Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT

Hi Its Isabel:
Just a few weeks ago I told you how I spent the weekend filming some great fat loss nutrition videos. Well one thing I had to do before I started filming was go to the grocery store and buy several "bad" food items and "good" food items (Actually, I already had most of the good in the fridge, so that part was easy).

I walked up and down the aisles looking for foods that claimed to be "healthy" or "good for you", but listed ingredients on the label like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and artificial sweeteners.

Do you know what happened?

Before I knew it, I had a cart completely full. The number of products I found seemed endless. I couldn't believe all the false marketing claims all over these foods and needless to say, I ended up ridiculously angry by the end of this trip! (Don't worry. I abstained from throwing stuff around the store. I try and keep my composure in public.)

Why would I get so angry? Well it just makes me so mad to imagine all the people that have fallen for these false claims...all in an effort to eat healthy or try to lose weight. It breaks my heart actually (and no, I'm not exaggerating), probably because I used to be one of those people who thought they were doing the "right" thing but I had fallen for all of this false marketing as well.

Now it would take me pages and pages to list all the foods and ingredients I found in each of these products, but here

Isabel's "Top 10 Foods you May Think are Healthy, but are NOT" (and I'm going to hope that your favorite meal, snack or drink is not on this list):

1. Whole Wheat bread - all contain enriched flour and some contain high fructose corn syrup
2. Low Fat and/or Low Sugar Salad Dressings - canola oil, sugar (or some use artificial sweeteners instead...which is worse!)
3. Sports Drinks - high fructose corn syrup, not to mention all the nasty dyes that are used to make it all sorts of fluorescent colors
4. Dry Roasted Almonds - canola oil and some add sugar
5. Almost all Protein and Energy Bars - soy and sugar
6. Almost all High Protein and High Fiber cereals - soy and canola oil
7. Low Sugar Instant Oatmeal - sugar, soy, and artificial sweeteners
8. Diet and Weight Loss Shakes (and other diet shakes) - canola oil and sugar
9. 100 Calorie Snack Packs - enriched flour and artificial sweeteners
10. Flavored Yogurt - sugar or artificial sweeteners

Take a look in your fridge and in your pantry right now and see if any of your favorite foods contain ingredients that may just be stopping you from reaching your fat loss goals. Sometimes, seeing results or overcoming a weight loss plateau is as easy as getting rid of some of these so called "healthy" foods.

Now on to a happier topic...

I've got some great news!

I've been asked to speak at a LIVE, in person event, along with some of my favorite fitness authors and coaches. Not only is this an incredible honor, but it is a great opportunity for me to meet you and all of my other wonderful readers and subscribers. I'm so excited!

This event will be taking place in sunny Tampa, Florida January 16th - 18th, 2010.

The weekend will be jam-packed with activities, each day beginning with morning workouts instructed by premier bootcamp coaches like Craig Ballantyne and Scott Colby, followed by motivational and educational presentations in the Grand Ballroom from training, nutrition, and mindset experts like Joel Marion, Jon Benson, Vince Del Monte, Shawn Phillips, Holly Rigsby and ME...just to name a few!

And yes, there will be plenty of time to interact and socialize!

Tickets will go on sale next week and I know seats are going to be limited (all of the speakers, including myself, want to make sure we have enough time to meet all of the attendees). All you need to do right now is clear your calendar for January 16th - 18th and watch your email inbox early next week for the link to the early bird discount. I'll be sure to let you know the second these tickets become available.

How to combat a Nasty Sweet Tooth

By Isabel
I can't tell you how many times each week I get the same email. "Isabel, I am doing great on your plan, but every once in a while, I'm still craving sweets!"

I am no different. I especially remember when I was pregnant, not only was I a bit more tired, I also craved sweet foods a lot more than I ever had before (my baby must take after my husband in that department).

I know that a nasty sweet tooth can be a real problem for a lot of people (not just pregnant folk). Many times cravings are an indication that you are not eating your meals in the right combinations or in the right proportions. That is why it is so important to find out your Metabolic Type (there is a whole chapter dedicated to this in The Diet Solution manual) and find exactly how many portions of each food you should be eating based on those results .

