Category: Nosh

The diet food industry is a huge money maker. The Global Industry Analysts’ most recent report indicates that the diet food segment of the global food market would likely hit $47 billion dollars for 2015. Diet food may seem appealing because it is designed and developed specifically for dieters. However, the truth is you can successfully lose weight without specially marketed diet foods.

The Myth of Diet Food

The term diet food always reminds me of the term flu season. Yes, there is a time when flu is more prevalent, but at the end of the day, the flu is an illness not a season. The same holds true for diet food. All food can be part of a diet, not just certain types or brands of foods marketed to dieters.

Diet food can be healthy or not. It’s a marketing term and nothing else. If you keep that in mind when shopping and planning meals, you will be able to avoid the diet food trap and make sure you purchase foods that you like, will eat, and will help you meet your goals.

What Is Diet Food?

When I use the term diet food I don’t mean whole, natural foods that are popular with dieters, such as salads, vegetables, fruits, and other lower calorie whole foods. I’m talking about foods that manufacturers market directly to people wanting to lose weight, like:

– Low calorie crackers- Low calorie cookies- Diet drinks- Diet ice cream- Fat free or lower fat dairy products- Low fat processed meats- Diet shakes- Diet granola or fruit bars- Fat free fruit snacks- Frozen diet dinners

Why Avoid Diet Food?

Food manufactured specifically for dieters isn’t necessary for successful weight loss. I used to eat a chocolate diet cookie called SnackWell’s. Boy those things were good, and you know what? I didn’t magically lose weight eating a diet cookie. Nor did I lose weight drinking a diet soda or choosing baked chips over fried ones.

A cookie is a cookie, a chip is a chip, and a diet cracker is about the same as a regular cracker.

The reason to avoid diet food is that it’s not necessary, and because the foods are highly processed, they contain ingredients that aren’t good for you, don’t help your weight loss, and can increase cravings.

Take those SnackWell’s cookies, for example. They weren’t any better for me than a regular cookie–they just had not quite as many calories. But since I ate way too many of them, I definitely didn’t lose weight.

Numerous research studies have shown that artificial sweeteners used in many diet products increase your cravings for sugary foods, which is the exact opposite of what you want.

How to Break the Habit

If your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer have diet foods in them, relax. You don’t have to ditch them or donate them if you don’t want to. Just use them wisely and don’t buy any more once they are gone.

It is easier to buy a frozen diet dinner or diet cookie than make them yourself, but think about what’s in the food. The ingredient list reads like a chemistry experiment.

Here’s an example of the ingredients in a SnackWell’s reduced fat vanilla cookie:

Unbleached enriched flour (Wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), folic acid), sugar, soybean and/or palm oil, dextrose, glycerin, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, wheat, starch, salt, emulsifiers (datem, sodium stearoyllactylate), leavening (baking soda, calcium phosphate), cellulose gum and gel, cornstarch, natural and artificial flavor (contains milk).

Sure they are lower in fat, but definitely not good for you.

I believe if you want a cookie, you should make a small batch using wholesome ingredients. Eat one or two, freeze or give away the rest, and count the calories toward your daily allotment.

Do the same thing with any other diet food. Choose a less processed option, make your own, or skip it entirely. After all, no one needs diet soda or diet cookies to survive.

Over time, you will likely find the taste of highly processed diet foods to be unappetizing. I can’t tell you how many clients of mine end up turning away from these types of foods and drinks completely after getting used to whole food options. They say things like, “It tastes like chemicals” or “All that food tastes the same.”

Breaking the diet food cycle can help you lose weight because you are relying on real food that is good for your body and your weight loss.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a well-known cure-all. It promotes weight loss, makes your hair and skin glow, whitens teeth, aids digestion, detoxifies, and reduces heartburn. But when it comes to the latest health food trend, ACV may have some competition: It turns out that coconut vinegar provides the health benefits of rich coconuts and nutrient-dense raw vinegar all in one tasty product.

Why We Love Coconuts

Coconuts have become a very popular health food for a number of reasons. They have strong antioxidant properties that help ward off wrinkles, aid digestion, fight off viruses, balance the body’s hormones, stabilize blood sugar, and hydrate the body. In fact, it’s been shown that populations that eat a lot of coconuts are among the healthiest in the world. I go through a jar of coconut oil a month, using it as a body and face lotion as well as a healthy cooking oil. But coconut vinegar has additional health benefits.

