During the holidays you’re surrounded by homemade dishes and desserts that make your mouth water and your taste buds beg for “just one little bite.” But you know that if you give in and gorge on all of these tempting foods, you’re going to gain back the weight you’ve worked so hard to lose – and then some.

So, how do you navigate in and out of the kitchen during this food abundant holiday? By making a few simple changes to the foods you normally eat you can avoid feeling deprived and still enjoy some of your traditional holiday favorites. Here are 10 tips to get you started.

Tip #1: Save up to 56 grams of fat per cup of gravy by refrigerating it first and then skimming off the visible, hardened fat. (This works for meat dishes too!)

Tip #2: If you can’t bear the idea of Christmas without green bean casserole, just swap potato chunks for the cream soup. Then top it with almond slices instead of fried onions for a protein powered crunch!

When you go to the supermarket, do you know which foods are genetically engineered? It’s okay if you don’t, as most people aren’t sure either.

It’s certainly understandable as you’re forced to remember all sorts of things when it comes to food. You’re expected to watch the fat content (primarily trans fats and saturated fats) and the amount of sodium in foods you ordinarily eat in order to stay healthy and strong.

You also need to know whether a product has anything that you or your family is allergic to in it, and so much more. So, is it really necessary to add one more thing to your already overflowing list of grocery shopping responsibilities?

In short, the answer is yes. Why?

Ultimately, you should know everything that you put into your body – from foods to supplements to anything else you choose to ingest. Your health and that of your family is in your hands, so the more you know about the items you consume, the more you’re able to make informed decisions in regard to your own health and welfare.

There is no better way to remind yourself about swimsuit season like tropical flavors and frozen drinks! Ice Chips Candy is that rare sugar-free candy that actually tastes the way it sounds. These three island paradise flavors will be exactly what every dieter needs to stay motivated for weight loss.

Ice Chips are made from Xylitol (Zy -li-tall). Xylitol is found in nature in fruits, vegetables, and tree bark. The only Xylitol used to make Ice Chips is the kind that comes from tree bark, specifically Birchwood.

The makers of Ice Chips choose to only use Xylitol made from Birchwood because there is no risk of pesticides or other chemicals used to genetically modify them for faster growth. While these chemicals are approved for use on fruits and vegetables, the makers of Ice Chips do not take that kind of risk with health.

The inventors of Ice Chips are two professional, family-oriented women who have a background in the health industry. Previous to Ice Chips, they created a skin care line. However, both ladies decided it was time the world had an option for a delicious yet healthy candy, and that’s when Ice Chips were created.

That’s right; the world finally has a healthy candy. It is called Ice Chips and it comes in a variety of amazing flavors that freshen breath and clean teeth.

A refreshing blast of clean feeling comes from flavors like:

• Cinnamon
• Spearmint
• Wintergreen
• Peppermint

Ice Chips are NOT made from sugar. They are made from an all-natural sweetener called Xylitol. Xylitol comes from the bark of birch trees. It was once said that a hard candy could not be made from Xylitol, but two working women found a way to make it happen and Ice Chips were born. You may have seen the grandmas from Ice Chips on ABC's Shark Tank, where they got the Sharkand have become one of the biggest Shark Tank success stories of all!

If they say it can’t be done, leave it to two grandmothers to prove the world wrong. Two women were once told that the FDA approved natural sweetener, xylitol, could not be formed into a hard candy. Low and behold, they had already invented it and now they can show-off their tasty treats to the rest of the world.

The candy is called Ice Chips. The ladies and the Ice Chips with Xylitol were even featured on the hit ABC show, Shark Tank. The show allows everyday people the opportunity to explain their personal inventions and then the sharks (who are already affluent entrepreneurs), get a chance to back the inventions or back away. The two inventors of Ice Chips received a deal from the sharks and now have a successful sugar-free candy company.

What Makes Ice Chips Different from Other Sugar-Free Candy?

Xylitol is the key ingredient in Ice Chips. This makes the candies much more flavorful than regular sugar-free candy. In addition, Ice Chips only contain Xylitol from Birchwood which makes them 100% natural.