Understanding Sugar Better

Eating sugar makes our brains produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter also known as the reward chemical. When you don’t eat sugar that your body is used to, you don’t get the dopamine fix and can experience side effects, including headaches, mood swings, nausea, anxiety, food cravings, and more. This is not pleasant at all and can make going sugar-free very difficult, mentally and physically. Your strongest weapon is patience, as these symptoms will go away in two to three weeks, we promise.

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A post shared by Brooke | SALTED sweets (@thesaltedsweets)

The good news is that, if you’re healthy, it’s not necessary to cut out sugar completely. Sugar can’t harm you a lot if consumed moderately and if you don’t have chronic diseases like diabetes and insulin resistance. It’s important to base your diet on healthy foods so an occasional treat won’t have a devastating effect on your body.

The post Your Brain Goes Through Changes When You Give Up Sugar appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Brain Health

Carbs are extremely important for brain health which is why they’re referred to as “brain fuel”. This is why eliminating carbs from diet can affect our concentration and focus, and even lead to anxiety.

Not Enough Fiber

Foods that are the best sources of fiber also happen to be high in carbs. This means that avoiding carbs will likely reduce your daily intake of fiber.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ellie (@elliebellyrecovery)

Missing Out On Key Nutrients

The reason why eating a balanced diet is extremely important for health, is because it’s the only way to get enough vitamins and minerals. Cutting out entire food groups, such as carbs, from diet means that we’re most likely reducing our intake of essential nutrients.

Build Muscles

Getting enough carbs on a daily basis is very important for athletes, because they’re important for building muscles and improving muscle recovery.

Energy

Last but not least, carbs are our main source of energy and avoiding them can affect our energy levels, mood and athletic performance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eat Drink Shrink By Gabrielle (@eat.drink.shrink)

The post 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Eliminate Carbs From Your Diet appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

The Cigarette Diet

Back in the 1920s, cigarettes were still considered an okay habit and the tobacco companies promoted smoking overeating sweets. The idea was to convince women to smoke when they want to snack so they’ll lose weight more effectively.

The Hollywood Diet

Many people follow what celebrities do, and that was the case with the Hollywood diet. It consisted of eating half a grapefruit three times a day, before a meal. And when Marilyn Monroe herself recommended it, many women followed.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dennis Yen (@withyen)

The Cookie Diet

This one was very creative. Dr. Sanford Siegal urged people to consume low-fat cookies (you needed a prescription for them) that allegedly had a “hunger-controlling formula”. The catch? They cost $179.99 per month back in 1975! While on the regime, people were only allowed 500-700 calories of other food, which is completely unhealthy.

The post 3 Diets That Used to Be Popular but Nobody Relies on Them Anymore appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Don’t Avoid Carbs

Most people think that carbs are our enemies and that we should limit our carb intake in order to stay lean and healthy. However, the truth is that carbs are an essential part of our diet because they give us energy, so you shouldn’t feel bad for eating pasta every once in a while.

There Are No “Bad Foods”

We tend to label foods as “good” and “bad”, which is a huge mistake because even the healthiest food can be bad if eaten too often. That’s why we shouldn’t feel guilty for eating certain foods as long as we eat in moderation.

Listen to Your Body

Food cravings can be caused by many different things such as hunger, sleep deprivation, stress, or even joy. However, it could also be one of the ways the body is telling us it’s missing some important nutrients. That’s why food cravings are actually important and can help us keep our diet in check.

The post 3 Things You Need to Know About Food Cravings appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Deli Meats

Processed deli meats have a lot of sodium nitrate that acts as the preservative, and this is also true for the low-fat versions, which means they aren’t significantly better for you. Because of this, deli meats can increase inflammation in your body and narrow the arteries.

Hot Dogs

Similarly, you should avoid hot dogs as much as you can. Hot dogs, sausages, and similar foods are typically high in saturated fats and salt. Too much salt in your diet can increase blood pressure and ultimately harm the heart.

