Nutrition in the News: Exercise and Enjoy that Dessert

Nutrition in the news talks about how exercising can help you eat a healthier diet and maybe you should enjoy that dessert and not skip it.  March is National Nutrition Month so learning more about nutrition and good health is a key focus this month.  Time has some interesting articles discussing food this month.  

      1.   Exercising Might Help You Make Healthier Food Choices – a recent study has found.  How does increasing your exercise help you eat better?   A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that those who exercised on a regular basis ate healthier.  Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin studied 2,680 adults who were not exercising or on a diet.  After starting an exercise program, the study participants started to eat healthier.   They chose lean meats, ate more fruits and vegetables and cut back on fried foods.  They also cut back on the sugared sodas.  What is a surprise is that none of these participants were instructed or asked to change their diet.  The researchers surmised that exercise reduces one’s preference for fatty foods liked fried foods.  Although the study participants were young adults (ages 18-35), the researchers believe the exercise and healthier eating relationship would apply to all adults. 

a.       How much exercise?  The study participants were pretty sedentary before the research began.  They then added 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week to their schedule.  They did this for 15 weeks. 

b.       Exercise and healthier eating:  Interesting that only after a few weeks study participants chose on their own to eat healthier diets.  As noted previously, they chose more fruits, vegetables, lean meats and also nuts over fried foods and sodas.  And chose to do so without any intervention by the researchers or suggestions about their diet.  

Exercise and eat healthier

2. Eating Dessert for good health?  How can eating dessert be related to being good for you?  Almost everyone who goes on a diet knows they should shun desserts.  Or anyone that wants to eat healthier believes you have to give up desserts.  Not me.  I like desserts and have no intention of giving them up.  So, I especially found it interesting that some research shows eating desserts can actually have some positive consequences.

a.       How can eating a dessert help your diet?  We aren’t talking about pie a` la mode every day.  Researchers have found that enjoying the occasional indulgence may help you eat healthier.  How can that be?  Choosing the dessert first and then choosing your main course foods seems to actually lead one to choose healthier foods and eating less at their meal.  Odd, but that is what some researchers found.

b.       Choose dessert first – once in a while – not an everyday choice but once in awhile go for the indulgent dessert.  And you don’t have to eat the dessert first, just knowing you can enjoy this delicious dessert after your meal seems to be enough for some people to eat less at the meal as they are “saving room for the dessert”. 

c.       Choosing healthy foods first and later choosing a dessert – again it seems odd but those in the study who chose their healthy menu options first felt that they had “sacrificed” enough and then treated themselves to a calorie-laden dessert and eating more than those who chose the dessert first.

d.       How did this research study work?  Researchers followed 134 students and faculty and staff as they ate in the school’s cafeteria.  These participants were offered desserts before the food line – a healthy one or cheesecake or two dessert choices after the food line, fruit or cheesecake.   The majority of those who choose the cheesecake first before going through the food line, chose a healthier meal.  They ended up actually eating 250 calories less than those who chose fruit first as their dessert.

Maybe those who indulge occasionally with their dessert have less junk food cravings.  Could be true as so many people say, “I ate the cookie and ruined my diet.”  But learning how to eat an occasional indulgent dessert or modest dessert like some cookies shouldn’t “ruin your diet”.   The dietitian in the article doesn’t recommend desserts even every day and certainly not at every meal.  Well, not me.  I like some candy, cookies, or some type of dessert every day.  It isn’t hundreds of calories like many restaurant desserts, but a dessert nonetheless.  Small indulgences like a few pieces of chocolate or a couple of cookies aren’t going to ruin my overall healthy diet. 

I like how the article ended, “When you do decide to treat yourself, a growing body of research suggests that doing so strategically can pay off.”  

Pillsbury Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sources:  study, participants, Researchers, article  Images: Buffet, exercise   Pillsbury cookie recipe