Category Archives: Healthy Eating

Sugar and Junk Food are similar to Abusive Drugs

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Adapted from Kris Gunnars

There are many ridiculous myths in nutrition.

The idea that losing weight is all about calories and willpower is one of the worst. The truth is… sugar and highly processed junk foods can be addictive, just like drugs.

Here are 10 ways sugar and junk food are similar to abusive drugs.

Junk Foods Flood The Brain With Dopamine

Sugar and highly processed junk foods can have the same effect as drugs of abuse.

Junk Foods Can Lead to Powerful Cravings

Woman Sneaking a Cupcake

 

Cravings for junk foods are actually very similar to cravings for drugs, cigarettes and other addictive substances. The obsessive nature and thought processes are identical.

Imaging Studies Have Shown That Junk Foods Light up the Same Brain Areas as Drugs of Abuse

Illuminated Human Brain

Using MRI, studies have shown that both food and drug cues activate the same brain regions, and that the same areas are activated when people crave either junk food or drugs.

A Tolerance to The “Rewarding” Effects Builds up

People need progressively larger and larger doses of drugs for the same effects because the brain reduces its number of receptors.

There is some evidence that the same applies to junk food. This is the reason why food addicts sometimes end up eating huge amounts in a sitting. This also implies that people who are addicted to junk food don’t necessarily get any more pleasure from eating.

Many People Binge on Junk Foods

The above tolerance is also the reason why some people binge on junk food.

Drugs That Fight Addiction Are Being Used For Weight Loss

Another argument for the addictive nature of junk food, is that the same drugs that fight addiction also tend to help people lose weight.

A good example is the drug Contrave, which recently gained FDA approval as a weight loss drug. This drug is actually a combination of two other drugs:

  • Bupropion: Also known as wellbutrin, this is an anti-depressant that has been shown to be effective against nicotine addiction.
  • Naltrexone: This is a drug often used to treat alcoholism and addiction to opiates, including morphine and heroin.

The fact that the same types of drugs can help people eat fewer calories and lose weight implies that food shares some of the same biological pathways as narcotics.

Abstaining Can Lead to Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are another key feature of addiction.

Female Dieter With Duct Tape Over Mouth

There is some evidence that this applies to junk food as well.

Rats that are made dependant on sugar experience clear withdrawal symptoms when the sugar is removed, or when they are given a drug that blocks the effects of sugar in the brain.

Junk Foods Are Seriously Harmful to Physical Health

Junk Food

Junk food makes people eat more than they’re supposed to and the ingredients in them (like the sugar and refined carbs) are strongly linked to heart disease, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

But even if people are armed with this knowledge, they still eat junk food, in excessive quantities, despite knowing better.

This is common with drugs of abuse. Addicts know that the drugs are causing them physical harm, but they take them anyway.

Food Addiction Symptoms Satisfy The Official Medical Criteria For Addiction

Young Woman Feels Bad About Eating Junk Food, Smaller

The official criteria of measuring addiction, used by medical professionals, resembles many food-related behaviors.

For example… being unable to cut back despite wanting to (ever tried to set rules about cheat meals/days?), cravings and urges to use the substance, continuing to use despite physical problems (weight gain is a physical problem).

These are classic symptoms of addiction.

Sugar is THE MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE ON EARTH. Stay away! And Stay Healthy.

 

Mindful Eating

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Discussion about healthy eating tends to focus on what we eat. Much less attention is paid to the question of how we eat it.

Yet a growing body of research suggests that changing our attitudes and practices around meals and mealtime rituals may be every bit as important as obsessing over what it is we actually put in our mouths. Mindful eating (also known as intuitive eating), a concept with its roots in Buddhist teachings, aims to reconnect us more deeply with the experience of eating — and enjoying — our food. Sometimes referred to as “the opposite of diets,” mindful eating is based on the idea that there is no right or wrong way to eat, but rather varying degrees of consciousness about what we are eating and why. The goal of mindful eating, then, is to base our meals on physical cues, such as our bodies’ hunger signals, not emotional ones — like eating for comfort.

Finding ways to slow down and eat intentionally are all a part of developing a truly healthy food culture. And some early research into mindful eating would seem to back this up. One study, for example, tracked more than 1,400 mindful eaters and showed them to have lower body weights, a greater sense of well-being, and fewer symptoms of eating disorders.

I found this illustration, which gives the principles in a very simple graphic.

How to avoid mindless eating

If we are searching through the kitchen for ‘something’ to eat, without a specific goal in mind, we’re probably not hungry, but looking for a distraction. Even after eating, there is no feeling of satiety. How do we know we’re hungry? Physical cues – stomach rumbling, beginning of hypoglycemic headache, etc. We look for a specific item, eat it, and the hunger disappears.

Eating in front of the TV is a classic example of mindless eating.

Try eating with the non-dominant hand, to bring your attention back to the activity.

Simple ways to Stay Healthy.

These are a few of my healthiest things! Foods that are good for us

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Hippocrates said ‘ Let food be thy medicine’.

He wasn’t talking of a burger. But rather, organic, fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

Lets take a look at a few foods that are good for us.

Broccoli

The “King” of health vegetables. Loaded with vitamins such as
B-6,A, folic acid, and K also full of minerals like potassium
and calcium. Broccoli, along with cauliflower and cabbage, also has unique cancer-fighting properties, activated by phytochemicals indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane.

