Posts Tagged ‘diet’

Why Are Americans So Greedy?

When my Mum and Dad were on a Hawaiian cruise a few years ago they were repulsed by the amount of gluttony displayed by the American passengers. Instead of people just putting what they could eat on the plate, they cram everything on as if it were their last meal before they died. What was really disgusting was that half of it ended up being thrown out.

Why Do They Act Like This?

Why can’t they just help themselves to what they know they can eat instead of being so wasteful? Do they not have the self-control just to eat sausage and eggs one day and bacon and beans the next?

My old dog used to live for food and would sometimes escape to raid the bins behind restaurants and takeaways. She would eat so much she had to be carried home. At least she had an excuse! She was a stray found by my Gran begging for food outside a butcher shop. Even although we gave her regular meals still had the fear of not knowing when her next meal would be.

Difference Between Americans and Europeans

Although things are far from perfect here, whenever I’ve been on holiday in Europe people tend to just put on their plate what they can eat. If they are still hungry they’ll go up for seconds or even thirds (or fourths).

If white Americans are descended from Europeans why is there such a gap in attitudes to food? I know that Burger King and MacDonalds are big business here too but what I’m talking about is the “eyes bigger than your stomach” syndrome. Although I’ve seen people act like pigs at these “all you can eat” buffets, they seem to be in the minority compared to in America.

On a side note, I find it really funny how people on the cruise seemed to think that eating low-fat yoghurt, low calorie maple syrup and diet cola would somehow improve their diet. Talk about being delusional!

Question: Do all Americans act like this or is it just people on Cruise ships?

What’s all the Fuss about Artificial Ingredients?

I’ve been noticing an increase in the number of TV shows about artificial colourings, flavours and preservatives (aka E numbers) in children’s food. One show was about children going on a “War Time” diet whilst others simply were complaining about E numbers in general.

The one thing that strikes me about all of these shows is how parents want to blame everyone else for these foods except themselves. Often to demonstrate the problem they would show huge amounts of “kids” foods laid out on a table. There would be fairy cakes, sweets, jelly beans, cola, 1950s Candy and all sorts of other junk.

The parents would then be shown the foods and be told about all the bad stuff in it. I find it difficult to believe it when the parents turn round and say they didn’t realize the food is unhealthy.

C’mon, if something is fluorescent pink it’s hardly going to be healthy is it??!!

Of course it’s the supermarkets that get the blame for it all. I’m not saying that supermarkets are holier than thou but there are a lot of foods clearly marked as not having artificial additives in it too.

What ever happened to home baking?

I think back on my childhood with fond memories of baking cakes, pancakes and flapjacks. Because they were home made we had total control over the ingredients. Don’t parents bake with their children any more? Is really all too much bother? If it is I think it’s really sad.

Why is Kids Food also Junk Food?

When I was on a bus in Malta a couple of years ago I noticed an English couple with two kids. One of the children probably wasn’t even a year old yet the mother was stuffing marshmallows into its mouth. You’d think it was something healthy the way she was shoving them down, the kid didn’t even look like it wanted them.

Then my parents saw a woman feeding a baby cola from a babies bottle along with white chocolate. Wow, I suppose that’s considered a balanced diet in some parts!

Am I the only person who sees the madness? Yes, of course I think artificial ingredients should be removed from food but ultimately we all have a choice in what foods we eat. No one is forcing us to buy these unhealthy foods.  However there are those who concern themselves over such topics as how to clean your liver but then eat all the junk of the day.  There isn’t any point.

Natural Treatment For Cellulite

Okay, Okay, there isn’t a magic cure for cellulite. Cellulite being the horrible, ugly, lumpy fat deposits found on many of women’s legs, thighs and even stomachs. Most women want it gone and are willing to pay big money to try any product that claims to be the “miracle in a bottle.” The questions these ladies need to ask themselves are “Is it worth the money?” and “What really works?

