Americans have a sweet tooth - to the tune of 22 extra teaspoons a day! That's a whopping 350 extra calories daily, and 2-3 times the recommended healthy intake (even health guidelines allow some daily indulgence of 100-150 calories!). We're not talking about "nature's" sugars - like in fruits and veggies - but added sugars of all kinds (think honey, brown sugar, molasses - not just white table sugar) to dozens of different foods.

That's the topic of my Today Show segment (check back later for the video and game questions and answers).  I'm playing a nutrition game with Hoda Kotb to test her "Sugar IQ". Come play along, and see how you do!!

How does your "sweet tooth" compare to the national findings?

 

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What could be bad about a restaurant meal? We're out of the kitchen, out with friends or family, and no clean up! I'd like you to read the "fine print" when it comes to restaurant eating. What you don't know can be harmful to your health. You can't assume the same rules apply in your home kitchen and the restaurant kitchen. From fast-food to high-end eateries, it's time to learn more about why your restaurant foods are so much tastier than your homemade version (yes, it's not your imagination!), how hidden calories, fat and salt add to this -  and how to make some smarter choices.

Multiple lawsuits aimed at restaurants now focus on the "uninformed consumer". It's time to stop being the "food victim" and gain some control over what you're eating, no matter where you're eating. Ask for what you want, downsize your portion sizes, or just go out less often. The choice is yours.

Before you go to a restaurant again, check out these 5 essentials:

1.  Many restaurant foods are scientifically studied and designed to optimize tastiness. It's not just the individual sugar, fat, and salt content of foods. Studies show that the proportions of these combined ingredients in foods can be optimized to maximize a preferred taste. Think sugar/fat combinations (ice cream)  or fat/salt combinations (French fries); their special blend boosts the flavor of either one alone. So, when you think that restaurant foods taste better than the same ones at home, you're right!

2. Calorie-controlled restaurant meals are not tested every day. While you might think that the 350 calorie entree you've ordered because the menu makes the claim, you might not get a calorie savings. Your meal can be off by hundreds of calories, as well as much more fat and salt than listed on the menu.. A dish is prepared once, or up to several times, to determine the specific calorie content, and content of fat, protein, and carbohydrates in that particular serving, to get the endorsement of particular group (like Weight Watchers and Applebees). It doesn't mean that every serving is like that. A finicky chef, an inattentive kitchen worker, or some other food handler might add extra fat, salt or sugar, or provide a bigger serving.

3. Restaurant food contains a lot of hidden salt. Salt is a major flavor enhancer. Restaurants want their foods to taste good. Many foods are loaded with salt - but don't have to taste "salty". The response is for food to taste "great". It works. Even healthy foods can be loaded with salt. Some entrees contain about half the salt recommended for healthy people in an entire day (about 1300 mg)! If you have high blood pressure, you've got to be even more careful of dietary salt.

4. Extra "hidden"  fat is often added to keep foods "moist". Just like salt, your food doesn't have to taste greasy or oily for there to be a lot of extra fat. This "hidden" fat is translated to a mouth feel of "moist". Ever wonder why your baked fish tastes is so soft and juicy in a restaurant, and a lot drier when you're at home, monitoring the added fat?

5. You can only change your own eating behavior While lawsuits bring attention to this area, it's not going to change anything. We're not a nation of food victims, and we have to snap out of this mentality. You DO have a choice. Stay out of many restaurants, and cook at home. When that "formula" of tasty foods is out of sight, and out of mind, it makes it easier to stay in control.

My bottom line: Save restaurant eating for a special indulgence. If you're a restaurant regular, order simple foods, with sauces and salad dressing on the side; ask for "no butter" on grilled foods and vegetables..  Downsize your portions by sharing a main dish, or choosing two appetizers or small plates. You CAN take control of your restaurant eating!

Do you wonder how much personal control you have over your body weight? Do you sometimes give up, saying "I'm destined to be heavy", so why fight it? I've got some good news for you. It IS possible to control your "weight fate" with a moderate, consistent, and comprehensive approach to your personal lifestyle. That's the topic of my Today Show segment where I'm joined by Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF magazine, who developed a self-evaluation quiz.

