A sweet solution

If you have a sweet tooth, you don’t necessarily have to fight cravings when you are on a weight-loss diet, according to Ilana Muhlstein, a registered dietitian nutritionist.

“In my own weight loss, I found that having a positive mindset about food—focusing on what I could eat instead of what I couldn’t—made me so much stronger, resilient and more successful at losing weight over time,” she says. “That’s why I’m all about helping people find ways to say ‘yes’ when a sweet tooth or food cravings kick in. Are you a gummy bear, chewy candy-type person? If so, I’d recommend swapping them out for frozen fruits, like cherries, grapes or even chopped mangoes. It couldn’t be simpler. Just pop a bowl of any of these fruits into the freezer for an hour and you have an instantly satisfying sweet treat that has the chewy texture of gummy bears without all the refined sugar and calories. Plus, fruit has fiber and antioxidants you won’t get from sugary candy.”

Ilana is co-creator of Beachbody’s 2B Mindset nutrition program, sits on the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association and leads the Bruin Health Improvement Program at the University of California at Los Angeles. She also acts as a nutrition consultant for several companies, including Beachbody and Whole Foods Market.