YumSugar

Healthy Eating Tip: Plate Your Veggies First

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:30:00 PDT

No matter the health issue, from losing weight to preventing cancer, we all should be eating more veggies. One simple way to accomplish this task is to stop thinking of veggies as garnish and plate them first.

Try to cover at least half of your plate with healthful side dishes featuring produce. I like to think of the meat as a side dish and my salad and steamed broccoli as the main dish. This mindset helps keep the portions in check and increases the amount of vegetables I eat daily. Ultimately, I find a well-balanced plate - 25 percent meat or protein, 25 percent whole grain carb, 50 percent veggies - leads to a well-balanced diet. Try it and see what you think.

Source

Are Restaurant Portions Too Large?

YumSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:30:00 PDT

When we were in Los Angeles for the Sugar Party, a bunch of us ended up grabbing breakfast at the infamous Saddle Ranch. Little did we know that five plates could have fed 10 people or more! The portions were ridiculously large, and we all started talking about how out of control portions at restaurants can be. Do you think that's true?

At What Meal Do You Eat The Most Food?

partysugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:48:31 PDT

Image Source

Must-Have Products to Keep Portions Under Control

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:25:19 PDT

Whether you're trying to lose those last stubborn pounds for bikini season or you want to maintain your current weight, keeping a close eye on portion sizes is critical. You could always eyeball amounts, but let's face it, our eyes tend to be bigger than what our stomachs should be eating. Keep yourself honest and prevent overeating with these portion-control products.

Why You Should Marinate Your Meat

Leta Shy — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:29:02 PDT

Barbecue season is upon us, so let's celebrate by grilling, since it's an easy and low-fat way to cook. If you're grilling, protect your health by marinating your meat. Here's why marinating is good for your health and tips on how to keep it safe.

Marinating meat, fish, and poultry significantly decreases the amount of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced when the meat is cooked at high temperatures, like in grilling. Marinades can reduce HCAs by as much as 99 percent. Adding rosemary to the marinade may even up the anticancer potential of your marinade even more. While research is unclear why marinades protect meat so much, the belief is that they act as a barrier against the high heat, or may reduce chemical precursors of carcinogens from the meat.
The acid in marinades may slow the growth of harmful bacteria, like listeria.

Learn a few more tips about marinades after the break.

An Easy Guide to 100-Calorie Portions

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:22:21 PDT

With all the large servings of food around, it's important to control your portions. Mindless eating can be controlled with little tricks, like not eating out of the container and using smaller plates to make them look fuller.

It's one thing to see what you're eating, but knowing what's in it is important as well. An easy way to keep portions in check is to be able to estimate how many calories are in your meal. Check out a handy guide on what 100 calories of your food looks like after the break.

Insanity's Shaun T's Last-Minute Diet and Exercise Tips

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:34:46 PDT

Shaun T, the personal trainer who's motivated millions with his at-home workouts, knows how to get people in shape in a short amount of time. After all, his Insanity workout program promises incredible results in just 60 days of sweating and jumping in front of your TV.

With Summer a mere few weeks away, we spoke with Shaun about how to get in shape for anything - whether it's a beach holiday, wedding, or event - when you've only got a little time. Find out his recommendations below!

Watch your drink calories: "Don't drink your calories. That's the number one rule of thumb: not to drink your calories. It will eliminate so many calories in your body. Everybody knows that sugar that's not burnt off eventually turns into fat," says Shaun, who's also holding live workouts nationwide to promote his partnership with Powerade Zero. Shaun recommends portion control and cutting the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet in half, but "still ensure you have enough energy during the day," he says.

Kick it up a notch: "If you're a person who works out at the gym, try to take [fewer] breaks," Shaun recommends. "If you're a weight lifter, while you're not doing weights, try to do some different cardio exercise in between to try to ramp up the calorie burn."

Keep reading for more of Shaun T's last-minute diet and exercise advice!

Mint-Tinted Shadows Are Having a Moment

Jaime Richards — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:02:00 PDT

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone, but certain stars have been keeping the lucky streak alive with green-tinged shadow. Santigold and Nelly Furtado both opted for minty shades, the latter placing the pastel hue in her inner Vs, the former using the cool tone on her lids and creases. Kat Graham, however, went for a bolder, more vibrant take on the look, with a deep mint color on the lower areas of the eyes, and a smoky emerald on the upper portions. All three kept their cheeks and lips quite neutral, however; a sage (heh) move when going with such an intense eye makeup palette.

5 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Paying For College

LearnVest — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:15:23 PDT

Paying for college is such a complex issue. LearnVest helps simplify it by answering some key questions in regard to paying tuition.

If you believe everything you read, then you might think you need to be a Rockefeller to have kids.

That, of course, isn't the case.

Yes, kids are expensive, and thinking about paying for a college education can be scary and frustrating . . . but that's where we come in.

As with everything else in life, figuring out what to do about your kid's college savings is all about the planning, says Stephany Kirkpatrick, CFP, LearnVest's director of financial planning. Depending on where you are in life right now and how old your kids are, you may have questions about how to set up a 529 plan (which is an education savings plan designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs), what to look for, and when to start saving.

If you're pregnant or have a newborn and are starting to think about this, then good for you! The earlier you get started socking away cash for their college, the easier it will be. You'll learn a lot in this article, but you should also check out our Baby on Board Bootcamp, which will tell you everything you need to know - financially - to be ready for a baby. It includes 529 advice, as well as financial tips on everything from putting together a will and picking out a life insurance policy to buying nursery basics.
If your kid is slightly older and you’ve done your research but haven’t yet started saving in a 529 plan, then first read the four mistakes to avoid when choosing a 529 plan, and then check out the different college savings plans available to you.
If this is the first you’re thinking about it, no matter your kid's ageI, then don't worry about it. You have to start somewhere!

Read on for more.

The Right Way to Eat Breakfast For Weight Loss

Leta Shy — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:24:46 PDT

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because of so many reasons. But you need to make sure that you're doing it right. If you're trying to maintain or lose weight, here are some things to consider when enjoying your first meal of the day.

Eat it soon: Studies have found that eating breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, and not only that, it can help ensure that you don't feel so starved later, you make bad eating choices for lunch or dinner. To take advantage of your body's fat-burning potential, try to eat breakfast soon after waking up.

Go for filling: Stay away from foods that can lead to a midmorning crash. Instead, opt for meals that are full of slow-digesting nutrients to help keep you satisfied throughout the morning; high-fiber, high-protein breakfast options are a good choice for feeling full and energized. And make sure your breakfast doesn't have too much sugar in it - here are seven low-sugar, high-protein and fiber breakfast ideas that fit the bill.

Watch out for portions: A big breakfast can help fill you up, but you don't want to overdo it. Check out our handy chart of what servings sizes should look like, and keep calories in check with this list of the amount of calories in typical breakfasts.