That's Fit

The other day, while hosting over a dozen of my children's playgroup friends here at my house for some outdoor fun....I created a frozen treat guaranteed to fill their little tummies up in a completely nutritious and fun way. Bapaloneo (a weird word my three and five year old children made up) Pops served the purpose I had intended and energized the group for several hours of insanity. Try them this summer.

Fitz's Bapaloneo Pops:

• Cut bananas in half length-wise, and stick a popsicle stick in the flat end.
• Coat the banana with creamy peanut butter.
• Roll the peanut butter coated banana in a bowl of regular cheerios.
• Place pops on a pan covered with freezer paper and then put them in the freezer for an hour or so.

When you're grabbing a meal on the run, most of us know better than to order our meal with fries. Why? They're loaded with fat and sodium, and will make a big caloric dent in our daily intake.

But when a sandwich isn't enough, what can we get to go with our fast food entree? Most places now offer sides of stuff like salad, fruit or other healthy fare. And at Wendy's, you can even enjoy potatoes without having to order them deep-fried and covered in salt -- you can order a baked potato on the side.

But are baked potatoes a healthier option than fries? One would think so, based on the fact that they're cooked in the oven instead of the deep fryer. But what baked potatoes lack in deep-fried goodness, they make up for with add-ons like sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese. Still, how bad can it be? You tell me.

I'm a food label reader. I don't always understand everything I read. But I read. I mostly look for foods with way low sugar, minimal levels of sodium, moderate amounts of calories, and pretty darn low servings of fat. But what about trans fats? What if I find a low-fat item that happens to list a teeny tiny trace of trans fat? Is this OK?

It's OK, says this doctor who maintains that as long as saturated fats make up less than 10 percent of daily calorie intake, no harm will be done.

I'd still prefer none of this trans fatty stuff. But if I happen to swallow a bit of it, I guess I'll survive.

With the temperature on the rise these days, it may soon be time to break out the grill and officially kick off backyard BB-Q season. Generally speaking, hot dogs, hamburgers and the like aren't known for being the healthiest of foods. But, there are always little healthy switcheroos you can pull on your guests without them even tasting the difference. Turkey burgers instead of ground beef, whole wheat buns instead of those made from enriched flour ... that sort of thing. Still, even with your best intentions at keeping the calories and fat to a minimum, there may be something you're forgetting: the condiments.

That little tablespoon of mayonnaise you slopped on your burger? 100 calories and 11g of fat. The barbecue sauce you slathered onto your ribs? 26 calories, including a good amount of sugar. And, who could forget about the pats of butter you spread across your rolls? Yup, those will cost you 102 calories and 12g of fat. While these, in and of themselves, may not seem to be all that damaging, you have to remember that they aren't the actual food; rather, they are simply what you're adding to it!!

If you want your turkey burgers or turkey hot dogs on whole wheat buns to stay as healthy as they can, swap out ketchup (15 calories per tablespoon) for mustard (10 calories). As for the dips for your chips, don't even think about the 60-calorie and 6g of fat per tablespoon ranch dip. Instead, reach for the fresh salsa, which usually has only 4 calories and 0 fat.

This week I've been sampling Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt, and I absolutely love it. Before I go any further though, let me tell you how I feel about yogurt. I like it, but only if I feel like I'm getting a high in calcium, low in sugar, legitimately fruit-filled snack. Now, there is always yogurt stacked up in my fridge, because I have two little children. But, rarely do I even open up a cup for myself. Not that I would ever buy my babies anything "bad"... cause I don't. But I regularly expect perfection of the things I put in my mouth. I'm simply not willing to waste 100 calories on a teeny cup of yogurt. I'd rather have two big pieces of fruit.

So! I was thrilled instantly by the calorie count on Dannon's new Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt. Each cup boasts only 50 or 60 calories, depending on the flavor. That I can do! The fruity varieties are also full of real fruit chunks. Fresh and healthy fruit chunks, not the icky stuff dumped in from a can. On top of all that, each flavor has proven to be delicious to both my children and me, and then a few of my personal training clients as well.

Before you go give Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt a try, I encourage you to do a side-by-side comparison of it's nutritional content versus that of other yogurts. I did this a few days ago and couldn't find anything as good. This is the type of thing you want to put in your fridge if you're trying to lose weight. It's a great fix for your sweet tooth, while providing a decent amount of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important nutrients.

If you've got a little cush in your tush and are thinking about dropping a few pounds, you might not want to go too lean, because U.S. researchers announced yesterday that a type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may offer some protection against diabetes.

Subcutaneous fat -- the type that collects just under the skin -- seems to help improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. We're not talking visceral fat -- the kind that collects in the abdomen and can raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It's the fat that deposits down lower that appears to shelter some people from metabolic disease.

So, not all fat is bad fat. Celebrate that pear-shape if you have one, then. And consider yourself lucky.

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Few health foods can be found in the junk food aisle of your local grocery store. But there is one healthy item to be had in the seemingly endless sea of stuff that's bad for you. I'll give you a hint: it comes in little tins. Give up yet? Next time you're not sure what to pick up for a quick a delicious snack, nuts are your best bet.

But wait a second, you say. Aren't nuts high in fat? And salt? And calories? The answers to those questions are yes, yes and yes, but don't be too quick to write nuts off -- I'll tell you why.

