Day 5: You might be asking yourself: Why doesn't she just eat sugar-free foods instead? It seems like a logical choice for a sugar hound like myself, get the good stuff, without all the calories.

For one, I don't like artificial sweeteners, not the idea of them or their taste. But more importantly, this week isn't about finding a loophole for feeding my sugar addiction; it's about training my body to enjoy foods that are naturally sweet. Every step I take toward a healthier diet is a step away from highly processed foods and toward whole, more natural choices.

So when I really, really crave something sweet, I reach for a banana. It's smooth and creamy and has plenty of naturally occurring sugars. Best of all, it's only 80 calories and full of potassium.

What does work, even if you're trying to lose weight, is adding foods to your diet -- fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, whole grains -- and replacing less nutritious foods with these lighter, healthier choices. Not only can you make some pretty delicious and satisfying meals out of simple, wholesome ingredients, you can also lose weight while enjoying food again. According to the NYT, dieters everywhere are starting to realize this. Good for them, I think. Because as someone who has a dieting history, I can attest -- dieting stinks, and it isn't effective.

The difference between the two approaches, of course, is speed. When a person diets, the weight comes off quickly, though it usually stalls or gets gained back just as fast. The more moderate approach, which puts the emphasis back on enjoying good food, is slower. But it's a lifestyle that can be maintained and enjoyed for life, unlike a diet. And if you've ever taken the weight off once, you know ... you never want to have to do it again.

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Over the last few decades, you've probably noticed a shift in your supermarket options. The small-family-run grocery stores of 20 years ago are gone, replaced by sprawling, mall-sized mega-stores carrying a mind-boggling selection of products. But according to the New York Times, expect to see a shift backwards.

That's right, smaller stores are making a comeback, with big names like Safeway, Whole Foods and Wal-Mart opening smaller stores throughout North America. The idea here is convenience -- shoppers wishing to quickly pick up a few items for that night's dinner can do so at a smaller supermarket without having to wander the aisles for hours to find what they're looking for or pay exorbitant prices at a convenience store.

As long as the limited selection is healthy, I think this is a great idea -- I can't stand heading to a big grocery store when all I need is one or two things. Your thoughts?

(via CalorieLab)

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We dye our hair, dye our clothing, dye our paint to color our walls ... but do we really need to dye our food? No, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. They want the FDA to ban eight food colorings that they believe pose a health risk to humans, particularly children. The dyes include Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, Yellow 6.

The FDA doesn't appear to be budging on their stance that food dyes have been proven safe. The group is asking the FDA to require a warning label on foods that contain these dyes in the interim.

Food dyes aren't required in whole foods, so they're usually used to make a food with little nutrition look more appealing or to make it bright and colorful so it will appeal to kids. To reduce your family's exposure to food dyes, stick to a diet of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains, and avoid processed foods.

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We know the best power foods are whole foods, like fruits and vegetables jam-packed with nutrition and legumes full of protein and fiber. But it is not always easy to eat whole foods all of the time. Sometimes we crave more convenience, even though the processed foods are usually not as good for us.

So, whether good or bad, WebMD has put together a list of 25 relatively new natural, yet packaged, products that could be good for us to have in our pantries.

The list is broken into categories, which I have listed, along with a couple of products that really caught my eye.

• High-Fiber Bread, Pasta & Cereal
• Kashi Vive Probiotic Digestive Wellness Cereal -- Full of fiber, ginger and beneficial bacteria, it sounds promising. But I checked out the ingredients and it doesn't pass my test. Wheat is the first ingredient, there is too much sugar and it contains soy protein. Oh well. Next . . .
• Fat Fighting Snacks
• New Calcium Boosters
• Fruits and Veggies Made Easy
• Oh boy, do I love Melissa's Peeled Baby Red Beets. I buy these all of the time and put them into salads. Easy!
• Healthy Dinners in Minutes
• Good for You Beverages

If you are time-crunched and can't eat a whole food, or if you are looking for a convenience food to fit your healthy lifestyle, this list is a good place to start.

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Where I live in Canada, we have yet to be exposed to a Whole Foods store, despite being one of the biggest cities in the country (pleeeeease, can we have a store?) So I don't know what things they carry and have to rely on word-of-mouth for some product recommendations.

Anyway, we received a tip from reader Janine about Paul's Organic Soap, and it's not the first time I've heard the name before. She says with her sensitive skin, it's one of the only soaps she can use, including other organic soaps. If you're suffering from sensitive, itchy skin and have a Whole Foods store near you, give it a try. As an eczema sufferer, I know how hard it is to find something that works well for you.

