The ‘No White Foods’ Diet
January 27, 2012 | 
Author 
There are many diet plans out there today, and the striking thing about a lot of them is how complex they are. Gone are the days of just counting calories. Today’s diet plans come complete with a theory, a philosophy, a comprehensive diet plan, and exercise plan, and, more than likely, products that you can buy. In a way, that’s a good thing – it means that the theories behind these diets have been well thought out, and that the diets themselves are likely to promote good health as well as weight loss. On the other hand, there are some pitfalls to having and trying to follow a complex diet plan – namely, it’s complicated and can be hard to follow!
How many of us really have time to learn a complex new way of eating? If you have to lose fifty or a hundred pounds, and your weight is severely affecting your health and wellbeing, you might be able to justify the time and expense. If it’s a matter of wanting to lose five, ten or twenty pounds, however, how likely are you to subscribe fully to a whole new way of eating? Not very likely, is the answer!
So here, then, is a quick, easy solution to your weight loss needs, if you are in need of a ‘quick’ fix that doesn’t require too much thought. Just stop eating white foods. It’s as simple as that. If it’s white, don’t eat it.
Of course, there is one notable exception you may want to make: Milk. Milk is white, and, especially if you’re a woman, pregnant, or still growing, it may be detrimental to give up milk even for a short time. So let’s modify that advice a little: no white foods that are solid. Or even, if you like, no white starches.
That’s what it really comes down to. If you do away with all the white starches – white pasta, white rice, potatoes – and replace them with whole grain choices, over time, you are almost guaranteed to lose weight. This isn’t like the Atkins plan, that asks you to give up most carbohydrates. You can still eat brown rice, for example, and whole wheat bread and pasta. The white starches are refined, and they have the highest glycemic index. That means that they might cause insulin deficiency over time – they can even lead you to develop diabetes in the long term. In the short term, these white starches cause you to pack on the pounds – especially around your belly, which is the worst possible place to carry excess weight in terms of heart health.
If you want to go a little further with this plan, and lose weight a little more quickly, try giving up another category of white foods – fats that are solid at room temperature. This means no butter or margarine (technically, butter is white, not yellow – dairy companies dye it yellow to make it more appealing!) and no cheese (most cheese is white – and giving up white cheese doesn’t mean you should bulk up on cheddar!). Cutting out these high fat foods – particularly if they happen to be an ‘issue’ for you – will let you lose weight a lot faster.
Of course, there are some white foods that are actually good for weight loss. Consider lean white chicken breast, for example, or white fish such as cod or halibut, or even egg white (the leanest part of the egg)! There is nothing much to be gained by avoiding those foods, and over the long term, you probably shouldn’t. The point of the ‘no white foods’ diet, though, is to give you a simple formula that you can apply anywhere. In a restaurant or at a special event – no problem – eat what you want, as long as it isn’t white! There are no points to count up, no rules (except that one) to remember.
And here’s the hidden benefit – if you’re not eating any white foods, it leaves more room for ‘colorful’ foods that aren’t white – vegetables, for example, particularly yellow, orange and dark green ones. These are much healthier for your heart and, indeed, your whole body than their white equivalent, potatoes and starch. Not all white foods deserve to be avoided, but the benefits of this simple and effective approach can be great nonetheless.
Tooth Stains – Top 3 Beverage Causes of Yellow, Brown and Purple Teeth
A dazzling bright smile radiates warmth and vitality. Someone with clean white teeth exudes an aura of success, vigour, happiness and intelligence. Conversely, discoloured or stained teeth give its wearer a bad impression. Did you know that your daily beverage choices may be the cause of ugly tooth stains? We look at the top 3 enemies of white teeth that are residing in your kitchen pantry.
Coffee is a daily aromatic addiction for many people. Apart from its intense flavour and aroma, the distinctive dark color is a key attribute of coffee. In fact, a 16th century German physician, Leonhard Rauwolf, famously dubbed it “a beverage as black as ink”. It should therefore come as no surprise that this dark beverage is a top enemy of white teeth. Usually drunk piping hot, aficionados sip on coffee slowly. During such leisurely interludes, your teeth are bathed in the dark beverage. Repeated over weeks and months, coffee devotees soon develop a brownish-hued coffee smile, especially on their upper front teeth.
