How can I control my cravings? What are the worst fast foods? Whether you’re trying to lose the baby weight, get in shape or just want to brush up on your nutrition knowledge and healthy up your family's diet, we’ve got you covered. Here, your most pressing problems are solved.
1. Is there one small diet fix that will help me lose the baby weight?
“Yes, stop drinking your calories,” says Walter Willett, M.D., and coauthor of Eat, Drink and Be Healthy. Fruit juices, coffee drinks and regular soda are liquid calories that don't yield much satiety, says Dr. Willett.
A 12-ounce regular cola contains 110 calories; the same amount of orange juice has 140. “Research also shows that we don't compensate as well for calories consumed in liquid form,” says Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., R.D.
In other words, we're unlikely to eat less later to make up for these extra calories. If weight loss is your goal, opt for low or no-calorie beverages like tea, water, seltzer and skim milk.
2. Are there any tricks to controlling a craving?
First, you need to know what's causing it. Often, plain old hunger makes us long for a particular food. “Cravings are a normal and natural response to underfeeding yourself and can be prevented simply by planning and eating enough throughout the day,” says Katherine Tallmadge, R.D., and author of Diet Simple. To stay satiated, she recommends eating three similarly caloric meals and one or more planned snacks daily. If the craving lingers after making this alteration, it may be emotionally-based. Try distracting yourself for 20 minutes (the usual length of a craving) by chatting on the phone or taking a walk around the block, says Lawrence Cheskin, M.D.
If distraction doesn't do the trick, Linda Spangle, author of 100 Days of Weight Loss, says you might have “head hunger.” Identify the food you're yearning for: Is it chewy/crunchy or smooth/creamy? If it's the former, there's a good chance that you're angry, anxious, frustrated, stressed or resentful. Ask yourself: What do I want to chew on in life right now? Spangle associates a yen for smooth/creamy foods with “empty emotions” like loneliness, sadness or a lack of recognition. Ask yourself: What am I missing in my life at this moment? Whatever the answer, follow up with the bigger question: Will food get me what I need? Once you realize that eating won't resolve your problem, you can focus on what's really ‘eating’ you.
3. My family loves fast food, but I'm trying to help us eat more healthfully. What things should we avoid?
Eighty-six the cheeseburgers, fried chicken, fried-fish sandwiches, French fries and meat-topped pizzas, says Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., and coauthor of Restaurant Confidential. But if, alas, your family is aching for fast food, control your portions by ordering a small hamburger sans the cheese and sauce but with extra lettuce and tomatoes. Can't live without pizza? Opt for thin crust and vegetable toppings and you'll save more than 150 calories and 12 grams of fat.
4. Do I need to cut back on salt if I don't have high blood pressure?
It couldn't hurt. A high-sodium habit has also been associated with osteoporosis; taking in more than 3,000 milligrams daily may interfere with calcium absorption, which can weaken bones over time. And according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, most women consume 15 to 40 per cent more than the recommended 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day (the equivalent of about one teaspoon of table salt). To limit your intake, cut down on popcorn and cookies, frozen dinners, canned soups and broths and bottled salad dressing.
5. I find it impossible to stop eating a sweet after just a bite or two. Any tips?
Willpower is about timing. It's best to eat treats when you're full - say, at the end of a meal - so you'll be less tempted to binge. “Using sweets like chocolate to alleviate hunger can actually create a craving for that food,” says Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., and coauthor of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. Your brain gets the message that sweets hit the spot and remembers it the next time you're hungry.
6. Are organic foods more nutritious?
Possibly. Whether foods are produced organically (without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers) or conventionally, “they generally contain the same kinds and amounts of vitamins and minerals,” says Mary Lee Chin, R.D. However, a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found organic corn and strawberries to have higher levels of phenolic metabolites, or disease-fighting antioxidants. It seems the fertilizer used to produce conventionally-grown foods may be enough to disrupt a plant’s metabolite production.
