How Enjoying Desserts Can Help You Shed Kilos!

Decadent foods (even cake!) in your diet can actually help you shed kilos. Here’s how to make every luscious bite work for you.

- Marnie Soman Schwartz

We like kale, quinoa and salmon just as much as the next healthy eater. But a diet of vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins on endless repeat is not the best strategy for a slim, healthy body. Indulging smartly is what really works to help you lose weight and keep it off, experts say. The reason: Enjoying regular treats helps you stay motivated and prevents you from bingeing, explains dietitian Lauren Slayton, the owner of Foodtrainers in New York City. It also makes you happy. “Pleasurable experiences, like partaking of food you love, release feel-good chemicals in the brain,” says nutritionist Jessica Cording. The mood boost you get makes it easier to maintain your healthy habits overall.

So, yes, you need dessert

Trying to abstain from indulgent foods, or feeling guilty about eating them, will only work against you. Our bodies are biologically programmed to crave sweets and fat, according to research. Treats are also an ingrained part of our culture – dessert after dinner, Friday night pizza with friends, cake to celebrate special occasions – so it’s no wonder we feel compelled to have them.

“When it comes to weight loss, feeding your soul is just as important as feeding your body,” Jessica says. “Enjoying indulgent foods helps you do that.”