Should you go for natural or artificial? Low-cal or all natural? Corn syrup or aspartame? Honey or agave nectar?

Here’s your guide to satisfying your sweet tooth in the healthiest way possible.

What It’s Called
There are secret code names for sugar that you’ll find in everything from crackers to vegetables. Look for: Sucrose, Fructose, Glucose, Corn Sugar, Sorbitol, Dextrose, Maltose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Aspartame, Lactose… and more.

What It Does To Your Body
Carbs and sugars turn into glucose, which gives us energy to function. Glucose determines your blood sugar level, which affects your appetite, emotions, athletic performance, and more. You do not want to screw with this system – ideally, you want your blood sugar level to stay pretty even all the time. Usually people do this by eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and things that get metabolized at a steady rate in your body.

Sugar has two parts. Besides the glucose, there’s fructose, which is in added sweeteners, and in smaller amounts in fruits and veggies. Either way, eating too many calories from glucose or fructose is a sure way to gain weight and mess up your blood sugar level.

Real Sugar
Anything that we can easily trace to its natural source fits in this category. Check out these facts on natural sources of sweetness:

Sugar (granulated, raw, brown, powdered, etc.)
Made from sugar beets & cane
Spikes your blood sugar levels
48 calories per tablespoon

Honey
Has some natural antioxidants
Metabolized same as sugar, but doesn’t spike your blood sugar level quite as much
64 calories per tablespoon

Agave Nectar
Made from same plant as tequila
Keeps your blood sugar level stable
Sweeter than sugar, so you’d use a lot less
60 calories per tablespoon

Truvia/Sweetleaf/PureVia
Comes from stevia plant
No calories and doesn’t screw with your blood sugar levels
Used in South America and Japan for awhile
Brain does not recognize it as sugar, so it probably won’t satisfy your sweet tooth

Fake Sugar
Tastes like sugar, made with similar ingredients to sugar, but it’s just not natural. Oh, and contrary to what you’ve heard, it doesn’t cause cancer! Here are some surprising facts about non-natural sugar products:

High Fructose Corn Syrup (pop, crackers, cereal, granola bars, almost everything, etc.)
Contains near same percentages of fructose & glucose as sugar, so gets broken down in the body almost the same.
In study of obese people, found that it can increase bad cholesterol as they needed more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
May make it harder to associate sweet taste with high calories, so harder to keep track of calories.
45 calories per tablespoon

Aspartame (diet pop, Equal, breakfast cereals, desserts, candy)
May cause headaches and stomach aches
No links to cancer after further research
Almost no calories
Doesn’t react with heat well, so you can’t cook with it

Sucralose/Splenda (diet pop, protein bars, low-cal anything, etc.)
Derived from sugar (chlorine replaces some stuff in the normal sugar molecule)
People have reported side effects like cramps, headaches, weight gain, fatigue, bloating, etc.
No links to cancer after further research
Almost no calories.

What Kind of Sugar is for YOU?
In general, staying away from the sweet stuff is the best idea because it’s usually high in calories and low in nutrients. Less than 10% of your daily calories should come from sugar, and you already get a good amount of natural sugar from fruits and vegetables! Remember, though: sugar-free items don’t mean healthy – just empty calories! So which is best for you? Well, like most things, it all depends on which situations you usually find yourself in. Do you:

Need Coffee in the Morning? You can’t imagine your morning java without sugar! Go for Stevia-based options since it usually comes in packets, has no calories, and isn’t associated with any side effects.

Look for All-Natural Antioxidants? You want a sweetener with the most nutritional value possible. Date sugar and blackstrap molasses, although unmentioned because they aren’t as common and are kind of expensive, provide the most antioxidants. Honey would be your next alternative because it has more antioxidants than any of the other sweeteners mentioned here.

Count Calories? You’re a girl on a weight loss mission! Use Stevia-based options if you can, since they have no calories and don’t have any side effects that could de-rail your exercise and weight loss plan.

