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Posts Tagged ‘food’
Wed, October 29, 2008 1:34 pm By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
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 Cutting the popular belief of diet habits, the scientists in US has come forward with an argument that when the brain doesn’t sense enough gratification from food, people will hog more over the food.
According to Dr Eric Stice, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute, who led the study, the more blunted the response will be, the more are the chances of chances of gain weight. It is the healthy diet and the exercise that decide whether someone is overweight. But scientists have put forward an argument that genes too have a role in deciding obesity. Dopamine, the brain chemical that’s key to sensing pleasure also has a role in deciding the weight of a particular person.
Eating does boost dopamine levels temporarily. The studies have revealed that obese have fewer dopamine receptors in their brains than lean people. A particular gene version, called Taq1A1, is linked to fewer dopamine receptors.
As per the words of Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institutes of Health, a dopamine specialist who has long studied the obesity link, the functioning of the brain do have a big role in deciding the food and causing obesity. The study by Stice’s team has figured out the immediate reactions of the brain to food.
Brain scanning showed that a key region called the dorsal striatum which is a dopamine-rich pleasure centre becomes active while tasting the milkshake, but not when the comparison liquid mimicked saliva is tasted. The study says that the brain region in overweight people is far less active than in lean people, and in those who carry that A1 gene variant.
This study shows that dopamine is not just about pleasure, but it also plays a role in conditioning and in the ability to control impulses. Now next time, when you are out to buy yummy food, remember, you are going to put weight.
Tags: Obesity, Diet, food, Weight, overweight, brain, bulky, Dr Eric Stice, yummy, dorsal striatum, thin, dopamine
Tue, August 19, 2008 3:57 pm By James Coolridge
 Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible – all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you.By developing your own plan for healthy eating, you’ll be able to expand your range of healthy choices to include a variety of delicious. Using guidelines and tips for creating and maintaining a satisfying, healthy diet, you can learn how to approach food in a smarter, healthier way.
Eating smart: The first step towards healthy eating
Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”. It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Paying attention to what you eat and choosing foods that are both nourishing and enjoyable helps support an overall healthy diet.
• Take time to chew your food: Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
• Avoid stress while eating: When we are stressed, our digestion can be compromised, causing problems like colitis and heartburn. Avoid eating while working, driving, arguing, or watching TV (especially disturbing programs or the news). Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
• Listen to your body: Ask yourself if you are really hungry, and stop eating when you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best, rather than stuffing yourself into a “food coma”!
• Eat early, eat often: Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also, eating small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard three large meals, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.
Eating while multitasking, whether working through lunch or watching TV while eating dinner, often leads us to eat more. On the other hand, eating “mindfully,” savoring every mouthful, enhances the experience of eating and keeps us aware of how much we take in.
Our fast-food culture is one where meals have become yet another task we squeeze in during the day. It is all too common to hear of people grabbing breakfast on the run or attending a lunch meeting, where business is front and center and food is merely the bait to get people there.
How to Practice Eating Mindfully
Simple first steps toward introducing mindfulness while eating:
• Eat with chopsticks.
• Eat with your non-dominant hand.
• Chew your food 30 to 50 times per bite.
• Eat without TV, newspaper or computer.
• Eat sitting down.
• Put the proper portions of food on your plate and try to make the meal last at least 20 minutes.
THE ABOVE ARTICLE CAN BE SUMMED UP AS UNDER EAT RIGHT TO STAY FIT AND HEALTHY!!!!!
Tags: Diet, food, Nutrition
Tue, June 24, 2008 1:22 pm By Brad Adams
 Ginger is used in lots of food preparations in many countries including India, China and countries in the East. Ginger tea has been used in China for the past 2500 years to treat sore throat, sinus pain and nasal congestion. Read on to know about the usefulness of ginger.