Tea is favourite beverage for many people around the world. Steeped in hot water, tea leaves impart a slightly bitter and astringent taste to the brew. Not all teas are created equally. Where tooth staining prowess is concerned, the fermented black tea trumps the steamed green tea by a mile! The difference lies in the fermentation process , whereby enzymes oxidize the tea leaves and turn them brown. Green tea becomes as black tea after going through this process, the black tea brew is typically amber in color. It is the preferred choice in North America and most western nations. Regular sipping of the flavourful black tea allows the dark pigments to transfer onto your teeth.
Red wine — ah… that intoxicating sweetness in a bottle. Yes, this fermented grape juice has its legions of fans, who shell out top dollars for the heady pleasure it affords. Think of red wine, and it conjures images of classy dinners, glamorous functions and fun wine-tasting sessions with friends and family. But, wine-lovers know a darker side to their indulgence – purple teeth, more befitting of Count Dracula. The red dye from the grape skin color your teeth, lips, and tongue purple. The wine sugars work in concert to make the sticky mess adhere to all nooks and crannies within its contact. Obviously, this purple sight can be embarrassing in social gatherings, and models have found a device way to get around the problem. A light coat of vaseline on their teeth and lips before drinking red wine, and viola… the problem is solved! (I’m not sure how safe or practical that is for your daily tipple, though…)
Well, we’ve clued you in on the top 3 offenders, in terms of tooth-staining beverages. Are you guilty of frequent indulgences in these liquids? Well, studies have quoted some amazing health-boosting benefits of coffee, tea and red wine. And we know it’s hard to kick a dietary habit. You probably love the taste of these beverages too much to give them up, regardless of your brown, yellow, purple, multi-colored smile. Fret not, most of these tooth discolorations can be minimized and reversed through good oral hygiene practices and tooth whitening
Brush and gargle your teeth often, and reduce your consumption of these staining beverages, if you can. When the tooth stains become too obvious, and start to bother you, there are a whole host of tooth whitening options in the market. Just be careful of the hype and false promises out there, and learn to discern the lies from the facts. Your teeth are a precious asset. Take care of them well!
Vaginal Rash & Genital Warts Differences – Does Your Red, Itchy Sore Vagina Cause You Pain Also?
Is having a red rash in the vicinity of the genitals, or particularly the vagina a serious issue? In a manner of speaking, no, a vaginal rash is no different than having a rash on your face or on other body parts. Nevertheless depending on the cause of why the rash has developed could then determine seriousness. In saying this still not a time to worry till you have had your vaginal rash checked out by your doctor.
What is the difference between a vaginal rash or face rash? Simply answered, we find more women will go and seek medical advice for a facial rash before that of seeking treatment for a rash round their vagina. The primary reason why this is – is because they are embarrassed. Listen ladies the vagina is just another part of the body that a doctor will treat in great numbers on a daily basis. Your vagina is no different to any other woman`s that your GP will see. You will be doing yourself a favor to stop blushing and have yourself checked over.
A vaginal rash can affect both women and men, not vaginal for the male, but genital. We are dealing with tender and delicate skin with this issue, so it is best to treat your rash in the way you would that of facial skin (tenderly) unless suggested otherwise by your GP. A vaginal rash that has developed is not usually diagnosed as a serious issue and is more times easily and quickly rid after using appropriate treatments.
If the rash has occurred through infection then this is different matter altogether, as it will need medical attention. Infections left untreated can turn nasty, and should it be a venereal disease, even nastier. Particular VDs can cause serious health complications, even death. If you’re 100% sure that your vaginal rash has not erupted from allergic reaction or from profuse sweating, or genital skin rubbing caused by tight garments, then more the reason to talk to your GP. Vaginal infections come varied but the more types known to cause a vaginal rash are:
Yeast infections
Herpes
Genital warts
Trichomoniasis
We connect a vaginal rash more towards a yeast infection which comes about if fungus Candida is permitted to reproduce around the vagina.
