I Feel Great

RX: Get your sugar fix with health benefits. Brown sugar and honey have more antioxidants than refined sugar does, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association notes. Replace white sugar with brown, and sweeten oatmeal or tea with honey instead. www.ifeelgreat.ichooseoptimalhealth.com

RX: Eat dark chocolate. Eating dark chocolate may cut your risk for heart disease by 33 percent, a study in the Journal of Nutrition reports. You need only 1.7 ounces-which is about 10 dark Hershey’s Kisses-per week to reap rewards. www.ifeelgreat.ichooseoptimalhealth.com

RX: Make your favorite fare healthier. Modify recipes to make your favorite fare healthier. Many unhealthy ingredients can be swapped for healthy ones in your favorite recipes. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, broth instead of butter or oil for sautéing, and light mayo instead of regular. These substitutions can save you calories while you still enjoy your favorite foods. www.ifeelgreat.ichooseoptimalhealth.com

www.ifeelgreat.tsfl.com RX: Stay away from high glycemic foods Foods that carry high glycemic loads are more likely to make you hungry faster. The foods will cause an increase in your blood sugar which then starts a cycle of the body releasing insulin to aid in the rise in blood sugar and insulin also helps to store the excess sugar as fat. The body will then become low in blood sugar and you will be hungry again. A study out of University of Massachusetts found that those who ate foods high on the glycemic scale weighed significantly more than those who did not.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The chocolate diet hoax highlights how difficult it is to find trustworthy health insights. www.ifeelgreat.ichooseoptimalhealth.com