Fooling the calorie gods

Did your diet begin wonderfully, only to run smack into a carton of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream?

Did you have every intention of counting calories today until you passed by the place where they were making fresh cinnamon rolls?

Taste may be your number one foe, but if you're willing to make changes, it can become your number one friend, according to experts.

"Taste and feel can fool you," says Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Yogurt is creamy, but that doesn't mean it's high in calories. Salsa is spicy, but it's low in fat and high in fiber. Your brain can't always sort out these differences, so why not spin that to your advantage?"

Experts say snacks can actually help you curb your cravings at meal time. That's good news for me because I love snacks.

Instead of a milkshake, try a fruit smoothie, which helps satisfy your craving for sweets and also helps you feel fuller. Or spice up carrots and celery as snacks with low-fat dips or gourmet mustards.

Here's the Time magazine article on it:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1703763_1703764_1...