Artificial Sweeteners for Weight Loss: Do They Work?

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Artificial sweeteners are chemicals or natural compounds that have been formulated to provide sweetness without the use of sugar and without as many calories. Because these sugar substitutes are typically much sweeter than sugar it takes smaller amounts to create the same sweetness. Food products made with artificial sweeteners can have lower calorie counts than equivalent products made with sugar. This would seem to be a dieter’s dream come true. But are these artificial sweeteners safe? Do they work? Safety of Artificial Sweeteners The first concerns about the safety of artificial sweeteners surfaced with saccharin back in the 1970s. At that time the FDA considered a total ban on saccharin after a series of research experiments revealed a possible link between saccharin and cancer in rats. This sweetener was then tagged as a possible carcinogen till the year 2000. After reviewing considerably more research the FDA announced that the risk to humans appears to be slight. Given the FDA’s experience with saccharin, to gain approval for new sugar substitutes rigorous testing and extensive evidence supporting the safety of proposed sweeteners has been required. Some of the potential risks examined in the research studies with new sweeteners involved an elevated rate in the development of tumors, lymphomas, leukemia, reproductive problems, cell mutations, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal problems. As the FDA determined risk to be minimal for a given product they proceeded to award approval beginning with aspartame (Equal and NutraSweet) in 1981. Food industry now has a relatively long history of safe use of artificial sweeteners in a variety of foods. Many government, health, and consumer organizations including the National Cancer Institute, the American Dietetics Association, and the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) have expressed satisfaction with the FDA safety guidelines for the use of artificial sweeteners. However, there are others who believe there are yet unanswered questions with respect to safety despite FDA assurances (Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Newsletter 2009) Currently, there are 5 FDA approved artificial sweeteners: -Aspartame Aspartame is a combination of two amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) phenylalanine and aspartic acid. This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is known by the brand names Equal and NutraSweet. Although aspartame has been found to be safe for most people, there are certain individuals, with an inborn sensitivity to phenylalanine, who must avoid this product (phenylketonuria or PKU). [NOTE: Some individuals claim to be sensitive to aspartame and get headaches and other symptoms after consuming it. This seems to be based in fact but the link has never been fully proven to my knowledge. Anyone experiencing any kind of perceived reaction to an artificial sweetener should certainly avoid that sweetener.] -Acesulfame K Acesulfame K is a heat stable compound that can be used in cooking and baking. It is about 180 to 200 times sweeter than sugar and is available as the product with the brand name Sunett. It is also marketed as a tabletop sweetener with the name Sweet One. -Saccharin Saccharin is 200-700 times sweeter than sugar. Food manufacturers use saccharin in many dietetic food and beverage products. -Sucralose Sucralose is an artificial sweetener made from sugar by substituting 3 chlorine atoms for 3 hydrogen-oxygen groups in a chemical process. It is 600 times sweeter than the original sugar. -Neotame Neotame is a general purpose sweetener approved by the FDA in 2002. This sweetener is about 7,000 times sweeter than sugar. Effectiveness of Artificial Sweeteners In addition to a few nagging safety concerns, another question of many health professionals relates to the effectiveness of artificial sweeteners. Do artificial sweeteners make weight loss or maintenance easier? A number of controlled studies document how the use of artificial sweeteners CAN result in weight loss when artificially-sweetened and reduced-calorie products are substituted for equivalent higher calorie sugar-sweetened products. HOWEVER, this happens ONLY when the total calorie intake is monitored and controlled. The reality, more often than not, is that consuming foods and beverages with artificial sweeteners does not result in a calorie deficit for weight loss. Why this happens is not entirely clear. Some recent research suggests that products sweetened with non-caloric sweeteners may actually increase the desire for sweetened foods and the amount of food eaten both sweetened and otherwise. Other studies suggest that individuals simply compensate for the calories not consumed with artificially sweetened products. Efforts to sort out the details of what happens and why is ongoing and very complicated! It will likely take many