The Health Benefits of Coconut Vinegar

Coconut vinegar is a good source of minerals and phytonutrients, as well as B and C vitamins, fiber, and potassium. What’s more, it’s also a good source of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), probiotics that help with digestion. Perhaps most importantly, although both ACV and coconut vinegar seem acidic, once in the body, they are alkalizing foods. This is significant because an overly acidic body creates a playground for diseases to thrive. Foods like meat, alcohol, coffee, and dairy are all highly acidic, whereas foods like raw vinegar, leafy greens, lemons, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, avocados, cucumbers, and celery are all highly alkalizing foods. If you’ve eaten too many highly acidic foods lately, you may want to balance them out with alkalizing foods like coconut vinegar. When shopping for coconut vinegar make sure to choose a coconut vinegar that’s vegan, gluten-free, organic, raw, and unfiltered: basically, as close to Mother Nature as possible.

How to Use Coconut Vinegar

Coconut vinegar is less pungent than ACV, but it still has the flavor of vinegar. Add it to your favorite salad dressing or marinade recipe. In fact, you can add it to any recipe that requires an acid component, such as potato salad, tuna salad, tomato sauce, or a meringue. It can be used to tenderize meat, make sticky rice, and brighten up gelatin desserts. You can also take it before a meal to further aid digestion. It’s best to dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut vinegar in 8 ounces of water. If you drink it straight, you risk harming the enamel of your teeth.

How Coconut Vinegar Is Made

Coconut vinegar is made from the sap of the coconut tree. A contraption is placed on the tree to collect sap. Then it’s naturally fermented for 45 to 60 days. It’s not heated or filtered. Once the vinegar is properly fermented, it’s bottled for freshness. While ACV is commonly used in North America, coconut vinegar is most often used in Asia, where coconuts are prolific. And now that more people are becoming aware of all the health benefits of coconut vinegar, this good-for-you trend is making its way to a health food store in your neck of the woods.

Make Your Own Coconut Vinegar

Coconut vinegar can also be made with ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. You can make your own healthy vinegar by fermenting coconut water with yeast and sugar. All you have to do is strain coconut water through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, add sugar, and stir well. Boil the mixture to 149 degrees F for 20 minutes, and then transfer to a clean mason jar. Add yeast to the mixture and set aside for a week. Once the mixture has fermented into vinegar, it will be slightly foamy and smell acidic. This means that it’s ready to use.
Coconut vinegar offers the benefits of raw, unfiltered vinegar and coconuts all in one super healthy product. Whether you sip on diluted vinegar and water or enjoy it in a salad dressing, this acidic superfood is worth adding to your health food repertoire.

Value sized meals at restaurants, king sized candy bars, and fountain drinks with enough soda to feed a family are not a dieter’s friends. The huge portion sizes you are confronted with every day are one of the biggest stumbling blocks to successful weight loss. In order to lose 150 pounds, I learned to conquer portion sizes and want to share my best tips with you.

1. Put it away.

Out of sight, out of mind. Put the main serving dish, bag, or box of whatever food you are eating away after you serve yourself. Constantly looking at the larger container full of tempting foods can make you go back and get just a little more. That little bit more can add unnecessary calories to your day.

2. Switch sides and mains.

Buck tradition and make classic main dishes into a side dish and serve the dishes most often thought of as sides your main dish. For example, have a lot of vegetables and just a bit of meat.

Why does this work for portion control?

Because side dishes are frequently lower in calories and fat than main dishes. Salads, fruit, and vegetables are often considered side dishes and are generally much lower in calories than meats.

3. Use a small blue plate.

Smaller plates make it appear as though you have more on your plate than you really do. I know it’s like playing mind games with yourself, but it does work.

Make the whole small plate thing really work by using a blue plate. Researchers have discovered that the color blue tends to suppress appetite.

4. Visualize before you serve.

This is another mind game but a good one. Visualize how a proper serving should look on your plate before you dish it out. If you can see how much 1/2 cup of pasta is, you are more likely to not overdo it.

Of course, this is really important with higher calorie foods and less so with salad greens or vegetables.