Unfortunately the importance of wearing loose clothing round the genitals although pointed out on high scale as to be a major cause of vaginal rash is oft times ignored; women tend to still tighten their knickers round their crotch. Tight clothes smother the vagina, yes smother, the vagina and surrounding areas need space to breathe. When you sweat, tight cloth restricts it being absorbed to leave the genitals cool and dry, resulting in it doing the complete opposite and creates a warm moist site for yeast fungi to grow.
A regular time we see the vaginal rash happen is round the time of your periods. If you use tampons or sanitary towels and they are not removed or changed regular then a vaginal rash can occur. Your toilet habits may need changing too. Old habits die hard but where your health is concerned they need to be deadened pronto and new habits practiced. When you use the loo for bowel movement you need to clean from the vagina towards the anus. Clean thoroughly after weeing, not only because stale pee can be smelly but because the acidic effect in urine can cause irritation and skin rawness. This makes sense as you only have to think babies and nappy rash. Drying the genital area after washing is vitally important to prevent vaginal rash.
Rashes are common symptoms related to STDs (genital warts or herpes.) If you already have a rash round the vagina, try adding salt and vinegar to bath water. If you shower then do this using a basin and apply the solution by hand. Yeast infection is widely found in the armpits and between the toes as well as other body parts. Yeast fungus namely Candida can also infect the mouth, fingers, skin and throat. Candida albicans has been determined for the cause of vaginitis in some cases.
Symptoms of a yeast infection may include
burning
Stinging when weeing
sexual intercourse discomfort
vaginal odor (not unpleasant)
irritation
Vulva/vagina itchiness
Pain urinating
Redness and swelling
Home treatments for particular vaginal infections may include nonprescription vaginal creams or suppositories. Fluconazole (Diflucan) tablets are effective for vaginal yeast infections, however can only be got via prescription.
Genital herpes cannot be ruled out if you have vaginal rash. It is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is sexually transmitted and is recognized through blisters and sores. HSV even though treated stays dormant in the body for life. Genital herpes cannot be rid completely.
Genital warts another condition affecting both men and women. They are caused by various types of human papillomavirus. HPV commonly affects the cervix, vagina, vulva, and anus. In men the penis is affected, the scrotum and anus. Main symptoms of genital warts are lumps which appear pinkish/white in color, or they can be larger and shaped like a cauliflower. To help keep vaginal infections away there are many things you can do and one of those is to turn to yogurt, yes you heard right, yogurt.
1 Replace sugar with yogurt. Yogurt contains good bacteria called acidophilus. Sugar promotes the type of bacteria that the yogurt bacteria attempt to destroy.
2 Infections can come about from sweat and oil build up, and by just merely bathing regular and keeping vaginal hygiene at its best can prevent sweat and body oils causing you problems. Do not douche as it is too harsh of a cleansing process, Douching may well remove bad bacteria, but at the same time takes good bacteria too. Inflammation is drawn to douching (vaginitis). Use a clean cloth and unscented soap to wash the inside of your vagina.
3 Using condoms helps keep the vagina clean and also protects against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
4 Wear cotton garments around the genitals.
5 Remove tampons at the time of menstruation regular. Aside from smell leaving tampons or forgetting about them can cause toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome symptoms include rapid high fever, faintness, and loose diarrhea, headache, and muscle pain, however not a common condition, but one that has to be taken very seriously if it were to occur.
6 Soap can cause vaginal dryness. Warm water is enough to stay clean and fresh.
Personal hygiene is a beneficial feature that the body needs to stay in a healthy condition. A vaginal rash can cause discomfort if clothing comes in close contact with the infected area because the skin is sore and tender, and in some cases of severe vaginal rash it can appear red and angry looking.
If you don’t get your vaginal rash examined by a doctor, and make the decision to treat the problem yourself with over-the-counter medications or natural remedies, you should be aware that potential problems can happen from this. You need certainty of your health issue because while you may treating a yeast infection, in reality your vaginal rash may be as a result of something else, so therefore a correct diagnosis will keep you safe.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Halloween is upon us and with that comes pumpkins and with pumpkins comes roasted pumpkin seeds! So, how do you roast pumpkin seeds and make them taste great?
Besides giving you a basic recipe, I’ll also give you some great tips to guarantee a flavorful and healthy treat. Kids like them too!