more years to reach a more complete understanding. Meanwhile, look at the overwhelming evidence we already have. Artificial sweeteners have been available for decades and yet the percentage of individuals who are overweight and obese has steadily increased not decreased. Some research studies do suggest that artificial sweeteners may be helpful for weight maintenance but there is little, if any evidence, that they are effective for weight loss outside of controlled research studies. This has led many health professionals to believe that the effectiveness of artificial sweeteners is more of a MYTH than a reality (Rev. Med. Suisse. March 2009). Here are my recommendations with respect to artificial sweeteners: 1. As much as possible choose a diet of whole, unprocessed foods to get the nutrients you need for healthy weight loss and maintenance. 2. Occasional consumption of artificially sweetened foods and beverages is not likely to be a problem for most people with respect to safety. Just remember that for weight loss you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. Artificially sweetened foods may make achieving a total calorie deficit more difficult not less. To be certain of your calorie intake when dieting you may want to track what you eat for at least a while to get a better sense of your needs and what works. I use and recommend the service of MyFoodDiary. (See Nutrition Calculators: Review of the Best Sites Online for more options both paid and free. Also, those who keep food diaries are more likely to achieve weight loss success.) 3. Read ingredient labels on food and beverage products to gain awareness of the presence of artificial sweeteners. Sugar-free gum, sugar free sweets and candy, diet drinks, jam, frozen ice cream, light yogurts, and some baked goods are common sources of these sweeteners but there are many others. 4. Having a desire for sweet foods is perfectly normal. It is an inborn human characteristic and food companies use this knowledge to their advantage. However, you can take control by understanding that you CAN reduce your desire for sweets over time. Gradually replace sweetened foods with healthy and naturally sweet low calorie fruit and other foods such as veggies or small amounts of nuts and seeds. Think about the thinner, more shapely look, and healthy glow you can get as a reward for choosing healthy foods and keeping your calorie count under control! Artificial sweeteners are simply not necessary. There’s nothing wrong with having some sugar in your diet. Sugar is not “bad” for most people. What matters most is how much we eat. However, having said that, it has become harder to avoid sweetened foods because sugar and sugar substitutes have been added to so many foods many of which never used to have added sweeteners. But that’s an article for another day… Till next time, eat healthy food and watch those calories! [One of the best reasons for the development and use of artificial sweeteners is for use by diabetics. Please consult with a registered dietitian if you are diabetic to learn more about what may or may not be appropriate for you.] calories Health Maintenance weight loss calories, Health, Maintenance, weight lossartificial sweeteners sugar subsititutes weight loss diets aspartame acesulfame k sucralose neotame saccharin effectiveness weight management

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5 Fabulous Low Cal Desserts or Treats

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Following a healthy low calorie diet of 1200 to 1500 calories leaves little room for anything other than nutritious food. Sometimes I want more! Nothing less than a luscious satisfying dessert or treat will do. So I occasionally splurge on a high calorie less than healthy dessert and then devote some extra time to burning calories to keep the whole thing from being a complete train wreck and derailing me from my weight loss or maintenance efforts! Clearly that strategy doesn’t work on a regular basis. So what other options are there? There is a way to indulge in a small portion of a tasty low cal treat or dessert AND get the nutrients your body needs at the same time. Today I’m sharing a couple of the recipes I turn to for great taste and satisfaction as well as a few others I’ve discovered online that I have yet to try. Check them out! I think you’ll find one or more that you can add to your repertoire of tasty treats that won’t wreck your healthy diet. Most are quick and easy to prepare. The first recipe I’ve included is for a simple fruit cobbler that calls for adding whipped cream as a topping. Given that whipped cream can quickly rack up the calories in a dessert along with unhealthy saturated fat, I have a suggestion for something else. I’ve discovered that there’s a far better choice than either whipped cream (made from real cream) or the manufactured Cool Whip. Whether you are making whipped cream at home or you’ve purchased whipped cream in a pressurized can the end result is about the