Posts Tagged ‘cardio’

Choosing The Best Foodstuffs

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Every stage of cooking is vital: meal planning, meal preparation and presentation, yet before any of this can take place it is essential to choose the items that you are going to cook. The ability to select high quality foodstuffs is also vital. Food deteriorates after a certain length of time so knowing which signs to look for is the art to this specific aspect of cooking.

There are several considerations to produce choice. For example, the cook has to estimate whether the produce is fresh, ripe or more than ripe. Is the amount of waste associated with this produce acceptable? Will this produce provide the necessary amount of nutrients? Do the destined consumers like it or will they like it? Does the cost validate selecting this option?

Balancing all these considerations is really some feat that maybe a billion people carry out every day and perhaps a number of times a day. It is just remarkable. However, the best cooks or household managers need experience to do it correctly most of the time yet you can only get experience by ‘doing’ and doing involves making mistakes from time to time. There is nothing wrong with that - making mistakes is a standard part of the learning process.

There are in essence three elements to the successful selection of food. These are: 1] the material of which it is composed; 2] its worth or potential to provide energy and or nutrients and vitamins and 3] how readily these qualities can be extracted in a digestible way.

It is just when you have solutions to these three questions that you can know whether a foodstuff is worth the money. In other words, although you may always know the cost of an item of food, you might not always know its value.

It is obvious from the above that the cook who takes his or her job seriously has a mammoth quest on hand to know what human bodies require at the various stages of growth, illness and even just recovery from normal wear and tear; to know what articles of food can supply those needs; how to choose foods that are at the peak of condition and how to prepare those foodstuffs so that you gain the most of that products potential.

Then there are the other considerations of whether you or your family will eat those products at all or whether they will only eat them if prepared according to particular recipes and finally, whether you can afford those foods.

As far as preparing children to eat or at least try different foodstuffs is concerned, it is important to get going as soon as you can. Children do not know what is good for them and permitting them to eat hamburgers and chips every day, because it is ‘all they will eat’ is rubbish. Children have to be taught to eat what is put in front of them until they are qualified to make their own choices.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several topics, but is at present concerned with French dip sandwich recipes. If you want to know more or check out some special offers, please go to our website at Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes.

The Constituents Of Food

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

Unfortunately, not all foodstuffs are made equal which makes the task of the dedicated cook more problematic, because it means that the cook has to understand the dietary needs of humans at all stages of life, which foods can fulfill those needs and, for normal families, within a finite budget.

Therefore, it is useful to know the constituents of food - that is, how much water, which vitamins, how much protein, fat and carbohydrate everything holds. If you know these proportions in every foodstuff, you can match them to your family’s needs, and also select the right method of preparing the food, because some methods of preparation destroy some of these properties so should be avoided.

It is possible to cook very successfully for a family without knowing all these facts, yet knowing them either by having picked it up from an older relative or by study makes success more assured. Let us take a look at the five most common needs of all human beings, if not indeed all mammals.

Water is the largest component of human bodies and needs to make up the greatest part of our intake too. We are continuously using up our water content in evaporation, repair, replenishment and cleaning. Luckily, there is also a lot of water in a lot of items that we eat, eg fruit, meat and fish, yet we still have to drink water to keep our fluid levels up. Dehydration kills.

Next in importance is mineral matter - that is vitamins and nutrients. It is not a problem to get this mineral matter, because plants suck it up from the ground and so, if you eat enough plant life, you ought to eat enough minerals. By plant life, I mean fruit, vegetables and fungi. Carnivores can consume a concentrated mix of plant life by eating meat, however lots of people have given up meat for one reason or another.

Different plant life has a different allotment and concentration of mineral. In general, cooking does not destroy mineral content, but over cooking can result in the mineral leaching out into the water they are boiled in.

Humans need protein to grow and repair themselves so a deficiency of protein is the foremost problem for vegetarians. It is not an insurmountable problem, but it is a worry. Carnivores acquire their protein from meat, fish and dairy. The process of cooking protein makes it more easily digestible for humans; dogs and cats do not have this need.

A lot is talked about fat, but fat is a vital component of the human diet. A fat-free diet is not healthy for us, but the problem is that fat is easy to derive, especially from junk food. Carnivores get most of their fat from meat, but fat is not difficult for vegetarians, because there is fat in almost each sort of food, including nuts and grains.

