Michelin-starred restaurant shames 'brazen' vegan blogger on Twitter - after they demand a luxury meal for two for FREE 'in exchange for a review' (8 Pics)

A Michelin-starred restaurant has hit out at a blogger’s “cheeky” request for a free meal in exchange for “online exposure”.

Garrett Byrne, owner of the Campagne restaurant‏ in Kilkenny, Ireland, says he gets around ten similar requests from bloggers a year and has “had enough”.

The chef proprietor shared an email from an unnamed blogger on Twitter, who wrote: “In exchange for a vegan meal for two, we would be happy to provide significant online exposure on both our blogs and social media accounts.”

They added: “We would ideally like to try several items on the menu.”

However the request was flatly turned down by the restaurant’s owner who says the reaction to his tweet has been “crazy”.

“I don't normally tweet about them, but this one just struck a chord,” he told The Telegraph. “We get about 10 per year on average.

“I don't think they are exploitative for the most part, it’s just I don’t think restaurants should entertain them.

“I see these requests throughout the year and I've had enough of them, so i decided to tweet it and it has pretty much gone crazy yesterday and today.”

The restaurant's response has been praised on social media, with Amy Catherine tweeting: “I am mortified by this as a blogger!”

Another wrote: “These 'influencers' really are something else…”

Twitter users were shocked by the cheeky request, with many bloggers saying they'd never approach their business in this way

'We are too young to see someone die': What teens told suicidal man as they fought to stop him taking his own life

Two hero schoolboys told today how they grabbed a suicidal man about to leap from a bridge and saved his life by refusing to let go.

Haci Demir and George Sofioniou cajoled the distressed man, urged him to think of his family and then pleaded: “Please don’t do this, we are too young to see someone die.”

As the desperate 21-year-old grappled with them, determined to jump into traffic below, the two boys tightened their grip and waited for help to arrive.

The harrowing 10-minute drama was caught on mobile phone. The boys had started to film the man, believing he was carrying out a stunt on the bridge.

Police vowed to honour the 15-year-olds and two other schoolboys, including a 12-year-old boy who helped the rescue. Shaken Haci and George told how they raced to the man’s aid as he perched 25ft above the A10 in Waltham Cross, Herts.

George said: “We knew we had to step in and stop it, but we were really scared as we didn’t want to see him fall.

“If he jumped I knew I would never stop thinking about it. It would have changed our lives forever.

“He was in a very distressed state and it was clear he had every intention of jumping off that bridge.”

Haci – who has had nightmares about Thursday’s drama – added: “I was shaking and my heart was beating so fast. Every time I think about it it’s made me upset.”

The man was moments from joining more than 6,000 Brits who commit suicide every year.

A Samaritans report revealed men are three times more likely to end their lives and suicide is the biggest killer of males under the age of 40.

The Sunday Mirror’s Time To Change campaign urges people to talk more openly about mental health issues in order to lift the stigma and save lives.

Haci and George told how they were walking home from an after-school ­revision session at St Mary’s C of E High School in Cheshunt when they saw the man at 5pm on Thursday. His legs were hanging off the side of the bridge and they believed he was a daredevil.

Haci said: “I thought it was a joke. I thought he was going to slide down or something. I started recording him.

“But then I saw he was really distressed and I knew it was serious.”

The teen, who lives within sight of the Paul Culley bridge, rang police then begged the man to come to safety.

Haci went on: “I knew I couldn’t just watch this. We tried to convince him to stop. I told him: ‘Don’t do this, your family loves you, think about your mum, your dad, your wife’. I kept saying this to make him calm down but he just ignored us. He was getting ready to jump off.”

As the man slipped from the top of the bridge down to a thin ledge, the brave boys rushed forward and grabbed him through the railings.

George gripped his jumper around the neck while Haci grabbed his hips. An unnamed 12-year-old held the man’s ankles before dashing off to call for help.

It took all of the lads’ strength to hold the man as he wrestled to free himself from their grasp, trying to push them away with his arms as he leaned forward.

Haci said: “He was crying and shaking so much. He was really fighting us but we wouldn’t let go.

“As we held him I said: ‘you can’t do this man, think about your life. Only God can take your life, you can’t do this’. When that didn’t work I told him: ‘Please don’t do this, I’m too young to see this’.

“The only thing he said to us was: ‘If my mum calls tell her that I love her’.” George, from nearby Enfield, told how some passersby ignored their struggle as they crossed the bridge.

He said: “It was a natural instinct to step in to help.

