Scoop No More

The carb-conscious bagel-lover will tell you, the best way to have your bagel and diet, too, is to scoop out the doughy center. But now you don't have to burrow through your bagel to cut down on carbs -- it takes too much time and... well, defeats the whole purpose of relaxing over brunch. Save the scooping for sundaes, not Sundays! Next time, toast up a 110-calorie Alternative Bagel. Sold in flavors like cinnamon spice, blueberry and top-selling sweet wheat, it boasts as much variety as the corner bagel bin -- with 7 g of fiber and 0 g of sugar! And you can enjoy every last morsel instead of digging them out.
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Eat Fat (The Good Kind)

While the supermarket aisles are overloaded with low-fat and fat-free items, you've probably heard by now that it's actually important to include a little fat in your diet, specifically the "good" fats (essential fatty acids, like omega-3s and limited amounts of omega-6s). These good fats can have a beneficial effect on everything from circulation to brain function. Omega-3s can also help curb cravings, since they regulate blood sugar levels. They can also boost the metabolic rate and increase serotonin, the "happy" brain chemical that also controls sugar cravings. To increase your omega-3 intake, incorporate a tablespoon of flaxseed oil (or some seeds themselves) into yogurt or oatmeal, or snack on pumpkin seeds or walnuts.
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Take A Hint

We know water's the wonder drink -- really, from skin to metabolism, what isn't helped by a little H20? But sometimes it's a little dull to chug glass after glass of the plain clear stuff, and many of the new flavored options taste too sweet or actually contain undesirables, like sugar and sodium. Luckily Kara Goldin felt our pain. A working mom, Goldin was tired of discovering that the so-called "natural" and "pure" drinks she was picking up were anything but, and felt limited by the choices of healthy liquids to serve her kids and herself. In late 2005, Goldin and her husband launched Hint, a brand of all-natural waters with no calories, sweeteners or preservatives -- just a "hint" of different pure essences. The tag line, which pretty much sums it up, is "Drink water -- not sugar." Available in eights flavors, including peppermint, pomegranate-tangerine, raspberry-lime, pear and cucumber, Hint has become a fast favorite for it's crisp, subtle taste -- it really just tastes like water, only better. The packaging, with its clean design and cute trivia blurbs, is pretty cool too. Pass on this email to someone who can take a hint!Seeking more ways to sack your snack attacks?
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Have A Cow

All you need to do to lose weight is to get a mustache — a milk mustache that is. Calcium can help you lose weight. When cutting your calories be sure you aren't cutting your calcium. A glass of skim milk is a great way to start adding calcium to your diet but many other foods and not necessarily dairy products contain calcium. Broccoli and cabbage are great sources of calcium and so are yogurt and low-fat cheese. Dr. Jana Klauer, author of the New York Times Bestseller, 'How the Rich Get Thin' notes that calcium is essential for boosting metabolism. Check out the relationship between calcium and weight loss at the 2424 milk website. Adding just a few servings of calcium to your diet daily will significantly help you lose weight.
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Get Brownie Points

The brownie has a cult following few desserts can rival, but any brownie fan who's spent countless hours at the gym to support her habit will tell you that those ooey-gooey fudgy centers and deliciously crispy crusts come at a price. To add insult to injury, so-called "fat free" brownies have tended to taste like Styrofoam, leaving health-conscious brownie fans at a loss. But there's good news: You don't have to give up your favorite treat for the sake of saving your health. If you really need to have your brownie and eat it too, we've found five contenders that'll make both your lips and your hips happy!
Without further ado, we present the first installment in our Week of Healthy Brownies. Each day, we'll present you with a way to make your brownie habit a little more diet-friendly.
Pick #1 Cocoa Jones Brownies
Cocoa Jones Brownies are baked in micro batches using only the finest, high-quality ingredients and no unnatural preservatives. The taste is pure cocoa goodness, and the texture is supremely fudgy. While the original brownies are gargantuan, the new two-ounce snack sizes are heaven-sent — they're just big enough to (really!) satisfy your craving, but, amazingly, weigh in at just under 200 calories. So if you find yourself jonesing for a gourmet indulgence, here's a treat that won't take up much room on your daily calorie allowance.
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Balance The Sugar Rush

For our second pick of the Week in Healthy Brownies for the Conquer Your Cravings newsletter, we've got another great fix for your brownie cravings.
Pick #2 The Protein Bakery
The Protein Bakery is all about preserving everything you love about brownies — with a few healthy tweaks that make a big difference. For example, all of their brownies are wheat-free and come infused with whey protein and rolled oats for a nutritional boost of protein and fiber. But it's not just about adding a healthy component to an otherwise unhealthy snack — the added protein also helps stabilize blood glucose levels and prevent the blood sugar spike that comes after eating many sugary sweets. Oh, and did we mention that they're delicious?
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Scramble Things Up