same for calories and nutrients. Cool Whip might seem like a better choice but I beg to differ. Here are the facts so you can decide for yourself: Cool Whip (per cup): 120 calories 0 grams protein 0 grams total fat (0 grams saturated fat) 0 cholesterol 3 grams carbohydrate (1 grams sugar) If you only read the Nutrition Facts label, Cool Whip looks pretty good. But hold on. Let’s see what the Ingredients tell us. Cool Whip Ingredients (Kraft): WATER, CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR). Yuck! (In my humble opinion) I couldn’t actually find the nutrient breakdown for a cup so I had to extrapolate from the nutrient values for 2 tablespoons. Clearly there is some fat including trans fat in this product because of the hydrogenated vegetable oil listed. Evidently there must be less than .5 grams in 2 tablespoons for the company to be able to list 0 grams of fat. Had the values been provided for one cup, I would imagine it would be a different story… So how does whipped cream (made from real cream) fare? Whipped Cream, cream topping, pressurized (per cup): 154 calories ~2 grams protein 13.3 grams total fat (8.3 grams saturated fat) 46 mg cholesterol 7.5 grams carbohydrates (4.8 grams sugar) That’s a lot of fat and not of a kind most of us should be eating (8.3 grams of saturated fat per cup!). My suggestion for a healthy low cal substitute is greek yogurt. Greek yogurt: 5.3 oz container (just shy of 1 cup by a tablespoon or two): 80 calories 15 grams protein 0 grams total fat (0 grams saturated fat) 0 cholesterol 6 grams carbohydrates (6 grams sugar probably all from the milk sugar lactose) Add two teaspoons of sugar to the container of greek yogurt and mix well to make a very passable whipped cream. Each teaspoon of sugar adds about 15 calories so this makes a total of 110 per cup. Still a little too tangy? If two teaspoons aren’t enough for you, 3 should do it (for a total of 1 tablespoon). That’s still only 125 total calories per cup. Who eats a cup of whipped cream anyway? Two to three tablespoons of whipped cream are probably plenty to add to your dessert treat. I understand 2% Greek yogurt is even better tasting than the nonfat yogurt but I have not yet had a chance to try it. The 2% would of course have more calories but might not need the addition of sugar. I don’t know. I’ll let you know when I’ve had a chance to try it. 3-Minute Fruit Cobbler Makes 1 serving Ingredients: 4 Vanilla Wafers ½ cup Blueberries (or other berry) 2 Tbsp. Whipped Cream Substitute 1. Make whipped cream substitute. Add two teaspoons to a 5.3 oz container of nonfat greek yogurt. The sweetness added to the thick and creamy yogurt gives it a taste like whipped cream. If it’s not sweet enough for you add another teaspoon of sugar (only 15 calories per tsp. of sugar). 2. Now add the 4 cookies to a small microwave oven safe dish. Top with fresh blueberries. Microwave on medium high for a couple of minutes or so. Then top with a dollop or two of the Greek yogurt mix. (130 calories per serving) Prefer to have more of a pie taste? How about substituting the vanilla wafer cookies with Whole Wheat Honey Graham Crackers by Mi-Del. [Regular Graham Crackers, Honey or Plain: 1 large rectangular piece or 2 squares (14 grams) has about 59 calories with 0 grams dietary fiber. Mi-Del Whole Wheat Honey Grahams have about the same number of calories as regular graham crackers but with 1-2 grams dietary fiber. (140 calories for 38 grams or 4 crackers. This would be the equivalent of 52 calories for a 14-gram portion)] 10-Minute Orange Treat This recipe from The World’s Healthiest Foods website calls for combining a little honey with lemon zest, lemon juice, and low-fat yogurt to make a tangy sauce served over orange sections. Fast, easy, low cal and nutritious. Bet it tastes good too! (82 calories per serving) 10 Minute Fresh Berry Dessert with Yogurt and Chocolate The picture says it all. Doesn’t it look good? This recipe can be found at The World’s Healthiest Foods Website. (The calorie count is not provided, however, you can keep it to a reasonable number by going easy on the chocolate!) Homemade Peach Ice Cream O.K. I admit, this recipe posted on Health.com calls for using a “measures-like-sugar” calorie-free sweetener such as Splenda (I’m not a fan of sugar substitutes). However, It DOES look very tempting and for only 58 calories I may just have to give it a try! (58 calories per ½ cup) Creamy Chocolate Banana Bake This one is easy to prepare and makes a very satisfying treat! Makes one serving. Ingredients: 1 small banana 1 small square of dark chocolate (50 calories or less) Start with a SMALL banana (to keep the calorie count down). Leave the peel on. Cut open the banana lengthwise with one long slice through the outer peel and the banana inside but not all the way through. Keep the peeling on. Break the dark chocolate square into a few small pieces. Wedge the chocolate pieces inside the sliced spot. Now close the banana back up and wrap in tin foil. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 5 minutes or so, just long enough to warm the banana and melt the chocolate. Remove from the oven. Open up the foil and voila! You now have a creamy chocolaty treat or dessert for only 150 calories or so. Very satisfying! How about sharing one or more of your easy, healthy, yet tasty low cal treats? Go ahead and share in the comment box. The hundreds of readers who visit this site each day would love to have more ideas. Thanks! Till next time watch those calories! calories Health weight loss calories, Health, weight losslow calorie dessert low cal treat low calorie healthy dessert healthy treat nutritious