Flaxseeds

Combine the warm nutty flavor of flaxseeds with omega-3 fatty acids and you have a health food superstar.
Sprinkle them on cereal in the morning and enjoy the healthy
benefits they provide including:

* Lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.
* May also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure.
* Keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk
of a heart attack.
Green Tea

Many studies support the benefits of adding green tea to your diet.
Some studies show it has cancer risk reducing properties, and a
potential in also decreasing incidence of stroke and heart disease.
Make it habit to switch from regular black tea to green tea.

Walnuts

Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are
the first food that the FDA allowed to make this claim
“Supportive but not conclusive research shows that
eating 1.5 oz of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat
and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric
intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Salmon

 

Salmon is another healthy food superstar because it is low in
calories, saturated fat, and is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids
and protein. Research studies have shown anti-inflammatory and
cancer prevention properties and a key role in diabetes and
Alzheimer’s prevention plus cardiovascular benefits.

Blueberries

If you are looking for an antioxidant punch look no further
then the blueberry. This fruit has the highest level of antioxidants
among fruits. Studies have shown that blueberries can help in
lowering cholesterol, reducing diabetes risk, and even slowing down
the aging process. Combine that with improving motor skills and
urinary and vision health and you have another
top 10 pick.

Spices

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce cancer
risk and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown
that cinnamon can help lower cholesterol and also stabilize blood
sugar. Ginger looks promising for cancer prevention and is
anti-inflammatory.

Pomegranate

Research on pomegranate has shown amazing health benefits including
reducing heart disease risk, lowering cholesterol and blood
pressure, and reducing the risk of certain types of cancer.

Dark Chocolate

Believe it or not dark chocolate actually makes our top 10 list
because of recent studies which show benefits to our cardiovascular
system as well as cancer-protective properties and mood-enhancing
benefits. Just remember to consume in moderation.

Be Healthy!

Why avoid store-bought salad dressings

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Salads are good for us. Actually, very good for us. But add a couple of tablespoons of store-bought dressing to a bowlful of fresh, organic ingredients, and the benefits are completely lost. Even if the bottle label says ‘Natural’ or something equally enticing.

Lets see why.

1. Pick up any salad dressing bottle and you’ll likely see canola oil, soybean oil, and/or vegetable oil as the main ingredients.  These oils are extremely processed, rich in inflammation-promoting Omega-6 fatty acids, and often contain trans fats due to how processed they are, that aren’t disclosed on the label.

“All-natural” salad dressing found in the refrigerated section aren’t much different.  You’ll still see these oils as the base of nearly all of those brands as well.  Why?  They’re cheap!

Also, don’t be fooled by labels that claim “Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil”.  Sure, they’ll point that out on the front of the label because it sounds good and leads you to believe that it’s an extra virgin olive oil based dressing.  Instead, that only means that there is at least a drop of extra virgin olive oil in the bottle, and often times that’s all it has.  Flip the label over and you’ll see the same vegetable oils listed first and extra virgin olive oil way down on the list of ingredients.  Unethical? Yes.  Healthy? No.

2. More often than not, in addition to cheap, potentially harmful oils, store bought salad dressing is  loaded with sugar.  Even worse, it often comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup (the absolute worst form of sugar available).  Just check the label.

3.  To round off the trifecta of horrid ingredients contained in traditional salad dressings we have the long list of artificial additives and preservatives that often plague these products.  If you’re looking to avoid artificial chemicals in your food, simply put, you won’t have much luck with store bought salad dressing.


Its so simple to make your own, personalised dressing with REAL extra virgin olive and vinegar, and seasonings of your choice.

Be Informed. Stay Healthy.

Top tips to manage cholesterol naturally

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A few simple lifestyle tweaks can keep the cholesterol numbers in the happy zone.

1. Fiber

Increase the intake. Beans, fruit ( not juice), vegetables, whole grains and oats. Psyllium husk and inulin supplementation if necessary.

2. Omega 3

Oily fish ( not fish cooked in oil!!!) such as salmon, mackerel, sardines thrice a week , OR omega 3 capsules as supplements.

3. Nuts

Any nuts but especially walnuts and almonds, they contain good fats. The amount contained in a closed fist. Not salted, sugared or roasted but plain, raw. Nuts are very high in calories and its easy to overdo it, so beware.

4. Olive oil and Vinegar

Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol but leave “good” (HDL) cholesterol untouched. Studies showed that apple cider vinegar can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and also help in improving insulin sensitivity. So make a simple vinaigrette and go for the salad!

4. Exercise

In addition to lowering LDL “bad” cholesterol, regular physical activity can raise HDL “good” cholesterol by up to 10%. The benefits come even with moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, at least 5 days a week.

Get a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. If you work at a desk, get up and walk around for five minutes every hour.

5. Green tea

Green tea contains compounds that can help lower LDL cholesterol. In a small study conducted in Brazil, people who took capsules containing a green tea extract were able to reduce their total cholesterol.

6. Garlic

Several studies have indicated that garlic and its constituents inhibit key enzymes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis.

7. Plant sterols or stanols

These are added to foods such as orange juice or yoghurt drinks, and are known to help maintain cholesterol balance.

8. No Smoking

Smoking lowers good – HDL cholesterol and is a known risk factor for heart disease.

9. Soy protein

25g/day of soy protein is FDA approved in lowering of cholesterol and balancing of HDl / LDL.

10. Statins

In some middle-aged men, especially smokers, with coronary artery disease or familial hypercholesterolemia, statins are an important option. They should always be supplemented with CoEnzyme Q10.

Simple ways to Stay Healthy!