Carbohydrates have also caused a lot of controversy (particularly with the Atkins Diet), yet carbohydrates are also a basic part of our diet. Again, it is not difficult to get all the carbohydrates that we require. Carbohydrates are most predominant in starches and sugars yet there is no doubt that we should monitor our consumption of carbohydrates in the same manner that we should with fats.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several topics, but is currently concerned with French dip sandwich recipes. If you want to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes.

Home Remedies For Stress And Anxiety

Friday, May 13th, 2011

A surfeit of stress can result in all sorts of problems both mental and physical. The mental problems that can arise from stress include anxiety attacks, although there can be other causes for anxiety attacks as well. Furthermore, it appears that the tendency of anxiety attacks is on the up. This is perhaps because of the increased levels of stress that everyone feels.

You just cannot avoid tales of misery and strife in the newspapers and on the TV. It appears that news casters take pleasure in in telling us how much trouble we are in from all sorts of things from terrorists to diabetes.

They also never tire of warning us of the risks from paedophiles, rapists and murderers. It is no surprise that everybody is stressed or that some people have converted this stress into anxiety and anxiety attacks or panic attacks.

These attacks are characterized by a sudden feeling of panic for no reason at all or unjustifiable anxiety. These anxiety attacks are very distressing for those who suffer from them regularly.

There are many prescription drugs to be had, but these days many people try to manage without drugs, preferring more natural remedies. One detail that many sufferers comment on, is that they feel much worse if they have a hangover.

Not that they suffer anxiety attacks while they are drinking, but that they get an increased number the following day, if they have a hangover. It follows then, that you may be able to lessen the rate of recurrence and the severity of your panic attacks, if you do not drink too much.

In this vein, sufferers have also noticed that they get more recurrent and more severe attacks of anxiety if they are exhausted or worn out. Getting a good night’s sleep will undoubtedly help, if this is one of the causes of your panic or anxiety attacks.

On the dietary front, vitamin B12 has been pointed to as having a beneficial effect on sufferers. The vitamin B group help the brain to create serotonin, which is the body’s happy drug. A lack of serotonin can create depression. Therefore, ensure that you get your daily recommended amount (RDA) of vitamins in the B group, especially vitamin B12. B12 is readily available in natural foods, it is even in cornflakes, just make sure that you are getting sufficient.

Many people have had large amounts of success by restricting their use of sweeteners too. This includes normal sugar, as well as artificial sweeteners like saccharin. In order to obtain the biggest benefit you should try to monitor your mental reaction to sweeteners. Some may be perfectly OK for you while others may not.

Caffeine has also been linked with anxiety, so it would be worth attempting to do without ordinary tea, coffee and coke, to see if that makes a difference. You could try decaf, if you miss the taste of coffee or herbal teas.

Another proposed home remedy that has provided great benefits is physical activity. If you sense an attack coming on, try to ‘take your mind off it’ by distracting yourself. A simple walk might be enough or a conversation with someone.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several of topics, but is currently involved with work on high blood pressure charts. If you want to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at High Blood Pressure Recipes.

Methods To Reduce Cholesterol Without Medication

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Most individuals think that cholesterol issues just affect older individuals, but this is not true. High degrees of cholesterol can also be discovered in the young. In one study, 75 % of those checked had a yellow waxy substance in their blood - LDL cholesterol - it is considered to be a reliable indication of future heart problems. The surprising thing about this study was that they were all fit American soldiers with an average age of just 21.

Now we do require some LDL cholesterol because it is used by the body to control some vital functions and we definitely need HDL cholesterol because it assists regulate LDL cholesterol. The only problem is the quantity of these substances. High levels of LDL have been linked to atherosclerosis, which leads to heart disease.

If you would like to start working on your cholesterol levels in a maintenance type of fashion, you can do so with the aid of exercise and diet. The exercise element does not have to be arduous. Strolling for an hour a day will do the trick if it is combined with healthy dieting.

The diet ought to include plenty of fibre and roughage because not only will it lower LDL cholesterol, but it will also help your bowels to function properly which reduces your chance of acquiring bowel cancer, the rate of which is rising these days.