If you're like us, your cravings may start before the afternoon lull. It's hard not to spend a day's worth of calories when there are tempting muffins and doughnuts in the office kitchen or at that morning meeting. The easiest way to fight temptation is to whip up a low-cal breakfast at home, and we've got a new favorite. Eggsland's Best Eggs, which contain less cholesterol less saturated fat and more Omega-3s than ordinary eggs because of the hens' high-quality diet. With a diet of all-natural, all-vegetarian feed that contains healthy natural grains, canola oil and an all-natural supplement of rice bran, alfalfa, sea kelp, vitamin E and no animal fats, these hens probably eat healthier than you do. Check out the Eggland's Best Eggs's Website for some fun and healthy recipes. Here's our modified recipe for one of their breakfast favorites: Cut a hole into the center of a slice of whole-wheat bread with a 3-inch-wide cookie cutter. Melt a tablespoon of light margarine in a small frying pan, place bread in pan until bread is golden brown, then turn the bread over and melt the extra margarine into the cut-out. Break the egg into the opening and season lightly. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes and then enjoy your healthy and hearty breakfast or snack.
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Food Keeping You Up?

There are many contributing factors to insomnia. The food you eat may be the reason you can't sleep at night. Author of Healthy Eating to Cure Insomnia, Brandon Hall, says that "Changing our diets is one of the healthiest ways to fix a sleeping problem." You have to choose foods that allow the body to relax. Changing your diet is the most natural cure you can find to help you fall asleep. Hall says, "There are foods that naturally work with the body's chemistry to promote sleep." Those foods include fruits, breads and a warm glass of milk before bedtime. Keeping a log of the foods you eat during the day and how you are sleeping at night will allow you to notice patterns in foods that may be keeping you up during the night.
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Eat Like A Rabbit

Bugs Bunny always had a lean frame and now we know why. A UCLA/Louisiana State University dietary study's findings show that eating just one serving of salad or raw vegetables per day significantly boosts the likelihood of meeting the recommended daily intake of certain nutrients -- nutrients that help maintain a healthy weight, ward off heart disease and help control blood pressure and cholesterol. The components needed for a healthy diet can be consumed from salad. Just keep an eye on the calorie count of your dressing. One tablespoon of dressing should keep a salad to a healthy calorie intake.
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Enjoy Eating

We know this sounds obvious. After all, we all love eating. But the problem is that instead of savoring our food, we're mindlessly nibbling in the midst of distractions. More and more Americans are eating their meals in front of the television, which positively correlates with weight gain. The results of a Bayor College of Medicine study show that people become unaware of the amount of food they consume while they are watching television. Eating with your family or friends promotes healthy eating habits and allows you to enjoy your food. Become aware of what you are eating: Sit down, turn off all electronic distractions and enjoy the flavors of your food. After your meal you will feel more satisfied by the food. Before you turn off your computer, be sure to forward this to your friends.
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Magic Beans

These magic beans beat Jack's beanstalk-growers any day of the week. Jelly Belly's special performance jelly beans have been formulated with carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins B and C for optimal sports performance. Wrapped into perfectly portioned 100 calorie bags, these jelly beans are ideal for a little power up before, during, or after exercise. Sport Beans jelly beans come in four good-tasting flavors, have a similar sweet taste to regular jelly beans and are as effective as sport drinks in maintaining blood sugar levels and improving exercise performance. And the best part is you don't have to trade your farm's cow to get them. They're available online.
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Doze Off

Hey sleepyhead — wake up! Missing your zzz's could be making you fat. Not sleeping enough at night may be causing you to make poor food choices during the day. Keri Glassman, author of 'The Snack Factor Diet,' says that when you are well rested, you make better food choices and have more energy to go to the gym, walk to work, or take time for your favorite activities. When you are skipping out on sleep, your defenses are down and you are more likely to overeat and make poor food choices. A University of Chicago study found that not getting enough sleep can lead to a decrease in leptin, the hormone that tells when we are satisfied and an increase in ghrelin, the hormone that tells us we're hungry. Skipping out on sleep could be what's causing those cravings? Now there's a wake-up call. Wake up your friends. Forward this email. More ways to get motivated:
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Feelin' Nutty?