A cup of ginger tea can replace the sugar laden energy drinks since it provides as much energy as provided by a glass of energy drink. The soothing and calming flavor of ginger keeps you alert and calm. Put small pieces of ginger in your cup of tea and sip it hot to ward off cold and low-grade fevers.
Herbal ginger has the ability to stimulate the circulatory system. It is also used for increased blood flow to the surface of the skin. Ginger is used as herbal remedy for the treatment of impaired circulation of blood along the hands and feet of patients. Ginger also helps control high blood pressure. Other health benefits of ginger are:
Nausea: Ginger has anti-nausea and anti-vomiting qualities that help to cure nausea.
Digestion: Ginger improves appetite. It calms down the stomach and helps in digestion by promoting the smooth flow of bile. Ginger is an effective herbal medicine that can cure abdominal cramps.
Travel sickness: If travel causes a nauseating feeling in you, drink a hot cup of ginger tea or take quarter teaspoon of powdered ginger fifteen minutes before you go for a car or boat trip. The first signs of travel sickness can be effectively cured by ginger.
Tags: pain, food, Ginger, herbs, remedies, digestion, nausea, throat
Tue, June 17, 2008 10:13 am By Chad Thomson
 In this article, we discuss about the common types of allergens and how they are disseminated. Read on.
Plant Pollens: These are powdery substance which is produced by plants for the process of reproduction. Plant pollens are very small in size. The collection of individual pollens forms the powdery substance, which is disseminated by wind, water or animal sources to far places. Many people are allergic to plant pollens. This allergy is found to be seasonal.
House Dust: Dust in household is one of the major allergens. The dust which settles over the furniture and appliances collectively forms the house dust. Indoor dust originates from food remnants, from the pets, from the insects and even from the human hair. The only way to prevent house dust from accumulating in the household is by regular vacuum cleaning and dusting of the furniture and appliances on which dust get accumulated.
Insects: Insect bite gives way to the introduction of insect venom inside the human system. Many people are allergic to the remnants of insects.
Pets: There are many people who are allergic to domestic animals like dog and cat. People are allergic to animal dander. Fur bearing animals are considered to be the general cause of allergy in people.
Occupational allergens: Occupational allergens, as the name suggests, occur in people’s occupations. For instance, bakers are found to get allergic to flour, cement workers to cement, leather workers to leather dust etc.
Tags: food, Pollen, Animals, Insects, Dust
Sat, June 14, 2008 4:45 am By James Coolridge
 Speeding up your metabolism is the fastest way to loose extra pounds. Fat loss is impossible if metabolism is slowing down. There are certain eating and training patterns to have a super-charged metabolism. Here are they.
Eat a lot of healthy food:
Slowing down of metabolism is as a result of using the muscle tissue for energy. You should prevent this from happening by eating adequate food on time. It is a bad idea to drastically cut down the calories. If at all you want to loose the extra ugly fat, try to eat less than 15 calories per pound of your bodyweight per day, but don’t go below 12 calories per pound of your bodyweight.
Strength training exercises:
More muscles in our body gives way to faster metabolism and thereby making it easier loose fat. Strength training is essential to speed up the metabolism.
We would suggest you to stick to the basics such as the Chin Ups, Push Ups, Pull down, Bench Press and Leg Press.
Cardio exercises:
The cardio workout should be intense, which means a 10 minutes intense workout that keeps you wheezing for air and struggling to finish off. The result is beneficial. You will be able to stimulate your metabolism that stays for the next 48-72 hours after the workout. Hence, you will be able to burn more calories than you usually would.
Tags: Cardio, metabolism, water, food, eat
Fri, May 30, 2008 12:25 pm By James Coolridge
 Fat is always associated with its bad effects. However, you should know that the bad fats and the dietary fats are entirely different from each other. You should eliminate all the bad fats from your diet and include the essential dietary fats. The dietary fats are essential to protect your body’s vital organs and to control the body temperature. These dietary fats also provide the energy for your muscles. You should eat these ‘good’ fats in addition to proteins and carbohydrates. Don’t forget to include fat-soluble vitamins in your diet. Let us have a quick look at the essential nutrients that should be included in your diet.
