It’s perfectly okay to have a sweet tooth. As a card carrying member of the “sweet tooth club,” I know what it’s like to want something sweet after a meal. If you’re trying to make changes to cut back on sweets and lots of added sugars, it can be daunting thinking about giving up the sweet things you like.
The key is to find a healthy middle ground. There are no “good” or “bad” foods. The idea of restricting really just makes you want it more. Instead, think about how often you have heavier desserts like cake and ice cream. Keep the portion to a few bites. But, have low-calorie sweet treats more often when you crave a little something sweet.
Here are a few refreshing spring desserts that will be sure to satisfy. They are delicious and healthy sweet treats that will get you through the warmer months ahead:
Dietitians have been trying to get people to eat more fiber for a long time. It is recommended that we get 25-30 grams per day. Dietary fiber is found in foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
Fiber helps with lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, and promote digestive regularity. Also, when you eat fiber, you are more full and satisfied. You tend to eat fewer calories and maintain a healthy weight. Despite these benefits, many people don’t eat enough of these foods. In fact, 70 percent of Americans do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. There’s a good chance they may not be getting enough fiber either. This is why one of the reasons companies are adding fiber to food products.
Every few years a new sugar alternative hits the market. People who prefer to get their sweeteners’ calorie-free rush to buy up the local supermarket’s stock and eagerly tout the benefits of the latest and greatest sweet invention. About a decade ago sucrolose (aka Splenda) gave Sweet ‘n Low and Equal a run for their money. Agave nectar has received a “health halo” among some people, despite the fact that it is nearly all fructose and may be worse for your health than table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Most recently, another non-sugar has made a splash in our coffees.
Stevia (sold at health food stores as Truvia, PureVia, Sun Crystals, among others) is made from the sweetest part of the South American stevia plant. The human body cannot use these steviol glycosides as fuel which means the calorie and carbohydrate count is zero. It also tastes 200-300 times sweeter than sugar.
You may have heard in the news recently that PepsiCo created a salt for its Lay’s potato chips (and other Frito products) that will reduce salt content. At first glance, it seems like a gimmick. You might even think they are trying to make people think that their snack products are healthier. But, there’s actually more to it than that.
I talked with the Director of Public Relations and Marketing, Aurora Gonzalez, about the new salt and got some interesting health-related information.
Frito-Lay cares about making a good product. They were the first company to remove trans fats in favor of sunflower oil. They are thinking about sodium in terms of “if there is something we can do, we should do it.” They know people are concerned about salt intake. They also know that people like seasonings, and products with seasonings tend to have higher salt. So they’ve been looking into sodium and playing with the structure to reduce the total sodium content. They’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Frito-Lay realizes consumers struggle with salt intake. Basically, they are trying to make a small dent, while keeping up the integrity of the quality ingredients.
Are you a picture of health? Many Americans these days think they are healthier than they really are, according to a recent survey by GE and the Cleveland Clinic. I had a chance to chat with acclaimed physician, author, and “Real Age” expert Dr. Michael Roizen. He is the Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic, in addition to being the co-author of YOU: On a Diet and subsequent books in the series.
In our conversation, Dr. Roizen explains the surprising outcomes of the “GE Better Health Study” survey, which asked more than 2,000 Americans age 18 and older, and more than 1,200 physicians, nurses, pharmacists and dietitians about their healthy living attitudes, behaviors and barriers, as well as the state of the doctor/patient relationship. We share those results below.
Listen now to my interview with Dr. Michael Roizen.
As a nutrition expert, people are always asking me for my “weight loss secrets.” The truth is, I don’t have any secrets. I think the credible information that would help most people is already out there. Things are changing ever so slowly. I see a growing trend toward simplifying weight loss strategies. Many people are saying that they aren’t dieting (yay!), they’re just making healthier food choices and only eating when hungry. (That’s a big one. Try it for one day and you will realize, you really don’t know what hunger and fullness feels like.)
One simple tip I can offer is to avoid eating like a typical American – the SAD diet (Standard American Diet). I recently appeared on TV with a client to show how she is losing weight – and inches – by avoiding the SAD eating habits of typical Americans.
