Sugar-free & Low-Fat

We all know that a diet high in sugar and fat isn't such a good idea. Over time, it can lead to an array of life threatening health concerns including high blood pressure, Diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. Most health care professionals will advise clients to maintain a diet with healthy levels of sugar and fat intake. Since the body requires both to function properly, cutting them out entirely is not the solution either.

Maintaining a healthy intake of both fat and sugar requires some healthy life style changes on your part. Look for sugar-free options, including sugar-free gum and candy, and choosing from a wide range of sugar-free desserts and other treats. Selecting a suitable sugar substitute for your family requires some careful thought on your part. Research has shown that not every artificial sweetener is suitable for everyone, so it's a good idea to understand the differences between them, including some of the more popular products like NutraSweet, Equal, Splenda and Sweet N' Low.

With regard to a healthy level of fat consumption in your diet, again, knowing the facts is very important to achieving the best long-term results. Today the big health warning on fat consumption is staying away from trans fat as much as possible. The most alarming thing to note about trans fat is its ability to keep foods fresh for longer and improve the texture and taste of food, therefore it can be found in a variety of popular food choices including french fries, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. The best thing you can do to guard your family against consuming too much trans fat is to read the Nutritional Facts label on the products you purchase, and make sure they indicate whether the product is high or low in trans fat. Keep in mind that all labels are not required to include this information until the program has been entirely phased in by 2006. Many products already contain health conscious messages printed right on the packaging such as "low in saturated fats" or "contains no trans fat".

Because so many of us lead busy lives, it can be a challenge to ensure that everyone in the family is eating healthy. Parents should take care to select low sugar and low fat recipes that appeal to children and teens, and encourage them to make healthy cooking a daily habit. Adults on the run should also take care to stay away from the fast food window, unless they plan to select healthier options. Thankfully, many well known fast food chains are jumping on the healthy choices bandwagon, and some are also considering eliminating trans fat from their menu. Another healthy habit for the entire family is limiting the intake of beverages high in sugar. Instead, stock the refrigerator with sugar-free alternatives.