You may not know that fats are also present in fruits and beans though in small quantities. Fats occur naturally in most of the foods. However, the fats added in pies, fried foods and junk foods are should be avoided.
You can reduce the amount of dietary fats in your diet without giving up all your favourite foods. Start with the bread spreads and oils used in cooking. Look for polyunsaturated margarines available in the stores. It is better to opt for oils than the animal fats used for cooking. So, search for vegetable oils in the market. Sunflower, olive, and corn oils are the best for cooking.
As far as the dairy products are concerned, the semi-skimmed milk should be preferred. The skimmed milk is enriched with vitamins. It is better to avoid mature cheese in your food. Instead, use mixture of cream and yogurt in your dishes that are tasty as well as healthy.
Meat is perhaps included in all American diets. Therefore, you should include leaner meats, which contain less fat. We would suggest you to add more vegetables, pulses, and carbohydrates to your diet. Oily fish should be included in your diet as it is enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for your health.
Tags: food, fats, healthy, eating, habits
Tue, May 27, 2008 12:24 pm By James Coolridge
 If you are a migraine sufferer, then I am sure you will definitely say that there is no pain as throbbing as migraine. The accompanying symptoms such as blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to noise and smell add to the agony. These incapacitating headaches are becoming more prevalent. Hence, the research works are drifting towards finding out the food that trigger migraine and a migraine diet that can curb this excruciating headache.
According to the research works conducted on the finding the possible causes of migraine triggers, caffeine and red wine are found to be serious offenders. The chemical additives in foods called amines (such as tyramine, phenylethylamine and histamine) found in a variety of foods are found to be contributing to the migraine triggers. In addition to these, nut product, processed meats, alcohol, chocolate and even dairy products such as yellow cheese are found to trigger migraine in the sufferers. Other “culprits” that are found to trigger migraine are soy sauce, cheesecake, banana, beef, pork, chicken liver, fish, shellfish, spinach, strawberry, tomato, tomato sauce, tomato puree, wine, pineapple and citrus fruit.
However, we can’t say that every food product triggers a migraine headache. Until a migraine sufferer can pinpoint their particular causes, it is highly recommended to follow a migraine diet that effectively eliminates those foods which are associated with migraines.
Make sure your migraine diet contains sufficient protein and the right kind of fat. Protein releases energy into your body slowly, and may slow the release of sugars from high carbohydrate foods. These foods help to maintain your blood sugar levels at a steady rate, instead of quickly increasing them at an unstable rate like high carbohydrate foods.
A diet high in lean protein also helps to maintain your serotonin levels. Low serotonin levels can lead to a craving for the rush of high carbohydrate foods. Try to include eggs, olive oil, cold-water fish (salmon, cod, etc.), and flax (Flaxseed meal can replace oil in some recipes; the unprocessed oil can be used in cold dishes. Flaxseed oil should not be used in cooking) in your diet on a regular basis.
Tags: Migraine, food, migraine trigger, migraine diet
Sat, April 19, 2008 11:06 am By Chad Thomson
 Losing weight doesn’t mean that you have to starve. Having small meals at regular intervals in not only important, but also essential, in order to have an improved metabolism.
Not the first thing to take into account is that just because something claims to be “low-carb” or “diet” doesn’t mean it is also low fat. In fact, many of today’s new low-carb snacks are higher in saturated fat than their counterparts, so be very careful and read your labels. If reading labels isn’t your thing, stick to vegetables, nuts and sliced meats that are all easy, healthy low-carb snacks.
Even a bowl of cereals can be as high caloric as a full onion bagel! Make a habit of reading through all the ingredients and nutrition chart, at the back of a product. This will give you a fair idea about the food that you are eating.
Tags: Diet, snack, low fat, carb, food
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