The Sugar Smart Diet: Stop Cravings and Lose Weight While Still Enjoying the Sweets You Love (20 page)
Authors: Anne Alexander,Julia VanTine
Tasneem Bhatia, MD
DON’T LET HEALTH HALOS FOOL YOU.
Health claims on packaged products can be misleading. Packaged organic products can still be packed with sugar. Whole wheat cookies are still cookies. Since I’m gluten-free, I’m especially careful about reading food labels. Sugar is the first item on the ingredients list in many packaged gluten-free products.
FIND FRUIT FABULOUS.
I try to limit my added sugar intake to a few teaspoons per day. I’d take a crisp apple or a perfectly ripe peach over cookies or candy any day! Plus, fruit is buffered with fiber, which helps avoid the spikes in glucose and insulin that trigger cravings and contribute to health problems. In fact, one study found that people who ate at least 3 servings of fruit a day had a 12 percent decline in diabetes risk. Apples, blueberries, and grapes were particularly protective. If I need a little more sweetness, I use honey, a superfood with immune-boosting properties.
MAKE A DATE WITH DESSERT.
I’ve made it a rule to not keep sugary foods in the house. If my family and I want ice cream or dessert, we go out for it. You make more conscious choices that way, and I think you enjoy the treat more because it’s an event.
CALM DOWN, CRAVE LESS.
Managing stress lessens the lure of sugar. Most of us seek sugar when we’re tired or depressed. When I’m particularly busy or tired, I make it a point to drink green tea throughout the day and to fit in exercise. Self-care, nurturing, breathing, and exercise are my secrets to combating sugar cravings.
TASNEEM BHATIA, MD,
is an integrative medicine expert and medical director of the Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine. She is the author, with the editors of
Prevention,
of
What Doctors Eat.
Now that you’ve reset your sugar thermostat, your cravings should be gone, or nearly so. It’s truly amazing how small, simple changes—like clearing your schedule for a dose of “me” time or a nightly walk around the neighborhood—can elicit such positive changes in mood and energy. As a result, you probably don’t need day-by-day tips and tricks. You can always use the Cravings Crushers and the Sweet Freedom strategies you learned in Phase 1. But still, I’ve given you some Phase-2-specific tips to help keep you calm but energized, well-rested, and positive during this phase, along with an especially delightful way to soothe yourself if a craving should pop up. (Use it to crush stress, too!)
Think of fruits as crayons. You wouldn’t use just red and yellow, right? You want the whole colorful box to pick from. It’s the same with fruit. All fruit contains fiber, vitamins, minerals, and various disease-fighting nutrients like antioxidants and phytochemicals. The different colors are indicators of different nutritional profiles. Red watermelon and grapefruit are great sources of lycopene. The dark reds, purples, and purple-blues in fruits like cherries, plums, and blueberries are rich in anthocyanins. Mangoes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and
cantaloupe pack carotenoids, like beta-carotene. The more colors you choose, the more health benefits you’ll reap.
As it turns out, consuming smaller amounts of many phytochemicals may benefit health more than larger amounts of fewer phytochemicals, according to a study published in the
Journal of Nutrition
. Researchers had 106 women eat 8 to 10 servings of fruit a day (veggies, too) for 8 weeks. Half the women chose from 18 different varieties (including kiwi, peaches, berries, grapes, and pineapple), while the others ate the same five fruits over and over again.
Two weeks later, blood tests showed that compared to the low-variety group, the high-variety group had less DNA damage, possibly making their bodies more resilient against disease.
Native to the American tropics, this fragrant, exotic fruit—which resembles a pear on the outside and watermelon on the inside—is likely in your supermarket’s produce aisle. Don’t shy away. It can be a delicious addition to Phase 2 eating. Its tangy sweetness is a nice alternative to cherries and berries.
Depending on the variety, guavas may have light-green or yellow skin, and pink, red, yellow, or even white flesh. Ripe guavas have a fragrant aroma that ranges from strong and penetrating to mild and pleasant. Give them a gentle squeeze before you buy. Guavas sold in markets are usually quite firm, so you should let them sit for a few days at room temperature before you use them, to allow them to ripen. They’re ripe when they yield to a gentle squeeze. Refrigerate ripe guavas immediately, and use them within a day or two.
To truly appreciate the sweetness of fruit, you’ve
got
to grill it, at least once. Grilling fruit causes its sugars to caramelize, creating a unique, smoky flavor that’s perfect for a side dish or dessert that tastes decadent.
You can grill any fruit large and firm enough to take the heat—apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, oranges, even strawberries—if you put them on skewers. If you want to try grilling smaller fruits, like grapes or blueberries, use a grill pan to hold them above the flames or coals.
To prep a fruit for grilling, wash and slice it in half, or cut it into large
chunks. Leave the skin on to help hold the fruit together as it cooks. Next, soak the fruit in 1 to 2 cups cold water for about 30 minutes. This step maximizes the fruit’s water content so it stays juicy as it grills. For extra flavor, spice up the soaking water with ground cloves, cinnamon, or nutmeg.
Now you’re ready to grill. To prevent sticking, brush the fruit on both sides with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Most fruits need only 3 to 4 minutes of grilling per side. Grill over medium-low heat and don’t walk away while it’s cooking. When it’s done, slide it onto a plate, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, and dust with cinnamon.
We know people who won’t buy mangoes, claiming that they’re too hard to cut. Not true! This simple four-step method ensures a perfect, nonmutilated mango.
1.
With a sharp knife, cut both sides of the mango lengthwise along the pit, as close to the pit as possible.
2.
Lay each half, skin side down, on a cutting board.
3.
Score the flesh into 1-inch squares, without cutting through the skin.