Love to Cook? You can use agave nectar or applesauce as your secret weapons for making healthier desserts. If the recipe is no-bake, you can replace the sugar with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce or agave nectar. If the ingredients will be heated, you can usually replace up to two thirds of the sugar with these healthier substitutes.

Stay on Budget? Honey and agave syrup are expensive. Don’t go for organic versions – the label will jack up the price significantly. You can usually buy the cheapest sweeteners, like Stevia, Splenda or regular sugar if you want, in bulk to save money!

Have a Major Sweet Tooth? Try to stay away from artificial sweeteners like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Aspartame, and Splenda because they won’t satisfy your sweet tooth! You need legit sugar to satiate cravings, so if you’re making a dessert, try substituting some of the sugar for applesauce. If you’re buying sweets, go for quality rather than quantity. Make sure it’s made with actual sugar and only eat it in moderation.

There ARE ways to partake in all the festivities while being health conscious, and it only takes a little thought.

High Calorie Drinks vs. Low Calorie Drinks
There are some cocktails that you just have to stay away from if you’re dieting or trying to maintain your weight. Anything with the word “daiquiri” in it is guaranteed to be packed with calories, and this goes for pina coladas (387 calories for just 6 ounces) and thick fruity margaritas (almost 400 calories for 8 ounces), as well. Those slushy coffee-liquor drinks that resemble Starbucks frappucinos (hello, Britney Spears’s fat phase) should be totally off limits, as only 3 ounces of coffee liquor clocks in at 348 calories.

Instead, stick to champagne (the lowest calorie choice, and even more fun when you add some OJ for a morning mimosa), low-calorie beer (I’m loving the 98-calorie Michelob Ultra right now), or a small glass of sparkling wine. Bloody Mary’s are fun too, if you’re starting the beach drinking early (or taking an airplane to your fabulous vacation destination). And remember: the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie-count.

The Sugar Problem
Substituting artificial sweeteners, lemon juice, or diet soda for regular sugar can cut your cocktail calories in half. Heat up your barbecues with mojitos made with diet fresca (a grapefruit flavored soda with zero calories) instead of club soda, and substitute Splenda for white sugar. If you refuse to give up on your frozen margaritas, try mixing tequila with low-calorie crystal light lemonade (it comes in flavors like peach, lemon and raspberry) and then adding Sprite zero so you don’t miss out on the bubbly. With this pared-down margarita, you can feel better about enjoying those nachos. Maybe.

Water is Your Friend
We can all agree that it’s almost impossible to attend a cocktail party and pass on the wine. Luckily, wine spritzers have become really popular and couldn’t be easier to make. Mix four ounces of a white wine (dry wines usually have lower calorie counts) with four ounces of a sparkling water (or club soda if Pellegrino’s not your thing). The benefit off adding a little H20 to your drink is twofold — in addition to helping you stay slim, it will keep you hydrated so that your beach day isn’t ruined by a whopping hangover.

I often turn to Fitness Magazine for great recipes, and this month they have a great Sangria Suggestion:

1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup light orange juice
¼ cup brandy or cognac
¼ cup orange liqueur
2 tablespoons sugar
2 medium oranges, sliced
2 cups club soda, chilled
Crushed ice and/or orange peel curls (optional)

Mix wine, OJ, brandy, orange liqueur, sugar, and orange slices in a large pitcher. Chill for at least two hours, and add club soda before serving. Serve over crushed ice and a few orange peel curls. Only 100 calories per serving, makes 12 servings in all.

After reading his book UltraMetabolism, Dr. Hyman had me convinced to follow his 3 week detox. It seemed impossible, but I figured if Britney could make a successful comeback when all odds were stacked against her, then surely I could follow this seemingly impossible feat for 3 weeks, no sweat. No dairy, no gluten, nothing artificial, nothing processed, no simple sugars, no peanuts, no eggs. No CAFFEINE. What?!