Basic Recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
What you’ll need:
- seeds from a recently carved pumpkin
- 1 Tbsp. of butter (melted)
- Salt or Garlic salt to taste
Easy as 1-2-3…
Once you’ve carved your pumpkins, don’t throw the gook away that you pull out of them. Separate the seeds from the pulp and set aside. Rinse the seeds in a colander and spread out on a flat surface to dry for 24 hours.
Tip: Drying the seeds overnight helps with the roasting. For some reason, I’ve found that the pumpkin seeds just roast better when they’ve been thoroughly dried. Also, drying the seeds help you to separate out any remaining pulp. At this point, it’s easy to do.
Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F.
Put your dried seeds in a bowl and pour the melted butter over them. Mix thoroughly. Salt the seeds to taste.
Now, take the seeds and spread them out on a cookie sheet, one layer thick. Place the pumpkin seeds in the oven and roast them for 45 minutes or until they turn golden brown and are crunchy.
Let the seeds cool for at least five minutes before you start nibbling. Then, put them in your scariest Halloween bowl and let the goblins munch. They will be gone before you know it. And if you do have left overs, simply store them in an airtight container.
Some additional things to do with roasted pumpkin seeds:
- Use them as a salad topping.
- Do you like peanut brittle? Try substituting roasted pumpkin seeds for the peanuts in your favorite brittle recipe.
- Instead of using salt, try using a sugar-cinnamon mixture to toss them with. They make a sweet treat!
Enjoy and have a happy and safe Halloween!
Mustard for Health – Speed Up Your Metabolism and Improve Digestion
Mustard is known to be very helpful for digestion, and can help to speed up your metabolism.
Mustard produces such a tiny seed yet it yields many health benefits. Mustard is one of the most popular spices in the entire world and is used in every country as a favorite spice. Part of the cabbage family, mustard can be used in its whole seed form, as a ground powder or combined with wine, vinegar or some other liquid to create a loose paste.
There are three varieties of mustard: black, brown and white. The mustard plant grows to be quite tall and has a bright yellow flower.
It was imported to US through Spanish missionaries and seen as a cure-all. Its sharp and bitter taste, especially mixes into paste with vinegars, gave off a medicinal fume long before its health benefits were discovered.
Better than a Vitamin
Mustard seeds are a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, protein, selenium and zinc. Selenium is a nutrient that has been shown to help reduce asthma, arthritis and certain cancers. Magnesium also reduces asthma and lowers blood pressure. The effects of mustard are currently being studied for menopausal women and on migraine attacks.
Other Healthy Benefits
Just a few of mustard’s possible healthy benefits include:
Speeds up metabolism
Stimulates digestion, increasing saliva as much as eight times more than normal
Inhibits cancer cell growth and possibly prevents other types of cancer as well
Treatment of skin diseases through the application of sulfur found in mustard
Reduces in the severity of asthma
Decreases symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Lowering of high blood pressure
Prevention of migraines
Facilitation of gastric juices which aids digestive problems and gives digestive aid
Soothing of sore throats, bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia
Disinfectant qualities it provides
Additionally it has four powerful qualities: it is antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory properties.
How to Add Mustard to Your Diet
Mustard is for more than just hot dogs at the ballpark. Whether in ground powder form, seed form or out of the bottle, there are multiple ways to include mustard into your diet to reap its benefits. And since its pungent, tangy taste enhances food so uniquely, it can easily replace fattier condiment options such as mayonnaise, butters and sugary catsups.
Mustard is often used in Indian, French, German and Irish foods. But there are many more options as well.
Include powdered mustards in salad dressings, egg dishes, pickles, marinades and vinaigrettes.
Sprinkle whole mustard seeds on salads, over vegetables and rice and on roasting meats. Try roasting them first in a dry skillet for a nuttier taste.
Mustard paste is useful. Bottled mustard can be rubbed on meats before roasting. Try dipping cut vegetables in a mustard sauce for a unique, flavorful dip. Mustard paste can easily be added to mayonnaises, vinaigrettes, marinades and barbeque sauces.
Mustard is so versatile; you will find many exciting and new ways to use this old standby.
