Dr Oz revealed the top 5 mindless eating habits that are making us fat on the Dr. Oz Show today. He also introduced a new type of sweetener called coconut sap sugar (or coconut palm sugar) so it was a very exciting show today! Doctor Oz’s guest was Dr. Rovenia Brock, a registered dietician. She said we need to retrain ourselves to go from mindless eating habits to mindful eating habits. These are the main mindless eating habits we need to start being mindful of:

1. You’re a Low-Fat Label Lover

The label that says “low-fat” on foods makes us feel safe, and since things started getting labeled with this, the obesity rate has doubled. But Dr. Brock says that low-fat does not mean low-calorie. And what they take out in fat, they usually replace in sugar or salt.

To test this notion, Dr. Oz set up a little staged test. He filled two bags with 2 cups each of snack mix. One was labeled low-fat, and one labeled regular. The group that was given the low-fat labeled snack mix ate nearly 65% more than the group that was given the exact same mix labeled “regular.”

In terms of taste, Dr. Oz demonstrated with a cookie that looked like an Oreo. The low-fat version was only 3 calories different from the regular one, and tasted the same.

So when you see “low fat” on a processed food label, stop and investigate. One thing to take note of: whole foods and natural dairy products that are low fat are healthy for you.

2. You Eat With Others

When we eat with others, we tend to eat more calories. You put yourself on an instant “see food” diet. In fact, the more people we eat with, the more food we eat. The average person eats out with other people about 3 times a week…that’s about 72,000 calories extra a year!

The best thing to do is pace yourself with the slowest eater at the table. Be the last person to start eating or even serve yourself.

3. You Meal Multitask

When you eat while doing other things, you are not aware of how many calories you’re taking in. Whether it’s watching television, working on the computer or driving, eating while doing something else is a bad habit.

Please just take 15 minutes to sit down and enjoy your meal without distractions. That’s all the time you need, so don’t be fooled into trying to save time while eating.

4. You Eat Straight Out of the Package

Eating straight out of the package makes it impossible to portion your serving sizes. People who eat out of a bowl eat 134 calories less on average. Always plate it, then eat it. Use small plates and small containers.

5. You Use Artificial Sweeteners

The average consumer uses 24 pounds of artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar. Some researchers believe that it disrupts our body’s regulatory systems and desensitizes our taste buds. Once again, Dr. Oz brought in two groups of people to test this theory. One group usually eats real sugar, and the other group regularly uses artificial sweeteners. Both groups got the exact same cake, made with real sugar. And you guessed it, the group that uses artificial sweeteners ate more than twice as much cake.

The people who usually eat artificial sugar thought the cake was not very sweet so it was not satisfying. Basically you numb your taste buds, so you don’t even realize you’re eating sugar any more.

Baby foods and even vitamins can contain artificial sweeteners. Dr. Oz says to watch for the names:

• saccharin
• aspartame
• sucralose
• neotame
• acesulfame

A smart way to try and break this habit is to try and combine half your artificial sweetener and half raw sugar. Wean yourself off the fake stuff. Try agave syrup, honey, stevia…OR coconut sap sugar. It has a low glycemic index and you can use it just like natural sugar.

A Hidden Hazard of Eating Fat: Gallstones

Gallbladder disease runs in families, and there’s a secret reason that many of us could be at risk for getting gallstones. It’s important to know that white or light-colored poop that floats is one symptom of gallstones or gallbladder disease. This is because the fat in our food is not digested properly and gets passed straight through.

To reduce your risk of gallstones, substitute veggie protein for animal protein once per day. Also two cups of coffee per day can reduce the incidence of gallstones.

Hidden Home Health Hazards

Peter Delucia, the Assistant Commissioner of the Westchester County Dept. of Health, came on the show to discuss hidden hazards to our health that might be lurking in our homes. He inspected a Dr. Oz fan’s home and found quite a few hazards. Yikes!

• Front-loading washing machines: these get mold in them. Run a bleach load once a week, and wipe the gasket after you use it each time.
• Hot water too hot: set your hot water heater to 120 degrees and test it with a regular kitchen thermometer at your tub tap.

Secret Sources of Antioxidant All-Stars In Your Kitchen

• Red beans: eat 3 servings a week to help prevent colon cancer
• Brown rice: eat one serving per meal to keep your arteries young and healthy
• Eggs: eat one egg daily to protect your brain