The National Nutrition Month interview series continues. I’m so excited about this interview! Everyone needs to listen to it. If you have ever dieted, felt uncontrollable eating or binging, think you are an emotional eater, or just have “food rules” you will benefit from hearing what Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, has to say about dieting and weight management – and it’s not “count your calories and eat less.”
She should know about weight management, she has struggled with her own weight most of her life. She gets it. Not only that, but the book offers realistic and practical advice and encouragement for changing the way you think about eating and dieting. If you’re ready to stop the cycle of eating and repenting for your “food sins,” you will love what this book has to offer.
Listen now to our conversation to get a taste for the whole “Am I hungry?” approach. Find out how you may be sabotaging reaching your healthy weight by dieting and ignoring your body’s own hunger and fullness signs.
Let me know what you think about it in the comments section. One reader will be chosen to receive a copy of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat on April 9, 2024.
Michelle offers an “eating cycle” quiz on her website as well, which is well worth your time. Enjoy the conversation!
When it comes to going green, you can do a lot more than reduce, reuse, recycle. You can go green and get healthy at the same time. You’ll probably lose weight, too. That’s because when you “go green” for health, you’re eating more plants like veggies, fruits, whole grains (ever had wheatberries?), beans and legumes (like lentils), and soy (tried tempeh?). You’re also eating less meat and animal products in general. Plants are naturally low in calories, sodium, and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. This is as close to a “magic bullet” you will get for healthy weight management. If you care about the environment, consider this: cutting back on meat can be the equivalent of trading in an SUV for a small car!
If all this sounds interesting, you have to listen now to my conversation with Kate Geagan, RD, and author of “Go Green, Get Lean: Trim Your Waistline with the Ultimate Low Carbon Footprint Diet.”
Listen to the interview below!
We discuss low carbon eating and nutrition and the health impact. You’ll hear Kate’s perspective on choosing wild or farm raised fish. The answer may be surprising (I was)!
You can learn more about Kate at her website, KateGeagan.com, or follow her on Twitter @GreenEating.
Have you turned your love of sugar in to a love of agave in an effort to be healthier? Maybe you should rethink much “love” you give it. If you are unfamiliar, agave nectar (ah gav ee) is a sweetener that ranges in color from light to dark, depending on the processing time and amount of minerals in the product. It is less thick than honey or maple syrup and has a sweeter taste. The agave sweetener comes from various species of the agave plant. After the juice has been extracted, it is heated to create simple sugars. The final product is some percentage of the sugars glucose and fructose. (more…)
Take one part sports dietitian, mix with one part professional football player, and add a dash of whole food recipes. Pop it in the oven and eventually you get an excellent book called “The All-Pro Diet: Lose Fat, Build Muscle, and Live Like a Champion” (Rodale, 2024).
I sat down with Kansas City Chief’s Tony Gonzalez’s sports dietitian and co-author Mitzi Dulan, RD to get an idea about what the book has to offer people trying to lose weight. Mitzi explains how eating mostly whole plant foods and avoiding heavily processed foods can help you manage a healthy weight.
Listen now as we discuss some of the recipes in the book, like the coconut banana smoothie. YUM!
I had the great pleasure to sit down with superstar dietitian Cheryl Forberg, RD, who just so happens to be a professional chef and the nutrition expert behind the wildly successful weight loss on NBC’s The Biggest Loser! She talked with me about her latest book, The Biggest Loser: 6 Weeks to a Healthier You, which released yesterday. Plus, read on to see how you can win a copy for yourself!
Rebecca: Cheryl, you’ve authored several wonderful books for Biggest Loser so far and I was personally a big fan of Biggest Loser Simple Swaps, what makes The Biggest Loser: 6 Weeks to a Healthier You different than other books?
Cheryl: There are many books on the market catering to dieting and weight loss. One of the distinctions of The Biggest Loser eating plan is that the quality of the calories is as important as the quantity. Our eating plan has evolved since we began 10 seasons ago, and I’m happy to say that it’s continually improved in terms of including less and less processed food choices. (more…)
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