5 ways to have your cake and eat it too!

Spoil yourself with a slice - just follow these tips to avoid piling on excess kilos.

1) Stay away from cakes with cream fillings. The fat content of these really bumps up the kilojoules.

2) Choose Madeira cake. It is sweet yet contains less fat than fancy iced varieties.

3) Do not kid yourself that carrot cake counts as one of your vegetable servings for the day. Even without normal cake icing, this variety is very high in kilojoules and fat.

4) Fruitcake without icing is lower in kilojoules than iced ones, plus it has a relatively low glycemic index(GI), so it will keep you feeling full for longer.

5) Believe it or not, a slice of plain chocolate cake can actually be lower in fat and energy than a chocolate brownie.

Chocolate myths busted!

Myth 1: Chocolate makes you break out.
Acne is caused by a build-up of dead skin cells in your pores, excessive sebum production and certain kinds of bacteria - not by the food you eat.


Myth 2: Chocolate is unhealthy.
A daily serving of dark chocolate may be good for blood pressure and insulin resistance. A bar of chocolate contains as much antioxidants as a glass of wine.


Myth 3: Chocolate is high in caffeine.
A milk chocolate bar has 6mg of caffeine, while a cup of instant coffee has up to 108mg of caffeine.

Think color

Choose foods with strong flavors and you are more likely to stick to your healthy eating plan. Bland diet foods leave you feeling unsatisfied and deprived, leaving you psychologically hungry even when you are full.

The more colors on your plate, the more vitamins. Your body will continue to crave until its vitamin, mineral essential fatty acid quota is satisfied. Think tomatoes, avocados, citrus, salmon, broccoli etc.

Spicy foods make a meal more satisfying, so less seems like more. Chilli, ginger and black pepper also boost your metabolism, which raises the body temperature so you will burn more energy for up to three hours after eating.

When it comes to carbohydrates, think brown. White versions have been processed, which essentially means they are partially digested before they reach your plate. Unprocessed versions like brown rice, wholegrain bread and wholemeal pasta keep you fuller for longer bacause they keep your body busy for longer.

Trim the fat from all meats and marinate them in tasty low-fat homemade marinades such as soy and grated ginger, lemon with thyme and chilli. The marinade keeps the meat moist without the fat when grilling or barbecuing.

Seafood is filling, flavorsome and low in saturated fat. White fish and shellfish are virtually fat free, while oily fish such as salmon and mackerel are high in omega-3 fat, essential for a happy mind and a healthy body. Grill or poach fish and serve with lemon and pepper.