It’s been a challenge and while I’ve had a few slip ups here and there, this chick right here who was going to Starbucks twice a day is now sipping… decaf. I’m not bloated, my skin does not look like I belong in 7th grade and I wake up in the morning with energy. Such a weird concept, I know. I urge you to read this interview then pick up UltraMetabolism and his newest book, The UltraMind Solution and give it a try.

And even if you don’t, at least promise me you will give up the Splenda and 100 calorie packs.

The Five Questions We Ask Everyone

1. What are five things you can’t live without?
My Family, exercise (I’m kind of addicted to that – I like to play tennis, basketball, cross-country skiing), my friends, enough sleep, really good food.

2) What is the most trouble you ever got into in college or your best college memory?
I never really got into trouble in college.  Although I could have gotten in trouble since I was getting stoned in the line for graduation when we were going by all the professors and we were just passing a joint along the line.

3) What is your motto or the advice that you live by?
There’s actually four things.  It’s four rules for a healthy culture, and healthy relationships.  One is “show up,” two is “be present,” three is “tell the truth [without pain of] judgment,” and the fourth is “be open to the outcome.”

4) What is your favorite song to sing in the car, or at karaoke, in the shower, at the bar, or wherever?
I really like “Crazy Love” by Van Morrison.

5) 10 Years from now, you will be…
I will be giving away my time to create, to educate and research, and to help change medicine so that everybody can get access to what I think is the most powerful discovery since the theory of evolution or the discovery of relativity theory: that the medicine that we have now really has the capacity to create health for everybody, that as soon as we understand it and apply it, it will really transform the healthcare system and our health in general.

5 Questions for Dr. Mark Hyman (and this was difficult seeing as he’s just full of really great information!)

1) Why are 100 Calorie Packs so bad for us? It seems like a great way to portion control, but you say otherwise? Can you suggest some snack alternatives?
Why are they bad? It’s very simple: because they’re not real foods, and they don’t give you real energy or real health.  They simply are chemicals put in a nice package, they taste good because they’re full of sugar and fat, and they actually do the opposite of what you want: they make you more tired and fatter, rather than give you more energy and make you thinner.

I think the calorie thing isn’t so much the issue as the quality of the food. Quality, not calories, so when you focus on the quality, the calories don’t matter so much because your body knows what to do with it all. I suggest things like whole food bars, for people looking for a quick snack. Lara bars are great, because they’re basically nuts and dried fruit – they’re just real food.  Nuts and fruit are a great snack, and I think those are real easy to get.

(Click here to check out his segment on the Today show exclusively on 100 Calorie Packs)

2) Okay so once and for all – why do we need to STOP with the artificial sweeteners we put in our coffee, in every ‘low cal food’ and the cans of Diet Coke we consume? (You know aside from all the chemicals!)
There’s actually very good studies on this.  Aside from the fact that aspartame actually has effects on your brain that aren’t great—it can cause headaches, and other problems—the main reason is that it actually makes you eat more, it makes your body confused and think food’s coming, so it gets ready by producing insulin, which actually drives your appetite, and you actually gain weight, and slow your metabolism.  You basically are hungrier, and you gain more weight, and you slow your metabolism, and you gain more fat.

3) If you could recommend five things that our readers could start doing RIGHT now, even before they have a chance to go buy your book, what would you recommend?
• Eating breakfast, and having protein for breakfast; I think choosing quality food – basically, real food – when you can.
• Cutting down on the amount of sugar and sweets, breads and muffins that people eat—flour and sugar should be eaten as a treat, not as a staple.
• I think in terms of managing weight and everything, it’s important to make sure you don’t eat too late.  If you want to look like a sumo wrestler, you should have dinner and go right to bed, because basically your body stores food instead of burns it. Stop eating 2 to 3 hours before bed.
• Exercise
• Start taking a multivitamin, Vitamin D, and Fish Oil daily

4) Is it bad to eat the same foods every day?  I read your body gets used to what you’re eating, and then it stops working and plateaus. Are there some things we should actually be eating on a daily basis?
That’s not exactly it.  We need a diversity of foods.  There are a lot of different nutrients in different foods, so if you eat the same thing every day, you might not be getting all the right vitamins and minerals, all the right nutrients. You really want to be getting a variety.

