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junk food addiction According to a recent study published in the journal “Nature Neuroscience,” a high-calorie diet, including junk food, may be as addictive as drugs like nicotine or even cocaine. The study, conducted on rats, shows that overconsumption of high-calorie foods can trigger addiction-like responses in the brain, thereby turning the rats into compulsive eaters.

Decreased levels of a specific dopamine receptor : a brain chemical that allows a feeling of reward : have been found in these overweight rats, as they are found in humans with drug addictions. The research was conducted in conjunction with the announcement that obesity-related diseases cost the U.S. and estimated $150 billion each year and an estimated two-thirds of American adults and one-third of children are obese or overweight.

Researchers say that eating snack foods are okay to eat from time to time; it's when we repeatedly overindulge that the problems begin.

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sugar On average this year Americans will eat more than 140 pounds of sugar. Hard to believe? Not really when you start looking at the sugar content in some of these popular foods and drink that your dentist won't eat, and will advise you to do the same!

  • Delmonte Peach Chunks : 23 grams sugar
  • Manchu Wok Honey Garlic Chicken with fried rice : 34 grams sugar
  • Auntie Anne's Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel with sweet dip : 61 grams sugar
  • Dunkin Donuts Apple Crumb Donut with a Small coffee (cream and sugar) : 66 grams sugar
  • Starbucks Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino Blended Crème (Grande with 2%  milk and whipped cream) : 71 grams sugar
  • Baskin Robbins Oreo Layered Sundae : 146 grams sugar (Yes, you read that right! 146 grams sugar!)

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hot yoga All over the country, the temperatures in yoga classes are going up, and up, and up!  The newest fitness craze is Hot Yoga, where yoga fans are downward dogging in studios where temperatures vary from 90 degrees to 105 degrees.

While there are a number of concerns about the practice of Hot Yoga : including dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke : quite a few experts have been researching the effects that Hot Yoga has on people's bodies.

Researchers tested the core body temperature of people in a normal yoga class and then again while they were in a Hot Yoga class.  Besides sweating more (obviously) there were no other differences in the subjects' core body temperature and other variables the researchers tested.

The highest body temperature recorded in the study was 102.4 degrees, which is below the zone : 104 degrees - where heat exhaustion, fatigue and other heat-related problems begin to exist.

Subjects did say that they found the Hot Yoga classes more challenging overall, but both classes are still considered to be a form of light exercise.

While Hot Yoga did not prove to cause any heat-related conditions like heat stroke and heat exhaustion, researchers cannot stress enough the importance of staying hydrated.

You should drink lots of water before, during and after any yoga class, but especially a Hot Yoga class so that your body can better regulate your core body temperature.  Researchers also note that it can take your body anywhere from 10 to 14 days to acclimate itself to exercising in a heated condition, so be sure to monitor how you feel when participating in Hot Yoga, or any other heat-related exercise.

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outdoors mood booster Tired of your food cravings getting the best of you?  A new study shows that you can curb cravings with one simple step : mental images.  Just picture something, anything that isn't food-related : a white sandy beach, a starry sky, a beautiful mountain range, the sight of your significant other.

Studies have shown than when people have a craving for food if they picture something that makes them happy, but isn't that hot fudge sundae, that they can actually curb their cravings on their own without caving in.

Researchers suggest that by enlisting the help of your other senses and picturing some enjoyable activity that it takes the edge off their food urge.

While those studies didn't resist their cravings each and every time, it did help to prevent them from giving in each and every time.  Over time using mental images just may help to keep off those extra pounds.

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farmers market Everywhere you look these days farmers' markets are popping up, and their popularity is going up as well.  The number of farmers' markets has increased by 60 percent over the past five years and for most people farmers' markets are their sole source of obtaining fresh, local produce.

But not all farmers' markets are the same, and not all farmers' markets are offering the fresh, local produce that you are expecting.

Here are some facts about farmers' markets that you need to know before you head out to your next market.

  • There are typically two types of markets : a true farmers' market and a “farm market” where people resell produce that they purchased at a wholesale market.  At a “farm market” the produce is typically not producing locally but instead comes from faraway states or countries.  Look for “producer-only” farmers' markets to make sure that you are shopping at the real deal.  Ask the market director if you are not sure if the place you go to is “producer-only” or not.
  • Local doesn't always mean organic.  Local farmers that aren't deemed certified organic can and will use some of the same harmful pesticides that other produce chains use.  Farmers must be certified by the USDA and keep very accurate records in order to be considered organic.  Some farmers choose not to go through the lengthy certification process so they are not legally allowed to say that they are organic.  If a farmer is not certified but claims to be organic, ask them how they their weeds and insects are kept under control to determine if they conduct organic practices.
  • Food straight from the farmers' market may look so good and ripe for the eating on the spot, but you really shouldn't eat something directly at the farmers' market.  Consider all of the “dirty hands” that may have come in contact with your produce before making its way to the farmers' market shelves and bins.  Fight the urge to pop those berries or cherry tomatoes right in your mouth and be sure to wash them thoroughly before you eat them.  The best (and cheapest) way to clean any produce is by using this solution: In a spray bottle, mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, and 1 cup cold water.  Shake it well and spray it all over your produce.  Rinse your produce well after spraying and enjoy!
  • Don't be “bugged” out by the bugs on your produce at your local farmers' market.  Bugs in store-bought processed foods are definitely a bad thing, but bugs on produce at a farmers' market are actually a good thing.  Biodiversity is a practice often used on organic farms, so if you see a worm or two on your apple be grateful knowing that you are getting something that is straight off the farm and truly organic.