The hubby, kids and I went to Yogurtland in Downtown Burbank after dinner, and I was excited to have some dessert that is a little bit less guilt-inducing. As I strolled down the line, I looked for a sugar-free option, but the best I could find was "non-fat" New York Style Cheesecake flavor. I laughed at the description because it said it was a good alternative if you're trying to watch your waistline.In case you haven't heard, the "non-fat" revolution is over! We fought the war over which is better for you: "non-fat" or "sugar-free", and "sugar-free" won (in most cases). Unless you are on a severely calorie-restricted diet, you don't need to worry as much about the fat content in your food as the sugar content... as long as you're not eating ribeye steak, bacon or sausage as your meat option every meal.
So why all the hype about "non-fat" (desserts are the most highly attractive for this kind of advertising)? Because most non-fat foods have lower calories than foods with fat in them. Nutritionists agree that if you want to lose weight, you should reduce the number of calories you take in and increase your exercise -- the goal is to burn more calories than you eat. However, the non-fat foods still have loads of sugar. Unless it is a manufactured "diet food", like those put out by the "Atkins" or "South Beach Diet" companies, the "non-fat" food probably has 2-3 times the amount of sugar in one serving than your body can burn.
Too much sugar leads to well-fed, happy fat cells that want to stick around in your body (most often in your waistline). It can also lead to insulin-resistance, which causes inability to focus, weight gain, diabetes, bloating, increased blood pressure, and more! Furthermore, sugar rushes have been proven to make you crash and crave within about 30 minutes, whereas sugar-free foods with protein and some fat have been proven to stave off hunger and have not shown an increase in overall weight gain in recent studies (International Journal of Obesity, April 2012).
As a fitness model and bodybuilding competitor, I stay well under the AHA's recommendation of 24g of sugar per day for a highly active female 30-45 years old. It is very difficult unless I read every label carefully and check each restaurant's nutrition guide. It gets cumbersome, but I would rather not revert to my old habits of overeating the wrong stuff (lots of fruits and smoothies, non-fat ice cream and non-fat milk, all of which sound "healthy"). Simply by cutting out as much sugar as possible, I lost 10 pounds in one week, then I tweaked other parts of my diet and exercise plan and lost 40 more pounds.
Bottom line: don't be fooled by the "non-fat" label, look at the amount of sugar that's added to make it bulky or tasty. Try to stay below 20g of sugar every day, the American Heart Assoc.'s guideline for moderately active females 30-45 years old. And if you're trying to make a healthier meal for the holidays, cut the sugar down (or cut it out by using Stevia or other natural sugar-alternative) and choose leaner cuts of meat. Skip the cookies, unless you are at a party or special event or plan on burning off those calories and more at the gym that day. Try some of the new, and quite tasty, sugar-free candies out on the market.
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