Reduce Saturated Fat and Added Sugar

Ninety percent of people in the US overconsume saturated fats and added sugars in their daily intake from the following three sources:

Sandwiches/burgers/pizza,
Desserts, sweets, candy, donuts,
Sugary beverages like coffee sundaes, sodas, juice and sugary prepackaged "smoothies".

OUCH!  The message is loud and clear.  It is time to take a serious look at what is going into your mouth and rethink your options.  That means paying closer attention to the supersizing of burgers and fries, foot-long sub sandwiches and treats like "muffins" (also known as CAKE!) king-size candy bars and big-gulp sodas and fancy coffees.  It also means planning how often you will allow yourself to indulge in these things.  We live in the land of supersize this and all-you-can-eat buffet that.  It not only gives us permission to overeat, but we also get a distorted sense of portion control.  Our eyes have gotten too big for our stomachs.  In addition, it has become socially acceptable to eat these "treat" foods all the time.  In fact, "treats" are no longer treats but just regular foods that keep showing up like donuts every Friday and visits to the vending machine whenever you feel like it.  It's making us all very unhealthy, sluggish and addicted to more sugar.

We need to be especially mindful of these issues at this time of year when the body is producing more melatonin (the sleepy time hormone), the sunlight is lacking, the seratonin (happy hormone) is dipping, the temps are getting colder, and we feel like being lazy and staying indoors.  This can lead us to look for high fat and high carb foods to "feel better."  It's a temporary fix, and it has long-term consequences for those trying to lose and maintain weight.

First, let's be mindful of what is going into the shopping cart, what is going into the cabinets, what is being ordered at restaurants.  If it sounds like a high fat food (cheesey, gooey) then it is.  If it is a jumbo burger and fries, then it needs to be split--or saved for a treat like on the weekend.  It can't be lunch on a Monday for no reason.  It's too many points, and it is too high in fat for a healthy intake. We also need to look at those times when we'd just like a little something....sweet.....to get through....maybe the afternoon.....or evening.  There is nothing wrong with a treat now and then, or a small treat regularly.  Plan it in so you can enjoy it properly, i.e. mindfully without regretting or overdoing it.  If you fall into the sugary beverage category, it's time to cut way back on the sugar that goes down too quickly.  Take a look at the nutrition facts and see just how much added sugar is in those drinks (even bottled smoothies).  Try to cut back on by replacing at least half of them with water or fancy seltzer waters.

As we head into the Weight Watchers Olympics (Holiday Season) we know we will be faced with many opportunities to overindulge.  Let's plan a healthy holiday season where high point foods that are also high fat and high sugar are worth it, tracked correctly and really appreciated.  That way we can have what we want with no regrets.  That's what you really deserve, after all.