If you are like most people, you probably have a sweet tooth.  Unfortunately, as delicious as desserts can be, they are usually loaded with fat, sugar and a lot of calories.  It is important to know when to eat dessert and what kind of desserts to eat.  Dessert should not be an everyday staple (unless it is fruit salad). However, if you are going to eat dessert, make sure that you are consuming desserts of the highest quality — no Hostess cupcakes for you.

Desserts and sweet treats are often associated with happiness; we eat pie on Thanksgiving, cookies on Christmas, and cake on our birthdays.  Not to mention the fact that the smell of cupcakes baking could make anyone do a dance of joy.  The problem with this association is that the “happier” we become, the larger we become, and the unhealthier we become.  The goal is to be happy without dessert, but to still use dessert for special occasions.  The goal is also to find ways to make dessert untraditional and healthier.  It is fun to create new simple recipes and you will feel so much better.

Because eating dessert has become an after-dinner tradition, most people reach for the cookies (or whatever else is around) after they have completed their meal.  Research has shown, though, that sugar consumption not only does damage to our blood sugar levels and insulin production, but to our immune system as well.  Dessert consumption on a regular basis will most definitely result in weight gain and, before you know it, not only will you be overweight, but you will be sick a lot too.