The Ideal Diet for Hypothyroidism
If you have hypothyroidism is very important to know that the type of diet you follow can help you reduce your symptoms, and at the same time help you control your weight. Weight gain goes hand in hand with hypothyroidism and to some people it gets rather difficult to lose weight with this condition.
There are key nutrients and foods that a diet for hypothyroid should include. On the other hand, there are certain foods that should be avoided.
What Your Diet Should Have
A healthy diet for someone with hypothyroidism would include whole grains, natural foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables and a good supply of seafood and other lean protein. You should cut back on fatty meats. A multivitamin is probably a good idea if you don’t already take one.
An Important Mineral
Selenium may be the most important nutrient in a diet for hypothyroid.
Why?
This trace mineral is an antioxidant and is essential for converting the thyroid hormone your body produces, T4, into its active form, T3. Brazil nuts are an incredibly good source of selenium, but you can also get it from some lean meats.
Fiber is Key to Control Your Weight
Another tactic that will be very helpful for you if you’re trying to lose weight is eating more fiber. Fiber makes you feel full and can help you lose weight, in addition to being helpful for constipation, another side effect of hypothyroidism.
You can ingest your fiber in pill form or through one of those over-the-counter fiber concoctions, but it is so much better if you get your fiber from actual foods, like beans, rice and other grains, whole wheat and oatmeal.
Strive for whole grains, also known as complex carbohydrates, over refined grains (things made with white flour or sugar). They’re better for you, help maintain your blood sugar stable and will make you feel fuller.
Alcohol should also be avoided because it can cause blood sugar fluctuations.
A Diet With More Meals
Ideally, a diet for low thyroid function will include small meals spread out through the day rather than three big meals. If you eat five or six small meals it will help balance the slow metabolism that is part of hypothyroidism. Just remember, keep these meals around 300 calories each, and include exercise if you want to lose weight, too.
Some doctors recommend the Zone diet to those with hypothyroid. The why behind the system is somewhat complicated, but it has to do with balancing out your insulin reaction to food, limiting the spikes and crashes you probably feel right now. Carbs are a big part of this diet, particularly those refined grains we were just talking about.
The diet calls for drinking lots of water (a good idea for anyone), eating more fruit and vegetables and less pasta, bread and starches, and a small amount of lean protein through the day. Most of your carbs should come from fruit and vegetables, with other starches used sparingly. You also should not go more than five hours between meals.
Red Light Foods
As we were saying before, your diet should not include certain foods. Some vegetables, fruits and grains can depress the function of your thyroid gland. To learn about these foods visit diet for hypothyroid.
How to Cook Shoyu Chicken – The Hawaiian Treat
Last year, my husband and I took a dream vacation to Hawaii. We got to tour most of the islands and saw all sides of Hawaii, from Honolulu and the glitzy beach resorts to little towns well off the main tourist track.
Everywhere we went, we could count on finding an ubiquitous dish called shoyu chicken. Sometimes it came served with exotic garnishes, usually in the fancier restaurants, and sometimes it came straight out of the cooker and served on paper plates from some roadside stand, but it was always delicious.
When we got home, I knew I had to try cooking some shoyu in my own kitchen.
There must be thousands of different recipes for this dish. The differences are mainly in the ingredients for the sauce, but even the chicken itself can be cooked any way you like, from boiling in a pot to baking in the oven to grilling on the barbecue.
No matter the recipe, one ingredient you’ll always find is soy sauce. That’s because that’s what shoyu means–soy sauce. If you want, you can just call this dish soy sauce chicken. But I prefer to use the word “shoyu” in tribute to its native home in Hawaii.
If you would like to cook shoyu chicken, why not go all the way and make it the food centerpiece of a Hawaiian-themed party? Break out the leis, put on some ukulele or Don Ho music, and have some tropical fun.
This shoyu chicken recipe serves 12 people. If you want to make it just for your family instead of for a party, cut back the recipe portions accordingly.