“But it was pretty traumatising to see people walking past ignoring the ­situation. I thought it was disgusting.”

Thankfully, other strangers did step in, with as many as seven people struggling to hold on to the man. They included Joanne Stammers, 47, who has Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, making her highly prone to blood clots.

George continued: “The police came and handcuffed his arms around the bars. You could see on his face at that point that he knew it was over.”

The shocked schoolboy went home and broke the news to his parents Stella, 43, and Michael Sofioniou, 45 – who were celebrating their 20th anniversary.

Haci and his mum Dilek Demir, ­meanwhile, looked on from their home close to the bridge as police and a fire crew eventually helped the man down.

Dilek, 35, told how the incident had affected her son. She said: “I’m worried for Haci. At bedtime he sits on his bed and says he can’t sleep. He dreams he’s on the bridge, that he’s jumping and the people are not holding him.”

Haci admitted: “It keeps coming into my head. I just want to forget about it. But I am happy I saved his life.”

George added: “I am proud we did manage to help him.” The boys will be recognised by police for their actions. Chief Inspector Ian Butler, of Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: “I am in no doubt that the actions of the four boys and a woman who also helped saved this man’s life. I will be recommending them for the highest possible bravery award. A number of other people also stopped to assist and I will be looking at recognising their actions as well.”

The man was taken to hospital after the drama but is now recovering back at home.

His grandmother said: “We are so grateful to the boys. It wasn’t an easy thing to do and they were very brave. And thank you to the other men and women that assisted.”

'He's in MY country': Woman is caught on camera launching racist tirade at takeaway staff who criticised her for vaping in the shop as they made her food

This CCTV footage captured in a Merseyside kebab house shows a woman’s “racist” outburst at staff.

The video shows a woman in Medo Kebab House, on Eastbank Street, Southport , vaping while waiting for her order.

A member of staff hands over her food, and she can be heard saying, “remember he’s in my country, not his”, before shouting a racial slur into the shop from the doorway.

A staff member can then be heard on the footage “it’s your country - no need to be racist.”

Cihan Erdogan, 42, owns Medo Kebab House and has lived in the UK for 23 years since moving here from Turkey.

He was working behind the counter when the woman went in to the shop last night.

Speaking to the ECHO, Cihan said: “I’m 42 years old and I’ve been in this country almost 23 years now, so most of my life I’ve spent here and I’ve been serving Southport people most of my life.

“When the credit crunch started I almost went bankrupt and my parents sold their house in Turkey and paid the money into my business here.

“I work very hard, like 15 to 18 hour days sometimes - it’s very hard to pay bills and everybody thinks foreign people come here to take money and take benefits but it’s not like that.

“I came to the UK when I was young and since then I’ve never taken benefits.”

Medo kebab house was nominated for an award for the best takeaway outside London in 2015 and 2014.

However, Cihan said he’s noticed racist comments and abuse getting worse, despite having lived and worked in Southport for years.

He said: “There are lovely people here, that’s why we moved here from London and I’ve been in business here 16 or 17 years.”

Cihan, who has a British passport and considers himself to be English, said the racist rant was “upsetting”.

He said: “She tried to grab something behind the till, a piece of paper or a pen, and I told her not to.

“We said ‘please just ask us, we can give you whatever you want’ and she was saying, ‘This is my own country - this is mine, you are foreign, you can’t say that to me’.”

Cihan shared the video on social media so customers could see the abuse his staff had to deal with.

The incident was branded “vile” and “disgusting” online in responses posted on Cihan’s post.

Friends Hold Fake Funeral For Friend Who Is Always With His Girlfriend (9 Pics)

When 20-year-old Keiran Cable from South Wales started to date 19-year-old Jess Ferguson, his friends say that he disappeared from their lives. After 18 months of unreturned calls and emails, fifty of Cable’s friends decided to surprise him with a mock funeral that included a coffin, hearse, and even a eulogy!

“Keiran has had a tough 18 months trying to keep his friendship with his friends alive but sadly the wait is now over and he has floated up to the gates of heaven,” the eulogy reads in part.”What hurts the most is that we were starved of precious time to say our last goodbyes after his relationship status was changed from ‘Single’ to ‘in a Relationship.'”