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Day 7 of the 7 Day Sample Menu

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Day 7 of the 7 Day Diet Sample Menu is by far the easiest of the week. Supper calls for making Roasted Chicken Pizzas for the second time this week so it should be simple and quick. However, you may not have any more leftover chicken at this point. If not, just load up your mini pizzas with whatever leftover veggies you might have and add a little more cheese for some protein (not too much because calories from the fat in cheese quickly adds up!). Or you might eat another half serving of Low Calorie Deviled Egg (from earlier in the week) sometime during the day to replace some of the protein. The remaining food for your meals and snacks comes from leftovers. If you have followed the 7 Day Plan closely, you might want to ease up today and give yourself a break. Increase your calorie intake by 200-300 and give yourself a treat of your choice. By raising your calorie count every so often you send a positive message to your body to keep your metabolism running at a healthy level and help prevent a slowdown that can cause a plateau in your weight loss efforts. I actually recommend increasing your calorie intake by a little every third or fourth day. [Note: Always make sure you are getting enough calories to meet your needs to prevent metabolic slowdowns and other problems. If you are not sure what an appropriate calorie count might be for you when dieting then you may want to read 1200 Calorie Diet: Getting Started.] I now have the complete 7 Day Diet Sample Menu available in one place. I will be providing you with a grocery list and an assessment of the cost for the week. As I may have mentioned before, I hope to create a new menu plan for a week that does not require as much meal preparation. That should be fun to put together but I suspect the cost for the week’s menu won’t be cheap! Sample Menu Day 7 - 1200 Calories Breakfast 1/2 cup Creamy Breakfast Oatmeal (leftover from earlier in the week see Day 1) 1 medium Orange Unsweetened Tea, Coffee, or Water Snack 1 Deviled Egg Half (leftover from Day 5) 1/4 cup Almonds Lunch 1 cup Black Bean Chicken Casserole (leftover from Day 6) 2 cups Mixed Salad Greens 1/2 cup Tomatoes, chopped Unsweetened Tea, Coffee, or Water Snack 1 medium Apple, with skin Supper 1 Roasted Chicken Pizza (2 mini pizzas) Unsweetened Tea, Coffee, or Water (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day.) Total Calories = 1174 Total Fiber = 28.6 grams (The recommendation for women is to have 20-25 grams of fiber a day.) Fat = 31% Carbs = 48% Protein = 22% Calcium = 872 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 mg a day.) Iron = 11.5 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg.) With low calorie diets, iron often comes up short for younger women and calcium can be short for women of all ages particularly older women. Today’s menu is a little short on iron for women 19 to 50 years of age and on calcium for women of all ages. Today might be a good day for a supplement. 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu Modify the 1200 Calorie Diet Menu to fit your needs. Are you 19 to 50 years of age (pre-menopause)? Today would be a good day for an iron supplement. Are you over 50? You might add another one cup serving of nonfat milk for extra calcium (80 calories, 223 mg calcium). An additional serving of yogurt is another good choice for getting extra calcium (see Yogurt for a Healthy Low Calorie Diet ) for some ideas on which yogurt to buy. Other than these tips you can choose what you like for the additional 100-300 calories. Today is a great day to eat up whatever leftovers you might have or have a second serving at one or more meals. Good luck with your diet! If you are feeling adventuresome you may want to consider planning your own 7 day diet menu. I share tips on how to go about creating a nutritionally well balanced plan in my article post Planning a 7 Day Diet Menu . The complete menu for the week: 7 Day Diet Sample Menu for 1200 Calories (Or More) For tips on how to increase your chances for success on low calorie diets I encourage you to read some of my previous articles and diet tips: 1200 Calorie Diet (LOTS of tips and resources for success on a 1200 Calorie Diet) 1200 Calorie Diet Plan (Nutritionally balanced diet plan for 1200 calories with sample menus) 1500 Calorie Diet Plan (Nutritionally balanced diet plan for 1500 calories with sample menus) Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food to look great and feel great! calories weight loss calories, weight loss7 Day Diet Menu sample menu diet plan 1200 calorie diet 1300 1400 1500 calorie diet healthy low calorie weight loss