5) As college students we live on: Coffee, Alchohol, and sweets – do we need to swear these off?
Coffee: Genetically, we’re all different. Some people really aren’t as affected as much by it because they can metabolize it; some people are crawling up the walls, so you have to look at your own response to coffee.  But in small amounts, a cup a day, it’s really not going to be a problem for most people.  The problem is if you use it to give you energy, you’re actually getting false energy, because you slowly will find that you’re actually depleted and you get more tired in the afternoon, and then you feel worse, and then you need more coffee in the afternoon, and it’s a vicious cycle.  If you actually stop caffeine, you’ll actually end up having more energy in the long run.

Alchohol: I drink!  I like tequila.  I think it’s important to realize that it’s about balance, and that if you’re drinking six beers a day, or even two beers a day, then that might not be the greatest thing for you, but if you’re enjoying it on a regular basis and you’re not abusing it, then that’s ok. Beer is probably not the best because it’s very high in sugar.  Red wine is good. Tequila is also good.

Sugar: I like dark chocolate.  I think dark chocolate’s great, provided that you don’t eat a whole giant bar.

Got Questions for Dr. Hyman? Leave them below and we will see if we can get them answered! In the meantime, go pick up his books. They will really change your life and the way you feel.

Max weight loss FAST! Melt away belly fat! Lose 30 pounds in 30 days by eating more and exercising less! The Womanizer Diet: Get slim like Britney!

Unless your diet method of choice is a hearty bump of Adderall for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snack, getting/staying trim is not that easy; however, it’s also not rocket science. As a long time devotee to the business of taking care of my body, I have fully explored the spectrum of ways to stay feeling good about my body (that includes eating disorders, which is, helpful hint, not recommended.), and I found that by putting the suggestions I’ve listed below into practice, I actually lost weight in college and have kept it off since, without the aid of prescription amphetamines.

So suck on that, Britney.

Tip 1: Get off your ass

Granted, I will say that I am more of a gym addict than others, but I’m not suggesting running a marathon here. Little things like taking the stairs in your dorm instead of the elevator, or biking to class in lieu of the bus can make a huge difference. And don’t underestimate walking; a friend of mine took a job caddying and lost 25 pounds just from walking around the golf course all day. If you take every opportunity you get to squeeze in a little physical activity, I guarantee you’ll notice a difference. That said, I also recommend penciling the gym into your schedule a few times a week. Both cardiovascular and strength training are essential for peak fitness, and I can tell you from experience that nothing helps to alleviate some of that midterm stress like churning out a few miles on the treadmill.

Tip 2: Make healthy food choices whenever possible

I love to eat, especially crap food. We’re talking chocolate, chips, fries, ice cream – who doesn’t love that stuff, right? But the thing about modern America is that most of us eat it all the time, which is not only unhealthy and gluttonous, but frankly, pretty disgusting. It’s really not hard to eat healthy. The main things to remember are:

- Whole grains, most/all of the time. Seriously, refined carbs are crap. They have no nutritional value, where as whole grains are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, protein, minerals, vitamins and, in my opinion, are much more flavorful. So think whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, high-fiber cereals. If nothing else, your digestive system will thank you.

- Fat free/low fat/low cal = good. This tip can be a little iffy because these are not all created equal. Fat free does not always equal low cal and vice versa. However, fat free dairy products such as skim milk and fat free yogurt are always preferable to the straight-out-the-udder variety (unless you’re a newborn calf, which I highly doubt is the case), and the less calories something has, the less calories you’ll have to burn off. See how that works? Science.