Foods that are rich in fibre and roughage are fruit and vegetables, especially greens; beans, pulses and grains, particularly oats as in porridge; nuts and soya. It is fairly simple to increase your consumption of these foods without drastically changing you main diet, although it is wise to substitute skinless chicken and fish for beef and pork.

For instance, you could eat porridge for breakfast and add a handful of barley to your soup. You could add a couple of leaves of lettuce to your sandwich and eat fruit as snacks throughout the day. You could have beans on toast every now and again. Whole grain bread, obviously.

Some foods have a particularly good reputation for reducing cholesterol levels. Avocado is one because it contains a lot of mono-unsaturated fats which raise the degree of HDL and HDL counteracts LDL. Raw carrots are another one. Raw carrots contain plenty of pectin, which reduces LDL. Pectin is also there in substantial quantities in citrus fruits, apples and berries such as strawberries, raspberries and red and black berries.

Then there are other famously healthy foodstuffs like garlic and shitake mushrooms which are also considered to ward off cancer and boost the immune system as a whole. Ginger is another healthy food that is easily incorporated into dishes.

Nuts, particularly walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and almonds are high in Omega 3 fatty acids which has a beneficial impact on LDL cholesterol. Sesame seeds contain phytosterols, which also lowers LDL. Other foodstuffs containing phytosterols are: celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach and tomatoes.

You ought to strive to eat mono- and poly-unsaturated fats as they will improve your HDL. You can find these fats in cannola, safflower, soya bean and olive oil. They also contain Omega 3. Other sources of Omega 3 are fish, especially the fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on numerous subjects, but is now concerned with food that lowers cholesterol. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?

Handling The Stress Of Online Business

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Are you thinking of making some extra money on the internet? You definitely would not be the only one. Millions of individuals are turning to the Internet to discover ways of making an extra income from the comfort of their own homes and some are even hoping to be able to give up their day jobs and work online full-time.

There is no place like the Internet. No country can provide the same entry to a global market for so little cost as the Internet. Being online, can cost less than a dollar an hour and for that dollar you can have access to hundreds of millions of people through their computers.. That is access to several tens of millions of people per cent of expenditure.

That makes an Internet-based business the most cost-effective in the world and it permits you to work from a laptop or cyber cafe anywhere in the world. The one thing that working online cannot do for you though is stop the stress that builds up from owning any business. Therefore, how can you reduce the stresses of running an online business? I do not mean financial stress or delivery problems, they are common to all business set-ups.

Changes occur very rapidly on the Internet. A new style or method of doing things can take place within a week or even less, whereas it may take months or even years in a land-based business. This means that you have to devote some time every week to keeping up with ‘current affairs’.

The easiest way of doing this is to subscribe to a few forums. Join say two forums that are relevant to the industry that you are in and one general ‘techie’ forum. That way, you will always be conscious of the latest developments and cannot be caught napping.

The Internet can be pretty flimsy, when you think about it. You might spend years constructing a couple of hundred websites, but if you host goes down, so do you, unless you are ready. In 2009, that happened to me twice, so it is not that unusual. It is very simple for someone to set himself up as a web space reseller, but if he stops paying his bills, he can take hundreds of website owners off line with him and you may not even know it for a few days.

There are several precautions that you should take to dispel the stress of going out of online business over night through no mistake of your own.

Take regular, very regular backups and do not put all your backups on the same medium. I backup everything every time I alter anything. One day the backup goes to a CD and the next day it goes to a portable hard drive. If I had a large enough flash drive the third day would go there. That way, you can never lose more than two day’s work, and believe me, that is nauseating enough.

Sign all your websites up to a ‘pinging’ service. These services check to see whether your web site is on or off line several times a day automatically and tell you if they are down. You can get this free, but otherwise it costs just pennies a site per month.

Have a second host ready. You can get a year’s hosting for a $60 or a few dollars a month. Have your account open and ready and you could even load your websites on to it, so that if disaster strikes, you only have to change the name servers and you are away again.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several of topics, but is currently involved with work on high blood pressure charts. If you want to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at High Blood Pressure Recipes.

Working Out And Reducing Cholesterol

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

Cholesterol is something that many individuals are frightened of, but most individuals do not understand. Individuals are scared of having ‘cholesterol’, but they do not understand that there are two sorts of cholesterol and that they have to have some of both sorts.