“Keiran had been in a relationship for a few months and it felt like he had died because none of us had seen him since then,” said friend Ben Sullivan

“A couple of weeks ago we were all in the pub and we all started saying RIP Keiran”

“We decided if he wasn’t going to come out with us and was going to pretend he was dead then we’d organise a funeral for him”

“One of the boys, Shaun Bundy, organised most of it and he spent Friday and Saturday making the coffin”

“[Keiran] had no idea what was going on. He thought he was coming out to watch the rugby but he” ended up in a coffin

“I borrowed a funeral car and we drove the coffin from pub to pub”

“Another one of the boys, Daniel Bundock, was the vicar, and gave speeches from the Old Testament”

“The roads were completely closed off, it was epic”

Cable’s reaction? “I was in complete shock and didn’t know what to do or say”

8 Things That Are Making You Bloated

Feeling uncomfortable, bloated, or gassy can ruin anyone’s day, and according to research over 30% of the population deals with digestive discomfort. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean you have to live with it. Read on for 8 reasons why you might be bloated—and what to do about it.

1. WHERE—AND WHEN—YOU EAT.

Our extremely busy lifestyles mean we often eat what we can, when we can. From grabbing a bagel to go for breakfast, to eating lunch hunched over a desk or in a car, eating on the fly is a recipe for bloating. For optimal digestion, our bodies need to be primed to rest and digest. If we’re mindlessly munching on social media or during a rush to get out the door, our body and brain aren’t prepared. The same goes for eating too late at night. Our digestive system is more active during the daylight hours. Eating and going to bed can cause bloating, gas, and heartburn or acid reflux. Take the time to sit down for proper meals, and be mindful and present as you eat. Slow down the process, enjoy your food, and stave off bloating.

2. PASS THE SALT.

Sodium-heavy foods (read: processed) make us retain water, which leads to bloating. Flavoring dishes with herbs and spices and reading labels are a great way to avoid salt-induced bloating. Reach for whole foods over processed options, and cook at home as much as possible. Drinking lots of water can help flush the sodium, so aim for 8-12 glasses to help banish the bloat. 

3. UNHAPPY MICROBIOME.

When the trillions of bacteria that make up our microbiome become unbalanced, it can cause bloating, nausea, pain, and even vomiting. To support a healthy gut, focus on adding fermented foods like kimchi and kombucha into your diet, as well as choosing a high-quality probiotic supplement to help rebalance the good and bad bacteria. [Editor's note: We recommend supplements from our partner Bio-K+.]

4. GLUTEN INTOLERANCE OR SENSITIVITY.

An intolerance or even insensitivity to gluten could be behind the bloat. Even if you follow a gluten-free diet, it can hide in things like soup, scrambled eggs, and ground meat. The best way to find out if Celiac disease is causing bloating (and other health issues) is a simple blood test that you can do at home or your doctor’s office. You can also try an elimination diet to see if you have a food sensitivity.

5. FRUITS AND VEGGIES.

Believe it or not, some healthy fruits and vegetables can cause serious bloating. Common culprits include carb-heavy foods like apples, mango, asparagus, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli. Discuss experimenting with a low FODMAP diet with a natural health professional to decide if it might be right for you.

6. HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL.

The hormones in birth control, especially estrogen, can cause bloating and weight gain in the abdominal area. Birth control can also lead to insulin resistance, which also causes weight gain. Talk to your natural health care provider about non-hormonal alternatives.

7. TOO MUCH OR NOT ENOUGH CAFFEINE.

Caffeine can have a diuretic effect, helping rid the body of excess salt and water. But too much caffeine—more than one or two cups of tea or coffee daily—can actually cause bloating. Switch to herbal tea, water, or a healthier alternative after that.

8. NOT ENOUGH ACTIVITY.

Our bodies need movement to keep things moving in the digestive tract. Think about how a long walk after a big meal makes you feel better. Yoga poses that focus on twisting can be especially helpful in promoting digestion, but a walk, bike ride, or any type of regular exercise will work wonders.

Why Monounsaturated Fats Are Incredibly Healthy

Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats found in olive oil, avocados and certain nuts. In fact, the evidence shows that monounsaturated fats have a number of health benefits. They can help with weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease and decrease inflammation. This article will discuss monounsaturated fats and the scientific evidence behind their advantages.

WHAT ARE MONOUNSATURATED FATS?

There are a number of different types of fat in your diet, which vary in their chemical structure. Unsaturated fats are those that have double bonds in their chemical structure. Monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, are a type of unsaturated fat. “Mono,” meaning one, signifies that monounsaturated fats have only one double bond.

There are many different types of MUFAs. Oleic acid is the most common type, comprising around 90% of those found in the diet (1). Other MUFAs include palmitoleic acid and vaccenic acid.

