Author: Dr. Nicole Sundene

pieceofcake.jpgRecently a friend had lost a bunch of weight and was looking really good, so being the nosy doctor that I am, I asked what technique he used. He said he simply decided to “never eat desserts again”.

Wow, he lost about 20 pounds just from giving up dessert! In America it is a common cultural concept to eat a huge meal and then five minutes later stuff ourselves even more BEYOND full with a large piece of dessert. Dessert is such a habit here that half the time we eat it without even wanting it. This is exactly how we all unwittingly gain the average five to ten extra pounds each year compounded by the depressing reality that each year our metabolism goes down a percentage point.

The typical dessert runs between 400-1000 calories, so say for instance we decide to give up an average dessert of 500 calories for seven days straight. That easily calculates in to the 3500 calorie deficit one must attain in order to lose one pound of body fat. That math was just too simple! Although both would be ideal, you could run for four hours a week or you could simply give up dessert each night.

Is eating dessert even worth it, I began to wonder. So I decided to test it out….

Being a recovering sugar addict I thought it would be tough to give up dessert. Although I have slipped up a few times here and there, I have realized that for me this is basically the easiest “Eating Plan” to ever follow. Since I already eat really healthy I don’t feel like I need to worry so much about my diet anymore, just dessert. Without dessert I have better energy, improved vitality and it is so much easier to keep my calorie count down.

We so often hear “A moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips” but that saying forgets to include the low energy, brain fog, mood swings, hypoglycemia and other not so fun things that typically accompany a high sugar diet, especially diabetes.

When you think about it though we might not have to entirely give up dessert but give up the general concept of dessert after every meal. Most of us honestly just need to give up dessert every other time or every three times. Good for you if you can give it up every time. Moderation is key here, I understand there does have to be SOME enjoyment in life, and I promise I am not here to ruin everything for you. Contrary to popular belief…

Could you give up dessert?

~Dr. Nicole

I hope you all have a Happy Whole Foods Friday and give yourself the gift of some really healthy and nourishing meals over the weekend!

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