If you're avoiding sugar there are a dizzying array of other sweeteners to choose from. Which ones are good? Bad? Even downright dangerous?

What is a poison? Well, interestingly, there are different theories as to what makes something a poison. But most of them go something like this:

"A dangerous chemical, natural or unnatural, enters the blood through the skin, gut or lungs and travels to the liver, the primary organ of detoxification."

The liver attempts to "detoxify" the chemical creating metabolites — sometimes the metabolites are less toxic and sometimes they're not — in order to excrete the chemical and any remnants of it out of the body.

So for us to believe that fructose is a poison, it needs to follow, in some respects, the pathway I just described — and I'll get to that soon.

But first, let's clarify something...

It happens to the best of us. You maintain a strict habit of exercise and dieting throughout the week. You're disciplined. You're organized. You've got this. Then the weekend approaches and it’s time for date night, or the much-needed opportunity to catch up and hang out with your friends. You, believing you are being a good healthy-eating planner, check out the restaurant's menu online beforehand to pick out a reasonably healthy meal and drill this motivational speech into your head:

"I will not overindulge tonight." 

And this time, you're serious.

That is, until you hear what your friends are ordering. And before you know it you’re ordering a side of French fries AND a slice of cake to go.

What just happened?

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Working out at home is convenient and cost efficient, but you still need to know how to safely perform the proper exercises.

Getting away on vacation can be a life-saver for some. But oftentimes this sense of freedom has a price: your waistline.

Sugar substitutes, like Splenda, may actually be making you gain weight.

No one is truly immune to the effects of stress. But could the stress in your life be adding pounds and inches to your frame?

Do you have trouble losing weight, no matter how much you diet and exercise? You may be suffering from a broken metabolism.

Sleep more, weight less?

You'll be surprised how many of your holiday favorites are worth a second helping.

If you like to have your party libations, but worry about the calories you're consuming, take heart, there are some lower calorie options you can choose.

As a cardiologist who specialized in prevention and the natural reversal of heart disease, I used to dread 1/12th of the year, December. Most outsiders to the profession do not know this, but for most cardiologists December is our busiest month.

There are a couple of reasons why, but the first issue is depression.

We know that depression or feeling "holiday blue" increases the risk of ACS (Acute Coronary Syndrome) or heart attack.

The second reason, and the most modifiable, is holiday habits including nutrition. Holiday and nutrition, why do these words have to "cancel each other out"? When we hear the words "holiday and nutrition", we think immediately of sugar, overeating, and gaining weight.

So about ten years ago I put together a "holiday plan" for my non-diabetic, non-acute, (no immediate crisis) patients. Over ten years the patients who followed this did not gain weight, enjoyed food and fun, and had far more enjoyable holiday season then the ones that did not.

Great tips to keep snacking and the inevitable weight gain under control this holiday season.

How to put an end to yo-yo dieting, food cravings, and obsessions.