Eat fruits and veggies. If you don’t know this by now, I can only assume that you are a deaf, illiterate cave person raised by wolves. Low in calories, high in vitamins, minerals, and basically everything else you should be consuming, fruits and veggies are the Weezer “Blue Album” of the nutritional world; you need that sh*t.

Tip 3: Embrace the Sugar Free.

The jury is kind of out on this point, as many articles on healthy eating will tell you that consuming sugar free items like diet soda will actually make you feel hungrier and therefore more likely to overeat. Also, conclusive studies on the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine on the body have yet to be conducted, but from personal experience, I can tell you that when I was writing an essay at 11 pm and was JONESING for something sweet, a Diet Cherry Coke totally did the job and left me feeling not icky/bad about myself. I guess check back with me in 20 years to see if I have brain cancer, but for now I’m stickin’ with Splenda.

Tip 4: Reevaluate your drinking habits.

I’m from the Midwest, so lord knows I know the lure of a good, thick beer, but if you’re pounding back ten to twenty of them 4 days a week, chances are it’s affecting your body. Calorie-wise, liquor with a low cal mixer like diet soda or tonic is a much better option, as is interspersing beverages with glasses of water, which has the added benefit of severely cutting down on your chances of waking up to find yourself sprawled out in an unfamiliar bathtub. For you ladies who don’t want to give up your frosty brew, Michelob Light and Amstel Light are both decent lower cal options that don’t skimp on flavor. Or you could just not drink as much. And, like, give up all your worldly possessions and join a convent. Whatever your steeze is.

Tip 5: Read labels

If you haven’t caught wise to this tip already, you’ll be amazed at what food labels have to tell you. So many foods that claim/appear to be good for you are so totally not. The first thing to check out is the calorie content versus the serving size. If the calorie content seems high in comparison to the serving size (ex: 180 calories in a half cup of granola!), you might want to think it over before digging in, keeping in mind that the recommended daily calorie count for ladies is somewhere around 1800 calories. The second feature to look at is the ingredient list. If one of the first few things listed is refined flour or corn syrup, check out similar products to see if you can’t find something less junky.

I realize that in the high-stress, heavy-drinking, cheap-eats atmosphere of college life, it’s easy to put your body on the back burner. But as a girl who’s been there, I can assure you that if you put these tips in to practice, you’ll discover that exercising a little awareness surprisingly easy, and reaps excellent results both in body and in mind. Stay posi, ladies!

Splenda may kill you, but it’s not as bad as the other stuff you’re using!

A how-to guide for sex in some very public places.

The 12 Types of Beer Pong Players.

Prada runway roadkill.

Funniest ad ever…or most offensive?

Melissa Joan Hart can’t even get on Dancing With The Stars? HAHA.

In case you were wondering: Martha Stewart’s thoughts on long weiners…

Mmmmm. Breast milk ice cream?

The Britney Spears comeback continues. Next up: sell the house.

Nick Hogan is gettin’ out of the clink early. Shocking!

Mama Spears always has something to say.

Then of course I looked in the pantry and saw we had nothing in terms of pie crust ingredients. Could I make a crust-less pumpkin pie? I asked myself. Yes you can, the Internet answered, and in fact many people prefer crust-less pies because there’s way less carbs.

Part of the reason I’m not the best baker is because I don’t measure things real well and if I don’t have the right ingredients I substitute. This recipe is no different. I didn’t measure things perfectly and I made random substitutions. But guess what? It freaking tasted like pumpkin pie. Without the crust. Nice.

What You Need:

* 1 can of pumpkin

* 2 eggs

* around 2/3 cups sugar & sugar substitute combo (that’s all we had in the pantry)

* 1 cup half & half

* pumpkin pie spice / cinnamon

What To Do:

Mix your sugar and spices. I did about a half tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and a few good shakes of cinnamon.

Mix your entire can of pumpkin, 2 eggs, and cup of half & half together with a fork (I’m not sure if the original recipe called for it being mixed with an beater…I didn’t do that), then add the sugar mixture.