If you are following your healthy meal plans and the sugar monster is still out to get you, here are some healthy ways that I have been using myself to satisfy my sweet cravings:

1. Cut up some fresh fruit (berries, an apple, a pear, 1/2 banana) and put 1 tsp of raw, natural honey on top. One teaspoon goes a long way and gives your already sweet fruit a bit more of a kick.

2. Drink some Tea Juice. Essentially it is herbal tea sweetened with Stevia and cooled to be enjoyed as a cold drink. This really hits the spot at 3pm when I "think" I want a sweet treat, but this naturally sweetened beverage is enough to calm my cravings.

3. Mix some almond or peanut butter with unsweetened organic apple sauce and sprinkle cinnamon on top. YUMMY! This has been my pregnancy favorite! A great mid morning or afternoon snack.

4. Cut up one apple, spread almond butter or peanut butter on top and sprinkle some crushed raw cacao or organic dark chocolate on top.

5. A fruity herbal tea sweetened with stevia, xylitol or agave syrup in the evening is perfect right before bed to calm you after a busy day.

Remember you want to stay away from processed sugar and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. I personally use Stevia for all of my sweetening needs, but I know many people who also enjoy xylitol and agave syrup which are also great choices.

I think the best tasting Stevia can be found at http://www.stevivasweetener.com.

Here are 5 of my favorite Easy and Quick Healthy Snacks

There's nothing like real world experience to teach you a thing or two.

To all of you parents who have written to me in the past saying "Isabel, with all the responsibilities I have in one day with the kids, work and the house, I just don't have time to eat healthy." I GET IT!

Wow!...who knew a little 8 lb baby could take up so much time...I mean the whole day.

Since eating healthy is an absolute must for me (I just wouldn't have it any other way), I really had to come up with some quick and easy snacks that I could grab at any time, especially if my little munchkin didn't let me get to make breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Even if you don't have kids and are just busy, busy, busy all day....here are a few of the healthy snacks I enjoy (most of which can be grabbed with one hand while holding a newborn in the other).

1. Nut Butter and Honey on Ezekiel Bread (or any sprouted grain bread) - Although this would taste better toasted, I can make do with the colder version. I put 1-2 tbsps of natural peanut butter or almond butter on 1 slice of Sprouted Grain or Spelt bread with ½ tsp of raw honey. I make 2-3 of these at a time and leave them in the fridge for easy grabbing.

2. Deviled Eggs - These do take a bit of prep time so I have to wait for my husband to come home in the evening to make them. I hard boil 6 eggs. Once cooled, I cut them in half and place all of the cooked yolks in a separate bowl. I add Dijon mustard and olive oil to the yolks and mash them up so they become creamy. I put the creamy mixture back into the center of the egg whites and sprinkle Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper on top. I keep these in the refrigerator for an easy protein snack.

3. Turkey and Roast Beef Rollup - These are simply just deli turkey breast and roast beef wrapped up in a rollup (I only buy the turkey and roast beef that is fresh and natural, not any of the cold cut supermarket brands with added nitrites and nitrates). I add some mustard to each rollup and keep them all in a container in the fridge. Again, another quick protein snack. These are also great with baby carrots.

4. Frozen Grapes - If you're searching for something sweet, grapes in the freezer are a great way to curb a sweet tooth. I keep a bunch of these in the freezer and snack on them along with some raw nuts. Just a handful of grapes with some walnuts really keeps me full and satisfied until I can get to my next meal. It's also a great "sweet" pick me up (for all those sleep deprived parents and even non-parents out there).

5. Bag of Trail Mix - I absolutely do not go anywhere without my bag of trail mix. Right now I have almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, dried apricots and raisins all in a bag with a touch of Celtic Sea Salt added. Yesterday I took my little guy to the pediatrician and we were there for what seemed to be hours! Thank goodness for my trail mix, otherwise I probably would have cried more than the baby did.