5. Prepare snacks in advance.

Snacks can really mess up your weight loss if you aren’t careful. The problem is that most snacks are just so small. Popcorn, pretzels, raisins, nuts, and other snacks take up little room in your hand but can pack a calorie punch.

Prepare your snacks in advance. I still do this after all these years of weight maintenance. I portion out nuts and dried fruit, and I cut too-big granola bars into the right snack size. Then there is no guessing, no fudging, and no chance of eating too much at once. Unless, of course, you go back for a second bag and that’s another issue entirely.

6. Get ready to explain.

Your friends and family are going to notice you are not eating as much. They may ask you questions about it even if you already told them you are dieting.

Part of portion control is being able to stick to your diet even in the face of temptations or questions. When someone asks you why you aren’t having more of a particular food, you may be tempted to tell them to mind their own business. And of course, you could say that.

A gentler response is to say one of the following:

“It’s what my doctor recommends.”

“This is all I need right now.”

“I’m good with this amount.”

“I’ll let you know if I want more.”

7. Remind yourself that you can have more.

Always start with a small serving. It seems silly, but sometimes I would get more than I really needed because I knew I’d want more or worry it would be all gone. Instead of being satisfied with a small amount, I’d eat the whole thing.

Start small and remind yourself there is more where that food came from. After you finish the first serving ask yourself if you really need more or just want more.

Vegetables have it rough in America, always second-rate sideshows to the proteins and carbs of the food world. I don’t really blame most people for having this view; after all, any food that’s more of an obligatory afterthought, zapped in the microwave or boiled into oblivion, is doomed from the start.

So a few years back when I first learned of people using vegetables as stand-ins for pasta, my interest was piqued. Back then (you know, in the olden days of 2010), options were pretty limited. Beyond boxes of dried veggie pastas (white flour dyed with vegetable purees to appear healthy), there were a few fresh vegetables making names for themselves. Spaghetti squash, which separates into noodle-like strands once cooked, was and continues to be promising; and zucchini had been used for years as a stand-in for lasagna noodles with the help of a mandoline or humble chef’s knife.

Fast forward several years and anyone who has ever been on Pinterest has probably encountered some form of this “spiralized” veggie noodle phenomenon. And lest you think zucchini gets to have all the fun, these spiralizer kitchen tools can turn many-a-veg into a pasta look-alike. According to the Inspiralized website, any non-hollow, unseeded vegetable at least 1.5 inches in diameter with firm, solid flesh is ripe for the spiralizing.

So what’s this dietitian’s take on the latest veggie trend?

THE PROS

People all over are eating more vegetables, and they’re actually excited about it! Can anything be more over-the-top amazing than that? I almost want to end my article right here and now, because really, oh my goodness, people all over are eating more vegetables and getting excited about it. It’s like a dietitian’s dream come true.

One of the best things you can do for your health is to eat more fiber, and vegetables are packed with the stuff. To meet recommendations, it’s ideal to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables. That can be really challenging for a lot of people though, especially for anyone coming from a meat and potatoes-type upbringing. (Been there.) When we prepare vegetables like pasta, the portion size automatically grows and suddenly our plates effortlessly shift from being meat and carbohydrate dominant to really highlighting those veggies.

A plate full of vegetables is not only healthy for us, but it’s also healthy for the planet. Consuming a more plant-based diet is one of the top recommendations for reducing your carbon footprint.

I also love that vegetable spiralizers can be tools to reduce food waste by encouraging the use of what we typically consider vegetable scraps, such as broccoli stalks. This helps make the most out of your grocery budget while, again, contributing to the sustainability of the planet.

Plus, a big plate of spiralized vegetables looks really pretty. (Hey, we eat with our eyes, so attractive food is no laughing matter!)

THE CONS

I have only two bones to pick with the spiralizing trend.

First: the equipment. A spiralizer can be a very useful tool in the kitchen if you make the commitment to use it regularly and creatively, or it can just take up space. It’s far from the most frivolous kitchen gadget I have ever seen, but the really good models aren’t compact enough to make the purchase a definite no-brainer. (And the more compact ones are a total pain to clean; seriously, I stopped using mine because I got so fed up with it.)

Second: If we treat non-starchy veggies like pasta, we drastically reduce our carbohydrate and calorie intake. Vegetables can be very filling in the short term, but it’s the trifecta of fiber-rich carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, and protein that contribute to long-term satiety. (That means you might get munchy after your spiralized meal.)

THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT OR FLOP?

FIT! Of course, I love a trend that gets people jazzed about veggies! Before you go out and buy a gadget of your own, though, do a little research or even seek out a restaurant that serves vegetables this way (more and more do) to figure out if it’s right for you.

If you do start spiralizing, don’t do away with carbs altogether. Spiralize starchy vegetables or even certain fruits; use non-starchy vegetables to make smaller pasta portions more satisfying; or pair an otherwise veggie-centric meal with alternative forms of carbohydrates, such as whole grain pilaf, beans, or a hearty loaf of bread. Your brain will thank you.

There really are so many possibilities for spiralized vegetables. Could they be the key to turning you from a veggie skeptic into a veggie enthusiast?

It’s very possible.

When I tell people that I juice and that I’ve completed multiple juice cleanses, there are a few responses that I get. Of course, people who are also juicers are excited to meet another like-minded soul, but more often people meet my comments with disbelief and questions. Perhaps they’ve tried juicing at some point, without success. Or, maybe they just heard something that has kept them from giving it a try. Whatever the case, I’m happy to share my thoughts and experiences and turn their reasons not to juice into reasons to juice.

Here are a few of the most common statements I get when I tell someone that I juice, along with my responses.

I tried juicing but I just ended up gaining weight.

A common mistake many people make when they start juicing is to only think of juicing in terms of fruit. In fact, when you do a juice fast the majority of your juice content should be vegetables. Just as in a regular diet, fruit should only be a small percentage of you eat. For instance, when I do a juice fast, three out of five of my daily juices will be primarily vegetable juice. Depending on the blend, I may add in a single piece of fruit (usually an apple) to make it taste better. The other two juices may have more fruit, but will still have some vegetables as well. Cucumber, celery, beets, and carrots all make excellent juice bases.

I tried a juice fast, but I felt awful so I had to stop.

Many people make the mistake of jumping into a juice cleanse without preparing their body. If you’ve been eating a typical Western diet–low in fruits and veggies and high in processed foods and sugar–and you suddenly cut out all the foods your body is addicted to, you will pay for it. It will hurt.

Day three is when you will usually feel it the worst, in the way of headaches, stomach upset, and possibly even a fever. The worse your diet is before you start, the worse you will feel on day three.

However, if you take the time during the week or so leading up to your juice fast to plan, reduce the amount of processed foods and meat in your diet, and begin adding juice to your diet on a regular basis, you can reduce those symptoms.

All that sugar in juice isn’t good for you.

You are correct. If you are drinking a lot of juices high in sugar, it’s not good for you. However, the amount of sugar in any juice depends entirely on what you are juicing. Choose wisely. If you are diabetic or have other health issues, you should talk to your doctor before you start juicing and find out if there are specific foods you should avoid juicing altogether. In some situations, you may find out that it’s better for your system to blend your fruits and vegetables rather than juice them, as this will reduce the speed at which your body absorbs the sugar. In other situations, you may find that juicing simply isn’t a good idea for you at all.

Aren’t smoothies better for you since they maintain the fiber content?

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Drinking a smoothie is no different than eating the same fruits and vegetables.

I juice because juicing is like mainlining massive amounts of nutrients. When you drink a smoothie your body still has to work for those nutrients, therefore they are absorbed more slowly. However, juicing does not remove all fiber content, so even during a juice cleanse you are still getting a decent amount of water-soluble fiber. When I do a juice cleanse one of my goals is to flush out the bad and replace it with good. By eliminating the majority of the fiber, my digestive system is allowed to rest and simply absorb the good stuff.

I hope you are using a protein supplement.

I’m not sure where this myth that you can only get protein from meat came from, but this is probably the most common response I get from people about doing a juice cleanse. Protein is plentiful in many vegetables, especially the dark green leafy kind, like kale, spinach, and collard greens. I juice a lot more greens than I would ever eat, and that’s really one of the greatest things about juicing. You can get the nutrients from a huge amount of fruits and vegetables that you’d never be able to eat in a day. During the course of a seven-day juice cleanse I get plenty of protein. However, if I were to do a long juice cleanse (30 days or more) I would likely add a protein supplement.

