Facts About Junk Food Addiction

Cocaine, Heroin, Hershey's, Fritos-what do all of these substances have in common? Recent studies suggest that junk food has some of same addictive properties as hard drugs like cocaine and heroin as they stimulate the brain in a similar fashion in terms of satisfaction and the need for another 'fix'.

Sugar, salt, and fat seem to be the dangerous ingredients finding their way to the brain's pleasure centre, hitting what's known as the bliss point causing the brain to feel rewarded, but only for a short period of time before requiring a secondary dose of the source, and as this cycle progresses the need for the substance becomes greater, more frequent, and in higher doses to get the same pleasurable feeling. This drives craving and addictive behaviour, and in turn, increased consumption of these junk foods. The corporations responsible for the production of these foods have it down to a science-neuroscience. They have manipulated the levels of sugar, salt, and fats in such a way to cause that 'high' that consumers have come to expect when enjoying their favourite snacks.

Why sugar? As mentioned, sugar drives the brain to reach its bliss point, resulting in the euphoric spike and quick decline of satisfaction working the craving/response cycle.

The fat? The pleasure derived from the fat is known in the industry as the 'mouth feel'. The tactile sensation of something crispy or gooey for example that triggers a similar response to sugar in the pleasure centre.

And the Salt? Salt is mostly about flavour and increased shelf life. It's about that overwhelming burst of satisfying salty flavour that drives the brain to crave more. We have all heard the saying from the popular chip brand Lay's that state "Bet you can't eat just one". Lay's and other similar companies bank on this bet and have used just the right combination of the sugar, salt, fat, and other natural and artificial flavour enhancers to ensure repeat customers.

While the brain is manipulated internally, we are also sold on these products before they even entre our bodies. Mass marketing has been done to ensure our subconscious is continually blasted with media such as print ads and commercials, jingles, and slogans that keep them top of mind when reaching for our next movie snack or work break fix. Their packaging is also done to appeal to the eye with bright colours and wording that gets them from the shelves to our carts without even really wanting them!

First world countries, while have both the knowledge on why these products are unhealthy and the access to whole foods and healthy alternatives, continue to select over-processed, engineered, high-calorie, low-nutritional value foods. Why? Because it's become an addiction. The conglomerates have used the above methods to get us hooked on these foods much like the cigarette companies have continued to keep millions smoking when the risks have been presented to the buyer right on the packaging! Just saying 'No' may no longer be the issue, nor a lack of will power either.

Junk Food Addiction has led to some morbid obesity in the US & Canada and it's time for a change. Challenge yourself to spend 90% of your family food budget on whole foods and only 10% on processed, packaged foods. This simple change can alter your diet and health tenfold! Shake excess weight not only with diet, but add exercise, and increase hydration to see best results. Help fight against junk food addiction and tell corporations such as Lay's that "Yes we can eat just one, only we choose to eat none".

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1. Junk Food
2. Facts about junk food addiction

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Elements of The Best Workout For Women

There are a few things that have been proven true in regards to health and fitness. One is eating well is an absolute must, and the second is that if you work out often, you will lose weight. The two go hand in hand very well and the results that you want are waiting for you if you simply adhere to the two sided coin mentioned here. When it comes to finding the best workout for women, you'll need to explore certain elements. There are some familiar elements that are true about the best options, and if they aren't found in the routine that you want to get into, than you might miss out on something grand. It's for that reason that the following notes on the matter are so important. Remember, to keep the following in mind when looking for the best fit for your needs.

Natural Progression

When you first start on any exercise plan, you don't want to be at an expert level. For instance, if you were a runner, you wouldn't begin your runs with marathons. You would start with walking, then jogging, and eventually a bit more, and more until you're ready to take on longer options. The same can be said about workouts that are being marketed for women's health. Make sure that there's a natural progression and that you're not just doing the same thing over and over again, without changes. The body is a machine and often times when it knows routine, it will stop showcasing results. Changing things up from time to time is crucial, and that should be evident in what you're subscribing to for daily life.

Resistance Training

This is often times met with disdain, but it's absolutely a good thing for women of all body types. Resistance training does not mean that you're going to be a body builder, but rather that you will be utilizing weight lifting in a way that will help the body become leaner and more sculpted. Often time's women think that the idea of "weight gain" means fat cells and deposits. That's not true, sometimes it is a matter of fat weighing less than muscle, so the scale may say 120 pounds, but if you're lean and muscular, the numbers won't matter, will they?

Proven Results

The #1 thing to look for when trying to subscribe to the best workout for women, is simple, does it work? Look online and ask around to see if there are proven results and reviews about anything that you want to do. Whether you want to work on endurance, core training, or just about any type of exercise today, make certain that the results speak for themselves. If there is no review or any opinion written about it, you may find that it's not worth your time.

The above tips are to help you decide what the right path of weight loss is for you. There are a lot of ways to get there, which is why the aforementioned is crucial in your search. Not only will it narrow down the field, it will help in the long term as well.

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Weight Loss Smoothie Fast: A Guide for Beginners

A smoothie fast is both a convenient way to eat healthy and an efficient method to supply your body with essential vitamins, minerals and other much-needed nutrients. It also offers a variety of health benefits like weight loss, detox and energy boost - no wonder why thousands of people are crazy about green smoothies. So think about this: if you already started with going raw for a weight loss diet consuming just fresh fruits and vegetables, just throw the produce into a good blender and you've got yourself a delicious, healthy glass of smoothie. Easy, right?

Here are a few beginner tips for going through your first smoothie fast:

Preparation

Whether you're going through a smoothie fast for weight loss or for detox, one important thing to remember is to ease into it. Your body needs to prepare and adjust to a new diet before it can respond to it. Start by drinking a glass or two of green smoothies per day along with your regular meals. Then lessen your intake of solid foods by replacing one meal a day with smoothies until you can replace all three meals with just smoothies.

Duration

There isn't actually a number of days set in stone for beginners, but most smoothie fast first-timers go for 3 days. The first 72 hours will help you get a grasp of the diet and find out how it affects your body so you can better prepare and adjust for your next one. According to online dietician and nutrition consultant Priya Kathpal, anyone who is trying to lose weight and has no serious medical conditions can follow the diet, provided they do it with caution.

Some people do a smoothie fast between 3 days to 1 week, 4 times a year (per season) for maintenance. Others do longer smoothie fasts. You can do longer than 3 days once you and your body have adjusted to the all-liquid diet to avoid heath problems. It is also highly important that you seek the advice of your doctor before going through a smoothie fast.

Fruits and Vegetables

As much as possible, use organic fruits and vegetables to get the most out of them. Produce that have been grown traditionally have more toxins in them because of pesticide use. Start with simple, basic recipes with produce that are easily available on the market.

So the next time you go the grocery store or market, head straight to the fruits and vegetable section and start making green smoothies for a healthier body.

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