Diet Buster: Sugar-Free Gum

Why It’s Bad: The sugar in gum is often replaced with synthetic sweeteners like sorbitol. Sorbitol has been linked to several gastrointestinal ailments, including indigestion, bloating and chronic diarrhea. Sorbitol appears to have laxative-like qualities, making absorption difficult for the small intestine. In small doses sugar-free gum isn’t harmful, but if you’re up to a Big Pak a day, it might be time to kick the habit.

Replace It With: Gum sweetened with stevia, an herbal extract with none of the side effects of either real sugar or man-made sweeteners.