After indulging during Thanksgiving dinner, a slice of pumpkin pie may seems out of the question if you're watching your waistline. Think again! Did you know that pumpkin pie can actually be good for you?

Pumpkins are rich in vitamins and minerals including fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and vitamins C and E. Pumpkins also contain carotenoids, a phytochemical responsible for the orange-red color of certain fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids have been shown to lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by preventing oxidation of cholesterol in the arteries. The two carotenoids found in pumpkins are alpha and beta-carotene, which convert vitamin A in the body and are essential for normal growth, immunity and development.

Who knew pumpkin pie could really be so sweet? I have created a delicious version with half the calories of the classic. I use Fiber One cereal to make a crunchy crust instead of a pie dough. I also use a fat-free egg substitute to give the filling a creamy texture and a slice with 200 fewer calories than a traditional recipe.

Try this delicious pumpkin pie!

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Oprah's fitness guru and That's Fit expert Bob Greene is on a mission to help stop this epidemic in its tracks with his new book "The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes." This is a disease that hits close to home for Greene, as both of his parents have diabetes. Today, 57 million people have been diagnosed with prediabetes -- a precursor to diabetes in which your blood sugar is higher than normal, but not quite at the diabetic range -- but it is estimated that 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 20 have the condition. Signs include fatigue, thirst, and blurred vision. The good news is, having prediabetes doesn't mean you're guaranteed to get diabetes. With lifestyle modifications and a healthy diet you can stave off the disease.

Click on the video below to see Bob share a healthy and delicious one-day meal plan -- there's even a chocolate cupcake!



Learn more about Bob Greene's diabetes prevention plan.

Do you eat eggs? Or do you choose egg substitutes?

Eggs have omega-3 fatty acids in their yolks, but can often be considered a health concern. They have high cholesterol and fat content and are often linked to an increase in Type 2 diabetes. That's why many people are opting for egg substitutes -- and there are a variety of options.

Some egg substitutes are made from the egg white only. They omit the yolk and yet add vitamins and minerals including vegetable-based emulsifiers and thickeners like guar gum.

There are also ways to create your own egg substitutes. Two tablespoons of cornstarch may be equivalent to one egg as are two tablespoons of arrowroot flour or two tablespoons of potato starch. In cake recipes, one banana can be substituted for one egg.

Another idea is an egg substitute recipe, which includes one tablespoon of nonfat dry milk powder, two egg whites from large eggs and four drops of yellow food color. After you sprinkle powdered milk over egg whites, beat them until they're smooth. Add food color and beat until blended. This will create one-fourth cup, equivalent to one large egg.

That's Fit can answer all of your nutrition questions --whether they're about foods or supplements.

On a cold winter night nothing is more enticing than the thought of curling up on the couch with a piping cup of hot chocolate and crunchy biscotti. But the reality is, this seemingly inoffensive treat can sabotage a full days worth of healthy eating. Would you believe that this one ounce serving of biscotti contains 250 calories! Besides, who eats just one? Continued over the course of a year, this could result in an extra 20 pounds of weight gain.

Besides the frustration of not fitting into your jeans, there are also serious health risks associated with weight gain such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Studies have shown that weight gain of as little as two pounds a year can increase your chances of those health risks by 5 percent.

Now the news isn't all bad, and anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that cutting out occasional treats entirely leads to a diet disaster.

Pair my Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti recipe with a sugar-free or diet hot cocoa for a treat that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth without jeopardizing your waistline.

Be inspired by our That's Fit Success Stories. Then motivate others by submitting your own. Share how you've transformed your body through diet and exercise by sending us an e-mail at successstories [AT] thatsfit [DOT] com.


Name: Caroline Nittolo

Age: 35

Height: 5 feet, 2 inches

Before weight: 271


Breaking point: After my father passed away from complications from diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, I hit rock bottom, and I was still using food as comfort. I went to see the doctor, and my blood pressure was very high. For the first time, I had health issues, and it scared me. Right around that time, I had to travel for a month on business/pleasure and had to take 14 different flights. I was so mortified that the seat belts didn't fit me! The worst part of the whole experience was that most of the flight attendants automatically brought the seat belt extender to me. They knew just looking at me that I would need it. It was horrible! I knew I was big, but I tried to block out the fact that most people could see how big I really was.

Exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer Bob Greene has helped millions of people slim down, most recently with his online program TheBestLife.com. The best-selling author shares the sure-fire strategies for losing weight, protecting your health and living your best life.

The number of Americans with diabetes has tripled since 1980, and as many as 95 percent of those diagnosed have Type 2 diabetes -- the kind that is often triggered by obesity. Diabetes and its precursor, pre-diabetes, have reached epidemic levels in this country. Sadly, it looks like this trend will continue to grow, as nearly one in five people has pre-diabetes.

These are sobering statistics, but there is good news. You can avoid these two conditions by making easy but significant lifestyle changes. This is the premise of my new book (co-authored by endocrinologist John J. "Jack" Merendino, Jr. and nutritionist Janis Jibrin) "The Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes," out Tuesday, November 3.

To reduce your risk, use the following strategies:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Many of the same weight-loss tips I recommend in "The Best Life Diet," such as eating regular meals and snacks and avoiding certain foods that trigger weight gain, also work for fighting diabetes. That's because being overweight or obese significantly increases your risk for pre-diabetes and diabetes. In fact, people who carry their weight around their middles are most at risk for the disease. In one study, people who had the largest waistlines were 10 times more likely to have diabetes than those who had the smallest. To find out your waist circumference, take a measuring tape and wrap it around your bare abdomen just above your pelvic bone. The tape should be snug, but not pressing into your skin. Exhale a little and measure. The healthy cut-off: Men should be less than 40 inches; women should be less than 35. (If you're of Asian heritage, the numbers are 38 for men and 33 for women.)

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

Guys, let's get this straight once and for all, it's time to stop overeating healthy foods -- and that's just one diet "don't" you're probably doing.

Why do we keep on letting ourselves fill up on empty calories? AOL Health's done the digging -- let's do the eating. Try these nine appetite-suppressant foods.

Whether you're counting calories, or just trying to maintain a healthy weight, you'll find nearly a month's worth of tasty menus in AOL Health's diabetes-friendly cooking guide.

Photo: Sam Catchsides, Flickr

Most of us don't want to take prescription drugs unless we have to, and a recent study found that when it comes to diabetes, we might not have to rely on medication to control our blood sugar -- maintaining a healthy diet could be enough. The four-year study from Italy found that participants who were able to stick to the Mediterranean diet were able to lower their blood sugar levels and keep them down over time, suggesting that a healthy diet could reduce the need for diabetes medication. What's more, the study also found that the Mediterranean diet was more effective at controlling blood sugar levels than a traditional American Heart Association-style low-fat diet.

Participants in the study who followed the Mediterranean diet were encouraged to eat lots of fruits, veggies and lean protein, as well as moderate amounts of whole grains and healthy fats, like olive oil. Additionally, they were instructed that carbohydrate intake should be no more than 50 percent of their daily calories, and they reduced their overall calorie intake -- from an average of 1,800 to 1,500 for women, and 2,600 to 1,800 for men.

So, basically, then, healthy food and eating less improves your health? Uh, this isn't exactly news, but experts are still fairly excited about the findings because this is the longest study of it's kind thus far. Still, it's not completely clear whether diet alone is enough to eliminate the need for blood sugar medication, but one thing is obvious: Your are still what you eat.

Find more about the Mediterranean Diet here.

Photo: Darren Hester, Flickr

Some weight loss drugs help you slim down but may cost you your health -- and other products don't even work at all. But there is some promise in a new drug in development that can not only help you lose weight, but can also help treat serious complications of obesity, specifically diabetes and high cholesterol. In recent studies on mice, fatostatin, as it is currently known, led to weight loss of 12 percent, reduction in blood sugar levels of 70 percent, reversal of diabetes and lower cholesterol. According to the findings from Chemistry & Biology, "Fatostatin blocked increases in body weight, blood glucose, and hepatic (liver) fat accumulation in (genetically) obese mice, even under uncontrolled food intake."