Pour your mixture into a greased pie plate. I used Pam spray. It said “Pam for Baking” on it. It worked A-okay.

Bake your crust-less pie in a preheated oven at 425 for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 300 and bake for 30-40 more minutes (I kind of forget the exact time and your oven will be different than mine).

Take your crust-less pie out and make sure it looks done. You can stick a fork in it like I did to check, but then you’ll have fork marks in your pie. If you don’t care, cool.

I recommend sticking your pie into the fridge for a while, and then cutting a slice and putting some whipped cream on it. You don’t have to feel guilty because there’s no crust, and pumpkin is a good source of fiber.

[If you make this, let me know how it goes!]

You’ve been trying to stick to that New Year’s resolution like it is your job. You are going to eat healthy if it kills you, damn it. So, instead of stocking your fridge with beer and baked goods, you loaded up on fruits, vegetables…and beer. But, no matter how hard you try, bananas just aren’t as appetizing post-bar as, say, a giant pizza.

And where does that leave you? With some over-priced brown ‘nanas, that’s where. What is a college-girl on a budget to do? How do super low-fat, super tasty banana muffins sound? Too good to be true? Try again:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)

1/2 cup no-sugar-added applesauce

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, Splenda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (in other words, all dry ingredients). In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, egg substitute, applesauce, and vanilla extract (all the wet ingredients).

Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended. Proceed with caution: the batter is mighty tasty, so stay strong or you will end up muffin-less.

Spoon batter into a muffin tin (should make 12 perfect-sized muffins) sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. It may be hard – the smell alone will make you weak in the knees – but let those puppies cool a little before stuffing your face. (Which you can do, as each muffin only has about 100 calories!)

Healthy and delicious. That resolution may not be so hard, after all.

(A special thanks to my homegirl, Hungry Girl, for this amazing recipe. It changed my life.)

Ok, not really… but according to a new study, cancer might be brewing inside me as I sip my diet coke. (Why am I such a Debbie Downer today? Wah wahhhhhhhhhh.)

The study found that one of the most popular artificial sweeteners may cause cancer. And I don’t know about you, but that is practically a death sentence for me.

As artificiality has become a societal fundament, I’ve managed to resist plastic surgery and fake tanning. Hell, I don’t even have a fake id. But, because I’m such a lucky gal, the one faux treat that I’ve wildly indulged in is now linked to cancer.

The study claims that aspartame—often used in diet soda and also marketed as table condiments like Equal and Nutrisweet—caused leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in the rats tested.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest—a U.S. consumer group—urged the FDA to review the safety of aspartame after the findings were published last week.

The FDA has not yet reviewed the study but claims that previous studies evaluated by the FDA give it no reason to deem aspartame unsafe as a general purpose sweetener.

Who are we to believe? On one hand, I want to dismiss the claim because, let’s face it, there are studies claiming that just about everything causes cancer. On the other hand, I devour Equal like it’s my job… so I’m thinking if this turns out to be true, I’ll probably die unless I halt consumption immediately.

Til the FDA promises that Equal won’t kill me, I think I’m going to err on the side of caution and cut aspartame out of my diet. I’d advise my fellow artificial sweetener junkies to do the same.

A few alternatives:

• Splenda: While Splenda is still an artificial sweetener, it contains sucralose—not aspartame. I’m not saying it’s better, but it hasn’t been linked to cancer (yet).

• Stevia: Stevia’s a more natural alternative—extracted from South American herbs and shrubs. Although it’s banned by the FDA, hippies are obsessed with it, and hippies live forever, right?

• Agave nectar: A true hippie product. Plus it hasn’t been banned by the FDA (again, yet). It’s natural syrup that serves as a sugar-substitute. Sweet.

I’ll probably try them all out, though they’ll probably all be linked to some terminal illness within a few months.

Maybe the best bet is to use real sugar (gasp!). I know, I know… calories suck. But cancer—and keeping up with the incessant cancer claims—sucks more.