Free yourself from “Sugar Free” and “Fat Free”!

It’s easy to see how “Sugar Free” and “Fat Free” products sound extremely appealing to the consumer.  No sugar or fat?  It must be way healthier than the real thing.  Uuuumm, Boom! Think Again.  This common misconception has many people fooled. The claim is true that the product doesn’t contain sugar and fat, however, if you take a look at what else is included you might think twice about reaching for these “healthier” options.

Educate yourself- Products labeled “sugar-free” and “fat-free” are not shortcuts to flat abs and tank-top arms. While it may be tempting to reach for the sugar-free cookies or the fat-free cheese, don’t let that temptation get the best of you. Give yourself a little jolt to your noggin, step away from the Oreos and hightail it out of that grocery aisle.

Those “sugar-free” products may not pack any refined sugars, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of dangerous territory. In these products, sugar is replaced with artificial sweeteners, which are not any better for you. In fact, they’re worse.  Sure, artificial sweeteners don’t have calories, but they’re hundreds of times sweeter than real sugar, which can cause serious confusion for your body. When you eat something sweet, your body expects calories to follow. Because artificial sweeteners don’t have any calories, your body goes looking for them later elsewhere.

So remember, if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s best to stay away from both real sugar and artificial sweeteners the best you can. However, if the sweet tooth strikes too hard and you can’t resist, allow yourself a conscious indulgence of the real thing in moderation of coarse.