Sugary Cereals

It’s important to be very careful when choosing breakfast cereal. There are many healthy kinds of cereal out there, but there are also countless sugary boxed cereals that aren’t great for your heart health. Many of them either contain too much-saturated fat or too much sugar (or both), so if you enjoy that type of food for breakfast opt for oatmeal and other natural products.

The post 3 Foods That Aren’t Great For Your Heart appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Banana Chips

Banana slices seem like a healthy snack choice, but the truth is that banana chips are usually fried and loaded with lots of saturated fat, sugar, and calories. Eating a fresh banana or non-fried banana chips is always a better option.

Flavored Water

Flavored water is a refreshing, fruity beverage that many people like to drink and consider healthy. Drinking too much flavored water, however, could be very harmful because it contains flavorings and artificial sweeteners.

Fruit Spread

Another unexpected food that is not healthy is fruit spread. Even though it’s made out of fruit, fruit spread and jams are loaded with sugar. They usually contain around 60% sugar, so it’s best to keep them to a minimum.

Vegetable Chips

Just because something is made with vegetables doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Vegetable chips are deep-fried and loaded with fat. Nutritionists claim this snack is even more unhealthy than regular chips, so do your best to avoid it.

The post “Healthy Foods” That Are Actually Bad For Our Health appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

You Should Resist Cravings

Trying to eat only healthy foods like veggies, fruit, fish, and oats can sometimes backfire. Listening to your body is the best thing to do for your health because those cravings that we’re trying to resist are often signs that our body needs something.

“Good” and “Bad” Food

People tend to classify food as “bad” or “good”, so we grew up thinking that foods like fruits and vegetables are healthy, while junk food like pizza is unhealthy. The truth is that every food can provide you with nutrients, and while spinach is certainly more nutritious than a slice of pizza, there’s no harm in eating “bad” foods every once in a while.

Eating Everything on Your Plate

We were taught as children that we should eat everything on our plate and that eating habits are often hard to break as an adult. Clearing your plate even if you’re not hungry can lead to overeating, so try to change this habit and be more mindful when eating.

The post Outdated Rules for Healthy Eating You Should Rethink This Year appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Cook With Milk

Cooking your oatmeal with milk instead of water is one of the easiest ways to boost your daily protein intake. Even vegans can use soy milk to get enough protein from their oatmeal—it’s healthy and way more delicious than using only water.

Nut And Seed Butter

In case you don’t like raw nuts, adding nut or seed butter to your usual oatmeal is a tasty and protein-rich alternative. Only two tablespoons of cashew butter, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy butter will add up to eight grams of protein to your oatmeal and make it your favorite breakfast.

Fold in Greek Yogurt

Most people know that Greek yogurt has many health benefits and is high in protein. Only 100 grams of plain Greek yogurt contains up to ten grams of protein, which makes it a perfect ingredient for oatmeal.

Almonds, Walnuts, or Pistachios

Nuts like almonds, walnuts, or cashews are a great source of protein as well. Plus, they’ll add that beautiful, crunchy texture to every bite and make it even tastier.

The post Interesting Ways to Add More Protein to Oatmeal appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Veganuary was launched in 2014 and its popularity has been increasing since then. The program’s U.S. director Wendy Matthews told The Washington Post that 2019 was their most successful year in which over 250,000 people took a pledge to try a vegan diet and more than half of them stuck to it longer than a month. To be fair, she didn’t mention how many of those people were vegans to begin with.

If you’ve been thinking about cutting off meat for a while, this is your chance. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it more than you think and decide to take your new habit into the new year with you!

The post Veganuary Can Be Your New Year Resolution appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Whole Oat Groats

Whole oat groats are an amazing food to eat because they are super low on the glycemic index, but beware, you have to get them raw and not in an instant packet! Make these oat groats in either milk or water, and serve with fresh fruit like strawberries or apples and you have a great and filling meal.

Shakshuka

Since the primary ingredient for this dish is eggs and there are no carbs in them, it makes for a perfect low glycemic index breakfast. Cut up peppers and tomatoes and create a sauce to poach eggs in. Finish with tahini sauce and some fresh herbs and you have a filling and scrumptious meal.