Ingredients
12 pounds of chicken thighs
3 cups brown sugar
4 cups soy sauce
4 cans chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups pineapple juice
1 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
chopped green onion tops
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 cans pineapple rings
Directions
1. Wash and drain the chicken thighs.
2. Combine the sauce ingredients (everything listed above except the pineapple rings).
3. Combine the chicken and the sauce in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cooking 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
4. Place chicken thighs on serving platter; decorate with pineapple rings and serve.
Mood Control – Food, Neurotransmitters And Reclaiming Your Calm
You and I know that we can’t always control what happens in our lives, but we can control how we respond to them. What happens however when your having a bad week, your peri-menopausal or pre-menstrual? Well science might have an answer.
Let me introduce you to the world of brain chemistry and a powerful group of natural chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. The communication network in your brain is a multi-trillion maze of connections capable of performing 20 million-billion calculations per second. Yes, I did say 20 billion!
How does this intricate network operate? Well there are three major players:
Neurons, which power the message,
Neurotransmitters, which create the message and
Receptors, which receive the message.
In simple words, a neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger released from one nerve cell which finds its way to another nerve cell where it influences a particular chemical reaction to occur. Neurotransmitters control major body functions including movement, emotional response, and our physical ability to experience pleasure and pain.
Neurotransmitters also set in motion specific functions within our body and our nervous system. These transmitters can create and control a range of feelings, moods and even thoughts – everything from depression, anxiety and addiction, to feelings of self-confidence, to high or low self-esteem, the competitive spirit and can even affect our deep sleep.
A neurotransmitter imbalance can cause Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, irritable bowel, hormone dysfunction, eating disorders, Fibromyalgia, obsessions, compulsions, adrenal dysfunction, chronic pain, migraine headaches, and even early death. Scientific and medical research indicates that our brains use more than 35 different neurotransmitters, some of these we can control and some we can’t.
It appears, however, that we can control five of the major neurotransmitters with exercise and nutrition, and with our thoughts and behaviours.
Most neurotransmitters are made from amino acids obtained from the protein in food you consume. Two of the most important neurotransmitters are serotonin and dopamine, sometimes called the ‘happy’ drugs. They seem to play a leading role in determining our moods and thoughts.
Dopamine, fuel for enthusiasm and motivation
The brain uses dopamine to stimulate arousal, alertness, awareness and our competitive spirit (a form of mild aggression). Dopamine is also essential for coordinated muscle movement.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter needed for healthy assertiveness and sexual arousal, proper immune and autonomic nervous system function. Dopamine is important for motivation and a sense of readiness to meet life’s challenges.
One of the most vulnerable key neurotransmitters, dopamine levels are depleted by stress or poor sleep. Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar also seem to diminish dopamine activity in the brain. It’s easily oxidized, therefore we need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables whose antioxidants help protect dopamine-using neurons from free radical damage.
Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine. Once produced, dopamine can, in turn, convert into the brain chemicals norepinephrine and epinephrine.
Low levels of dopamine can cause depression, a lack of energy, an excessive need for sleep, and can even make you withdraw from everyday events, such as going to work or wanting to be with people.
Dopamine is a building block for the production of adrenaline, which stimulates us into action if we are frightened or anxious. These natural drugs are also necessary for us to be competitive, especially in highly- competitive sports, business and corporate life.
Boost your alertness with protein. Without going into the detailed chemistry of the brain, small amounts (100-to-150 grams) of protein-rich food will elevate dopamine levels and have significant effects on your moods and brain functions. The effects can be felt within 10-to-30 minutes. Protein foods are broken down into their amino acid building blocks during digestion. One amino acid, called tyrosine, will increase the production of dopamine, nor epinephrine and epinephrine. These neurotransmitters are known for their ability to increase levels of alertness and energy. No one eats pure tyrosine, but eating foods high in protein will give you a slight mental boost. High protein foods include fish, poultry, meat, and eggs. If you can’t eat those, try high protein foods that also contain significant amount of carbohydrates, such as legumes, cheese, milk, or tofu.
Many of us eat a high carbohydrate breakfast as cereals have become the common form of morning meal. One of my friends is a highly respected bio-pharmacist and it is his opinion that breakfast is the time of day for eating a high protein meal.
Serotonin, reclaiming your calm
Serotonin is the calming neurotransmitter important to the maintenance of good mood, feelings of contentment and is responsible for normal sleep. In addition to the central nervous system, serotonin is also found in the walls of the intestine (the enteric nervous system) and in platelet cells that promote blood clotting.