Many foods are high in MUFAs, but most consist of a combination of different fats. There are very few foods that contain only one type of fat. For example, olive oil is very high in MUFAs and other types of fat.

Foods that are high in unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, are usually liquid at room temperature, whereas foods that are high in saturated fats, such as butter and coconut oil, are usually solid at room temperature.

These different fats affect health and disease differently. Monounsaturated fats, in particular, have been shown to have a number of health benefits (2).

MONOUNSATURATED FATS MAY HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

All fats provide the same amount of energy — 9 calories per gram — while carbs and protein provide 4 calories per gram. Therefore, reducing the amount of fat in your diet can be an effective way to reduce your calorie intake and lose weight.

However, a diet with moderate-to-high amounts of monounsaturated fats can also help with weight loss, as long as you aren’t eating more calories than you’re burning (3).

A couple of studies have shown that when calorie intake remained the same, diets high in MUFAs led to weight loss similar to that of low-fat diets (4, 5). For example, one study of 124 people who were overweight or obese found that eating either a high-MUFA diet (20% of total calories) or a high-carb diet for one year led to comparable weight loss of around 8.8 pounds (4 kg) (6). A larger study that combined the results of 24 other studies showed that high-MUFA diets are slightly more effective than high-carb diets for weight loss (7).

Therefore, high-MUFA diets can be an effective way to lose weight when replacing other calories, rather than adding extra calories to the diet. 

THEY MAY HELP REDUCE RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE

There is a big debate in nutrition about whether excessive saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease. However, there is good evidence that increasing MUFAs in your diet can reduce risk factors for heart disease, especially if you’re replacing saturated fat.

Too much cholesterol in the blood is a risk factor for heart disease, as it can clog arteries and lead to heart attacks or stroke. Various studies have shown that a high intake of monounsaturated fats can reduce blood cholesterol and triglycerides (8, 9, 10). For example, one study of 162 healthy people compared three months of a high-MUFA diet with a high-saturated fat diet to see the effects on blood cholesterol. This study found that the diet high in saturated fat increased unhealthy LDL cholesterol by 4%, while the high-MUFA diet reduced LDL cholesterol by 5% (11).

Other smaller studies have found similar results of MUFAs reducing LDL cholesterol and also increasing “good” HDL cholesterol (12, 13, 14). High-MUFA diets can help lower blood pressure, too. A large study of 164 people with high blood pressure found that a high-MUFA diet lowered blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, compared to a high-carb diet (15). Similar beneficial results in blood pressure have also been found in people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (16, 17).

However, it is important to note that the beneficial effects of high-MUFA diets only are seen when they replace saturated fat or carbs in the diet.

Furthermore, in each of these studies, the high-MUFA diets were part of calorie-controlled diets, meaning that adding extra calories to your diet through high-MUFA foods may not have the same benefits.

THEY MAY HELP REDUCE CANCER RISK

There is also some evidence that diets rich in MUFAs may help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Prostate cancer, for example, is one of the most common types of cancer in men, especially older men. Many studies have examined whether men who eat a good amount of MUFAs have reduced or increased rates of prostate cancer, but the evidence remains unclear.

Each of the studies examining the role of high-MUFA diets in prostate cancer has found different results. Some show a protective effect, some show no effect and others show a harmful effect (18, 19, 20).

One of these studies suggested that other components of high-MUFA foods may cause the protective effect rather than the MUFAs themselves. Therefore, it is unclear how MUFAs affect prostate cancer.

High-MUFA diets have also been studied in relation to breast cancer risk (21, 22, 23). One large study of 642 women found that those with the highest amounts of oleic acid (a type of MUFA found in olive oil) in their fat tissue had the lowest rates of breast cancer (24). However, this was only seen in women in Spain — where olive oil is widely consumed — and not in women from other countries. This suggests it may be another component of olive oil that has a protective effect. In fact, a number of studies have examined olive oil specifically and found that people who eat more olive oil have lower rates of breast cancer (25, 26, 27).

Moreover, all of these studies were observational, meaning they can’t prove cause and effect. Thus, other components of diet and lifestyle may be contributing to this beneficial effect.

MONOUNSATURATED FATS MAY HELP IMPROVE INSULIN SENSITIVITY

Insulin is a hormone that controls your blood sugar by moving it from the blood into your cells. The production of insulin is important for preventing high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that high-MUFA diets can improve insulin sensitivity in both those with and without high blood sugar.