Kinoki Detox Foot Pads claim to remove your cellulite through a pad you tape to the bottom of your foot while you sleep. When you awaken, it will be covered with icky brown junk -- these are the toxins your body needs to eliminate (apparently in the same way a tree eliminates toxins through its roots). In addition to removing cellulite, they are supposed to cure headaches, depression, and insomnia by helping your body detox through "Kinoki's Natural Power of Nature."

I'm not convinced. Not at all.

While there might be some merit in the ancient Japanese (or Chinese, depending on whether you're watching the infomercial or reading the website) secrets upon which these are based, they're not going to remove cellulite. This is one product I won't be spending my hard-earned cash on -- I'd rather use it toward a new set of running shoes or a healthy meal, both of which are more likely to yield real results.

12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:

Why? Click to find out!

Granola in all its forms is widely understood to be healthy. It's what you should take with you on a hike for a quick energy fix, or add to your fruit to add some nutritional balance to your breakfast. And while it's pretty obvious that a chocolate-covered granola bar or trail mix with Smarties added in won't do your diet any favours, mixing some plain organic granola to your yogurt in the morning can't hurt right?

Granola is generally healthy -- it's made primarily of oats, whole grains, nuts, seeds and maybe some dried fruit. But is it a diet-friendly choice? What do you think?

Do you have those friends who never gain a pound, despite the fact that they don't actually exercise and aren't careful about what they eat? Or are you one of those people? It certainly has a bit to do with genetics, but there could be another factor: NEAT.

NEAT is "non-exercise activity thermogenesis," which, according to diet-blog.com, is "the energy expended in everything we do that doesn't involve eating, sleeping, and sport-related activity." We've actually mentioned this before, but you might not be aware of just how big a difference NEAT can make in your weight.

In a study, sedentary subjects (some obese, some thin) were fitted with "magical underwear" that recorded every move they made. Everyone was fed 1000 calories more than their weight required for maintenance, and those who activated their NEAT didn't gain fat, but those who didn't gained 10 times more fat. Learn about activating your NEAT by clicking through the gallery.

Assuming you have the time in the morning, as well as a taste for very citrusy (yes, I just made up that word) fruits, adding a grapefruit to your breakfast will help keep you feeling full longer into the day.

With only 72 calories, .2g of fat, and 18g of carbs per serving (not to mention a great deal of vitamin C), grapefruits have long been considered a healthy contribution to a well-rounded breakfast. And, because they contain 15g of pectin per serving, grapefruit helps prevent food cravings by making you feel more full. Best of all, grapefruits also help dissolve fat and cholesterol.

The one downside of grapefruit, however, is that it may have adverse effects on certain medications. In most cases, you'll know this ahead of time, as your doctor or pharmacist will explicitly warn you against eating grapefruit while taking that particular pill. But, it's always best to err on the side of caution, so if you did not receive such warning and are taking medication, check with your doctor before digging your spoon into this healthy treat.

Don't you love finding low-fat versions of your favorite foods? I do. Especially those that aren't also taste-free. Visions of low-fat Wheat Thins are swimming through my head right now -- I've been known to demolish a whole box of these treats.

I remember during my sweet-tooth days enjoying an occasional package of fat-free Twizzlers. Fat-free. Smart choice, right? Nope.

No matter how low-fat the food, calories still matter most. Eating low-calorie foods such as veggies means you can eat larger amounts. But starchy foods, like rice, bread, and yes, Wheat Thins, are higher in calories. Which makes them bad for weight loss and management. Which is why I've banned low-fat crackers from my pantry.

Check out this AOL Body site for the scoop on eating a healthful diet.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz, My husband makes a big stink when I give our kids any type of 'sugar candy' like gummy bears or bubblegum. The kids are totally skinny and I don't see what the big deal is. They are kids! What do you think? Christy

A. Hey Christy. Your husband is a freaking genius. That's what I think! He has the insight and thoughtfulness to know that as parents, you should be teaching your children the best habits possible. He knows that your children are less likely to eat nutritious things when they've had a dose of candy. They're more likely to deal with the pain and terror that comes along with having their cavities filled if you give them candy. They're more likely to struggle with their weight and other less than lovely issues later on in life if you don't instill high standards in them today.

Any of us who've carried a few extra pounds have inevitably had that ah-ha moment. You know, the one where you look at a photo from your past vacation or family event and think to yourself, omigod, is that me? Is that what I look like? I look so ... fat ... ! The thing is, we see each other every day in the mirror, and so we sometimes don't notice an extra few pounds here and there. Until, that is, we see ourselves from far away, from another point of view.

Truth be told, these moments of realization are hard. But they're also necessary -- we need to face the facts to make changes in our lives. So next time you find a fat photo, don't burn it, bury it in the garden or hide it away. Keep in it plain view--perhaps even on your fridge?--as a reminder to make better decisions.

And trust me--with enough dedication, it won't be long before you can chuck the fat photo and replace it with a fit photo, one that you can truly be proud of.

Trying to drop some fat from your body? If so, you may want to try adding more fat into your diet. If you're scratching your head right now, that's to be expected. Fat makes you fat, doesn't it? Not always, especially when we're talking about medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) -- a type of saturated fat found in many natural oils (such as coconut and palm oils).

In a study published in a 2007 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Metabolism, researchers followed 40 patients with type 2 diabetes to determine if MCTs had similar effects on weight and overall health as long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) -- which can commonly be found in such foods as corn oil. After receiving 18mg daily for 90 days, the MCT group exhibited a statistically significant reduction in waist size and body weight, in addition to shaving points off their "bad" cholesterol and lessening resistance to insulin. The LCT group, by contrast, did not show any signs of change.