Blog Posts by FitSugar

You are what you eat, at least that's the old adage. It's also one I believe in - what you put into your body has a big affect on how you feel. There are foods that fight fat, detox foods, and foods that help you get stronger. There are even foods that help you sleep better and look fresher. Adding to the list of foods that fuel with a purpose are foods that help ease pain. Whether it's a headache, post-workout soreness, or an injury, these foods will help ease the pain away in a totally natural way.

• Cottage Cheese - If you're feeling sore after working out, make yourself a nutty craisin cottage cheese snack. Cottage cheese contains branched-chain amino acids, which protect muscle tissue from damage and soreness. Cottage cheese also protects against joint pain since it's full of vitamin D.
• Turmeric - When it comes to spices, turmeric has superpowers. It's been shown to protect against breast cancer and contains curcumin, which is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that

If you work Monday through Friday, by the end of the week you're psyched for the weekend so you can let loose. Unfortunately, the typical weekend plans sometimes mean we're not taking the best care of ourselves. So when Monday rolls around, we may end up with a cold, the flu, a stomach bug, or just an overall rundown feeling. Take a look at some reasons the weekend may be making you ill, so you can prevent calling in sick.

• Sharing Food or Drinks - When you're out with friends or family, sharing yummy bites of food and sips of beverages is fun, but it's not a good idea if you want to prevent the spread of germs. You can still try out what each other has ordered, just use your own utensils and straws.
• Doing Too Much - Weekends are a time to do things you didn't get to do all week, but they're also a time to relax and take it easy. Trying to cram in a whole long to-do list in two days can run you down, which can weaken your immune system and make you sick come Monday

Have you starting lifting weights yet? As a reformed cardio junkie, I have learned that a little strength training goes a long way. Weight training just twice a week is all it takes to help change your body inside and out. If you still need some convincing, here are seven reasons to get pumped up about strength training.

• Helps You Lose Inches - We all tend to think of cardio as the calorie torcher and the necessary exercise for losing weight. Remember, though, it is better to lose inches and gain muscle than to simply lose pounds. Lifting twice a week can reduce your overall body fat by three percent in just 10 weeks. This is because muscle tissue requires more energy to simply exist than other tissues like fat, so muscle burns more calories.
• Strengthens Your Bones Too - Lifting weights not only builds muscles, it makes for stronger bones too. Regular weight lifting for six months has been shown to increase bone mineral density by 13 percent. So add strength training to

Celeb trainer Valerie Waters has helped many clients prep for roles and the red carpet, including Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel. I sat down with Val to learn some of her tips on getting ready for a big event like the Oscars or a high school reunion.

Funny enough we spent most of our time talking about food - Valerie freely admits she is not a dietitian and calls herself a food coach. And who couldn't use a little coaching when it comes to food? Well-timed snacks are part of her plan to get you ready for your red carpet event. Valerie strongly believes in the power of snacking, mainly to keep your blood sugar levels steady so you don't binge on sugar and low quality carbs in a fit of hunger or panic. When it comes to snacks, her mantra is "Plan. Prep. Prepare." You need to "pack your snacks the night before," and she advocates keeping an ounce of almonds mixed with two tablespoons of raisins in your purse as an emergency snack for when you're on the go. Valerie explains that a snack

Many of us set new healthy goals for 2010, but all those good intentions and motivation can start to fizzle - so much so that some may stop exercising altogether. Don't let this happen to you! Keep these six tips in mind to prevent exercise burnout.

• Don't Push Yourself Too Hard - When we first start exercise programs, we're eager beavers and want to go full force with everything we do in order to see instant results. The problem is, doing too much can tire us out or even cause an injury. It's best to push yourself during a few workouts a week, and then go easy for a few workouts. Also be sure to give yourself days to rest your body completely, because the next day you'll crave exercise.
• Set Mini Goals Instead of One Big One - Setting big goals can be a great motivator to get you psyched about starting an exercise program, but it's hard keep up the momentum when reaching that big goal is far in the future. You'll find more success sticking with your regular exercise

The term superfood is no joke, especially when it comes to green tea. Besides a little caffeine boost, antioxidant-rich green tea also protects the skin, cuts cancer risk, and delays the aging process. A new study reveals that green tea may also protect the eyes. Talk about an overachiever.

The study found that the catechins in green tea can penetrate eye tissue, spreading antioxidant love to the peepers. Using lab rats, researchers measured eye tissue for catechin absorption after feeding them green tea extract. They found that certain areas of the eye - like the retina - absorbed more catechins than other areas. The area with the least absorption was the cornea. In total, catechins were detected in the eye area for 20 hours.

This is a big break for researchers because it suggests that green tea might help protect from a variety of eye diseases like glaucoma. Just another reason to justify a mid-afternoon tea break!

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Ugh. Is it me, or does wintertime always translate to tighter fitting clothes? Just about everyone I know complains about Winter weight gain, but is it just inevitable? Does the cold weather trigger our bodies to hold onto fat so we don't freeze to death? For some people who live in and are exposed to cold weather in the Winter, some doctors believe our bodies hold on to fat in order to stay warm. But let's face it - most people aren't roughing it outside all day and night in freezing temps. So for the rest of us, it's not the actual cold weather that makes us fatter; it's the cold weather that causes us to modify our lifestyles, and that is what contributes to bigger numbers on the scale. In Winter, we wear more clothes to cover our bodies up, so we're less self-conscious about watching what we eat. Plus many of us find we're less motivated to exercise when the temperatures drop. Not only does staying inside mean we burn fewer calories, but being cooped up can also lead to depression

Recently I realized that for three consecutive days, I was chugging copious amounts of water to force bite-sized chunks of food down my throat and these episodes of near choking were followed by serious digestive distress.

Perhaps it's time, I thought, to focus on chewing. A simple, everyday action that I thought I mastered before the age of 2, but it seems I was taking chewing for granted. I reminded myself that the whole process of breaking down food and converting it into energy starts in the mouth. Chewing is important. For the last seven days, I have taken my mastication seriously and have noticed a bunch of things worth sharing. One, it takes a long time to really chew your food. It took me just under 30 minutes to eat a dinner-size salad with roast chicken and beets. That's a lot of chewing, which is good since it slows down the eating process. Occasionally, I would become bored with chewing and stop eating as soon as I felt sated, a great way to not overindulge. This process