brown rice, as the taste and texture most resemble semolina pasta, especially if you use Trader Joe's brand or Tinkyada. So cook some up and toss with this wonderful recipe of curry sauce, spinach and scallops.
We always use whole fat organic yogurt, so we substituted that for the low fat, and I simply opened up a can of organic diced tomatoes instead of the fresh ones -- how's that for lazy? But healthy, nonetheless!
Daily Fit Tip: Probiotics ... without the yogurt
16 ways to use sunflower seeds
Healthy Recipes, Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Looking for a way to get more vitamin B, E, and minerals into your diet? Sunflower seeds will do it. Doesn't it beg the question, though: What do you do with sunflower seeds?- Add them to your trail mix, or make your own trail mix with sunflower seeds.
- Sprinkle on salads: green salad, broccoli salad, fruit salad.
- Stir into soups and stews just before serving.
- Bev says to spit sunflower seeds!
- Add some crunch to stir-fries.
- We put them in blueberry buckwheat pancakes -- yum!
- Sprinkle on granola.
- Stir into yogurt.
- Roasted sunflower seeds are a different flavor -- try them!
- Include in dirty rice recipes.
- Add to pasta or quinoa salads.
- Bake into breads and muffins.
- Try this recipe for basmati rice, black-eyed peas and sunflower seeds.
- Blend up a sunflower seed spread for crackers or veggies.
- Make a two-bean salad with feta and sunflower seeds.
- Stuff an apple with peanut butter, raisins and sunflower seeds.
A Magical Holiday Treat: Papaya, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
Healthy Habits, Vegetarian, Womens Health, Healthy Recipes, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Kids, Healthy Products and Reviews, Cellulite, Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Going to a Fourth of July bash this weekend? Straight from the Delicious Disney, The Disney Chefs with Pam Brandon book I bring you the most yumtastic side salad ever! Want to look like a fancy pants when you walk through the door at that party? This is the way to do it. I've posted the fairly simple recipe for Papaya, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad in my recipe book at Fitzness.com (page 37) for permanent access. Enjoy!
Hot dogs and other healthy summer kid food
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
Summer is the perfect time for hot dogs at the family BBQ, big pretzels at the county fair, and cold treats straight from the ice cream truck. Although these foods can be less-than-perfect options for our kids who love them so -- think lots of salt, sugar, and fat -- WedMD says they can be not so bad, really. Check them out.- Nachos & Quesadillas
- Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
- Ice Cream
- Frozen Yogurt
- Waffles and pancakes
- Marshmallows
- Popcorn
- Watermelon