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Day 6 of the 7 Day Sample Menu Plan

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Day 6 of the 7 Day Diet Menu for 1200 calories or more is a great day to use up the rest of the leftover chicken from Day 1 with a simple casserole dish. I included Black Bean Chicken Casserole for lunch to provide some variety with the meals. However, if you started the sample menu for the week on a Sunday, day 6 would be Friday. It might be difficult for you to prepare this dish midday. What you could do instead is switch the lunch and supper suggestions. Or you might assemble and cook the casserole ahead of time (a night or two before) so that it is ready to heat and eat for lunch on day 6. Whatever works. I’ve made an effort to provide a way to use up most if not all of the food purchased at the beginning of the week to avoid waste and to keep down the total cost. Convenience is hard to come by when you have low cost and healthy. Preparing your own meals will save money and provide you with healthy low calorie food but you need to make the right choices. So the trade off is that it does take time. The next 7 day sample diet menu I create, I will try a different approach with a plan that requires very little cooking other than maybe heating things up. I guarantee you it won’t be inexpensive! Eating out or purchasing heat and eat entrees or other ready to eat food from grocery stores will cost. Sample Menu Day 6 - 1200 Calories Breakfast 1/2 cup Creamy Breakfast Oatmeal (leftover from earlier in the week see Day 1) 1/2 cup medium apple, chopped (add to the Creamy Breakfast Oatmeal for a change from previous days) 1/2 cup Orange Juice 1 cup unsweetened tea Snack 1 6-oz. container low fat yogurt (Stonyfield Farms, 130 calories, your choice of flavor) Lunch 3/4 cup Black Bean Chicken Casserole 1/2 medium apple (remaining half from breakfast) Water, unsweetened coffee or tea Snack 2 stalks of celery (cut into 3-4 inch pieces) 2 tbsp. hummus Supper 1 cup Chicken Tortilla Soup (122 calories WITHOUT the addition of tortilla chips to the soup) (leftover from Day 4) 2 cups Mixed Salad Greens 1/2 cup Tomatoes, chopped 1 Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin, as is or toasted Water, unsweetened tea or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day.) Total Calories = 1200 Total Fiber = 28.1 grams (The recommendation for women is to have 20-25 grams of fiber a day.) Fat = 20% Carbs = 58% Protein = 21% Calcium = 943 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 mg a day.) Iron = 12.1 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg.) With low calorie diets, iron often comes up short for younger women and calcium for women of all ages, particularly older women. This menu is somewhat low in iron for women 19 to 50 years of age and in calcium for women 51+. Today might be a good day for a supplement. Otherwise the menu gets good marks from MyFoodDiary (the service I use to design nutritious low calorie menus) Here’s the feedback for Day 6: 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu Modify the 1200 Calorie Diet Menu to fit your needs. If you are over 50 and needing a little more calcium you could add another one cup serving of nonfat milk (80 calories, 223 mg calcium). An additional serving of yogurt is another good choice for getting extra calcium (see Yogurt for a Healthy Low Calorie Diet ) for some ideas on which yogurt to buy.) The iron count is low for women 19 to 50 years of age. Today would be a good day for an iron supplement. At this point in the week you will have a sense of how much extra food you might have. You can choose from the available food to supplement with an extra serving or a leftover from earlier in the week. An additional 1/2 cup of the Black Bean Chicken Casserole will provide you with about 263 calories. I will be sharing the 7th day of the sample menu soon along with a complete meal plan for the week long menu. It’s been fun doing this. I’ve learned that it isn’t easy to plan a healthy low calorie menu for 7 days that manages to make use of a relatively small amount of food, include variety, and avoid waste. So often the sample week long menus I see in magazines or online call for eating completely different food every day of the week. Who can afford that? (If you are cooking for more than one person it is a little easier.) Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight losslow calorie sample menu 7 Day Diet Menu 1200 calorie diet 1300 1400 1500 calorie diet healthy

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