The truth is, there is nothing low fat about the D&D muffins.  I guess you could say, however, that they are LOWER in fat compared to their other muffins.  But, by no means, is this a food that should be labeled as a ‘low fat’ food.

You might be surprised to learn the nutrition facts about low fat blueberry muffin.  I hate to burst your bubble, but here they are:

Calories (%DV based on daily intake of 2,000 cal) 400 cal 20%

Calories from Fat  45  25%

Total Fat 5 g 7.7%

Saturated Fat (DRI 20 g) 2 g 10%

Trans Fat  0 g  

Cholesterol 60 mg 20%

Sodium 490 mg 20.4%

Total Carbohydrate 78 g 26%

Dietary Fiber (DRI 25 g) 3 g 12%

Sugars 33 g 66%

An astounding 66% of the entire sugars you should be eating in one day is contained in just one of these low fat muffins.  If you drink orange juice, regular soda, or any other caloric drink, you will be way over your daily sugar intake.  Wonder why you’re not losing weight now?

Remember, if it tastes too good to be low fat, it is NOT low fat

I am a big fan of all natural peanut butter and almond butter.  The commercial types contain far too many hydrogenated oils, salt and saturated fats.  On their own, peanuts and almonds are good sources of protein, the raw, unsalted type.  Almonds especially are a good source of vitamin E which is great for your heart, hair and skin.

I was disappointed when I read the ingredient label for Skippy’s all natural peanut butter.  Although they have managed to eliminate most of their saturated fat, it still contains palm oil, sugar and salt.  Not the purest of ingredients.  Palm oil has unecessary saturated fat and why add sugar when peanut butter is normally paired with sugar infused jelly?  All natural peanut butter should just contain peanuts.  I really feel like the label on Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter is misleading.  When consumers see ‘all natural’,  they think of a product that is healthy.  Although the all natural version is healthier than their original formula, it still is not a good option for consumers looking to eliminate some of the junk found in commercially prepared foods.

In my house, we use Maple Grove All Natural peanut butter. It’s found right next to the rest of processed peanut spreads and for around the same price.  When you look at the ingredients for Maple Grove peanut butter, the only thing you will see is ‘peanuts’.  If you’ve never had all natural peanut butter, there are a few things to note.  First of all the taste is entirely different.  Once you try it, you will realize all of the chemicals that are added to commercially jarred peanut butter to get that texture and flavor.  It’s a very strong, peanut flavor. Second, the natural oils found in peanuts separate from the peanut butter and rise to the top.  This is a natural process since there are no binders used to prevent this from happening.  All you do is stir it right back in to your peanut butter. It adds to the creamy flavor and texture.

Smuckers also has a decent brand of all natural peanut butter, however salt is added.  If you are watching your sodium intake, stick with Maple Grove. Both brands offer chunky and creamy peanut butter.

Peanut Butter is packed with calories, so for dieters I recommend using peanut butter in small amounts in conjunction with a reduced carbohydrate diet.

Fitness and diet questions?  Email us your thoughts.

It’s not necessarily true that being a vegetarian will help you lose weight.  Sometimes vegetarians can supplement meat in their diet with carbohydrates.  They end up eating a lot of rice and pasta which can turn into unused calories and the pounds pack on.

Also, your body needs protein in order to maintain lean muscle.  Without lean muscle, your body can not burn calories efficiently.  Muscle burns more calories and burns them faster.

If you eat meat, you can get protein from chicken and fish (and red meat sparingly).  If you don’t eat meat, you’ll need to eat tofu to get enough protein. Some vegetarians argue that they get enough protein from beans, but again, beans are packed with extra carbohydrates and they are not a ‘complete protein’.  Generally proteins derived from animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk) are complete. 

So the bottom line when it comes to healthy eating is balance and portion.  If you want to be healthy, you need a balance of protein, carbs, good fats, vitamins and minerals.  Eliminating any of the above in its entirety is never a good idea (ex: carb free diets). 