Watch the segment from TODAY

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Here are some top tips to consider:

1. Evaluate Your Starting Weight. When it comes to losing weight, one size does not fit all. Size yourself up, and determine what combination of strategies you need to succeed. Plus, set a realistic target weight - not one only based on the BMI chart, but one that you can both achieve and sustain. Family history (genetics) contributes no more than 30% to the likelihood that you'll have weight problems. While a size 4 might be an unrealistic effort to sustain and maintain, a size 10 might be just what you need to both look and feel better.

2. Eat Breakfast. Studies show that a morning meal can help as a habit that keeps you on track. It sets some structure for the day and also makes you mindful of your choices from the get-go. Also, you won't be over-hungry for lunch - which causes overeating. You don't have to be in your jammies, bleary-eyed preparing an omelet for a healthy breakfast. Foods as simple as a 200-calorie protein bar, a bowl of cheerios and milk or a medium skim milk latte all "count" as a meal on the run. What's important is the "morning" part - within 2 hours of waking up is a good rule of thumb.

3. Get Enough Sleep. Lack of sleep causes overeating as a way to boost energy or even to soothe as a reward (poor me, I am awake). Fatigue can impair your self-control to resist food and make it easier to indulge. Chronic sleep loss interferes with body hormones, which can also lead to overeating.

4. Examine Your Stress. Stress is a double whammy when it comes to weight. It keeps you up at night (see #3 above), and also leads to emotional eating to comfort and soothe. Rather than "just say no to food", it's important to evaluate your stress level, and determine which are positive, which are negative, and how to modify your stress. Consider professional help if you're struggling on your own.

5. Be a Smart Snacker. Snacks are a double-edged sword. Too many can sabotage your effort, but NO snacks can lead to overeating (because you get over-hungry and then overeat later on). The key is to be a smart snacker. The most vulnerable times are late afternoon and night-time. Allow yourself 100-200 calories of mixed composition - a bit of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Think of a fruit and small fat free/sugar free yogurt, a 100-calorie pack of popcorn or wheat thins and a low-fat string cheese, or a mini-whole wheat pita with a slice or two of turkey breast.

6. Beware of Liquid Calories. Because our bodies don't perceive liquid calories very well - they don't "register" as if we've consumed any food, calories from liquids are "add ons" and can pile on hundreds of extra calories that we're not even aware of. Skip sodas, juices, and smoothies. Eat your fruit, don't drink it. Pay attention to your alcohol intake. Except for a glass or two of skim milk, don't waste calories on liquids.

Any tips for dropping pounds? Leave a comment below!

What if you heard that you could eat less, and live longer? Sound too good to be true? There's been a lot of buzz for the past few decades (in fact since the 1930s) about what's called "caloric restriction", and how it promotes longevity. Both Wired (July 9) and the New York Times (Friday, July 10) recently revisited this topic.

Early studies in mice, and newer studies in monkeys seem to suggest that when caloric intake is cut by about one third of what would be considered "normal" to maintain a healthy weight, that these animals live longer. Cutting calories by 30% is a big decrease, and significant weight loss occurs; the big debate is whether it's a healthy way to live.

In humans, there's a caloric restriction society, whose members adhere to this way of eating. To me, the folks look excessively thin (a BMI in the "unhealthy" range), but claim to be energized, feel great, and report excellent physical health.

This isn't about weight loss, and reducing calories to remain in a stable weight range (the kind of caloric restriction most of us deal with on a daily basis). This is cutting significant calories from your maintenance calories. For example, if you eat 1800 calories daily, to remain at a certain weight, within a healthy range, you'd voluntarily consume about 1200 calories daily, as a "calorie restrictor". This is not anorexia - although weight loss occurs in all people doing this (not a surprise!). People DO eat, and work hard at maintaining a healthy diet.

While there's no guarantee that calorie restriction promotes longevity in humans (the society members DO believe this), the newest 20-year study in monkeys suggests that this appears to be true in primates (monkeys and humans are in this class together), and not just mice. While the mechanism(s) by which this might be occurring are currently unknown, multiple studies are ongoing to continue to explore this phenomenon.

Would you cut your maintenance calories by a third, to live longer? I'd love to know your thoughts.

We all know the difference between "health" food and "junk" food. That's a no brainer. But what happens when we find ourselves choosing foods that appear to be healthy - based on a quick look of the packaging, or wording on the labels - but are nutritional frauds. It's not that their "bad" for your health, but it's the mistaken idea we have that such foods are a health-plus. We often justify eating them, sometimes in big servings, believing we've made a healthy choice.

Here are some of my favorite tips for making truly healthy food choices, so so you won't be fooled! What are some of your own "fool-proof" ideas?