There's another reason to buy organic. Children may be at risk of higher exposure to the possible toxins found in non-organic food because baby food is often made up of condensed fruits or vegetables, potentially concentrating pesticide residues. Children’s developing immune, central-nervous and hormonal systems may be especially vulnerable to damage from toxic chemicals. A study published in Food Additives & Contaminants showed that organic foods had residues of fewer pesticides that were present at lower levels than those found in conventionally-grown foods. Given the health concerns associated with levels of many pesticide residues, it makes sense to buy organic food for your baby when you can, especially those that typically carry the highest residue levels. It can be worth paying more for organic apples, peaches, spinach, milk and beef to avoid chemicals found in conventionally-produced versions of those items.
7. Any strategies I can use so I won’t gain weight when I eat out?
You can rein in the calories by developing some ironclad policies, says Cathy Nonas, R.D. For instance, you might decide that you'll eat just half of your entree when you go to French restaurants, and a salad and half order of pasta when you're out for Italian. In Chinese restaurants, your policy might be to share one steamed entree and one other dish with a friend. Other helpful tips: eat two appetizers (one should be low-calorie) instead of an entree, allow yourself a glass of wine if you pass on the bread basket, and always order sauces and dressings on the side. To increase the chances that you'll adhere to these guidelines, make sure you take into account what's most important to you. If you really love dessert, for example, your dining-out policy should reflect that.
8. Do some foods contribute to weight gain or make weight loss harder?
No matter where the calories come from, consuming more than you burn will eventually cause you to gain weight. Some foods are easier to overeat, however. High-energy-density foods, those that have a low fiber or water content, take up relatively little stomach space, so you may find yourself consuming greater quantities, says Dr. Cheskin. In this category: white pasta, meats, cheese and cookies. Since some of these foods provide other nutrients, you needn't purge them from your pantry. Instead, try to concentrate on eating more low-energy-dense foods (fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, salads and whole-grain cereals with low-fat milk) and you'll fill up on fewer calories.
9. Are there any ‘super’ foods I can have that aid weight loss?
“Dairy foods like skim milk and low-fat yogurt top the list,” says Michael Zemel, Ph.D. In a study of 34 otherwise healthy obese adults, those who consumed three servings of light yogurt (for a total of 1,100 milligrams of calcium) daily lost 22 per cent more weight and 61 per cent more body fat than those on a low-dairy (500 milligrams of calcium) diet. Zemel explains that a high-calcium diet - 1,200 milligrams per day - inhibits the production of calcitriol, a hormone that ‘tells’ cells to generate more fat. Conversely, more calcitriol is released on a low-calcium diet, resulting in bigger, plumper fat cells. But supplements alone won't suffice; you need to consume dairy foods. "Bioactive compounds in milk, yogurt and cheese work with calcium to nearly double the effectiveness of fat burning and weight management," says Zemel.
10. Diabetes runs in my family. Should I steer clear of sweets?
If you're overweight and don't exercise regularly, yes. Limit your intake of simple carbohydrates, such as cookies, cakes, power drinks and soda, says Fran Kaufman, M.D., and author of Diabesity. These foods can cause blood sugar to rise rapidly and prime the pancreas to release insulin. Over time, the consistent release of this hormone can pave the way for type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin and the body's cells don't respond properly to the insulin produced. To prevent or delay the onset of this disease, lose weight if you need to and work out regularly, says Dr. Kaufman. Exercise helps metabolize excess circulating blood glucose; weight loss helps your body use insulin more efficiently.
11. Now that I'm a sleep-deprived new mom, I'm a Java junkie! How much caffeine is too much?
Are you feeling jittery or experiencing insomnia or heartburn? If so, you may want to go easy on the joe. “On average, most adults will notice no side effects from caffeine at 300 milligrams or fewer a day,” says Herbert Muncie Jr., M.D. That's the caffeine equivalent of roughly 28 ounces (or three and a half cups) of regular coffee. If you're pregnant again or trying to conceive, “reduce your intake to one caffeinated beverage a day,” says Lisa Mazzullo, M.D., and coauthor of Before Your Pregnancy. Consuming too much caffeine may increase your risk of low birth weight or miscarriage.
Sandra is a mom of two and author of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products. Got a baby product or safety question? Email Sandra at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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