The difficulty comes if you have more cholesterol than you require. This is because cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that can stick to the walls of arteries, build up and result in obstruction.

This means that the heart has to pump more to send enough oxygen and nutrients to where they are required. This in turn means that an increase in blood pressure, which frequently leads to heart disease, which in turn leads to heart attacks and strokes.

Fortunately, there are three methods out of this difficulty: diet, exercise and medication. The medication would have to be taken daily and for life, so most individuals would rather attempt to reduce their degrees of cholesterol without taking drugs. However, this does require lifestyle alterations.

A great deal of individuals have tried dieting to lose weight and failed. Dieting to reduce cholesterol is not quite the same, but there are similarities and a weight loss diet could be linked with a low cholesterol diet fairly easily.

However, there is another method and that is exercise. You can either exercise a lot and eat more or less what you like or exercise a bit and be wary with what you eat as well. If you choose to exercise a great deal, the manner that it will work for you is by raising your rate of metabolism and strengthening your heart.

Before embarking on an exercise routine, you should talk to your physician, particularly if you have not carried out much exercise for a long time. Your physician will almost certainly advise you to do mild types of exercise such as rambling for an hour a day (two times thirty minutes) until you are within a stone or so of your target weight. Swimming in a swimming pool is another good alternative.

Exercise can have a pretty rapid impact on your cholesterol levels. In fact, it will have a faster impact than dieting, but the best manner to go is to eat less HDL (saturated fats, trans fats and hydrogenated fats) and exercise as well.

Whilst you are exercising a lot more, keep in mind to hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Water, not soda or caffeinated drinks or beer. Just water and at least two litres a day, which is approximately eight tumblers full.

You can also imbibe water by eating watery fruits like watermelons and other fruits, which would kill two birds with one stone as eating fruit is regarded as a way of warding off cancer.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on several topics, but is now concerned with food that lowers cholesterol. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?

Dealing With Stress

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

We all know that stress is at a very high level for the vast majority of people and most of us have our own methods of coping with this stress. However, for those who do not know how to deal with stress, it is probably first useful to appreciate what stress is and how it can reveal itself.

Stress is most easily defined as: “A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression” (TheFreeDictionary.com).

There are many reasons why stress can come about, but the most common types of stress come from finances, family, work, school, quarrels with friends and driving. The most stressful situations, however, are divorce, the death of a parent or spouse, moving house and swapping job or school.

Since the causes of stress are so varied, it is helpful to be able to ascertain where your stress is coming from, so that you know how to treat or prevent it. You need to get to know yourself to deal with your stress, because not all people respond in the same way to stress.

For instance, actors and top-flight business people often say that they have to have the buzz of stress to give their best performances. They have obviously learned how to harness stress to their own advantage whether unconsciously or by other methods. People who suffer from stress need to get to that phase.

When you have worked out what is causing your stress, you have a chance of counteracting it. In fact, you have many chances of dealing with it. If the source of the stress is your work, you may like to go for a drink with colleagues after work to talk things through once or twice a week, so long as you do not let it get out of hand and affect your family and your work.

Otherwise, you may go for a massage or a sauna or take regular weekend breaks either for pure relaxation or to follow a particular hobby such as hiking. In fact, a hobby of some kind is generally a good stress-reliever, even if the hobby itself is stressful. Just changing the routine seems to help a lot of people. Some people turn to shopping and beauty salons.

A weekend picnic, communing with nature, or rambling are other key de-stressers. The point is that you have to find something that is perfect for you. For instance, I work alone all day and detest shopping, so when I have done my bit, I seek out company to have a chat. My wife on the other hand spends all day with people, and likes to hose the garden alone at the end of her working day.

Other major stress relievers are sports - either watching them or playing them. Playing is obviously healthier than watching, but given that stress is a major killer in the West, the reduction of stress is the main worry. Yoga and meditation are a fantastic compromise between being active and passive in your coping with stress.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics , but is currently concerned with the stress headache. If you are suffering from any kind of stress, please go over to our website now at Stress and Heart Disease

Free Weight Loss Programs

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

The race to fitness is on and plenty of people are getting in on the act. Some people do it in order to achieve a sexy body, some people just do it because they are ashamed of their body, while others do it just to remain fit and healthy. As such, there are many fitness programs available on the Internet, in gyms, spas and fitness centres all over the world. Some are too expensive - so expensive that you will lose weight just by trying to earn the money needed to pursue these fitness programs.

