BellaSugar

Seasonal Eats: Strawberries

FitSugar — Thu, 19 May 2011 03:01:09 PDT

In case you aren't already in love with strawberries, I have some reasons to get the love fest with this berry started! They are a low-calorie food loaded like a billionaire with antioxidants known as phenols. Phenols not only give strawberries their irresistible red color, but they also fill this berry with heart-protective, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. A veritable trifecta of benefits.

Strawberry season is here; so the cost of a pint should be falling and they should be abundant at your local farmers market. You want to load up on strawberries because they are loaded with vitamin C. One cup of strawberries provides well over 125 percent of the daily RDI of vitamin C, and having high amounts of vitamin C in your blood results in burning more fat. You might recall that organic fruits contain more vitamin C than conventional, so I think it is well worth it to splurge a bit on organic berries. Another reason to go organic with these strawberries is they have one of the highest amounts of pesticide residue when compared with other produce.

You can make some lovely strawberry muffins or mix the berry with balsamic vinegar for a new taste sensation. My favorite way to eat them, however, is straight up - not sliced, no extra sugar, no cream, I just pop them straight into my mouth - after giving them a good rinse of course.

Source: Flickr User Manchester Monkey

3 Seasonal Fat-Burning Foods to Celebrate Spring

Shape — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:15:55 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, here on FitSugar.

Spring has almost sprung, and that means a whole new crop of nutrition powerhouses at your local market. Here are three of my favorite mouthwatering picks, how they’ll help you get ready for bikini season, and simple ways to gobble them up:

Artichokes: One medium choke packs some important minerals like iron and calcium, along with over 20 percent of your daily fiber needs. One study in Brazilian dieters found that over a 6-month period, each addition gram of fiber resulted in an extra quarter pound of weight loss. I love them steamed in lemon water with fresh mint and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

New potatoes: When spuds are cooked and cooled they’re one of the best sources of resistant starch, a fiber-like substance linked to a boost in fat burning during the hours after a meal. Cube, cook, and chill them and serve lightly dressed in a mixture of cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced red onion, celery, and scallions.

Strawberries: One cup provides just 50 calories with over 150 percent of your vitamin C needs. Studies show that a higher blood level of vitamin C results in burning more fat, both at rest and during exercise. Enjoy these gems as is, dipped in melted dark chocolate, or tossed into a fresh spinach salad - and if you have leftovers snip off the stems and freeze them for your smoothie stash.

Flickr User norwichnuts

Spring Produce: In Season and So Good For You

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:00:00 PDT

After months of butternut squash and other seasonal Winter produce, I was happy to see many of my Spring favorites appearing at the grocery store and farmers markets. Eating seasonally is not only cheaper, but the produce is tastier, fresher, and more nutritious when in season. Be on the lookout for these fruits and veggies on the shelves of your market.

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Coming Soon: Strawberry Flowers Eau de Parfum

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:00:22 PDT

Brand-new from Fresh is a summertime eau de parfum called Strawberry Flowers ($38). It launched this past week in the UK and will be exclusive at Sephora come September.

This fruity, floral and sparkling scent is sure to please your sense of smell. It was created by Lev Glazman (co-founder of Fresh), and was inspired by the memories of a perfect Spring morning. It has a true citrus spirit and is made from mandarin, strawberries, freesia, osmanthus, orris, yuzu, white peach, musk, woods and orange blossom.

I tried it for the first time last night and fell instantly in love with the fresh, lush aroma. It is significantly sweeter than Cannabis Rose, but not quite as sugary as Sugar Lemon. Ahh finally, the perfect, happy medium that you can add to your mix of favorite strawberry beauty products.

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Strawberry and Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Popsicle

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:15:49 PDT

Here at Sugar HQ, everyone is crazy for the new, dangerously close frozen yogurt joint, SoGreen. After consuming a couple of SoGreen's delicious, fruity treats, I decided to experiment with my own variation. Currently I'm obsessed with Popsicles, so naturally, I was inspired to make a frozen yogurt Popsicle.

The recipe is simple with only a couple ingredients: strained yogurt, fresh fruit, and sugar. I had strawberries and golden raspberries on hand, but any fruit combination would work.

Once frozen, the bite-sized strawberry chunks were more crunchy than I would have preferred. To avoid the crunchy and hard-to-eat fruit, be sure to thinly slice all berries. Much like any other homemade Popsicle, the hardest part is waiting for them to freeze.

To learn more about making this perfect Summer treat,

Strawberry & Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Popsicles
Original Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk yogurt
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/4 cup chopped raspberries
4 tbsp sugar

Directions

Strain liquid from the yogurt. To strain, place cheesecloth or paper towels in a colander. Pour yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Chop strawberries. I chopped them into chunks but in the future, I will quarter the berries and finely slice them into paper thin slivers.

Place strawberries in a bowl and add sugar.

Chop or puree raspberries and add to strawberries, stir to combine.

Stir the strained yogurt into strawberry raspberry mixture.

Fill popsicle molds.

Wait patiently to freeze.

