Tight Talk Tuesday: Salty vs. Sweet

Take our poll: Salty vs. sweet – where do you stand with your snacking? Vote here!

Regardless of how strict your diet may be, it’s important to allow yourself to indulge just a little bit. By fitting space for snacks into your calorie count, you avoid bingeing and over-indulging in less-than-healthy options. Just be sure to read the labels and use portion control!

Check out this article from Fox News about “7 healthy junk foods to get your salty & sweet snack craving fixes.” Click here to salivate & get snacking!

Also, did you know tasty snacks can mess with your brain? You start to put the hurt on that tube of Pringles and the next thing you know, your fingertips are drumming against the bottom of the can! Blame your brain. Research from The Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that high-fat & salt food “hits” the brain with fatty acids, dulling the effects of insulin & leption, two hormones that signal your body that you are full. Since the brain is blunted from these triggers, you overindulge in sumptuous treats. The study authors say one particularly fatty acid (found in those salty snacks!), palmitic acid, seems to be the worst culprit. Palmitic acid is found in beef, butter and cheese. One more reason to watch your portion control when snacking!

So what is it… salty or sweet? The Diet Channel has some information on “7 things to know about food cravings.” Find out here. What do yours say about you? Feel free to weigh in (no pun intended) in the comments section below.