A few years ago I was watching Wheel of Fortune and attempting to solve the puzzles before the contestants did. One phrase I was able to solve readily, but the poor contestant didn’t do so well. The poor man guessed “mustard-filled chocolate eclairs.” Can you guess what it should have been?
Perhaps I would have no problems turning down dessert if it were chocolate filled with mustard. After all, mustard has been said to have “negative” calories. Wouldn’t that make it a prize winner for dieters across America?
Sometimes when I’m trying to lose weight I only eat “diet” or “lite” foods. Instead of a piece of chocolate cake, for instance, I might try to quench a chocolate craving with a slim fudge pop from the freezer. And sometimes it ends up tasting a bit like a mustard-filled chocolate éclair might taste—pretty awful!
Perhaps it’s better to have the “real deal” than try to pretend that I’ll satisfy myself with substitute foods. I usually end up just eating more anyway. So how often should I eat dessert? I am pretty strict with myself right now since I am trying to lose weight. What about for the rest of my life? Do I have to rule out sweets altogether?
It seems every dietitian has a different answer for how much table sugar we should consume. For example, the American Heart Association says women should have no more than 100 calories of added sugar a day, while the Institute of Medicine sets the daily threshold at around 500 calories. That’s a huge difference!
Perhaps a better plan would be to limit excess sugar entirely except for one dessert a week. That way I could get what I want in terms of quality without jeopardizing my health. But I have to stay realistic and recognize how hard it is to truly cut out processed sugar from my diet when it’s in so many foods on the market.
And I use a controvercial product -- Splenda. It helps me limit my sugar, but some people think it isn't too healthy.
ReplyDeleteI agree though that I'd rather have a wonderful dessert once in awhile than a mediocre dessert quite often.
Artificial sweeteners cause weight gain by many mechanisms, such as causing unstable blood sugar levels, which increases the appetite and causes cravings for carbohydrates (sweets/sugar).
ReplyDeleteYou are better off to use real sugar, that way your body can regulate itself. Chemicals are never healthy for your body. Lots of people sure use them though. Not meaning to be harsh...forgive me if I have offended, just have a HUGE burden. :)
Karla D :)
Thanks Karla! I need to research more about artificial sweeteners sometime. Natural seems to always be the best way to go.
ReplyDelete