The miracle in a bottle

It would be great if there was exactly that. One product that makes it all better. However, like most things dealing with our health, we will not find the cure in a magic potion. While there are several creams that claim to help with cellulite, none are proven to miraculously get rid of the appearance of cellulite.

There are some ingredients in the creams that are supposed to be the key in cellulite reduction. For instance , creams containing caffeine are said to increase blood flow. Retinol is suppose to increase collagen production, which in turn will make the skin thicker and cellulite less visible. Products with vitamins such as E and C, which are both antioxidants, may also play a key role. Exfoliating could also help by removing dry, dead layers of skin. Finally, there is DMAE, a chemical which is suppose to stimulate the muscles to contract and in turn become firmer. None of these, of course, are scientifically proven.

Diet and Exercise

Yes, that’s right. Diet and exercise are by far the most effective way to reduce cellulite. When we exercise on a regular bases, our health not only will increase but our overall appearance will improve as well. As we exercise, our muscles will begin to tone up. As that happens, the cellulite will become less noticeable. Cardio exercise will help to increase your heart rate which in turn will work to decrease our body fat. Weight training will increase muscle tone giving us an all over firm body and our muscles will in turn help burn fat.

Along with exercise is diet. When you change to a healthy, low fat diet along with exercise, you will gain energy, lose weight and decrease fat. The key to a healthy diet is limiting your fat and sugar intake. Eat more veggies, fruits and drink lots of water.

The Bad News and the Good

For the bad news. Cellulite is inherited for the most part. Meaning if our mothers or grandmothers have it, you probably will too. Your predisposition to cellulite is what will determine how noticeable it is and how difficult it is to exercise away.

The good news is that by changing a few simple things, you may be able to greatly reduce the appearance of cellulite. For example, taking a daily twenty minute walk around your neighborhood will increase your heart rate and burn calories. Drinking water will help to decrease appetite. Replacing soda, coffee, or fruit juices with water will decrease calorie intake.

Can Tea Really Help You Lose Weight?

You may already have read about tea’s ability to decrease your chance of heart disease and reduce your stress but will it help shift a few pounds? Well, there have been studies, and yes, it seems that tea can help you lose weight.

Increase Your Energy

Many people these days suffer from a lack of energy so turn to caffeine tablets and pills but a better way of increasing your energy is by drinking tea. Because tea gives you more energy there’s no excuse for not exercising which means you can burn off extra fat calories.

Tea has also been shown to increase your body’s metabolic rate so that you can burn of fat. It seems that according to studies, tea can help you burn off 80 calories a day along with exercising.

You may or may not have heard of “flavanoids”. Flavanoids work by increasing your body’s natural hormone “norepinephrine”. So how does this help you? Well, norepinephrine encourages the body’s metabolic rate for burning of the fat calories.

Fat Oxidation

Studies have also shown that if you drink between 3 and 5 cups of green tea a day an extract within the tea helps with fat oxidation speed. This was tested against a group of people who took a placebo – those folks didn’t notice any change in energy levels. Green tea is definitely a better alternative to expensive diet pills which may cause you more harm than good.

Other Health Benefits

Don’t think of tea as just being a way to lose weight. Tea also offers many other health benefits including improved immune system, helps with arthritis symptoms and may prevent cancer.

You don’t have to be a health expert to know that water is essential to a healthy lifestyle. By drinking a few cups a day you’ll be giving your body the water it needs. When buying tea however, look out for one which either is low in caffeine or is caffeine free.

Better Than “Diet Pills”

There are many problems associated with diet pills; the weight loss industry is massive so there are many unscrupulous people selling pills at over-inflated prices. Many of these products don’t contain what they say they do or only contain a very small amount. You don’t have these problems with tea because it has been tested so much and is proven to be safe. Its also a fraction of the price compared to the normal diet pill.  You might also want to add in some lemon juice as part of a lemon juice liver cleanse.

If your aim is to lose an extra few pounds, then why not try some tea? Its not expensive, it’s healthy plus it’s also very tasty. If you’re a drinker of coffee and sugary drinks then simply swap them for a cup of tea. Easy as that.