A tasty snack I recently discovered while on vacation is cream cheese, hazelnut cream, and berries. Although it may sound like an odd combination and should probably be considered more of a dessert than a snack, it’s nutritious and very satisfying! Figs or dates are also great snack foods that can satisfy a craving for sweetness.

What you mentioned about perception of sweetness changing is a great point. Taste buds do adjust based on the foods we regularly eat! I agree that we don’t need sweeteners and it’s evident by how sweet a piece of fruit tastes after avoiding sugar for a while. I used to love orange juice and can’t drink it anymore even if I wanted to because it tastes so excessively sweet to me now. Likewise, something like a sweet potato or a good piece of fruit is truly as satisfying as a dessert.

I completely agree and it’s a great example of deceptive marketing at work. The bit of bad publicity that agave nectar has received in the past may be the only reason why the food industry hasn’t totally jumped at this opportunity to make their products appear more healthy.

As I mentioned in the article, stevia is a great alternative to sugar if you really need to use a sweetener. As you’ve experienced, Gabe, it’s very sweet and a little goes a long way.

I’m glad you mentioned yogurt and Whole Foods. Although most people consider yogurt to be a healthy food, it’s typically sweetened with sugar unless it’s plain yogurt which most people probably wouldn’t like because of its bitter taste. Likewise, just because something is for sale at a health food store like Whole Foods doesn’t mean it’s actually healthy. These are great examples of why it’s so important for us to know what we’re buying and putting in our mouths.

It’s so refreshing to hear a fitness trainer respect the importance of diet in regard to weight loss, particularly the avoidance of refined foods. I never considered myself to be overweight, but when I chose to eliminate refined foods, 30 pounds disappeared effortlessly in 3 months, and because I was recovering from my most difficult point of chronic fatigue, I wasn’t exercising much at all. An unhealthy diet causes poor health in addition to weight gain, and exercising excessively to compensate could compromise health even more. This is why I think it’s so important for people looking to lose weight to refocus their goals to be more health oriented and let the weight loss occur naturally as a result.

Thanks for pointing that out about Steve Nash. I love stories relating to athletes who improve their performance through healthier habits!

Try this to satisfy food cravings: raw honey + nuts (any kind…I love walnuts) + cottage cheese. I probably eat this small snack every day, especially at night when I am very tempted to make unhealthy food choices.