One may not have to go to the gym or the spa or any fitness center and spend much just to slim down and obtain that longed for beautiful body. There are many books available in the bookshops offering weight loss programs which seem easy and free. However, the books are not though. These weight loss programs, or diet plans are gaining immense popularity due to their publicity, testimonials and reviews and you might be confused as to exactly which one to follow. So before choosing which weight loss plan to follow, try reading the following summaries of the most popular diet programs out today.

The Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins: This weight loss program encourages a high protein diet and less carbohydrates. You can eat loads of vegetables and meat but must not eat bread and pasta. You are not restricted on your fat consumption so it is all right to pour on the (correct) salad dressing and freely spread on the butter. However, during the diet, some people may find themselves short on fibre and high on fat and cholesterol. Grains and fruits are also severely limited.

The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet by Drs. Heller. This diet programme also advocates a low carbohydrate diet. It suggests eating meat, vegetables and fruit, dairy and grain products. however, advises against taking in too many carbohydrates. So-called “Reward Meals” can be very high in fats and saturated fats.

Choose to Lose: by Dr. Goor. It advises restricting your fat consumption. You are allowed a “fat” budget, but you are given freedom on how to use it. It does not pressure people to regulate their carbohydrate intake. Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafood is fine. You may also consume vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta. This weight loss plan is quite healthy, because it recommends healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables and saturated fats. Watch your triglyceride levels though. If they are high, cut down on the carbohydrates and eat more unsaturated fats.

The DASH Diet. Advocates eating a moderate amount of fat and protein but lots of carbohydrates. It was primarily designed to lower blood pressure. The diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages a high intake of whole wheat grains as well as fruit and vegetables and low-fat dairy. Some dieters think it advises too much eating to produce significant weight loss.

Eat More, Weigh Less: by Dr. Ornish. Mostly vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Warns to watch out for low-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet plan is poor in calcium and limits the consumption of healthy foods like seafood and lean poultry.

Eat Right for Your Type: This plan is quite unusual because it centres its advice on your blood group. For instance, it recommends lots of meat for people with the blood type O. However, diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally imbalanced and too low in calories. However, just for the record, there is no proof that blood type can affect dietary needs.

The Pritkin Principle: It is focused on trimming the amount of calories by eating watery foods that make you feel full. Eating vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, pasta, soups, salads and low-fat dairy is OK, although it restricts protein sources to lean meat, seafood and poultry. It is healthy because it provides low amounts of saturated fats and large amounts of vegetables and fruits. However, it is low on calcium and restricts lean protein sources.

Volumetrics: It recommends eating fewer calories. It recommends roughly the same foods as Pritkin but restricts fatty food and dry foods like popcorn, pretzels and crackers. This program is reasonably healthy given the high volume of fruit and vegetables. It is also low in calories and saturated fats.

The Zone: It is fairly low on carbohydrates yet moderately high on proteins. It recommends low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken plus vegetables, fruits and grains. It is also a healthy diet but short on grains and calcium.

Weight Watchers: They advise high carbohydrate meals, but are moderate on fats and proteins. A very healthy diet program and very flexible too. It permits the dieter to devise his own meals rather than offering recipes, although there are Weight Watchers’ TV dinners in the shops.

Are you interested in a rapid weight loss regimen? If so, please visit our website entitled Quick Weight Loss

Rapid Weight Loss

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

Apart from physical appearance, weight affects a person in various ways. It could be the overall quality of life, self-confidence, depression, health risks, or physical incapacities. There are a lot of advantages to losing weight. It is for this reason that a lot of people are searching for a weight loss program that will trim down those excess pounds and get a beautiful, jaw-dropping body.

First of all, an overweight person should do is find a doctor to provide the best weight loss plan for you. This will only be done after a full physical examination, which will to the recommendation of a proprietary weight loss plan. To lose excess pounds fast and efficiently, four aspects of your life has to be changed: what to eat, how to eat, behaviour and amount of exercise.