Watch the segment from TODAY

Snack Bars: Don't fall for terms like "natural", "contains whole grains" or other buzz words that don't always mean a more nutrition-dense product.. Many snack bars have the same nutritional content of a candy bar. That's not a bad thing, unless you think you're making a healthier choice. Look for calorie-controlled bars (about 100-120 calories) with protein and added fiber.

Granola: Avoid packaged brands that often contain extra hidden fats and added sugars. Make your own by choosing a high-fiber, low sugar cereals, and adding a variety of sliced nuts and dried fruits. Divide into small snack-size bags for an on the go treat.

"Fruity" Chewies and Strips: Fruit is nature's candy, and the best substitute is dried or fresh fruit. Try 100% fruit "leather".

"Fortified" Waters and 100% Fruit Juice: While water is the gold standard for hydration, many of us want a sweet and tasty beverage to help quench our thirst. Whether it's a sugary vitamin fortified water or sports drink, or even 100% fruit juice (plenty of calories, and little nutritional power), you'll want to avoid liquid calories, to avoid excess consumption. Humans don't perceive calories we drink very well, so it's easy to overconsume liquid calories, and not even know it. Dilute 100% fruit juice to 1 part juice and 3 parts water or seltzer (or even equal parts). Look for low-sugar drinks ranging with no more than 10 calories per 8 ounce serving (usually 25-30 calories for a 20 ounce bottle).

Wraps, Breads, and other Grains that Look Healthy: Products like "spinach" pasta and wraps, or "tomato" pasta and wraps don't back a nutritional punch. These only look like they contain significant vegetable content, but really have only a tiny amount of the vegetable, and often some added color. And don't be fooled by "wheat" bread - look for 100% whole wheat bread, even if a bread appears to be darker, and made from whole wheat.

Yogurt: While a great source of protein and calcium, yogurt - both refrigerated and frozen - can be a carrier for extra sugar, fat, and calories. Start with low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt, and try strained (Greek-style) yogurt if you haven't already, which has a thick and delicious flavor. Add your own fresh fruit toppings, with a light sprinkling of nuts or coconut for added flavor. Reading the label for both calories, as well as sugar and fat, is key when it comes to yogurt.

Salty/Crunchy Treats: Salt and crunch are a match made in heaven. While we know that potato chips are an indulgent treat, it's important to know that other vegetable fried chips (yes, potatoes are a vegetable) may sound more healthful, but are not. So, think twice before you polish off a bag of "vegetable" chips, or specialty corn chips, like "organic blue corn". Try some fresh vegetable sticks, sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt (intense flavor allows you to use less). Stick with single serve 100 calorie bags of popcorn. And don't be fooled by non-fat pretzels; fat free doesn't mean calorie free, and the calories add up quickly with little nutrient content, so pay special attention to portion size.

We all spend so much time worrying about calories - and most of that is focused on solid foods. We often ignore calories we consume in liquids every day. That's a must-do for long term weight control. Multiple research studies point out the connection between liquids calories and weight gain, the most recent one just out from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. So, what's the story?

Humans do NOT perceive the calories in liquids very well, compared to solid food. There are two ways this sabotages weight management. If you drank a smoothie containing 400 calories, you'd feel less full than if you ate a turkey sandwich with the same calories. Another way to think about is if you drank a glass of orange juice, for 150 calories along with your turkey sandwich, you wouldn't feel as if you'd consumed extra calories, So, those extra 150 calories are "invisible" and added on. A glass of juice with your sandwich every day translates into 10 pounds in a year

There's a lot of hidden sugar in all kinds of liquids that don't taste especially sweet. Plus, we've grown accustomed to preferring a super sweet taste. Whether it's a calorie-laden liquid with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, brown sugar - it's all the same at 15 calories per teaspoon. A 12 ounce can of soda, with 150 calories contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and no nutritional value. More "invisible" calories. Plus, low-calorie sweeteners can drop the calories to close to zero, but the sweetness level is reinforced.

We DO have a hard-wired preference for a sweet taste, which is related to eating survival in cave-woman times, when we foraged for food. Taste buds (receptors) on the tongue perceive a sweet taste as pleasant. Mother Nature is pretty smart - and puts sugar in fruits (fructose, or fruit sugar), that make our taste buds tingle. Fruit is mostly water, so that's the main source of "liquid calories" in nature.