Nuts have had a bad reputation because they are high in calories and fat, but they're making a comeback because they are packed with protein and fiber. Most of the fats in nuts are unsaturated and may help increase your "good" cholesterol and lower your "bad" cholesterol. Nuts also provide a great amount of satiety, which can help control your weight. Some nutritionists from the Nutrition Clinic at the Yale-New Haven Hospital have some tips for eating nuts: Reduce the portion size by chopping or slicing your nuts. Leave off the cheese from your pasta when using nuts. Select reduced portions of lean meats, fish, and poultry when accenting with nuts. Choose fat-free dressing for your salad when using nuts. Pre-portion nutty snacks rather than eating them from a large bag or a jar.
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Brown Bagging It

While it may be easier and more sociable to eat out for lunch every day at work with your coworkers, bringing your lunch to work will help you eat only what you brought instead of opting for the supersize combo or a bag of potato chips. It is much easier to watch what you eat when you're the one preparing your meal. You can control your portions, making sure you don't overeat. You can pack some of your favorite healthy foods in your lunch, like fresh fruit and vegetables. You will feel pleased with yourself for packing your own lunch with healthy foods, and you will save money as well. Check out our snack swapper for some healthy lunch ideas.
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Burrito Bust

We've all heard the urban legends about the amount of calories in a Chipotle burrito. But that lime rice is too tasty to pass up for us. We used to think if we go for the bol and hold off on the guac (oh so hard, but necessary), that perhaps we could justify our lunchtime splurge. Then we found out about the burrito calculator on chipotlelovers.com. It's scary, people, but a great wake-up call for all of us in burrito-denial. Check off your order and get all the nutritional information including calories, fat and sodium. It even gives you an option to split or third your order -- quite a good tip. From now on, we'll be bringing along a fellow Chipotle-loving friend for a burrito-built-for-two lunch. More tips to get fit:
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Behind Bars

Granola to us, means wholesome and good for you; whether it's the low-fat kind we sprinkle on our yogurt or kind-hearted granola Aidan on SATC reruns. (What were you thinking Carrie?). So we were surprised to find out that granola has a dark side —and it come in the form of a granola bar. In terms of sugar and saturated fat, granola bars are often no better than candy bars. Some contain more than 200 calories. And don't be fooled by the candy granola bar hybrid — while it is slightly healthier than eating a Snickers bar, it's just the lesser of two evils since both are packed with saturated fat. If you can't give up your granola bars, at least look for a one that's low fat and contains whole grains such as Health Valley Granola Bars which contain no trans fat, artificial flavors or chemicals. All natural, just like Aidan.
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Ditch This Drink

Here's an easy way to cut calories: ditch the sports drinks. Unless you're exercising for more than an hour, you don't need them. Although the added electrolytes might be helpful to a professional athlete, the average person does not need these drinks. By drinking one you are not only not getting anything from it, you are adding unnecessary sugar and calories to your diet, says Dr. David Katz, physician and nutrition expert at Yale University School of Medicine.
We know what you're thinking. Those big bottles of blue juice look so much more appealing than a boring bottle of water, but are they really worth the average of 240 calories for that 32 oz of fruity sugary replenishment? If you can't stand plain water, jazz it up with orange or lemon slices for a splash of citrus; or try a zero-calorie flavored water. Water hydrates better than any other liquid, before and during exercise. And if you bring a bottle from home, you're saving money and calories.
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With A Cherry On Top

Cherries have emerged as today's "superfruit." Studies show cherries have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, compared to other fruits, and are linked to various health benefits. Tart cherries are available year-round and Russel J. Reiter, a nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center, says, "There's a significant body of evidence suggesting that cherries are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat." The best thing about them is that they can be mixed into your diet in many delicious ways. Check out the cherry website for some delicious snacks like their Cherry Berry Smoothie for only 162 calories!
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Raise The Bar On Snacking

Around this time, fashion editors have already begun bringing you the best in spring fashion trends. As snack-anistas, we consider it our duty to bring you the latest in spring snacking trends such as Larabar's two newest additions to their energy bar collection, including Key Lime Pie and Pistachio. Larabars, a constant favorite among celebrities, for their six-ingredient simple blend of fruits, nuts and spices. They give you the taste of your favorite sweets like key lime pie, apple pie and pecan pie, without all the added sugars and fats. Unlike some other energy bars, Larabars don't leave you with an energy crash a few hours after eating one. Also try one of Larabar's Jocalat bars, their new organic chocolate food bar, so you can indulge and still fit into the newest spring fashions.
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Stick With It

We all fall prey to dieting don'ts. Make yourself feel better, check out our iConfess wall, where iVillagers confess their latest diet slipups. You may not want to diet if you think you can't stick with it, but here's the key: Give something, even if it's not 100 percent. Tom Weede, author of The Entrepreneur Diet, says "[Giving] something will be an improvement." Start small by picking one of your bad habits to fix and focus on correcting that habit. Of course there are times when you may give in to temptations, but it is then that it is most important not to give up, just because you've messed up one time. Stick with it and return to your diet. Nutritionist Kathy Wise says after a mess up in your diet, instead of giving up, give yourself a break and take something positive from the experience. Remember that you may not be perfect, but no one else is either, and the best you can do is forgive yourself and move on.
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