If you frequented the grocery stores in the 1990s, you probably remember the “fat-free” craze and plethora of low-fat and fat-free food options that existed. We weren’t aware of it then, but these so-called “low-fat” foods contained tons of sugar and sometimes fat substitutes that did very strange things to your digestive track. I recall muffins that were “fat-free”, but had over 450 calories per muffin. They were the size of my head. The controversy hasn’t died, even though many fat-free foods have been replaced by portions of a more respectable size, and with less sugar. A recent article on MSNBC, “When it’s OK to eat full-fat foods,” makes a good distinction between full-fat (”energy dense”) foods that are beneficial to us versus those that aren’t. A few of the full-fat foods mentioned have seen a lot of press lately for their health benefits. Namely, nuts and seeds, which don’t contribute to weight gain when they are consumed in moderate portions. Some low-fat foods that raise red flags:

• Gourmet low-fat ice creams, which apparently can cost you close to 400 calories due to their high sugar content.
• Peanut Butter (the full-fat version often has as many calories as the low-fat version).

Which full-fat foods should you avoid? Meats, cheeses and milk that are high in fat. Choose low-fat varieties instead.

The lesson? Get in the habit of checking food labels and noting the total calories per serving, in addition to the grams of sugar listed, amount of saturated fat, and cholesterol.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “a calorie is a calorie,” and that when weight loss is the goal, you can probably loose weight on a 1,200 calorie/day diet whether it is 1,200 Twinkie calories or apple calories. At this point, you might be thinking, “Cool! I’ll go on the Twinkie diet!”   Our bodies are smarter than that though, and I say, thank goodness. I know – I’m no fun at all . Last week at the grocery one of my kiddos held up a box of Twinkies and had the audacity to ask me to purchase them. I nearly burst a vessel in my forehead trying to restrain myself from smashing the box with my feet.

All calories are not created equally. Take a peek at the chart below:

Keep in mind that a carbohydrate is not necessarily bread. Veggies, fruits, and whole grains/seeds are also carbs (much healthier ones, I might add). Protein can be from meats, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, and eggs. Fats are what they are, and of course, they range from the unhealthy variety (full-hydrogenated vegetable oil), to healthy oils, such as olive, safflower, and sesame oil. Then, there are the dreaded alcohol calories from beer, wine, etc. Calories from alcohol decrease the amount of fat that the body utilizes for energy. Note: this is a bad thing, as we WANT to use fat for energy, since it packs more calories (9, if you read the chart above). Fat is your friend when it comes to energy. Remember that – in case I give a pop quiz. But alcohol inhibits the body’s use of fat for energy. Bad. That is what the “beer gut” is – excess fat the body can’t get rid of. For more on this, visit: Rochester.edu

Think about the calories you are consuming every day. You need a variety of foods, a variety of colors, and a variety of types of calories, and if you are trying to lose weight, make sure your calories pack a nutrient-dense punch. This means limiting refined sugars, unhealthy, saturated oils, and foods that are too easy for the body to break down, which is just about anything white (white bread, potatoes, snacks, crackers, and again, sugar). In fact, I often tell clients to count nutrients rather than calories. When you eat the way you should, the weight often takes care of itself.

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As you might guess from my lack of presence on this block, summer is a very busy time, and I know this is true for just about everyone (and you’re all nodding, “yes, my kids over-run my schedule too!”), so my “theme” for the week is all about making “healthy choices in a snap.”

It is super easy to slack off during the summer. C’mon, you know what I mean…the pool is more enticing than a trip to the gym, the longer days (often filled with kid-focused activities, which, less face it, suck the life right out of even the most energetic mom, and if you are like me and work from home, it is difficult to get any work done, much less a “work-out.”) Enter moi – also known as your kick in the butt.

You CAN still fit healthy activities and healthy foods into your busy days, it just takes a little more creativity.

Try these tips:

1. Include the kids. Outdoor games, family walks and bike rides,
2. Include your pet. Your dog needs a daily walk, right? Follow these tips for exercising outdoors with your dog.
3. Carve out small bits of time for exercise. You can accomplish a lot in just 10 minutes – seriously, you can!
4. Travel with fitness in mind. With a little planning, there isn’t any reason you can’t exercise while vacationing. I know, you might not want to, but it can be done.
5. Can’t get to the gym? Work out at home. Follow these tips for stocking your home gym with all of the basics.