As for how it works? In a nutshell, Fatostatin stops the body from producing fat -- it's released as energy instead. It works by effectively 'turning off' proteins that help control fat synthesis.

OK, it's one thing to help mice lose weight -- past experience has proved that what works on a mouse doesn't always work on a human. So can it do the same for us? "I am very, very optimistic," lead author Sahil Wakil tells MSNBC. So are we -- but I'm hoping most of us are taking steps to change our lives today instead of holding out for a so-called miracle drug that's years away.

Wondering how to slim down? Find out how Phylicia Rashad did it.

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

Many of the foods that are good for your waist are also good for your body, looks and brain. Check out how to maximize these healthy foods from AOL Health's "Beauty Diet."

Dining out when you have diabetes doesn't have to be a disaster. Our restaurant guide will help you make smart food choices -- without sacrificing fun social eating.

Learn what moves to do -- and when to do them -- to get a better night's sleep in this photo slideshow of falling asleep tricks that actually work!

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

So we're all savvy enough to know that just because it's under the salad section on a menu, doesn't mean it's healthy, but who knew these salad shockers could pack in thousands of calories and nearly a day's worth of fat grams (or more). AOL Health culled together some of the worst leafy-green offenders.

First it was an epidemic of obesity, and now it's an epidemic of diabetes and obesity. One sure-fire way to ward off the latter and reign in on your overall health? Ditch your car. Walking -- even if it's not helping you lose weight -- does a great job of keeping your health in shape. Read all 12 diabetes prevention tips from AOL Health here.

Want to know what the ladies are thinking about themselves (and their partners) in bed? Read AOL Health's sex survey to find out once and for all how (and if) size matters, whose looks she's worried about and how far on the kinky scale she's willing to go.

Eating well generally includes getting a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. So that's why a recent study on the effects of mixing exercise and antioxidants is so very frustrating at first glance.

Exercise helps boost your metabolism and increase insulin sensitivity, but incorporating antioxidant supplements such as vitamin C and E into your diet might negate these benefits, researchers found.

When you exercise, your muscle cells metabolize glucose, causing tissue-damaging oxygen molecules to be released -- antioxidants attack those molecules, which is normally a good thing. However, those same molecules have been shown to increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which can help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Don't think this means you get a pass on your daily servings of fruits and veggies, though -- researchers in this study agree that getting antioxidants through food is a good thing, and that it's really when you start taking large amounts of supplements that antioxidants might curb some of the benefits of exercise if you're at risk for diabetes.

Keep in mind, of course, that this is only one study. It is part of a growing body of evidence that have not shown supplements to be beneficial, and some may even be harmful. So the message isn't really frustrating at all, fruits and vegetables are still the best way to go.

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We've long known that inflammation is a huge part of every degenerative disease from Alzheimer's to heart disease, and it's a big part of obesity as well. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of California-San Diego found that overeating can induce inflammatory responses that underlie Type ll Diabetes and obesity. So what's the big news? We've known since forever that eating too much makes you fat.

Food, all by itself, may not directly cause diabetes, but what you eat can up your risk of developing the disease.

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One of the easiest ways to cut calories and sugar from your diet is to give up your soda habit. But for one Swedish woman, asking her to quit drinking Coke is like asking her to quit breathing. She took drinking soda to an entirely new level -- from bad habit to total addiction.

Addicted to Coca-Cola? Really? Yes, really.

In fact, the woman, who also happens to be deaf, had to go through legal channels to have her addiction recognized. An appeals court recently ruled that she be hospitalized for her addiction to Coke and food, due to her uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes.

People joke all the time that they're addicted to their favorite foods. Though they may not be an addiction in a true sense, cravings can be a very powerful thing. Check out the gallery below for tips on how to keep them under control, and when cravings do strike, try substituting one of these low-cal snacks instead.

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