Chew On This

Every time one of those commercials pops up on TV—the kind where some gum company suggests that chewing gum will stave off my cookie craving—I’m filled with the same disbelief I feel when I see Shape magazine promise me flat abs in six weeks. No way can anything be that much of a magic bullet—not with my insatiable sweet tooth, anyway. But then? I tried Extra’s “dessert gum”—the mint chocolate chip version—after lunch. And—at the risk of sounding like one of those insufferable commercials—not only does it really, seriously taste like mint-chocolate-chip ice cream (!!), it also actually worked. It was exactly the right amount of sweet I need after my salad lunch (usually I go off in search of a co-worker’s M&M stash). Sure, it’s probably full of chemicals, and sure, I had four pieces over two hours, but it’s not like the M&Ms are all-natural, either, and at five calories a stick, I figure it’s still a trick that’s worthy of spreading the word about.