The reasons for juicing are endless, and in my opinion, they outweigh any reasons to avoid juicing. I can honestly say that I feel like it’s saved my life. I can tell a difference in how I feel when I’m juicing regularly versus not juicing. I simply feel better. And, when I notice my diet is slipping a little too far to the unhealthy side, a juice cleanse is an excellent way for me to rebound to healthier habits. 

Before you jump in it’s a good idea to know what to expect and how to deal with it. Knowing the reasons why many people avoid juicing and how to avoid those issues is a great way to make sure that you have a good outcome.

If you live in a region of the world where the sun doesn’t always shine, odds are that you’re not getting enough vitamin D. Even if the sun is shining where you live, you need to spend at least 15 minutes in the sun each day to get enough of this critical nutrient. African-Americans, others with dark skin, the elderly, and obese are also more prone to having a vitamin D deficiency.
It is estimated that 30-100 percent of Americans, depending on age and community living environments, are deficient in vitamin D. And more than half of all American children are vitamin D deficient.

How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?

According to the National Institutes of Health, the amount of vitamin D needed on a daily basis depends on age, and ranges anywhere from 400 IU to 800 IU. You can check out the chart they provide in more detail here.
Vitamin D is essential for bone health, cold prevention, fighting depression, and more. A vitamin D deficiency could increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, some cancers, multiple sclerosis, and even the flu.
Brief exposure to the sun might be the easiest way to add a little vitamin D into your life, but this isn’t always realistic during the winter months.
Fortunately, there are a few other ways to add this critical nutrient to your diet. There aren’t a whole lot of food sources that contain vitamin D, but this short list will help keep you healthy when the sun isn’t shining.

Fatty Fish

Although fatty fish doesn’t sound very appetizing, it can be a great source of vitamin D. Look for salmon, herring, and sardines. Sockeye salmon is a good vitamin D source. Three ounces will provide your recommended daily intake.

Mushrooms

Not all mushrooms provide vitamin D, so look for certain types of mushrooms that are grown in ultraviolet light. Shiitake and Portobello mushrooms are varieties with high levels of vitamin D.

Eggs

Eat an egg and you’ll consume 41 IUs of vitamin D, which is 5-8 percent of the recommended daily amount, depending on your intake needs. It’s important to eat the entire egg, since vitamin D in an egg comes from its yolk. Use organic eggs when you can.

Cod Liver Oil

This option might not be the most appetizing, but it’s a surefire way to increase your vitamin D intake. One tablespoon of cod liver oil provides 1,300 IUs of vitamin C, which is about twice the recommended daily allowance.

Fortified Foods

It’s time to start reading those labels! Many foods are enriched with vitamin D, which means it’s been added. Look for orange juice, rice milk, yogurt, and cereals that have added vitamin D.