Each of your meals should contain a small amount of protein, carbohydrate and good fat.  You can reduce or eliminate your carbs at night as long as you get a healthy dose during the day.

For example:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal (carbohydrate), 2 egg whites (protein), slice of smoked salmon (good fat)

Lunch:

Mesculan lettuce with grilled chicken (protein), small side of whole wheat pasta (carbohydrate), drizzled olive oil (good fat) and balsamic vinegar over your salad.

You get the idea….if you want to reduce your meat intake, I suggest you do your research on complete proteins and find out which vegetarian options (like tofu and beans) are your best source for a balanced diet.

Getting good fats (omega 3s) is the most challenging part for Americans.  The typical American diet contains very little, if any Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3s are known to help prevent cancer, cardio vascular disease, boost immune function, enhance brain function and more. 

If you wan to get a good dose of Omega 3s, here are some foods that are high in the essential fatty acid:

•  Salmon
• Flax Seeds
• Walnuts
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Cooked soybeans
• Raw tofu
• Halibut

For dieters, hidden sugars can spell disaster.  Even though it’s natural sugar, your body still treats it the same way.  The body essentially considers sugar a toxin.  Your body’s principal way of getting rid of sugar is to burn it. The sugar which your body can’t burn will be stored as glycogen, and when those glycogen reserves are full, sugar gets stored as fat.

Even though the naturally occurring sugars found in fruits (fructose) are not as bad for you as the confectionary sugars in sweets, you still need to be careful about how much sugar you consume each day. 

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 8 teaspoons per day of added sugar based on a 2,000 calories/day diet.  That’s 32 grams if you’re reading labels. 

Below is a list of fruits that contain the least amount of carbs and sugar:

• Cantaloupe,
• Rhubarb,
• Berries,
• Watermelon,
• Melons,
• Tomatoes,
• Apricots,
• Grapefruit,
• Guava,
• Lemons,
• Limes,
• Oranges,
• Papayas,
• Peaches,
• Plums,
• Raspberries,
• Tangerines,
• Kiwis

 Stay tuned for my next diet and weight loss blog which will focus on foods that you think are healthy but are loaded with sugars!  These are foods that even sound healthy, but in actuality are destroying your diet!

Breakfast: Yogurt

Snack: Apple

Lunch: Grilled chicken on whole wheat wrap

Snack: carrots

Dinner: Fish and broccoli

Looks seemingly healthy right?  Plenty of servings of fruit, some veggies and some whole wheat carbs. In actuality, this diet is not good for many women trying to lose weight.  For starters, this diet is loaded with sugars.  Yogurt is packed with sugars, even though it claims to be light or low-cal.  Apples and carrots have sugars too. I’m not saying to avoid fruits, but in this diet, the combination of fruits and  yogurts is entirely too much sugar. 

Instead of yogurt for breakfast, try egg salad made with low-fat mayo. It’s easy enough to make at home and bring to work in a container.  You can even have it on a slice of whole wheat bread.  Or, have a few egg whites on a slice of whole wheat bread.

For a snack, Apples are good, but they do contain sugar.  Sugars are best when eaten along with a protein.  Eating your protein first helps slow the absorption of sugars into your blood stream, reducing the chance of a spike in blood sugar levels, which leads to your body storing fat.  Have half of an apple with some all natural peanut butter, almonds or walnuts.

Just because your wrap is whole wheat, doesn’t mean it is healthy.  Wraps pack plenty of carbs even if they are whole wheat.  You are better off with low-carb breat, or have a sandwich and remove one piece of bread. The grilled chicken is good.  Having it over lettuce with some tomatoes, cucumbers and a low fat dressing is even better.

Read the labels of the foods you are eating and watch for hidden sugars.  20+ grams of sugar for one meal/snack/drink  is too much.  So check your yogurt labels and rethink breakfast.