Serotonin plays an important role in regulating memory, learning, and blood pressure, as well as appetite and body temperature. Low serotonin levels produce insomnia and depression, aggressive behavior, increased sensitivity to pain, and is associated with obsessive-compulsive eating disorders.
This neurotransmitter also helps the brain focus, heightening your concentration levels.
Low levels of serotonin can create anxiety, a feeling of insecurity, anger, fear, depression, and can even induce suicidal thoughts. Now have you ever wondered why you eat more in winter? It has a lot to do with your level of serotonin, or your lack of it and a condition called appropriately enough S.A.D. or Seasonal Affected Disorder.
With the lack of sunlight in winter, the body produces higher levels of a hormone called melatonin, which consumes your serotonin. Research has shown that when this happens, the body craves carbohydrates, which produce serotonin and makes us feel good. This is when we crave those comfort foods such as biscuits, pizza or chocolate!
Eating carbohydrates will trigger the release of insulin into the blood stream. Insulin goes about clearing all the amino acids out of the blood, with the exception of tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that normally gets crowded out by other amino acids in its attempt to cross the blood brain barrier, but when its competitors are out of the way, it enters the brain. Once in the brain, the tryptophan is converted to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has the effect of reducing pain, decreasing appetite, and producing a sense of calm, and in too large a quantity, inducing sleep. Research has shown that dieters tend to become depressed about two weeks into a diet, about the time their serotonin levels have dropped due to decreased carbohydrate intake.
In summer sunlight reduces your production of melatonin, the serotonin eater and therefore it is easier to diet in summer. Summer makes us feel great and this theory could explain why people head for the sun during winter.
This gave me a clue as to why I became a carbohydrate addict – the more carbohydrates I ate the more serotonin I produced and like any drug addict I craved more and more carbs to get a higher and higher kick of the ‘feel goods’. The result was that I became fat, even though I went to the gym four or five times a week! My energy levels dropped, I was constantly tired and became extremely difficult to live with. I didn’t want to go to the gym. I was overdosing on carbohydrates which leads to a another hormonal disorder called insulin resistance.
Serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan in the presence of adequate vitamins B1, B3, B6, and folic acid. The best food sources of tryptophan include brown rice, cottage cheese, meat, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Choline is another B complex vitamin that that is concentrated in high cholesterol foods like eggs and liver. A lack of choline can cause impairment of memory and concentration. Choline is a precursor to the brain neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is linked to memory. People given drugs that block acetylcholine flunk memory tests. Low levels of acetylcholine have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and poor memory. What a good excuse to put eggs back on your diet plan!
How You Can Control the Natural ‘happy drugs’.
Being balanced is the answer, not too much or too little of anything. Excessive protein or carbohydrates over time will eventually have side effects that will affect how you feel and behave at work and at home.
Eating certain food and exercising at the right level, at the right time for your lifestyle is a keystone to controlling your moods and generating feelings of happiness and relaxation.
If you are a professional athlete, you require a different approach to control your neurotransmitters to a teacher, a taxi driver or a CEO. Also, every person’s body chemistry is different and needs to be taken into account. I recommend you consult a nutritionist who understands how food and neurotransmitters work to meet your health needs and lifestyle.
There’s a lot more to brain chemistry, mood control and peak performance, but that’s food for another article.
QUICK TIP
Small amounts (100-to-150g) of protein-rich food will elevate dopamine levels and have significant effects on your moods and brain functions. That’s why many nutritionists recommend a little protein with your breakfast. It boosts your energy and gives you that rush to seize the day.
A List of Ways to Control Neurotransmitters
Some proteins that affect dopamine levels are:
Fish such as salmon, unprocessed tuna, and flounder.Chicken without the skin, eggs and turkey.Small amounts of red meat.Beans, such chickpeas and lentils.
Aerobic exercise and dopamine levels
If you need to temporarily reduce your levels of dopamine to relax, non-competitive (why non-competitive? competition raises levels of dopamine) aerobic exercise could help such as:
Running and walking for effective health benefits.
Skipping.
Rowing at the gym.