There are so many different “diets” out there that it can often be confusing to know what to do, which to follow, and what to believe. There is vegan, vegetarian, raw, Paleo, the Zone, gluten-free…the list goes on and on and on. Even my new show on ABC, “My Diet is Better Than Yours,” highlights different meal plans and styles of eating.
So which one is right? How do you know which one to start and what to choose?
For me, I don’t follow one set diet or plan, except in one area. I have removed gluten from my diet. Gluten has proven to be the one thing that my body cannot tolerate well. Time and time again, gluten leaves me not only bloated but with a stomach ache. No food is worth feeling pain after eating it.
So what exactly is gluten?
Gluten is a substance present in cereal grains–especially wheat–that is responsible for the elastic texture of the dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease. However, even if you are not diagnosed with celiac disease, you may find that you are highly intolerant to gluten. This is the case for me and I believe the case for many other people. Since I don’t tolerate it well, I have decided to remove it from my diet. In my opinion, gluten adds no nutritional value or benefit to me, therefore removal of gluten from my diet was a simple decision.
No gluten equals happy tummy!
The removal of gluten has not been a difficult process for me. There are many options out there now that are geared toward this movement. However, I want to caution you that simply buying a product because it is labeled “gluten-free” does not make it healthy. You still need to do your due diligence and read the label.
Part of removing gluten from your life should lead you to the decision to eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods. A gluten-free label isn’t necessary for a sweet potato because it naturally came from the earth! While gluten is naturally occurring in wheat, barley, and rye, it is also used as a thickening agent in most processed foods, so eating whole fruits and veggies is always a way to avoid the allergen.
This is why I was so compelled to start my own food delivery company. I know the struggle is real for those trying to change their eating habits and wanted to be able to provide people with wholesome, organic, natural food that is gluten-free and non-GMO. PrepT Foods is designed to allow people to eat without the fear of confusion about what they are putting in their bodies.
If you decide to remove gluten from your diet, you may begin to wonder: So what do I eat now?
There are still many delicious foods out there for you to eat, so please don’t get stuck in the cycle of buying every product in the store that says “gluten-free” on it. Chemicals are still chemicals, and processed foods are still bad for you, regardless of the presence or absence of gluten.
Eat smart. Be a label reader. The fewer ingredients the better. The fewer chemicals the better. And if you have trouble pronouncing the bulk of the ingredients listed, it’s best to stay away from that product altogether.
You may know that wheat is the main culprit that contains gluten. Here are some other foods or ingredients to avoid of when trying to eliminate gluten from your diet: barley, bulgur, cereal binding, couscous, durum, einkorn, emmer, filler, farro, graham flour, Kamut, malt, malt extract, malt flavoring, malt syrup, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat starch, and oats that are not labeled “gluten-free,” because they may have been contaminated by gluten in the field or in the processing plant.
Remember, there is no right or wrong when it comes to eating, only what makes you feel amazing and fuels you to be the best you possible. And, just so you know, I am human, which means that I don’t stick to this rule 100 percent of the time. I believe in following an 85/15 rule…which means 85 percent of the time I eat healthy and gluten-free, and the other 15 percent I eat fun foods that I love but know aren’t always the best for me.
So should you go gluten-free? I don’t know! Only you can decide that. But for me, removing this inflammatory agent from my diet has led me to have less bloat, better digestion, and more energy.

Sugar has become a dirty word. Once a term of endearment, evocative of all things sweet and nice, it has now become the curse word of the health and fitness industry.

It’s no secret that Americans, on average, are consuming way too much of it, with intakes weighing in at a whopping 130 pounds each year. (If you’re having trouble wrapping your head around that number, imagine downing a five-pound bag of sugar every two weeks.) Sugar tops the list of inflammatory foods, which can drive conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and vascular dementia. It may exacerbate depression and anxiety, and more anecdotally has been negatively linked to energy levels and acne. Some go so far as to deem it an addictive poison, capable of altering hormones and ultimately driving obesity.

Cue thousands of people calling it quits on the sweet stuff and shouting from the rooftops how their lives have been transformed, seemingly overnight.

Now, I have a habit of instantly dismissing anything that skyrockets into trendiness the way that sugar “detoxes” have, but color me curious because this registered dietitian right here also happens to have a serious sweet tooth. I fill my day with nutritious foods and genuinely love every bite, but when I do have dessert, I have dessert. Go big or go home has been my general approach in the past. Could my after-dinner sugar habit be the one thing holding me back? What would my life be like without sugar?

So in June 2015 I conducted an experiment in which I was the guinea pig: I stopped eating sugar. In all forms. Cold turkey. For two months. (You can read more about why I wanted to do this “sugar reset” and how I designed it over on my blog.)

And I emerged a totally new person, invigorated with a zeal for life like I had never felt before! It changed my life! All of my troubles were gone!

Okay, so eliminating sugar from my diet wasn’t quite as revolutionary as all that. I didn’t feel shaky, foggy, or lethargic coming “off” it. I didn’t magically start dropping weight or feel less bloated. My skin issues didn’t change a bit. My energy levels throughout the day weren’t dramatically affected.

Here’s what did happen:

– I stopped craving sweets. I honestly, genuinely did not miss sugar-laden foods at all. Even when I “ended” the experiment at eight weeks, I had no real desire to intentionally bring sugar back in; I simply no longer went out of my way to avoid it.

– I really started to appreciate the nuanced, earthy flavors of foods that hadn’t been enhanced by any sweeteners. I fell in love with these overnight oats, which before the reset I would have dismissed as bland. And a single square of unsweetened chocolate spread with all-natural peanut butter? Total party in my mouth.

– I woke up most mornings feeling more rested than usual, and my dreams were, overall, much tamer. (I have super bizarre dreams.)