Have you tried it?

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When we moved about two years ago, one of the things I mourned the most was the loss of a local Whole Foods market. I just couldn't imagine shopping at a conventional supermarket again, after having so many natural food choices right down the street.

Well, sure enough, I adjusted. Belonging to a food coop helps, as does our seasonal membership at a local CSA farm.

A recent article about Whole Foods made me think about my experiences there. Whole Foods is being criticized because they don't carry foods with artificial coloring or trans fats, but they will carry anything else. I found this to be a point of criticism I always had as well. It really is like shopping at any other supermarket in that respect. You need to be a staunch label reader to make sure you are getting the best and healthiest foods.

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With Whole Foods in the process of buying competitor Wild Oats for more than half a billion bucks, it was quite distressing to see that the CEO of Whole Foods has been accused of being a finance forum lurker who used to routinely trash the company his is now buying.

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is under investigation from the FTC for these practices, which will be examined in close detail very soon most likely. Why would a CEO trash a competitor while disguising himself? For stock profits? For some other financial reason?

This is an odd story, and since I buy quite a few things from Whole Foods these days, it's shameful to see the leader of this natural foods chain engage in such activity. More to come (I am sure).

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First there was the whole foods diet. Then there was the low-carb craze. Then eating organic was all the rage. And I'm sure you've heard of cage-free, free range and grass fed. Now there's eating locally. Well, eating locally isn't exactly a new concept--after all, farmer's markets have existed probably as long as farms, but it finally seems to be catching on as a dieting trend.

So what exactly does it mean to eat locally, and what are the benefits? I mean, we've all seen farmer's markets, perused their offerings and even occasionally indulged in some of their maple syrup candy and apple cider but what does eating locally really translate to?

"Local" is defined as anything within a hundred miles. That makes for a lot of possibilities in terms of food options, depending on where you live.

To me, farmer's markets were always the opportunity to get a little something different than what you'd find at a local supermarket. I know the one in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn used to house a woman we referred to as the Cheese Lady who always had THE BEST cheeses anywhere. She had this one spicy white cheddar with horseradish in it that was TO DIE FOR. Sadly, at some point she took her wares elsewhere.

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Don't skip breakfast! You've heard it many times, but somehow life gets in the way and you end up running out the door, breakfast-less once again.

Just in time to re-motivate you, Web MD has published an article with some on-the-go breakfast ideas that they promise you will fit into your briefcase.

First of all, they say the two most important things to look for in a breakfast food are protein and fiber, to keep you full and satisfied. They start off with some easy, healthy suggestions, like grabbing an apple or a banana.

But then -- and I say yikes! -- they quickly lose me with their vast suggestions of highly processed food. OK, sure, true to their promise, Carnation Instant Breakfast will fit in your briefcase. But is it really worth it to sacrifice whole foods for the sake of convenience?

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These days, metabolism is a major source of envy for most people. Forget houses, clothes, cars -- many people would rather have the metabolism of Gisele Bundchen than her success in the model ling industry. But what if there was something you could do about you metabolism? Some way you can change the way your body seems to automatically store everything as fat?

There might be a way to change your metabolism, but unfortunately it's not through quick-fixes like pills or shakes. Like all good things, revving your metabolism requires hard work, including dieting and exercise. I know, avoiding diets and exercise are the reasons you want a high metabolism in the first place, but the truth is they're an essential part to a healthy lifestyle and you should probably get used to it. If you're willing to make that sacrifice, check out the UltraMetabolism Diet. It's an ongoing process that involves lots of whole foods and limited amounts of junk.

Have you tried it? Will you?

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Starting today, Whole Foods is selling wind. Yes, much like common phone cards and gifts cards, wind power is now available hanging next to the gum and candy bars in convenient $5 and $15 "Wind Power Cards." Whole Foods is one of the first to sell wind power credits in this way and are timing this effort with their big news of going 100% wind powered.

So how do these "Wind Power Cards" work? Unfortunately, most people don't have the option to power their homes with renewable sources like wind. But you can still offset the electricity you need to use everyday -- basically your purchase of wind power credits promises that a wind farm will replace equivalent energy on the national power grid in your name. There are also resources online, available when you activate your card, where you can learn more about renewable energy and access other neat features.

It sounds like a great way to support renewable energy and reduce the need for traditional power, but unfortunately it won't yet help cut down your personal electric bill.

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