Listen up all you sugar-free, low-carb and low-fat people in the world.  You don’t have to do without ketchup any more, and that’s a big woohoo.  The new Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup is really an excellent product, and I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up.  So get thee to your pantry and throw out all your old bottles of Heinz ketchup.  Then rush out to the grocery store and buy this new variety.  Even though the label says “reduced sugar,” it’s actually sugar-free.  The Reduced-Sugar product tastes exactly the same as the original product, but it’s every so slightly less viscous (which means it’s a titch more watery).   Check out these other differences:

Regular Heinz Ketchup:
There are 60 calories per tablespoon; 5 grams of carbs and 4 grams of sugar.   That’s a lot calories and sugar for one measly tablespoon.  The first four foods in the regular ketchup recipe are tomato concentrate, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.  Yuk.

Reduced-Sugar Ketchup:
There are 25 calories per tablespoon with only 1 gram of carbs and 1 gram of sugar.  The first four foods in this ketchup recipe are tomato concentrate, distilled vinegar, onion powder and sucralose.  Note that sucralose is the last food in the recipe, which means there’s not very much of it.

Sucralose is the least objectionable artificial sweetener and is a much healthier, less risky choice than aspartame or saccharine.  This is because sucralose is very potent, so very little of it is needed.  (When you buy sucralose/Splenda at the grocery store, most of what you see in the bag is a starch-type filler called maltodextrin.)  Of course, no man-made products end up being good for us, but there are no widely documented problems with sucralose.  Maybe because it’s still a relatively new product.   Plus, it’s not like ketchup is a sauce.  Most people use it sparingly, as a condiment.

A couple of weeks ago I purchased three of Rachel Ray’s non-stick skillets. (Technically, the brand is Rachel Ray Hard Anodized II Non-stick Dishwasher Safe Skillets.) I ended up making the purchase decision because her cookware got very high review scores from Cooks Magazine, which says it’s the best product at the most affordable price.  For example, it only cost me $39.99 for the two-pack of 6- and 8-inch skillets at Amazon.com.

As it turns out, I’m very happy with these skillets and highly recommend them. The non-stick surface really and truly doesn’t stick, which is great because it enables you to cook with less fat. The pans cook evenly and beautifully, and it only takes about 30 seconds to thoroughly wash them. As for the cushy orange handles, they’re comfortable, practical and easy to see. I was surprised that the cushy feature makes it a little easier to carry the pan when there’s food in it. My husband isn’t too keen on the orange color, but I actually like it. (But then I’m wild for orange marigolds, too.)

I have a set of pricey Caphalon and Swiss diamond skillets in my pantry, and they’re headed straight for the trash because they aged poorly, and they don’t perform anywhere near as well as these products. I really appreciate Rachel’s commitment to putting out superior products at an affordable price.

Here’s the link to the skillets at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CNQJKK/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

Every time my granddaughters come for a long visit, my husband stocks up on Nutella for them.  Like most people, he thinks it’s a healthy hazelnut spread.  Right now there are four unopened jars of Nutella in my pantry, and one of them has an Italian label.  The Nutella that’s sold in the U.S. is usually made in Canada, but the parent company is Italian, and the product is sort of an Italian cultural icon.  Anyway, I had to ask my husband to please consider backing off on the Nutella thing, because it’s more like candy than a healthy snack or breakfast food.

My biggest objection to Nutella is that the first ingredient is sugar. A first ingredient position is what the product has the most of.   So Nutella is mostly sugar.  Even though the Nutrition Facts label doesn’t differentiate between sugars that are added by the food manufacturer and sugars that occur naturally, it’s still a good idea to check the amount of sugar per serving.  This is located in the “Total Carb” section, and is expressed in grams.   A reasonable rule of thumb for a healthy choice is 3 grams of sugar per serving.  Nutella has 21 grams of sugar per serving, which is way over the top.  A Hershey’s chocolate bar, by comparison, has 24 grams of sugar, and when you buy it you’re not being fooled into thinking it’s something other than candy.

Nutella is also unattractive because it has 200 calories per serving.  Once again, this strongly resembles a Hershey bar which has 210 calories per serving.   Nutella also contains emulsifiers and artificial flavors, which isn’t all that bad, but it adds to the unnatural ingredients that your body has to figure out how to process and handle.