The post Yummy Breakfasts That Are Low On The Glycemic Index appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Understanding Sugar Better

Eating sugar makes our brains produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter also known as the reward chemical. When you don’t eat sugar that your body is used to, you don’t get the dopamine fix and can experience side effects, including headaches, mood swings, nausea, anxiety, food cravings, and more. This is not pleasant at all and can make going sugar-free very difficult, mentally and physically. Your strongest weapon is patience, as these symptoms will go away in two to three weeks, we promise.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brooke | SALTED sweets (@thesaltedsweets)

The good news is that, if you’re healthy, it’s not necessary to cut out sugar completely. Sugar can’t harm you a lot if consumed moderately and if you don’t have chronic diseases like diabetes and insulin resistance. It’s important to base your diet on healthy foods so an occasional treat won’t have a devastating effect on your body.

The post Your Brain Goes Through Changes When You Give Up Sugar appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Brain Health

Carbs are extremely important for brain health which is why they’re referred to as “brain fuel”. This is why eliminating carbs from diet can affect our concentration and focus, and even lead to anxiety.

Not Enough Fiber

Foods that are the best sources of fiber also happen to be high in carbs. This means that avoiding carbs will likely reduce your daily intake of fiber.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ellie (@elliebellyrecovery)

Missing Out On Key Nutrients

The reason why eating a balanced diet is extremely important for health, is because it’s the only way to get enough vitamins and minerals. Cutting out entire food groups, such as carbs, from diet means that we’re most likely reducing our intake of essential nutrients.

Build Muscles

Getting enough carbs on a daily basis is very important for athletes, because they’re important for building muscles and improving muscle recovery.

Energy

Last but not least, carbs are our main source of energy and avoiding them can affect our energy levels, mood and athletic performance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eat Drink Shrink By Gabrielle (@eat.drink.shrink)

The post 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Eliminate Carbs From Your Diet appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

The Cigarette Diet

Back in the 1920s, cigarettes were still considered an okay habit and the tobacco companies promoted smoking overeating sweets. The idea was to convince women to smoke when they want to snack so they’ll lose weight more effectively.

The Hollywood Diet

Many people follow what celebrities do, and that was the case with the Hollywood diet. It consisted of eating half a grapefruit three times a day, before a meal. And when Marilyn Monroe herself recommended it, many women followed.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dennis Yen (@withyen)

The Cookie Diet

This one was very creative. Dr. Sanford Siegal urged people to consume low-fat cookies (you needed a prescription for them) that allegedly had a “hunger-controlling formula”. The catch? They cost $179.99 per month back in 1975! While on the regime, people were only allowed 500-700 calories of other food, which is completely unhealthy.

The post 3 Diets That Used to Be Popular but Nobody Relies on Them Anymore appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Don’t Avoid Carbs

Most people think that carbs are our enemies and that we should limit our carb intake in order to stay lean and healthy. However, the truth is that carbs are an essential part of our diet because they give us energy, so you shouldn’t feel bad for eating pasta every once in a while.

There Are No “Bad Foods”

We tend to label foods as “good” and “bad”, which is a huge mistake because even the healthiest food can be bad if eaten too often. That’s why we shouldn’t feel guilty for eating certain foods as long as we eat in moderation.

Listen to Your Body

Food cravings can be caused by many different things such as hunger, sleep deprivation, stress, or even joy. However, it could also be one of the ways the body is telling us it’s missing some important nutrients. That’s why food cravings are actually important and can help us keep our diet in check.

The post 3 Things You Need to Know About Food Cravings appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Deli Meats

Processed deli meats have a lot of sodium nitrate that acts as the preservative, and this is also true for the low-fat versions, which means they aren’t significantly better for you. Because of this, deli meats can increase inflammation in your body and narrow the arteries.

Hot Dogs

Similarly, you should avoid hot dogs as much as you can. Hot dogs, sausages, and similar foods are typically high in saturated fats and salt. Too much salt in your diet can increase blood pressure and ultimately harm the heart.

Sugary Cereals

It’s important to be very careful when choosing breakfast cereal. There are many healthy kinds of cereal out there, but there are also countless sugary boxed cereals that aren’t great for your heart health. Many of them either contain too much-saturated fat or too much sugar (or both), so if you enjoy that type of food for breakfast opt for oatmeal and other natural products.