Vigorous cycling at the gym or on a home exercise bike.
Some carbohydrates that affect serotonin levels
Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, and corn.Good quality breads, pasta and bagels.Vegetables such as potatoes and squash.Simple sugar.
Exercise and serotonin
To control the Serotonin you need less vigorous exercise such as:
Strolling in the park or along your favourite beach.
Gentle cycling along a river bank or flat bike paths.
Stretching exercises.
Gentle Yoga.
Reading.
Listening to music.
Meditation and even prayer (The best type of prayer to control serotonin levels is a prayer of gratitude).
What Foods Can I Eat To Reduce My Acne?
What you eat can affect your acne breakouts. It’s no secret that good nutrition is an important factor in getting rid of your acne once and for all. Yet many people who suffer from acne don’t actually know how they can improve their diet, which will in turn improve their skin. They don’t know which types of food helps, or doesn’t help.
So this is what I’m going to address in this article.
Let’s get started:
Something you may not have known is that foods fall into two categories. There’s the alkaline-forming foods which are good for having a clearer complexion, and then there’s the acid-forming foods which aren’t so helpful for your skin.
The kind of alkaline foods that will help your skin are things like fruit and vegetables. These foods are easy for your body to process, which means there’s less toxins in your system. With acid foods (things like meats, fried food, cheese, milk etc), it’s harder for your body to process them. This means that there are toxins in your body for longer.
So eating healthier foods will help keep your skin cleaner. But that isn’t to say you can’t ever eat the fatty foods, or the carbohydrates like rice and pasta. Although these things can take longer for your body to process, which means there’s more toxins in your system, it’s fine in moderation.
But if you live on these kinds of foods, you may want to rethink your diet. Especially if having clear skin is important to you.
A few other foods to avoid are foods that contain a lot of sugar or a lot of yeast. Again, these are fine in moderation, but if you eat these foods too often, it can make your nutrition unbalanced.
Also, it goes without saying that you should drink plenty of water. Why? Because water helps to flush out the toxins in your body which would otherwise seek an outlet through your skin.
By drinking more water, you can keep your body clear of toxin build-up. And this will help keep your skin healthier.
Can Sugar Cause Acid Reflux?
One of the main causes of acid reflux is sugar as well as spicy foods, vitamins and tomato based products just to name a few. If you have too much of sugar consumption in your diet and have bad eating habits this will only cause your body to make an unnecessary amount of acid in the body.
Sugar acid reflux is also caused when the body is not able to use up the all the sugar that you took in. When this happens it is converted into cholesterol so that the level of sugar in the blood gets reduced to a proper amount. One of the many foods that cause acid reflux is chocolate as well as any foods that have high content of fat. One way to control it is to eliminate high fat content foods as well as high caloric foods such as chocolates. This will help your body in eliminating the symptoms of acid reflux.
Sugar acid reflux can be a very painful condition. Drinking soft drinks or these new energy drinks that are out there can only increase your chances for contracting it. By drinking sodas like Coke, Pepsi or a high sugar energy drink would compound the problem as the carbonation will irritate the stomach. The body than tries to cure the irritation by adding antacid from the blood that in turn will lead to low calcium which is then taken from the bones in your body.
All these things can cause acid reflux and it gets gloomier when you take into account the high amount of sugar contained in these soft drinks. This sugar enters into the bloodstream in unnecessary amounts and it causes the pancreas to work overtime. When this happens it pumps out insulin thus lowering the testosterone in the bloodstream. This is a pretty bad picture that should be enough of a warning to let you know how bad sugar acid reflux can get.
Can Artificial Sweeteners Replace Sugar to stop Acid Reflux?
Even though sugar is very bad for acid reflux and you should not want to compound the mistake of replacing the consumption of regular sugar with artificial sweeteners. These artificial sweeteners can be much worse and end up destroying both your kidneys and liver. These artificial sweeteners will also cause disruption of the body’s normal metabolism that will get in the way your body from receiving the proper nutrition from the food you eat.
In conclusion, a good way of avoiding sugar acid reflux is to stop eating chocolates and soda as well as tea, coffee and energy drinks. You should also try and cut down on the amount of artificial sweeteners because they can also contribute to it.