I don’t know about you but any time there’s more information out there to say that it’s OK to eat chocolate, coconut and sugar (in moderation of course!) it makes my day a little brighter. So needless to say, my day was made when I saw Cooking Light’s list of 10 Nutrition Myths Debunked.

Along with mentioning that a little refined sugar is not bad, they also remind us “that other sweeteners like “natural” honey are basically refined sugar anyway—and they are all metabolized by your body the same way, as 4 calories per gram.” So experts suggest you keep added sugar to 10% or less of total daily calories (200 sugar calories out of a 2000 calorie day).

They also remind us that eggs are not the scary things we were led to believe 10-15 years ago. Our body’s cholesterol levels have little to do with the cholesterol in the food we eat, but it is highly impacted by the saturated fats and trans fats in our diets. Those are the things to steer clear of! So say yes to that omelette – just skip the full fat cheese and opt for veggies and a sprinkling of lowfat cheese instead.

But wait – do we need to skip the full fat cheese after all?  There was one interesting new fact that I hadn’t heard yet. And while it sounds like good news, it definitely adds more to the confusion. They are finding that SOME saturated fats actually don’t raise cholesterol. Huh? Haven’t we been told for years that saturated fat is bad bad bad? Well here’s where the cheese, chocolate and coconut come in (yahoo!).  Apparently there are multiple types of saturated fats and the body does not metabolize all saturated fats the same way.  So the belief is that “stearic acid, a type of saturated fat found naturally in cocoa, dairy products, meats, and poultry, as well as palm and coconut oils, does not raise harmful LDL cholesterol but boosts beneficial HDL cholesterol levels.” So maybe – again, in moderation which is where I think the biggest issue arises – a cube of “real” cheese, a bit of chocolate and a sprinking of coconut might not be as bad as we thought!

I think the fact is – all of this information just goes back to the fact that we need to watch HOW MUCH we eat, and make sure we get a good variety of food – including lots of fruits and vegetables.  But in the end, a crunchy chocolate chip cookie with coconut and real butter is not going to be the end of the world. The trick? Just eat one (no, Kristin, not 3!). And it sure is going to be better for your body than one of those “low fat” or “low calorie” cookies loaded with chemicals and ick. So savor and enjoy!