The post 3 Foods That Aren’t Great For Your Heart appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Banana Chips

Banana slices seem like a healthy snack choice, but the truth is that banana chips are usually fried and loaded with lots of saturated fat, sugar, and calories. Eating a fresh banana or non-fried banana chips is always a better option.

Flavored Water

Flavored water is a refreshing, fruity beverage that many people like to drink and consider healthy. Drinking too much flavored water, however, could be very harmful because it contains flavorings and artificial sweeteners.

Fruit Spread

Another unexpected food that is not healthy is fruit spread. Even though it’s made out of fruit, fruit spread and jams are loaded with sugar. They usually contain around 60% sugar, so it’s best to keep them to a minimum.

Vegetable Chips

Just because something is made with vegetables doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Vegetable chips are deep-fried and loaded with fat. Nutritionists claim this snack is even more unhealthy than regular chips, so do your best to avoid it.

The post “Healthy Foods” That Are Actually Bad For Our Health appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

You Should Resist Cravings

Trying to eat only healthy foods like veggies, fruit, fish, and oats can sometimes backfire. Listening to your body is the best thing to do for your health because those cravings that we’re trying to resist are often signs that our body needs something.

“Good” and “Bad” Food

People tend to classify food as “bad” or “good”, so we grew up thinking that foods like fruits and vegetables are healthy, while junk food like pizza is unhealthy. The truth is that every food can provide you with nutrients, and while spinach is certainly more nutritious than a slice of pizza, there’s no harm in eating “bad” foods every once in a while.

Eating Everything on Your Plate

We were taught as children that we should eat everything on our plate and that eating habits are often hard to break as an adult. Clearing your plate even if you’re not hungry can lead to overeating, so try to change this habit and be more mindful when eating.

The post Outdated Rules for Healthy Eating You Should Rethink This Year appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Cook With Milk

Cooking your oatmeal with milk instead of water is one of the easiest ways to boost your daily protein intake. Even vegans can use soy milk to get enough protein from their oatmeal—it’s healthy and way more delicious than using only water.

Nut And Seed Butter

In case you don’t like raw nuts, adding nut or seed butter to your usual oatmeal is a tasty and protein-rich alternative. Only two tablespoons of cashew butter, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy butter will add up to eight grams of protein to your oatmeal and make it your favorite breakfast.

Fold in Greek Yogurt

Most people know that Greek yogurt has many health benefits and is high in protein. Only 100 grams of plain Greek yogurt contains up to ten grams of protein, which makes it a perfect ingredient for oatmeal.

Almonds, Walnuts, or Pistachios

Nuts like almonds, walnuts, or cashews are a great source of protein as well. Plus, they’ll add that beautiful, crunchy texture to every bite and make it even tastier.

The post Interesting Ways to Add More Protein to Oatmeal appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Veganuary was launched in 2014 and its popularity has been increasing since then. The program’s U.S. director Wendy Matthews told The Washington Post that 2019 was their most successful year in which over 250,000 people took a pledge to try a vegan diet and more than half of them stuck to it longer than a month. To be fair, she didn’t mention how many of those people were vegans to begin with.

If you’ve been thinking about cutting off meat for a while, this is your chance. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it more than you think and decide to take your new habit into the new year with you!

The post Veganuary Can Be Your New Year Resolution appeared first on Cooking 4 All.

Whole Oat Groats

Whole oat groats are an amazing food to eat because they are super low on the glycemic index, but beware, you have to get them raw and not in an instant packet! Make these oat groats in either milk or water, and serve with fresh fruit like strawberries or apples and you have a great and filling meal.

Shakshuka

Since the primary ingredient for this dish is eggs and there are no carbs in them, it makes for a perfect low glycemic index breakfast. Cut up peppers and tomatoes and create a sauce to poach eggs in. Finish with tahini sauce and some fresh herbs and you have a filling and scrumptious meal.

The post Yummy Breakfasts That Are Low On The Glycemic Index appeared first on Cooking 4 All.