One study of 162 healthy people found that eating a high-MUFA diet for three months improved insulin sensitivity by 9% (28). A similar, separate study of 472 people with metabolic syndrome found that those who ate a high-MUFA diet for 12 weeks had significantly reduced insulin resistance (29).

Other studies have found similar beneficial effects of high-MUFA diets on insulin and blood sugar control (30, 31, 32).

THEY MAY REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Inflammation is a normal immune system process that helps your body fight infection. But sometimes inflammation happens slowly over a long period of time, which can contribute to chronic diseases like obesity and heart disease.

Compared to other diets, such as high-saturated fat diets and Western diets, high-MUFA diets can reduce inflammation. One study found that high-MUFA diets reduced inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome, compared to high-saturated fat diets (33). Other studies have shown that people who eat a Mediterranean diet high in MUFAs have significantly lower inflammatory chemicals in their blood, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (34, 35, 36).

High-MUFA diets can also reduce the expression of inflammatory genes in fat tissue compared to high-saturated fat diets. This may be one of the ways that MUFAs are helpful for weight loss (37). By reducing inflammation, high-MUFA diets may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

WHICH FOODS CONTAIN THESE FATS?

The best sources of MUFAs are plant-based foods, including nuts, seeds and olive oil. They can be found in meat and animal-based foods, as well. In fact, some evidence suggests that plant-based sources of MUFAs, particularly olive oil, are more desirable than animal-based sources (38).

This may be due to the additional beneficial components in olive oil.

Here is a list of foods high in MUFAs, along with the amount found in 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of the food:

• Olive oil: 73.1 grams
• Almonds: 33.6 grams
• Cashews: 27.3 grams
• Peanuts: 24.7 grams
• Pistachios: 24.2 grams
• Olives: 15 grams
• Pumpkin seeds: 13.1 grams
• Pork: 10.7 grams
• Avocados: 9.8 grams
• Sunflower seeds: 9.5 grams
• Eggs: 4 grams

THE BOTTOM LINE

Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats most commonly found in olive oil, nuts, seeds and some animal-based foods.

Diets high in monounsaturated fats can help with weight loss and may reduce risk factors for heart disease, as long as they don’t add extra calories to your diet.

Foods that contain MUFAs, especially olive oil, may also help reduce cancer risk, inflammation and insulin resistance.

Although it is also important to eat other types of fat, replacing unhealthy fats with MUFAs can provide a number of health benefits.

Guilt-Free Ice Cream Is Trending, but Is It Actually Healthy?

In a perfect world, ice cream would have the same nutritional properties as broccoli. But this isn’t a perfect world, and ice creams marketed as “zero guilt” or “healthy” aren’t exactly selling the right message.

Alongside a $2 billion valuation, Halo Top’s been getting all of the consumer attention lately, outselling legends like Ben & Jerry’s this summer. It doesn’t hurt that Halo Top’s trendy packaging speaks to the eye. Clean lines, a touch of color, and cheeky seals egg on customers to “Stop when you hit the bottom” or “No bowl, no regrets.”

But this brand, which didn’t exist before 2012, isn’t the only ice cream claiming to be healthy. Others like Arctic Freeze, Thrive, Wink, and Enlightened have slick marketing campaigns that target everyone from athletes to health nuts (even Thrillist, which targets young males, has done a review of the top three “healthy” ice creams).

No one’s denying Halo Top’s rise to fame. But we might want to question its validity — and that of other trendy ice creams — as a “health” food.

ICE CREAM VS. ICE CREAM

The biggest difference between real ice cream and ‘healthy’ ones

Halo Top and Enlightened both use real cow milk, while others like Arctic Zero and Wink must be labeled a “frozen dessert” because of its minimal dairy content. A product has to have a minimum of 10 percent dairy fat to be labeled ice cream, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Halo Top also contains the sugar alcohol erythritol and stevia. These sugar substitutes are considered “safe” options with minimal health impact when consumed in moderation (that’s up to a max of 50 grams per day). However, eating an entire carton of Halo Top as advertised means consuming 45 grams of sugar.

But other “healthy” frozen dessert brands contain alternative sweeteners, which have been shown to cause side effects like changes to gut bacteria, increased risk for cancer, obesity, diabetes, and an increase in sugar cravings. An Italian study conducted in 2005 revealed that aspartame, the most common artificial sweetener, resulted in diagnoses of lymphomas, leukemia, and tumors in rats.