Easy Peasy Recipes for summer

Stir Fried Chicken Tenders from Eating Well

Old-fashioned Spaghetti & Meatballs from Eating Well

The EatingWell Taco

Ravioli w/ Apples and Walnuts from Real Simple

Roasted Pork w/ Brussel Sprouts and Apricots

There, that should get you started. And also remember that you don’t have to take the “all or nothing” approach. Set out to do something that serves as exercise, and try to make healthy food choices – save the strict nutrition regimen and long, tough workouts for the fall when you have a bit more time for you! Summer is meant to be enjoyed, so go – enjoy.

Before you get all excited and think I just gave you permission to toss back a dozen Krispy Kremes for breakfast (are they even still in business?), I did not. I didn’t even give you permission to eat just one (not that you need my permission, of course.) A healthy breakfast – one that you will actually prepare and eat – is a great goal to shoot for.

I bring this up because I hear on a fairly regular basis the following: “I don’t have time for breakfast,” “I’m not hungry in the morning,” and “I don’t like eggs.” Um, did he know there are other foods besides eggs? More to the point…breakfast is super important!

1.) Breakfast brings your metabolism out of slow-mo. When you go to sleep at night, your body’s metabolism goes into resting mode too. One of the best ways to wake it up and say, “hey, metabolism, start your engines and burn some calories!” is to eat a healthy breakfast.

2) Breakfast clears the brain fog. Yes, caffeine works too, but try food with your coffee – you’ll be even MORE awake.

3) Breakfast, especially when it is low-glycemic, has the ability to stabilize your blood sugar levels, and keep them level all day (provided you don’t eat sugary snacks between meals). You know that after-lunch sleepy feeling you get? Breakfast can help with that.

4) Breakfast will let your body know that you aren’t trying to starve it to death. If you typically eat a big dinner because you skipped breakfast, didn’t have time for lunch, and were too busy to snack, the message you’re sending your body is, “I might feed you, or I might not.” In response to this sketchy feeding plan, your body will cling to any calorie you give it, just in case you “forget” to eat for another 24 hours. Feed your body every 2-4 hours, and it will reward you with a consistently good metabolism. You will likely find it easier to lose weight when you eat regularly too. Bonus!

So, what to eat? I have my favorites, but there are lots of options.

If you are super busy in the morning and tend to grab food when and where you can, Cooking Light’s list of the healthiest “fast food” breakfasts is worth checking out. From Starbucks to Subway, there are enough options that you should be able to scrounge up something healthy to eat.

Real Simple magazine has a list of easy breakfast ideas to make at home.The peanut butter, whole grain waffle and also the breakfast pizza look delicious. All of the ideas are simple.

And if neither of those options suits you, try Fitness Magazine’s “No more excuses breakfast recipes for every morning. I like the “no more excuses part.”

I peeked at the calendar and realized summer is one month away. Eeeek! I’m not ready to bare all in my bathing suit! Are you? Luckily, I found some super good deals this week to, um, shall we say, help us me “prepare” for hotter weather and, inevitably, wearing fewer clothes. Yikes!

Deal #1: If you don’t already own a stability ball (also called a resistance ball, or Swiss ball), never was there a better time to own one than now. Stability balls are my #1 tool/toy (see: 5 Low-Cost Items Every Home Gym Needs). They are great for core work and a myriad other exercises. SPRI is offering a pink (yeah!) Xercise Ball and Xertube for only $24.98 (reg. $39.98). The kit also includes a pump for the ball and exercise instructions for both the stability ball and resistance tube.

Deal #2:Shipping is still FREE until May 31st on all fitness products from Perform Better. Seriously, stock…up….now! Shipping for a 10lb medicine ball, for example, would normally run you $12 to $20! Think of all the other stuff you can buy (tubes, mats, dumbbells) with the money you save on shipping.

Deal #3:$1.00 Coupon for Pamela’s Baking Mixes. Pamela’s baking mixes are spectacular. Of the assortment, I have tried the pancake mixes (delicious) and the Chocolate Chunk (notice, no “chip” here, but CHUNK) Cookie mix. The pancakes are great. The Choc. Chunk Cookies – OMG! The best I’ve ever had. And – they are gluten free, GMO free, and organic. Whoopie! Visit Mambo Sprouts to print a $1.00 coupon ($1.00 off of two Pamela’s Baking Mixes)

Free: Recipes from EatingWell! This week, EatingWell posted “light” versions of your picnic standby’s (potato and pasta salad, deviled eggs, summer cocktails…even cookies and brownies), so that you can still throw or attend a party, and stay on track with healthy eating.