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Can you enjoy healthy eating? Some people seem to think that healthy eating is some kind of punishment. On the contrary, it’s a pleasure!

There are so many delicious dishes that can be made with less fat and sugar. It’s a new world to discover. When I go out for dinner or cook in my own kitchen I often choose a vegetarian meal. There are lots of different ingredients to choose from and the combination possibilities are almost endless.

Sometimes I just pick a few products in the store without having any idea of what to do with them and then I surprise myself with a new tasty dish. It’s fun! Use your imagination. Eat what you enjoy and enjoy what you eat! You don’t have to exclude meat in your food, but we all need much more vegetables. We should try to see the vegetables not just as accompaniments, but as a meal in itself, with its own value.

Relax!

Try to give yourself time in the kitchen. You need to slow down and be free from stress to be able to enjoy eating. Think of your time in the kitchen as an important part of your day. Make your kitchen a place where you can relax and feel comfortable. Make it nice, put a cloth on the table and some flowers. Light candles. Many people seem to want to get out of the kitchen as soon as possible. If you feel that way, you won’t be able to enjoy your meal. Be present, focus on the meal, don’t watch TV or read any paper or magazine while you’re eating. Enjoy the food, see how it looks, feel the appetizing smell and taste of it.

Eat slowly!

When you are enjoying something you want it to last long, right? Eat slowly, take your time to enjoy every bite. Chew it well. When you eat slowly like this you will notice that your body will tell you when it’s time to finish. You will know when you are content and you can avoid eating too much. Stop eating when you feel content even if there is still food on your plate.

Make a small lifestyle change!

When you go to a restaurant next time, order something new that you haven’t tried before. Next time you go to the store, buy some low fat or light products that you haven’t tried. Find out if they really are as boring as you might think they are. Maybe you’ll be surprised. Maybe you will find new favourites and get new ideas for delicious meals to enjoy! Then you have made a small lifestyle change. And all major achievements start with the first step.

About The Author

Ingela Berger started her own Internet business Lifestyle Plans in 2003 out of a desire to inspire and encourage others to make reality of their dreams of a personal, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Ingela has studied theatre directing, acting, history of art, history of ideas, health communication and leadership psychology. After some years working with art exhibitions and the theatre she went back to college and is now a health and lifestyle consultant.

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A sugar substitute, or artificial sweetener, is a food additive which duplicates the effect of sugar or corn syrup in taste, but offers less food energy (calories). The latest dietary habits have introduced certain sweet, non-caloric substances, whose use has spread in the last few years. These sugar substitutes are considered as ideal by many people in order to control diverse metabolic disorders originated or aggravated by the ingestion of sugar, such as diabetes, obesity and arteriosclerosis. Moreover, the advantages of these substances are enormous, since they can replace sugar and quick re-absorption polysaccharides, making food more tempting without the extra calories of sugar.

The reason why the food and beverage industry is increasingly replacing sugar, or corn syrup, with artificial sweeteners in a range of products traditionally containing sugar, is actually rather simple. Although the profit margins on artificial sweeteners are extremely low for manufacturers, they still cost the food industry just a fraction of the cost of sugar and corn syrup-which once was introduced by the industry as a low-cost alternative to sugar. In the UK, for example, it is now almost impossible to find any non-cola soft drinks in supermarkets which are not sweetened with artificial sweeteners, and a variety of side foods, like ketchups, mustards and mayonnaise are artificially sweetened.

Although as early as 1969, many stories have been heard in relation to the dangers associated with sugar substitutes for the human health-particularly carcinogenic reactions-their continued use and different researches show that they are not harmful if they are consumed in the recommended doses. In fact, only in the U.S. between 2000 and 2005, a total of 3,920 products containing artificial sweeteners were launched. But the problem began in the 60’s when in certain experiments with rats the excessive dose that was issued to them daily generated neoplastic disease in their bladder of some of the second-generation rats. Even though this was an experiment and the dose issues to the rats was completely disproportionate, it was 10,000 times higher than the dose an average person would take in a year’s time, the scientific community and many of the sugar substitute consumers have been alarmed.

But regardless of the ongoing controversy over the supposed health risks of artificial sweeteners, doctors support that “nothing is completely harmless to people, but everything depends on the quantity and the sensitivity of the subject, as well as on the time period of the dose.” Thus, consumers should be informed that in the sugar market, an extremely powerful industry around the globe, economic interests are at play. Even if the results of the scientific studies are real or false, sweet food producers are always after their substitute competitors and as statistics have shown a number of health issues caused by tobacco, alcohol or sugar consumption, were attributed to market competition. Similar was the reason why the introduction of Aspartame in the U.S. was delayed for several years even though this sugar substitute is completely innocuous, since it consists of only two strictly natural amino acids.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Nutrition, World of Food, and Food Facts.

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I was driving to work the other day, enjoying my obligatory glass of morning stimulant. This morning it was a can of Red Bull, I didn’t have time to stop at Starbucks, and I noticed that the primary ingredient in Red Bull is Taurine. After hearing their commercial on the radio, I got to thinking. How exactly does Red Bull work, and does it really give you wings? Does it give you more energy? Does it make you more alert?

Well, upon inspecting the ingredients and doing some research, which wasn’t hard working as a bulk vitamin distributor, I found that the Red Bull wings reference may be more geared to mental well being than to actual body energy. At least this may be the case with Taurine. As it turns out, Taurine is an amino acid that is used in our body for a number of activities. A couple of which are to act as a neural regulator, and to protect heart function. Substantial amounts of Taurine are also found in our eyes and stomach bile. There is no doubt that Taurine is beneficial, but I could not find any data that indicated it would give you an energy boost.

After searching and searching, I realized that the “wings” reference may be geared more toward your mental state. As I indicated, Taurine acts as a neural regulator. In fact, it is one of those chemicals in our brain that is responsible for a calm positive mood. Perhaps the wings effect is referring to the fact that the Taurine in Red Bull will make you calm and clear-headed. There has certainly been data to demonstrate that Taurine is effective when dealing with stress. Another ingredient that would indicate that the “wings” tag line may refer more to your mental state is the ingredient Inositol. This is another compound that has been shown to have a positive, calming, effect on your mood.

What about an energy boost? In looking at the ingredients, Caffeine certainly jumps out as a major stimulant. Other than that, sugar is always effective at providing a good short-term energy boost. These are probably the main ingredients that will make you more “vitalized.”

So does Red Bull give you “Wings?” Well, the Taurine and Inositol in it will certainly make you feel good. It has caffeine, so there should be a small energy boost, and the other compounds listed can help with your metabolism. Overall, it should have a positive effect on your body, and at least make you feel a little calmer and more energized. As for wings, well, what would we do with them if we had them anyway?

About The Author

Barrett Niehus is a principal for IP Ware, http://www.freetrainer.com and a technical associate for Compound Solutions http://www.compoundsolutions.com in Escondido, California.

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