Personally, I would not eat this product simply because of the high sugar content, and it isn’t included in The Sugar-Free Miracle Diet.   For those who haven’t jumped on the sugar-free bandwagon yet, Nutella should be a once-in-a-while choice and  not a daily one — especially for kids.   If you’re a die-hard Nutella fan, at least consider using less of it.

Nutella Ingredients:  sugar, modified palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (from milk), soy lecithin, an emulsifier, vanillin: an artificial flavor.

These are my adorable granddaughters!

In the sugar-free world, butter, oil and lard are not the bad guys in the diet. These products contain no natural sugars and no sugar is added to them by food manufacturers. Of, course, these foods have calories from fat, and that’s what supposedly makes them so undesirable. What’s not generally recognized or valued is the fact that the calories from butter and oil are highly satisfying and flavorful, two important and essential qualities that are typically ignored by the health and weight loss communities. When your food tastes good and satisfies you, you’re not constantly gnoshing around for something more or something else. Also, as most people know, the Mediterranean style of eating, which includes an abundance of olive oil, has been proven to be one of the healthiest diets in the world. Here’s some basic information about butter, oil, large and the most popular butter imitation spread (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter). 

Butter:
100 calories per tablespoon: 63% saturated fat; 26% monunsaturated fat; 4% polyunsaturated fat.

Olive Oil:
120 calories per tablespoon: 14% saturated fat; 73% monounsaturated fat: 11% polyunsaturated fat.

Lard:
115 calories per tablespoon: 39% saturated fat; 45% monounsaturated fat: 11% polyunsaturated fat.

Spreads:  I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
50 calories per tablespoon; 20% saturated fat: 30% monounsaturated fat; 50% polyunsaturated fat

Like most spread products,  I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter is made with vegetable oil.  This recipe features a blend of soybean oil and canola oil.  The appeal of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter  is that it has 1/2 the calories of butter and a lot less saturated fat.  Through the magic of legislation, the food manufacturer can legally claim the food is trans fat free, but when you look at the ingredients list you’ll see words like “partially hydrognated” and “hydrogenated.”  This is the big clue that the product has trans fats.

All scientists everywhere universally agree that man-made trans fats are a real killer in the diet. No exceptions.  The hydrogenation process hardens the oils into a spread, and these hard molecules are unrecognized and harmful to your body. It wouldn’t be so bad if you ate these foods once in a while, but spreads are something you eat day in and day out. I read a quote once that jokingly referred to spreads as “one molecule away from plastic.” Think about it. In the name of 50 less calories, do you really want to put plastic in your body?  This recipe also contains artificial flavors and other additives.    

Spread products without trans fats do exist, but you have to find them.  Ignore whatever it says on the front of the package, and go straight to the ingredients list.  Safe/tasty choices tend to have higher caloric values (around 80 to 100 calories per tablespoon).  These include Smart Balance Omega Plus, Olivio Spreadable Butter with Canola & Olive Oil and Earth Balance Margarine Natural Buttery Spread Lactose Free. 

From a sugar-free perspective, it makes no difference whether you use butter, oil, lard or immitation oil spreads.  That said, my personal vote is for butter and olive oil.

There’s nothing quite like a refreshing Margarita, especially in the summer or when you’re vacationing in a warm weather destination. Unfortunately Margaritas are loaded with caloric sweeteners, especially HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), and this can really do a number on your eating regime. Even a home-made Margarita can be problematic because frozen limeade is also chock full of HFCS, and no one really likes to do the druge work of squeezing lots of limes for fresh Margaritas.

Zilch Margarita Mix is a decent sugar-free solution. Zilch means no caloric sweeteners, no carbohydrates, and no calories are in the product. The sweetening agent is a little aspartame, which is not my favorite artificial sweetener, but if you’re not overdoing it or gulping down Margaritas every day, it’s really not a problem. The manufacturers deliberately use aspartame because it doesn’t leave an aftertaste.