Here are quick tips that can change an over-weight persons’s life:

1: Rapid weight loss consists of a multi-faceted technique that is made up of mindset, exercise, and, in some cases, diet supplements. Begin by studying a food plan that can be easily incorporated into your lifestyle. Start an exercise regimen that requires at least fifteen minutes a day brisk walking, running, swimming or dancing.

2: Set yourself realistic targets. The ability to focus and have a proper mental outlook allows a person trying to lose weight to rapidly lose those extra kilos. You have to develop discipline and a proper mind set, a dieter will not become discouraged and give up.

3: Listen to what your body is saying. Each and everyone’s metabolism reacts differently to different fast weight loss programs. Try substituting one program for another to gauge the body’s reaction. The exercise program must be suited to one’s body, because some are not able to exercise as rigorously as others can. If walking is all that can be done, then walk, for this is proven to be the best exercise. Muscles burn calories so it’s also a good idea to put on a little more muscle and it looks good too.

4: Eat more fibre because it makes you feel fuller sooner and takes longer to digest, making it longer before you will be hungry again. For example, a couple of slices of whole grain bread will remain in the body longer and put off hunger longer than white bread, which turns in to glucose more quickly. giving you a quick, sugar spike, which soon passes, making you hungry again.

5: Keep away from fried food especially deep-fried, as it contains a large amount of fat. But remember, although fish and chicken appear to be far leaner than beef, these white meats can contain even more fat than beef if it is fried. It is advisable those on a strict diet choose grilled food, as it does not contain much fat after the food has been prepared.

6: Drink lots of fluid. Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day keeps the body ‘flushing’ and since weight loss depends on how the body gets rid of bodily waste, the body has to stay hydrated.

So, all in all, discipline and consistent application is still the key to fast weight loss. Light dieting, workout, and the correct amount of nutritional supplements performed in regularly everyday will result in a quicker weight loss than having a massive, but short-lived campaign that is followed by a return to your bad old habits, as this only leads to gaining more weight than before the weight loss plan was begun.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with our blog why can’t I lose weight? If you have an interest in losing weight, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

How To Initiate Natural Weight Loss

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

The most renowned or notorious country in the world for overweight and obese people is the United States of America. Regrettably, it has become one of the things that tourists first mention, when they return from a holiday in the USA.

For instance, my father was a Second World War teenager and had always wanted to go to America. It was the first thing he did when he retired. Three months travelling wherever he could think of by bus and when he came back he was full of tales about whom he had met and what he had seen. but he could not hide his amazement about how many really fat people there were there.

I believe the people that say that this is largely to do with Americans’ love of hamburgers, pizzas and doughnuts; foodstuffs that have only lately become popular in Europe. Great Britain was the first country to follow the American way, as you would imagine, because it was easier for the advertisers, both countries speaking English.

Sure enough, Britons are becoming obese at an disturbing rate too. Those adverts and trends are also visible in mainland Europe, but at least there are enough warnings now. Anybody who falls for into the junk food trap these days, only has himself to blame. We have been warned.

I now travel a lot in Asia and it is a crying shame to see rehashes of old adverts promoting junk food. For example, Thai food is one of the best in the world, yet Knorr is trying to persuade family cooks that they do not have time to make sauces or soups; that they should tip the salty contents of one of their boxes into boiling water and that nobody would know.

I can promise you that they would know where I live. However, firms like Knorr know, that if they can sabotage one generation then they have won. Likewise with McDonald’s, get one generation of parents to take their kids there every week and it becomes a family tradition. Bang! They are in!

I saw it happen in the UK and it is so hard to see it happening in Asia too.

If you want to know the secret of losing weight naturally, I will tell you. The best of all methods is to only eat food that you have prepared yourself. There you are, easy! Or at least easily said. We can moderate that rule if necessary, to include food that has been prepared by people with your interests at heart, people who love you. You can also include good quality restaurants, but that is just about the limit.

Do not eat potato crisps or chips, shop-bought biscuits, cakes, pies, pasties, hamburgers or sandwiches. If you yearn for that stuff, then get up and cook it yourself! This is how to lose weight naturally. It is called eating well and people used to do it naturally because in those days, there were no fast food stores and people took home made sandwiches and salads to work or school.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with how to lose weight online. If you have an interest in losing weight too, please go over to our website now at Why Can’t I Lose Weight?