You Are What You Eat! Delicious Substitutions to Unhealthy Food

You are what you eat

By Rachel Vigoda

When it comes to food, everyone knows the basics: heaps of sugar, empty calories, trans fat -- bad. Lean and green, good. But you don’t have to live on spinach and broccoli to up your energy or lose weight.

“Foods really high in fat, calories or sugar are so hard to process -- it’s like a bomb on your body,” says registered dietician Sarah Lefkowitz. “Fortunately, there are a lot of healthy alternatives. Sure, some are a little ‘out there,’ but there are also foods that are accessible to everyone.”

Instead of….	Check out:	Why:	Make it like this:
Hamburger	Veggie burger	Even beef labeled extra lean has more saturated fat than its vegetarian counterpart.	Skip the greasy cheese and pile on lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard instead.
Soda	Iced herbal tea	Empty calories dampen soda’s fizz.	“Add honey or agave to herbal tea, and it really curbs your sweet teeth. It’s a great alternative to soda,” promises Lefkowitz.
Milk chocolate	Raw chocolate	Chocolate in its raw form is high in antioxidants. “Milk chocolate takes out any of the nutrient value of chocolate,” says Lefkowitz.	Mix cacao powder in a mug with heated milk and a packet of sweetener, like Splenda, for yummy, healthy hot chocolate.
Apple Juice	Apple	Sorry, juice, you’re not as healthy as you look. “Fruit juice has such an intense amount of sugar, you’re really better off just eating the fruit,” Lefkowitz explains.	Slice the apple, then spread on a thin layer of reduced-fat peanut butter.
Potato chips (or Doritos or Cheetos…)	Popcorn	Chips are loaded with salt and saturated fat. On popcorn’s side: whole grains and fiber.	Spray olive oil on air-popped popcorn, then sprinkle on a little salt.

Eat better, feel better

Food affects more than your waistline.

“Depression is an imbalance in your body. When you’re eating, you have to be conscious of keeping your body balanced,” says Sarah Lefkowitz, R.D.

Loading up on caffeine and processed sugars might make it easier to study for an hour or two, but constant highs and lows keep your body out of whack and struggling to balance itself.

“It’s easy to eat crappy, and harder to eat healthy,” admits Lefkowitz. “But what you put in your body -- that’s your life force. It’s your choice whether you hurt yourself or not.”

Get in the mood -- naturally

Want that flushed, red-hot feeling? Eat a chili.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical that stimulates nerve endings and increases heart rate and blood flow. They might also trigger the release of mood-lifting endorphins.

But keep in mind that when it comes to fiery chilies, less is more. Try sprinkling crushed chili flakes on a plate of pasta, or nibbling on a chili-infused chocolate truffle.