NOT A HEALTH FOOD

Ice cream will never be a health food

According to Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CTL, a nutrition expert who’s worked with Arctic Zero and is developing recipes for Halo Top, the FDA is currently in the process of “redefining the legal definition surrounding the term healthy.” That means brands claiming to sell healthy products — when they’re actually filled with artificial ingredients — will be restricted.

What does that mean for these frozen desserts or “healthy” low-calorie ice creams that are filled with artificial or highly processed ingredients? Many will have to reimagine their marketing campaigns that focus on guilt-free, whole pint consumption because it’s “healthy.”

SIDE EFFECTS

The side effects of eating healthy ice cream

These ice creams may be marketed as healthier, but if you went ahead and followed their guilt-free motto (because who stops eating at one serving?), your gut health might be in for a surprise.

1. Higher risk for obesity from alternative sweeteners

While Halo Top doesn’t have artificial sweeteners, many other brands that advertise themselves as “sugar-free” may. Ingredients like sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium may confuse the brain and cause people to eat more. They also eventually cause upset stomachs, nausea, and diarrhea. “These ingredients have demonstrated to exhibit undesirable effects on the gut microbiota and can cause stomach pain, loose bowels, or diarrhea in some individuals,” says Shaw.

On the other hand, alternative sweeteners aren’t free from the link to obesity, either. Research suggests that sweetener alternatives, including stevia, do little for weight loss. Another 2017 study looked at 264 college freshmen and found an association between erythritol and weight gain.

Ultimately, frozen dessert brands that suggest a pint is the “ultimate single serve” aren’t really promoting a healthy lifestyle. They’re just promoting themselves.

2. Bloating, constipation, or diarrhea

Though not considered artificial, sugar substitutes like erythritol — an ingredient found in Halo Top and Enlightened — can cause nausea when in doses above 50 grams per day, since your body doesn’t carry the enzymes to break it down. Most erythritol eventually exits via urine.

Most of these frozen desserts offer themselves as a “healthy” alternative to ice cream because of their high protein content. But if you indulged in an entire pint, you’d be consuming 20 grams of fiber — which is more than half your daily fiber intake. The result? A wildly upset stomach.

For many of these frozen desserts, labeling themselves different and a “perfectly guiltless pleasure” is due in part to its prebiotic fiber. Prebiotics are a dietary fiber that help produce nutrients for digestion. Vegetables like garlic, leeks, and onions are all naturally high in prebiotic fibers. Many of these frozen desserts promote their natural ingredients — among them GMO-free fiber ingredients like chicory root or organic agave inulin.

The problem is that there’s no real health reason why prebiotic fibers are added to these treats. Instead, they’re added to maintain the creamy texture of ice cream, since erythritol has an inclination to form ice crystals.

So, it’s not really that these additions are healthy — it’s just another platform these brands can use to market themselves. And in the end, it’s better to get your fiber from whole foods rather than ice cream, anyway.

3. Cost on your wallet

With all these ingredient facts in mind, you might not actually be getting your scoop’s worth. “Healthy” ice creams cost about four to five times more than a Target-branded ice cream and contain far more artificial and processed ingredients.

If you’re able to stick to portion size, buy traditional, natural ice cream — even the boutique stuff from your local creamery (for those who can tolerate dairy). They’re made with just a handful of ingredientsand could be better for your wallet and gut.THE VERDICT

Health comes down to the serving size

Everyone is human. And even registered dietitians and nutritionists (with all their wisdom) have been known to indulge, says Shaw. Rather than focus on consuming products labeled “healthy” but are highly processed, turn to wholesome, original ingredients that you love and recognize.

Just remember to practice moderation! “Healthy is about balance and learning to appreciate the facts,” says Shaw. “All foods can fit in a balanced diet,” she adds.

As a reminder: Even nutrient-rich fresh fruits and vegetables can cause stomach pain and bloating when consumed in excess. Knowing your limits and serving size can go a long way.

Halo Top provides 60 calories per 1/2-cup serving, compared to traditional ice creams and custards that provide 130 to 250 calories per 1/2-cup serving. While this is undoubtedly appealing to many customers, it’s still a processed food product — despite its simpler ingredient list and safer sugar substitutes.

Most experts agree to just go for traditional ice cream with minimally processed ingredients and limit artificial sweeteners, stabilizers, and gums. They also agree to stop when you hit a serving — not the bottom.

Minimizing distractions and mindfully eating any meal or dessert — whether its marketed as healthy or not — is the best way to maximize pleasure with smaller portions and avoid the habit of overeating.