The prepared drink tastes a lot like lemonade, so it’s best to add a little fresh-squeezed lime juice along with it for a stronger flavor. The Zilch mix is available as 10 individual packets for $4.99 or as a gallon pack, also for $4.99. The beauty of the individual packs is that you can take them with you and ask for Tequila with water on the rocks when you’re at a bar.

One ounce of Tequila is about 65 calories, and this is the total caloric value of the drink. 65 sugar-free calories is a whole lot better than the average Margarita, which has about 335 sugar-drenched calories for a five-ounce drink. I like the Zilch product more than Skinnygirl Margarita because the Skinnygirl product is sweetened with agave nectar, which is a caloric sweetener.

You can check the Zilch website for retailers who sell the product, but there aren’t many,and it’s smarter to purchase a supply online. Go to www.zilchmixers.com for your next trip to Margaritaville. Oh, and they also sell a Strawberry Daquiri mix, too.

Here’s the scoop from the February 2012 edition of Consumer Reports about the very best and most practical choices for pedometers. It includes options for conventional pedometers (the kind that are worn on belts or waistbands), smartphone apps and GPS watches.

Best Conventional Pedometers:
These pedometers count steps by detecting movement. Some also calculate calories and distance based on weight and stride length.
1) MIO TRACE ACC-TEK at $30. Average performance score for this brand is 90.
2) OMRON GOSMART POCKET HJ-112 also at $30. Average performance score for this brand is 88.

Cheapest Conventional Pedometer:
1) SPORTLINE STEP & DISTANCE SB4202 (only offered by WalMart) at $5. Average performance score for this brand is 73.

Best Cell-phone Apps:
These pedometers measure steps sensing body motion. More trial and error is involved in getting them set up right, but they’re also the least expensive option. They also tend to use up a lot of battery life.
1) ACCUPEDO for Android at $4. Average performance score for this brand is 73.
2) PEDOMETER PRO GPS for Iphone at $3. Average performance score for this brand is 69.

Best GPS Watch:
These pedometers measure distance using satellite information.
1) NIKE SPORTWATCH GPS at $200. Average performance score for this brand is 94 (highest of any option/brand).
2) GARMIN FORERUNNER 210 at $200. Average performance score for this brand is 93.

Performance factors include accuracy, ease of use, stopwatch, speed calculation, memory function and other features such as calories expended. However, scores are over-weighted by accuracy and ease of use.

Reasons to Get Going!
According to a Stanford University School of Medicine study, people who wear a pedometer walk 2,491 steps more than people who don’t. That’s an extra mile a day, seven extra miles a week, and a whopping 364 miles a year. Woohoo!

10,000 steps is 4 miles.
5,000 steps is 2 miles
2,500 steps is 1 mile.

I recommend dog food that comes in a package using the same criteria that I recommend people food that comes in a package: based on the ingredients list. Rachael Ray’s Nutrish brand of dog food and snacks are a big, giant cut above the rest because her recipes feature meat (beef, chicken or turkey) as the primary ingredient. The primary or first ingredient is what there’s most of in the recipe. Most dog food recipes feature corn meal as the primary ingredient. Corn meal is cheap, easy to store, and it’s filling. Unfotunately, corn meal is a highly processed unnatural food for dogs that metabolizes to sugar (glucose) very quickly.

Highlyprocessed carbohydrates make people fat, and they make doggies fat too. When farmers want to fatten up theiir cattle, they feed the cattle corn and grain. This is exactly what you’re feeding your dog when you select foods where corn meal is the primary ingredient. Think about this for a moment. If your doggie was on his or her own, would he/she be eating a processed food? No, your dog would be eating a lot more protein and and a lot more plants that are in an unprocessed state.

The first five ingredients in Rachael Ray’s Nutrish/chicken dog food are chicken, chicken meal, ground rice, corn meal and soybean meal. As you can see, protein substances dominate and corn meal is the 4th ingredient on the list. This means there’s not enough of it to worry about. Another plus is the fact that Ray’s dog foods have no by-products, no preservatives and no artificial flavors. And yet another, profits are directed to food, medical supplies and medical treatments for animals in need.

For more information about this distinctive and worthy product and/or to find out where to buy it, go to www.nutrish.rachaelray.com. Your furry family members will thank you.