Ingredients
5-6 bags caffeine-free herbal tea (e.g., peach, mint, chamomile, or fruit tea)
3 quarts boiling water
Stevia powder (or liquid) to taste
Directions
Pour water over tea bags in a large pot. Add stevia while tea is hot. (Adjust amount according to the desired sweetness.)
Let the tea cool, remove tea bags, transfer tea to a serving pitcher or individual water bottles, and refrigerate.
Researchers have finally confirmed what many of us have suspected: Bacon, cheesecake, and other fattening foods can be addictive.
A new study on rats suggests that the high content of fat and calories affects the brain as cocaine and heroin. When rats eat these foods in large enough quantities, it leads to eating habits similar to drug addiction, according to Health.com.
The dopamine appears to be responsible for over eating. The happy substance secreted in to the brain by pleasurable activity, and fatty food may therefore be considered as a drug to become addicted to.
Both those who are using substances such as cocaine and who eat too much “junk food”, are gradually overloading the so-called pleasure centers of the brain, according to Paul J. Kenny, a professor at Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida.
Finally the pleasure centers “crashes”. To achieve the same pleasure – or just to feel normal – required increasing amounts of the substance or food, says Paul J. Kenny, who is lead author of the study.
The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Kenny and his collaborators studied three groups of test rats for 40 days.
One of the groups had normal rat food.
Another had bacon, sausage, cheesecake and other fattening and calorie-dense foods – but only for one hour each day.
The third group was allowed to indulging in unhealthy foods for up to 23 hours a day.
Ate more
By monitoring the implanted electrodes, brain, researchers found that rats of the third group gradually changed the tolerance for the food that gave them pleasure.
So they had to eat more to experience a high level of enjoyment.
When the researchers applied an electric shock on rats’ feet when they were located near the food, the rats in the first two groups of frightened away from eating. The overweight was not.
Their attention was only focused on the food, “says Kenny.
Previous studies on rats have shown that the brain changes when they get unlimited access to cocaine or heroin.
Heggen Eli, a physician at the Section of Preventive Cardiology at Oslo University, points out that the research is not directly transferable to humans.
This is an exciting study and in line with other research in this field, and important piece to the puzzle to obesity research.
Just as you exercise to get your body in shape, you can practice to become mentally stronger.
You can train to become mentally stronger. The key is to dare to practice what you are not so good at.
The value in training to become mentally stronger.
You get a lot back by working to take control over your own life, well being and sense of strength – in short, to break a given pattern convenience. But it is important that such training is adapted to individual needs and capabilities.
A good starting point with the mental training is to start thinking more positively about yourselves.
We have learned to focus on that something is wrong with us, for example, that we are not responsible, friendly, efficient, or social. We are our own worst critics, and this self-criticism is one of the strongest obstacles to progress. You should ask instead: What is good about me and what are mine strengths?
The benefits of better mental conditions include more energy, better emotional balance and increased ability to provide and give more of yourselves. When the psyche is in top form, you have more physically and mentally strength and energy.
Take control
When you start, you really want to try something new, both in thought and behaviour wise. Then you must be willing to practice until you master it.
If you ask people what they can do to get better, you know, they often answer: Maybe better to communicate with people, exercise more, work less or be more with the children.
Being aware of what the problem is not enough. Self understanding must also intervene in our feelings.
Try something new
If you don’t try something new, there will be no changes in your life. Many will experience that both scary and unfamiliar.
Emotion, desire and needs are important forces for change: we need to feel that we really want to make changes in our life. Mastering something new in life provides a lot of energy and feels good even if you feel a little insecure a long the way.
As an adult, you have a need to expand the repertoire.
This applies in particular to communicate with respect, set limits at work, play and have fun in your spare time. Psychological training is a growth process to reclaim your personal freedom. It’s about taking the step from thinking to train.
Learn
1. Take personal responsibility for how you have it – stop blaming others.
2. Be better to communicate and act in accordance with your own needs, feelings and opinions. Deal with reality and don’t let emotions and fantasies rule your life.
3. Be present in your own lives here and now – do not let negative thoughts about what might happend rule.
4. Communicate better with other people.
5. Dare to try new life strategies.
6. Dare to set limits for yourselves and others.
7. Develop new aspects of yourself.
8. Have close relationships with other people in a way that works for you.
9. Have a positive and realistic self-esteem.
10. Understand how to be influenced and how you are influenced by others.
All people can exercise their psyche and can become mentally stronger.
Coach Ransy
www.coachransy.com
Omega-3 fatty acids are part of a class of fats called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Unlike saturated fats that are commonly found in non-skim dairy products and beef, PUFAs have been linked to many health benefits, such as protecting your heart and your joints.
There is some evidence that suggests that omega-3s may:
Decrease the risk of heart disease. In one study, people who replaced saturated fats with PUFAs had fewer coronary events (eg, heart attacks) and fewer deaths due to heart disease. Other studies have suggested this favorable effect on heart disease may be due to the ability of omega-3s to:
Lower elevated triglyceride levels —High triglyceride levels can contribute to coronary heart disease.
Decrease the risk of arrhythmia, an abnormality in the rhythm of the heart that can sometimes be life-threatening—Note that the evidence here is contradictory, and there is even some suggestion that omega-3s could increase the risk of harmful arrhythmias in some people. Talk to your doctor before using supplements for this purpose.
Reduce the blood’s tendency to clot—Although blood clotting is a life-saving process in response to a cut or similar trauma, blood clots that occur inside intact blood vessels can contribute to the clogging that occurs with atherosclerosis. By decreasing the tendency to clot, omega-3s make blood thinner and able to flow more easily, which may decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Reduce the inflammation involved in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Improve symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders in some individuals, though the evidence is quite limited.
While many of these benefits are probably real, more research is needed to confirm some of the health effects associated with omega-3s. Omega-3s almost certainly have significant benefits on heart health. Sources of omega-3s—fish, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables—should be an important part of everyone’s diet.
Where You Can Find Omega-3s
Fatty fish is the main source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating a lot of fish also takes the place of foods rich in saturated fats. A good target for omega-3s is 1 to 2 grams daily. Remember though that some fishes contain significant amounts of mercury and may be harmful if eaten in excess.
For example, while albacore tuna is an excellent source of omega-3s, the FDA recommends eating no more than six ounces weekly because of its mercury content. King mackerel should not be eaten at all—despite being an excellent source of omega-3s. Shark and swordfish are also very high in mercury. Fortunately, most of the other fish listed below are sufficiently low in mercury that the FDA recommends up to two six ounce servings weekly while the American Heart Association suggests “at least two servings” of 6-7 ounces. Canned light tuna, crab, pollock, flounder, oysters, and shrimp are relatively low in mercury and provide quite good levels of omega-3s in a 6-7 ounce serving. Omega-3s are also found in: soybean and canola oils, flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, and leafy green vegetables.
Fish or other food source: Omega-3 content in a 4-ounce serving
Chinook salmon3.6 grams
Sockeye salmon 2.3 grams
Albacore tuna 2.6 grams
Mackerel 1.8-2.6 grams
Herring 1.2-2.7 grams
Rainbow trout 1.0 grams
Whiting 0.9 grams
King crab 0.6 grams
Shrimp 0.5 grams
Cod 0.3 grams
Tofu 0.4 grams (probably much less in ‘lite’ tofu)
Spinach 0.9 grams
English walnuts 6.8 grams
Wheat germ and oat germ 0.7 – 1.4 grams