Makes 8 popsicles.

Print recipe with images | without images

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Fit for March: FitSugar Must Haves

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:30:00 PST

From St. Patrick's Day to the first day of Spring (yay!), March is one of those months that seems to creep up on you. This month's Must Haves are designed to help get you on and ensure that you keep on track and take advantage of longer evenings and nicer weather (fingers crossed at least).

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BellaSugar's Guide to Strawberry Beauty Products

BellaSugar — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:00:33 PST

Sweet and juicy bath and body products are a real weakness for me, and in particular, I'm a sucker for all things strawberry. My bathroom is filled with scrubs, lotions, lip balms - you name it and I'm addicted. Check out this roundup of strawberry beauty treats; four of the posts are product driven and the last is a D.I.Y exfoliator which is inexpensive, effective and easy to make.

Silky Strawberry Lip Balms

BellaSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:00:37 PST

Welcome to my final installment of strawberry beauty products. Those of you who missed the reading about strawberry body creams, scrubs and cleansers, have no fear - you can find everything here. These three goodies are smooth lip smackers to help soothe, condition and impart shine to your lips. And not only do they smell like strawberries, they taste like them too!

Smith's Strawberry Rosebud Lip Balm ($4.49) is the latest launch in the Smith's salve family. This all-purpose balm isn't restricted to lip love only; I use it on my cuticles, hands, knees and even my eyes sometimes. This strawberry version smells of roses and strawberries mixed together - it's amazing!

For two more strawberry lip balms,

This creamy Burt's Bees Strawberry Lip Gloss ($2.64) smells sweet, tastes good and leaves lips shiny and soft. I realize they call it a lip gloss, but because it's not sticky or tacky and you have to dip your finger into the pot to put it on, I think it's safe to consider this gloss the balm. Yuk, yuk.

Since it's made from grapeseed oil it is also conditioning and contains antioxidants. FYI, it is also available in raspberry, cherry and lemon-lime.

Avon Flavor Savers Lip Gloss in Strawberry Fraise ($0.99) is a clear and conditioning lip balm that comes in a form similar to Chapstick. Just rub it over your lips a few times to get it soft and melty, then lick your lips for a sweet treat. I think it's great that Avon is still selling this product for under a dollar, because who doesn't love an affordable indulgence?

Smoothing Strawberry Body Lotions

BellaSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:00:22 PST

Welcome to my third installment on strawberry beauty products. These body lotions are refreshing and sweet fruit treats for your skin. I've found that even with the wide assortment of orange, lemon and pomegranate body creams, there's nothing quite as wonderful as strawberry. Judging from your comments about strawberry facial scrubs and cleansers I think you'll like these juicy treats too.

Kama Sutra Strawberry Creme Body Soufflé ($17.09) is more of a massage cream than a body lotion. I haven't tried it, but a friend has, and she claims it's even edible (tastes sweet, but good). The timing sure is perfect considering that Valentine's Day is next week. I think it's funny that there's a warning saying that you must be 18 and over to even buy the cream. So, let me get this straight: Anyone can buy condoms, but you can't buy massage cream unless you're 18. Hmm, tawk amongst yourselves.

For two more smoothing and soothing strawberry body lotions,

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Body Drink Lotion (any two products in the range sell for $18) is a sugary, sweet and sexy body moisturizer that leaves your skin smooth and scented. I've had this product for a few months and always feel the urge to put it on when the sun is shining, even if it's cold outside. It's a boost to your senses and a great way to celebrate the scent of summer all year round.

Estee Lauder Pleasures Delight Body Lotion ($38.50) smells just like the fragrance only it's a little bit less intense. You'd never guess that it's made from strawberries, but that mixture (along with the scent of sugary confections) is what makes it so good. I was afraid that it would feel kind of sticky on my skin based on all of the sugar, but actually it feels very smooth and it absorbs into the skin quickly.

Sweet Smelling Strawberry Cleansers

BellaSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:30:00 PST

Since you all seemed to enjoy the last post about strawberry body and face scrubs so much, I felt inspired to round up even more fresh-smelling and adorably packaged strawberry face and body cleansers to awaken your winter senses.

TESS Scrub-It-Off Strawberry-Jojoba Facial Cleanser For Problem Skin ($9) is intended for the hormonally hyperactive skin of teenagers, which makes it great for adults with sensitive, yet oily skin. It gently washes away the dirt, oil, and makeup from the day and also slightly exfoliates the skin. The jojoba oil and beads and aloe vera also ensure that your face is left feeling moisturized and refreshed.

For two more sweet strawberry beauty treats,

Philosophy Strawberry Milkshake ($16) wins the award for best name of the bunch! This 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo, and conditioner contains vitamin E so it's extra moisturizing. It doesn't contain harsh detergents, which makes it gentle enough for everyday use, however, I don't think this is something that you'd want to use on your hair often if it's color treated or dry.

The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel ($11) is a bold red, water-based body cleanser made from strawberry juice and glycerin that leaves skin smelling sweet and feeling clean.