– I never got “hangry” like I used to. I was very in tune with my hunger, but even when I went a little too long between meals, I never seemed to get irritable or emotionally volatile as a result of it.

– I stopped feeling “munchy” after dinner. I used to always want to curl up with a little something with my evening movie, but after the first few weeks I was able to effortlessly distinguish between this desire to eat and physical hunger.

– Even now, months after reintroducing sugar into my diet, I prefer my foods to be less sweet than I did before.

Sounds amazing, right? Only, I stopped eating at restaurants. Most packaged foods, even otherwise healthy ones, were out. No matter how nonchalant I tried to be, the experiment isolated me from others. Food should enrich our lives, not define it, and I found that both relying on sugar too much and quitting it completely result in the latter.

My experiment was indeed eye-opening, but now, months later, I understand that at its core, it wasn’t about sugar at all. I crave sweetness in moments when I’m least in sync with my body. I turn to sugar because it’s easy. I choose it because it’s always there. “Quitting” sugar was a Band-Aid fix at best, but the real work of tuning into and respecting my body’s cues is ongoing.

My advice? Forget the sugar detoxes. Instead, make honest but nonjudgmental observations about your choices. When do you turn to sugar for pure enjoyment, and when is it simply the easy, don’t-have-to-think-at-the-end-of-a-long-day choice? What void is sugar filling in your life? When do you eat it out of hunger, and when is it out of habit?

Life is too short to eat without intention. This year, I plan to make every bite count.

Before I was a dietitian, I dreamed of becoming a pastry chef. (Because the two are so similar, you know?) Although my career twisted into this new, health-focused direction, I never lost my passion for baking. If anything, I’m now more passionate than ever, determined to channel all of my nutritional knowledge into producing a better baked good. Since this is the season of giving and all, why not share some of the tips I’ve learned along the way?

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HEALTHY HACKS: BAKING EDITION

Instead of white (all-purpose) flour, try something with more fiber. My favorite is white whole wheat flour, which is a whole grain (so there’s plenty of fiber), but it’s softer in texture than traditional whole wheat. Whole wheat pastry flour, oat flour, and the more elusive barley flour also make formidable allies when baking. Grain-free flours like almond meal and coconut flour earn honorable mentions, but their textures do not lend themselves to substitutions in absolutely every recipe.

Best in: most quick breads, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies

Avoid with: angel food cake, sugar cookies, or other delicate desserts

The *: I find the complexity of whole grain baked goods to be unparalleled by their refined counterparts. I bake almost exclusively with them. Not every recipe will disguise these higher fiber flours completely (many will), but I challenge you to give them a chance.

Instead of shortening, try coconut oil. Make sure that it’s solidified, as it melts at fairly low temperatures; storing it in the fridge is a safe bet. Coconut oil has the consistency of shortening without containing trans fats or undergoing the same degree of chemical processing. You can also try baking with butter in place of shortening, although it won’t always come out exactly the same.

Best in: any dough or batter, when solidified

Avoid with: frostings; go the all-butter route here instead, and make sure it isn’t stored in a particularly warm environment

The *: Honestly, there are enough recipes out there that you’re generally better off finding one that doesn’t call for shortening in the first place. It takes the guesswork out of the process since there isn’t really anything in nature that is quite like man-made shortening.

Instead of butter, try mashed avocado. One medium avocado is usually about one cup mashed or the equivalent of about two sticks of butter. Avocados have a creamy texture, mild flavor, and more monounsaturated fats than saturated ones, which is great for heart health.

Best in: recipes that call for creaming butter

Avoid with: recipes that call for melted butter, or plain recipes like sugar cookies or vanilla cake.

The *: No, your dessert will not turn green, but you do have to mash the avocado really well. Any clumps that remain in the batter will remain green even after baking, so mash, mash, mash! It’s also best to start with recipes that are more likely to hide those clumps: anything chocolate, for example, or recipes with “stuff” in them like nuts, dried fruits, or chocolate chips.

Instead of sugar, try…okay, this is the really hard one. Sugar is important for flavor and structure in baking, so messing with it means messing with chemistry. Yikes. First, simply try decreasing the sugar by about 25%, which often can be done without ill effects. Next, go for a less refined or processed sugar, like lower-glycemic coconut sugar, naturally low-fructose pure maple syrup, or nutrient-rich, true-source certified honey. Some fantastic recipes actually use dates as the sole source of sweetness, although I’ve had more success following recipes that call for this than trying to make dates work in a recipe built for regular sugar.

