Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

7 "HEALTHY" Foods You May Think Are Healthy, But Aren't

Some foods, however, have gotten the healthy nod, when they’re actually laden with fat, sugar or both. That's why you should always read the label. To save you some time, here are seven items that you may think are good snacks, but might be better left on the store shelf.

GRANOLA BARS
Granola bars got their wholesome, outdoorsy reputation as the mountain climber’s snack of choice. They’re filled with whole oats, nuts, seeds and bits of dried fruit — how could that be a bad thing?

The downside: Many granola bars are dipped in sugary syrups or loaded with chocolate chips, highly processed or artificial ingredients and aren’t much better than high-calorie candy bars. Even the less sugared-up varieties have only a little protein, a smidgen of fiber and a small amount of vitamins and minerals.

If you can’t resist: Make your own trail mix with whole-grain, ready-to-eat cereals, such as shredded wheat, with whole nuts, seeds and chunks of unsweetened, dried fruit. Otherwise, stick to bars with a short ingredient list, essentially whole grains, nuts, seeds and real fruit. Pick ones with 4 or more grams of fiber, less than 150 calories per serving and no more than 6 grams of added sugars.

TEA DRINKS
Tea has been lauded for its antioxidant power. The phytonutrients in tea leaves may not predict your future, but they may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Tea leaves can calm inflammation in the body and may slow the growth of cancer cells.
Tea leaves can help fight cancer and heart disease, but not all tea drinks are the same.
Keep reading @ msnbc.msn.com

Monday, November 19, 2007

Lower Calorie Thanksgiving

It's the most gut-busting day of the year, so yeah, you're bound to overdo it -- especially if Aunt Gertrude, you holiday host, favors real butter and cream.
Instead of fighting the desire to eat like your 12-year-old self, stick to this game plan: Skip the ho-hum fillers like nuts and bread and pile up your plate -- only once -- with big but still reasonable portions of this truly delicious stuff.
Wine
(5 oz glass), 120 calories
If the family drives you to drink, choose wine. You can go with white or red (only a 3-5 calorie difference per ounce). But note: red wine offers resveratrol, a healthy antioxidant, in higher amounts.
Turkey
(about 3 oz. or the size of a deck of cards), 107 calories
Go for skinless breast over thigh; dark meat is higher in saturated fat and calories.
Read more at womenshealthmag.com