4.
Invert the skin side so the fruit pops out.
Is your busy brain keeping you awake at night? Long, slow abdominal breathing can reduce anxiety and arousal, making that hamster in your head get off its wheel and relax. In a small Harvard study using yoga breathing techniques to treat insomnia, all volunteers reported that the quality and quantity of their sleep improved. To sleep better tonight, try one breathing technique called the 4-7-8 breath exercise. With your tongue resting on the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper teeth, exhale completely. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four counts. Hold your breath for seven counts. Then exhale (with your tongue in the same position) while mentally counting to eight. Repeat the cycle three more times.
Self-soothing techniques help you tolerate strong or overwhelming emotions, so you can manage them in a positive way, rather than reflexively reaching for a sugary treat. Activating the senses, such as inhaling a pleasant scent, is a helpful reminder to enter the present. To try this exercise, you’ll need a bottle of eucalyptus oil, available at natural foods stores, and a small washcloth (make it a pretty one).
Add 2 drops of eucalyptus oil to 1 cup of water in a bowl and stir. Soak a washcloth thoroughly in the scented water. Squeeze out the excess water,
then roll it up neatly and place it in a plastic bag in your refrigerator, where you can see it.
When a craving hits, retrieve your scented washcloth and drape it gently over your face. Bring your full attention to the sensations you notice—the roughness of the cloth, its coolness, its scent—as you inhale deeply and exhale fully. Be still for a minute or two, continuing to inhale and exhale, focusing on the scent and your sensations.
After your soothing session, check in with your feelings. Did your urge to eat go up, go down, or remain the same? Did soothing yourself without food help you move away from the impulse to eat?
A:
Dried fruit has all the fiber, nutrients, and sugar of fresh, but concentrated into a smaller portion. For instance, ½ cup of fresh apricot halves has 37 calories and 7 grams of sugar. Half a cup of dried apricot halves supply 157 calories and 35 grams of sugar. Rather than snacking on it out of hand, I like to think of it as an added sugar, like honey or maple syrup, and use it as an ingredient in recipes to enhance the flavor of whole foods. (Some dried fruit, like cranberries and tart cherries, is sweetened with sugar.) As such, the meals in this phase don’t contain any dried fruit. We bring it back as an ingredient in meals in Phase 3.
As for fruit juice, no. If your goal is to shrink your sugar belly, it’s best to satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit. Fruit juice has more sugar than fruit, and even though that sugar is natural, it contributes calories. For instance, an 8-ounce glass of orange juice has 112 calories, 21 grams of sugar, and 0.5 gram of fiber. A medium navel orange has 69 calories, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of fiber. The juice will be converted into blood sugar more quickly than the orange will. Moreover, calories that you drink simply don’t fill you up. That’s because liquids don’t trigger your satiety mechanism the same way whole foods do, and juice doesn’t have the critical fiber component that whole fruit offers.
You might also be wondering about canned fruit. That’s a little tricky. Certainly avoid those packed in heavy or light syrup—that’s code for sugar. As for varieties canned in fruit juice, they have more calories and sugar than fresh or frozen (unsweetened) fruit. You can cut back some by draining the juice before you eat the fruit. Water-packed fruits are often sweetened with artificial sweeteners, but if you can find a water-packed brand that isn’t, that’s a fine choice.
Have three meals and two snacks every day from the options below. You can also choose from the quick and easy meals in Phase 1 and the Phase 1 and Phase 2 recipes in
Chapter 11
.
Apricot-Almond Breakfast Wrap
Stir
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon sliced almonds into ¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese. Spread on an 8, whole wheat tortilla and top with 2 sliced apricots. Fold the sides of the tortilla in and roll.
Nutrition per serving:
288 calories, 14 g protein, 41 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 7 g total sugar, 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 331 mg sodium
Toss
2
⁄
3
cup cooked quinoa with 1 egg and 2 egg whites, scrambled or hard-cooked,
1
⁄
8
avocado, and ¼ cup pico de gallo (fresh salsa). Add salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste.
Nutrition per serving:
303 calories, 20 g protein, 31 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 3 g total sugar, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 457 mg sodium
Mix ½ cup sliced strawberries with 2 chopped kiwis. Toss with 3 tablespoons sliced almonds and ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt.
Nutrition per serving:
318 calories, 23 g protein, 39 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 24 g total sugar, 10 g fat, <1 g saturated fat, 67 mg sodium
Cut a cooked 1-ounce turkey breakfast sausage link into pieces. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese over an 8, whole wheat tortilla and top with 1 cup spinach leaves and the sausage. Microwave the tortilla until the cheese melts, then wrap and eat.
Nutrition per serving:
289 calories, 18 g protein, 31 g carbs, 4 g fiber, <1 g total sugar, 11 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 661 mg sodium
Bring ¾ cup fat-free milk to a boil and stir in
1
⁄
3
cup rolled oats. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until thick. Two minutes before the oats are finished cooking, stir in ½ apple, chopped, and a dash of ground cinnamon. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup 0% plain Greek yogurt and top with 1 tablespoon walnuts.
Nutrition per serving:
295 calories, 17 g protein, 43 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 21 g total sugar, 7 g fat, <1 g saturated fat, 0 mg sodium
Have 1 ounce reduced-fat Cheddar cheese with 1 slice deli ham, 2 walnut halves, 1 pear, and a 12-ounce cafe au lait (6 ounces warm fat-free milk mixed with 6 ounces hot coffee).
Nutrition per serving:
297 calories, 21 g protein, 36 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 26 g total sugar, 9 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 581 mg sodium
Nutrition per serving:
290 calories, 19 g protein, 33 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 4 g total sugar, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 830 mg sodium