10 Ways to Cut Down on Unnecessary Calories: Part I

Alarming but true: The rise in obesity rates over the past few decades can be explained by a mere 50-100 increase in daily calorie consumption (Hill et al., 2003). That’s one extra bite of that Snickers bar, or a half-cup of whole milk, or another slice of bread. Unnerving? Perhaps. Impossible to prevent? Not quite. Though you may feel at times that you are nothing more than a slave to dining hall eats, forlornly noshing down on whatever they have to offer, recognize that no one is forcing you to eat that bowl of ice cream. Those seven pounds you’ve put on in the past quarter is not Stern’s fault. Remember, just because the food is there doesn’t mean you should eat it. We may be Stanford students, but that doesn’t make us immune to the consequences of consuming more than our bodies need.
 

Today I start with the first of a two-part series of sneaky tips to help you cut down on superfluous calories. We will begin with just one for now; stay tuned for the next nine that I will rattle off next week.
 
Not white sugar, brown sugar, or even Splenda… but Stevia!
 
Refined sugar is completely devoid of any nutritional value, yet it still takes up 16 calories per teaspoon. And how many teaspoons do you put into your coffee until it’s fit to your liking? If your sweet tooth is as bad as mine, up to 160 calories of sweet nothings will end up in your morning brew. Just three weeks of that is equivalent to a pounds’ worth of calories. Even then, I’d still be tempted to dump in another ladleful of the white granules. And don’t even get me started with the repercussions of excessive sugar intake.
 
Splenda is arguably worse for your health. Not only that, but did you know that one packet actually contains 4 calories? I used to be incredibly generous with my Splenda intake until I learned this. While 4 calories in and of itself by not seem like much, keep in mind that over the course of a day, they do add up. And for a coffee aficionado such as yours truly (I have been known to inhale as many as six cups a day – I know I know), things can get really ugly… really fast.
 
Ever heard of Stevia? Its full name is Stevia rebaudiana, an herb that belongs in the Chrysanthemum family, and is native to western North America and South America. Also referred to as sweetleaf or sugarleaf, the leaves of this species contain glycoside, which is responsible for its extreme sweetness. This all-natural sweetener can be up to 300 times as sweet as regular sugar! I’ve been using Stevia for years now, and it’s saved me countless calories and the uncomfortable bloat that I used to experience with Splenda. It’s got next to no carbs and gets a zero on the glycemic index (that’s a good thing)! I can feel better knowing that I am getting rid of one more artificial item from my diet. The problem is not with entity of “a calorie” so much as the fact that most sweeteners are devoid of any nutritional value. Not so with Stevia. I use this herb regardless of weight-related goals, whether I am trying to put on weight (I’ll explain another time), maintain or lean out, and I encourage you to give it a try.
 
One scoop of the Organic Stevia Extract available at the local Trader Joe’s consists of a mere 45mg and is equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar. The small white container is compact enough to fit into your backpack and discrete enough for you to whip out and sprinkle a pinch of its contents into your oatmeal without drawing stares. But don’t be discouraged by its price of $9.99 for such a small item; one container lasts me nearly two months. Well worth the decrease in calories, if you ask me. You can also find this at the nearby Safeway (Stevia in the Raw, $3.59); Whole Foods Market has a greater selection too. Or if you really want, have a chat with the manager of your dining hall and request that they provide Stevia as another sweetener option by the coffee station.
 
And to finish off, I present to you a recipe that I use every single morning:
 
Faux Frapp
 
½ to 1 cup water
2 to 3 tsp instant coffee granules (I use Medaglia D’Oro)
¼ cup reduced fat milk (almond milk is good too; chocolate protein powder is even better!)
Stevia to taste
Ice to blend
 
Place contents into blender (I like the Magic Bullet) and blend to heart’s content. Chug with huge grin on face. Congratulations, you’ve saved yourself hundreds of calories!! Makes 1 serving and 1 happy girl.
 

Don’t forget to check out Part II and III too!