Everyone gets a food craving here and there and not because we’re hungry but because we just want to eat. This can be because we’re bored which is why I normally have cravings or you may have seen someone eating a certain food and it looked good to you (another one of my problems). It’s normal to have cravings like this from time to time but there is such a thing as food addiction. It may sound unusual but it really is true. How would you know if you’re a food addict? Sometimes it’s not easy to know. There may be certain things that cloud your awareness of food addiction like depression. Most people who do have a food addiction do know and if they don’t, they’re midsection would tell them.

There are foods that are addictive too! Here’s a list of some of them.

Caffeine

Everyone knows this one. You would especially know if you’re a coffee drinker. Some coffee drinkers get shaky in the morning if they don’t have their coffee. Can this be bad for you? It would depend on how much coffee you really drink. If you drink just a few cups a day, you’re fine but if you’re drinking several pots of coffee a day, then there’s a problem. Even though caffeine is addictive, you can control how much you drink during the day. If you can’t control your consumption at all, you might want to work on avoiding caffeine all together.

Sugar

Sugar is addictive. It gives you that small blast of energy that makes it addictive. People who are addicted to sugar feel cranky, tired and just worn out if they haven’t had their sugar. Sugar is also really hard to avoid because it’s in a lot of the foods and beverages we consume. If you’re not keen on reading the label on all your grocery products, just cut out the candy and obvious foods loaded with sugar to lower your consumption. This includes sugary pop or soda. They’re loaded with sugar!

Carbohydrates

Everyone has heard of the Atkins diet right? This is the diet where you avoid any and all carbohydrates. You want to keep in mind though that all carbs are not bad. The bad carbs are the sugar ones. This is what you want to watch out for at the grocery store. Read the label and avoid the ones that have a sugar content greater than 2 or 3 grams a serving. You’ll be amazed at how much weight you’ll lose if you do this.

When it comes to addictions, many of us aren’t strong enough to kick it. If you know you have an addiction and you can’t control it, seek the help of a doctor. Don’t be ashamed of an addiction. First know you have one and then work on controlling it. A food addiction is common but it is an addiction you can overcome.

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You may have been hearing a lot lately about the raw food diet but it’s actually been around since around 1900. Only recently though has it gained a lot of attention. Many people are praising the benefits of the raw food diet.

People who eat raw foods claim it’s the most sensible diet for everyone. They claim raw food has enzymes and microorganisms that are good for you which you can’t find in cooked foods. They also say the nutrients are higher in raw foods.

When it comes to a raw food diet, there are several. There’s raw foodism which refers to all foods, none are left out. There’s also raw vegans who only eat fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, etc. Then there’s the primal diet that has fatty meats, dairy and vegetable. They do all have one thing in common though, they all require at least 75% of the foods eaten raw. The food can also be warmed to no more than 105 degrees before consumption.

Benefits of the Raw Food Diet

One of the greatest things about the raw food diet is the weight loss. Most raw food eaters consume only plant foods which contain fewer calories. It’s also very low in fat. Watch out for seeds and nuts though. They do contain a higher amount of fat so you should limit your consumption to a handful a day. A lot of raw foods also help you burn off calories faster which is a great metabolism booster.

People on the raw food diet also say they have more energy. It’s not totally known why this is but it’s been said that raw foods metabolize easier than cooked foods. Raw foods also don’t have refined sugar which gives you that temporary high and then leaves us drained. Sugars are the number one poison for our body.

You’ll also find better digestion when on the raw food diet. This is because of the enzymes found in raw foods. Enzymes help produce less acid in the stomach which reduces some of those not so fun effects that come along with digesting food.

Other benefits you’ll find with the raw food diet is better skin and a lower risk of certain diseases like heart disease. This is because of the low amounts of bad fats and higher nutrients in the raw food.
There is no shortage of benefits to eating the raw foods in a raw food diet and with its rising popularity, many people are finding out how great it really is to your health.

It’s hard to believe but one of the ways to help prevent certain cancers relies on the compounds found in a number of plants that are known to have antioxidant properties. These compounds are found in plants they are called phytonutrients which work in conjunction with nutrients found in the human body to combat disease. To date, scientists have managed to index almost a 1,000 of these beneficial compounds; huge advances in preventative health care and nutrition are advancing at an almost daily rate. Recent studies have indicated that phytonutrients found in fruit provide a whole host of natural health benefits; pomegranates for example, contain many different properties and blueberries have compounds which slow the aging process.

Containing many different antioxidants, blueberries also have one of the lowest sugar contents of the fruits tested. Currently the most efficient and pleasurable way to get the benefits of these fruits is by drinking their juice; some of the many benefits have been improvements in the body’s capacity to heal itself and benefits to circulation. These can also strengthen the body’s ability to fight disease and infection due to they’re powerful antioxidants and healthy nutrients. The health benefits of apples are now being researched with a reduced chance of coronary disease being one of these.

Even lemons and other citrus fruits are proving very capable at providing useful phytochemicals of their own. The particular combination of properties found in tart cherries offers an anti-inflammatory benefit, which is appreciated by those suffering from joint pain caused by arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia or over-exertion. Of course these fruits contain large amounts of vitamins B, C and E plus other which are already known to have beneficial effects on our health. A large group of common berries also contain specialized antioxidants called Phytoalexins (resveratrol); these have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties that can be of benefit to people.

Some of the most common aging conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, high blood pressure, and heart attack can all be helped by these compounds. Nutrients contained in tomatoes have also been recognized to reduce the incidents of heart disease and help ward of certain cancers. Using concentrated tomato in the form of puree, sauce and juice is an even more efficient way of increasing intake of this fruit. More recently the refreshing watermelon has been discovered to contain some of the most beneficial phytonutrients yet seen. We are told to eat more fruit and now there is a very good scientific reason to do this.

Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are top killers in this country so it’s important for both men and women to watch what they eat. Everyone should be concerned about their diet and health to avoid today’s diseases and to live a longer, healthier life. To make sure we all do this, we’ve provided a list of bad foods to avoid to help you pick the right foods.

Deep fried foods. Avoid it at all costs. Many of these foods contain trans fats and these are your number one bad fats. These fats contribute to heart disease and this is something we’re trying to avoid.

Refined flour. Anything that may have been good about flour has been taken out. Look for whole-wheat flour. This is much better for you.

White rice. A lot of people think white rice is good for you but it’s not necessarily true. White rice contains the bad carbs you may have heard about that helps you gain weight. You don’t want that do you? Brown rice is better and doesn’t contain the bad carbs I mentioned.

Sugar. I like to call it the “white poison.” Everything about sugar is bad for you. It helps you also add fat to your body so stay away from it as much as possible. Fat people didn’t become fat because of the fat they consumed; it’s because of sugar. Keep this in mind when grabbing your next soda or candy bar.

Canned soups. Most canned soups contain a large amount of salt. I know this because I tried finding one the other day with low salt and the choice was few. Salt also makes your body retain water, which also makes you look fatter and more bloated. Just avoid it at all costs. Your body will thank you.

Processed meats. These tend to be high in fat, salt, and sugar. These are everything you want to avoid.

Hydrogenated palm oils. Don’t eat anything made from this. It’s worse than eating lard and can almost guarantee you a heart attack.

One way you can tell if you’re eating too much fat is by the stool you produce. If it sinks straight to the bottom of the bowl, you’re consuming too much fat. You’re stool should be floating at the top. Be happy when it does, you have a good diet.

Avoid the foods we mentioned and you’ll be way ahead of the many Americans who have an unhealthy life because of the food they eat. Doesn’t everyone want to live a long, healthy life? I sure do!