Best in: any recipe calling for granulated or brown sugar

Avoid with: recipes that require powdered (confectioner’s) sugar

The *: When using maple syrup or honey, decrease the other liquids in the recipe by about 25% and decrease the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit, since both of these sweeteners brown at lower temperatures than regular sugar.

This list merely scratches the surface of what’s possible with healthier baking. Sometimes we get so nervous to fail in the kitchen (and life!) that we become too afraid to try. It’s just a cookie (or cake, or…) recipe! If it flops, it flops. I’ve had cupcakes that crumbled (layer them with some whipped coconut cream and fruit and call them a parfait), peppermint pudding that tasted like toothpaste (dilute with some stale bread, chocolate, and milk for a tasty bread pudding), and black bean brownies that were described quite generously as “kind of earthy” (there was no saving those). It’s okay! We learn from those flops. We grow from them.

And more often than not, we bake up something magical.

The major holidays have passed, but the candy aisle at your grocery store is as full as ever. The variety and amount of candy available is staggering. One day, just for fun, I counted over 100 different types of candy in my medium-sized grocery store. If you are trying to lose weight, candy may be a temptation for you. I know it was for me, and at certain times of the year it still is. I finally broke the candy habit for good with some simple tricks.

Why Should You Stop Eating Candy?

I do believe in moderation when it comes to weight loss and weight maintenance, but most candy is just so bad for you that I usually recommend people avoid it altogether.

Why?

You should avoid candy for three reasons:

1. It contains lots of calories in a small package.

2. With some exceptions, it has no nutritional value.

3. It often triggers cravings for sugary foods.

These three reasons alone make candy a poor choice when losing weight. As a quick illustration, here is the nutritional information for a single ounce of jelly beans.

Calories: 105Fiber: 0 gSugar 20 gCarbohydrates: 26 gFat: 0 gOther Vitamins: Basically zero

This candy, because it has so much sugar, does not have any fat. Other candies, such as chocolate bars, are not fat-free but are equally high in calories and sugar.

Real-Life Tricks To Stop Eating Candy

It’s one thing to know candy is bad for your weight loss and another thing entirely to actually stop eating it. Believe me, I know. It wasn’t uncommon for me to consume a large bag of M&M’s over the course of two days. I’d tell myself I was just going to have two or three candies. Then I’d reach my hand in the bag again and again and again until I had two or three candies about 50 times.

Here are some of the tricks I used to break myself of the candy habit for good.

Look At Candy Like Poison

It sounds extreme, but I used the same technique on candy that people who are trying to quit smoking use on cigarettes. I stopped thinking of candy as pleasurable but instead as dangerous to my health. The M&M’s calling my name weren’t good for me–they were bad for my health and weight.

Educate Yourself On Calories

Candy is high in calories but how high? I was very good at not looking at the nutrition label and instead just eating candy here and there, even if I was dieting. “A little couldn’t hurt too much,” I justified to myself.

Once I decided to eliminate candy from my diet, I looked at the nutrition labels carefully. Even I was surprised to find that a relatively small candy bar had about 200 calories. That’s a big chunk of your daily calorie allotment, especially if you don’t stop at just one candy bar.

Acknowledge That Candy Isn’t Necessary

Some foods are necessary, such as fruits and vegetables. Candy is not. I realized I would rather spend my calorie allotment on foods that were necessary for life, not junk food.

Realize Candy Triggers Cravings

Candy, because of its high sugar content, often triggers cravings for more sugary foods. When you eat candy, are you suddenly satisfied, or do you want more?

You probably want more.

Quit eating candy for 10 days and assess whether you craving for sugary foods has decreased. I’d wager that it has. If you keep away from candy, the cravings will stay away as well.

The Exceptions

As with many things, there are some exceptions to the no-candy rule. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, has some benefits to your health and may help you avoid feeling deprived if you cut out all other candy. Some research, including a research letter published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that people who ate a small amount of chocolate each week and exercised regularly had a slightly lower body mass index than people who did not eat chocolate as regularly.