Neurons in the brain produce adenosine, levels of which are monitored via receptors. When adenosine levels reach a certain level your body naturally begins to feel tired and ready to sleep or relax. However, when caffeine comes along in the form of a standard 100mg 8 oz cup of coffee its chemical similarities to adenosine deactivates the receptors and allows the brain’s natural stimulants – dopamine and glutamate – to flow freely producing a false energy rush. The effects vary according to genetics, physiology and tolerance.

Although caffeine can seemingly enhance energy and work output, this usually only applies to work that doesn’t require much abstract thought. It can enhance adrenaline and memory, which is perhaps why students preparing for exams like caffeine, but not it seems creativity. Caffeine becomes habit forming as tolerance levels increase over time leading to a vicious circle of increased consumption to achieve the same effects. In other words, to attain the same buzz it becomes necessary to consume more but this can sometimes only have the effect of increasing irritability.

Quitting can be painful with headaches and discomfort. A step by step reduction is recommended to let the brain ‘dry out’ over several days before any further cups of coffee, which should then achieve previous levels of mental and physical stimulation.

Chicken is popular with fitness fanatics for good reason: it’s inexpensive, easy to cook, low fat and high in protein. However, it can get boring if eaten every day. So here are eight cooking options.

1. Before grilling or boiling, marinating your bird for 24 hours will increase the flavour. Keep it in the fridge while marinating and try adding chicken broth or fruit juice instead of oil based marinades.
2. Experiment with different seasonings such as grated lemon peel, chopped hot peppers or fresh herbs.
3. A trick to cut down on oil or butter is to use a non-stick skillet. Trim off the fat and add green peppers and spice.
4. To keep the flavour and avoid drying out the meat, keep the skin on a whole chicken while cooking. Also, soaking it in brine – salt water – will also add flavour and tenderness. Keep it covered and completely immersed. Refrigerate for 3 to 12 hours. Rinse and dry before cooking. This adds moisture and flavour and helps it cook faster.
5. To avoid drying out the chicken don’t overcook. A whole chicken should reach an internal temperature of 180F and breasts should be cooked at 170F. If the juices are clear, not pink, it’s ready.
6. Spice is nice for an international flavour. For Italian include grated garlic, dried oregano, basil and thyme. Indian style mixes coriander, turmeric, cardamom and bay leaves. Thai includes cilantro, lime juice, ginger, coconut milk and lemongrass. Tex-Mex flavour includes cumin, sage and minced chilli peppers.
7. Another marinade is a salt-sugar rub. For chicken breasts blend 1/3 cup of sea salt with 1/3 cup brown sugar plus seasonings. Place in a large reusable plastic freezer bag and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Rinse before cooking.
8. Finally, there’s leftovers which can be re-heated or eaten cold. When heating cover to retain moisture. Try it with pita bread and salad.

Childhood obesity is a complex issue involving many aspects of contemporary lifestyles and social attitudes and priorities as well as the mass marketing of convenience foods. In the space of this blog it is only possible to scratch the surface. Generally the facts are well known: it is a disease of our time. Prior to approximately the 1970s, in Britain childhood obesity was a rarity. Anyone growing up in the 50s or 60s most likely, depending on where they lived, either walked or rode a bicycle to school, played outdoors and was less exposed to advertising. Most had at least one meal a day prepared at home by their mothers.
Fast forward and nowadays everyone’s busy and families are just looking for the easiest options. For children there are just so many distractions: computer and video games or text messaging each other from the couch. Not only are they not getting enough exercise they don’t eat healthily and may be forgetting how to communicate face to face. The streets are considered dangerous, parents are paranoid and the kids stay home and frequently get driven to school even into their teens.

So, what to do? Children of any age are notoriously finicky with food and easily influenced by advertising. Two of the biggest contributors to weight gain are fructose and corn syrup both of which are found in sodas, sweets and processed foods. Packing healthier lunches for your kids might help, but providing a good role model at home is essential.

Physical activity doesn’t need to be organized or complicated, just going for walks together can help or encouraging basic movements like jumping, running and climbing. Even light weight training could help so long as it can be seen as being fun and is supervised. Strengthening activities not only lower body weight, it also builds stronger bones and more muscle mass which results in a higher metabolic rate. Just make sure they do it with a certified fitness professional.

Whether it’s the Christmas/New Year period or a summer season break you can put on weight faster than you get a sun burn if you relax your dietary rules while having fun. Christmas and New Year is probably the worst time for dieters as it basically celebrates gluttony, but the rules are the same for any place or time when we may be tempted to over-indulge. So here are a few ways to stay in shape.

Drinking alcohol in moderation may be difficult if everyone around is being immoderate. Alcoholic beverages – especially eggnog – are high in calories and the carbohydrates in Guinness are 100% sugar which can result in an insulin rush.
Although drinking water while eating is not good for digestion, having a glass before a meal will suppress your appetite as well as help avoid dehydration.

A simple way to avoid overeating in social situations is to choose a smaller plate. A larger plate means you just fill it with more food.

Another trick to help control food intake is to separate the different food items on your plate into islands. The empty space between the islands means less food on the plate and less calories to consume.

Keep a balance between protein and carbohydrates. White meat protein sources such as chicken, turkey and fish are healthier than red meat and should not exceed an approximate 4 oz serving size. Vegetables and rice, preferably brown, should make up the rest. Be aware of casseroles which typically are high in fats.

Desert is another dieters calorie minefield. Limit desert to items no bigger than your thumb – or go for a fruit salad. But no going back for second servings.

Finally, even if you still feel hungry, wait 20 minutes before going back for more. That’s how long it takes your stomach to appreciate that you’ve really had enough.

Here are some fat loss tip suggestions to lower your calorie intake while seemingly continuing to indulge in your favourite foods. A fat loss diet doesn’t have to mean bland tasteless meals. However, it does require a certain amount of imagination as well as close attention to preparation and ingredients.

Watch the add-ons. Often it isn’t so much the main ingredient that’s to blame as what gets added on top. Instead of pouring sour cream and bacon bits on top of an otherwise healthy baked potato try using salsa, low fat cottage cheese and green onions instead. Likewise with a meat main course. Skip the gravy and use chutney or a fruit/raw veggie combo to add flavour, especially to poultry.  Similarly, use chicken broth with stir fries instead of oil. It also works with casseroles and can replace butter on mashed potatoes.

Cut the bread at main meals and eliminate the carbohydrates that release insulin and fat storing hormones.

Cut the cheese please. Regular cheese like cheddar is high in fat and calories compared to low fat goat, sheep or cottage cheeses.

Choose low-fat turkey rather than beef when making burgers, meat balls or casseroles. Add chicken broth if the turkey seems low in moisture.

Finally, avoid ramen noodles and replace them with a whole wheat noodle. Although noodles of all kinds are high in carbohydrates and calories, ramen noodles are also high in fat – up to 20 grams per serving size. Better still replace pasta with spaghetti squash which has pasta-like texture without the calories.

Eating late at night is never a good idea for your body or general health as it destroys any chance of restorative sleep. Digesting food properly takes time and requires energy which is incompatible with a body supposedly at rest and recuperating. In fact, 9pm is too late an eating deadline as the body has already begun slowing down. 7pm is better.

A glass of milk before bed is often thought of as promoting sleep. However, the lactose content can cause digestive problems. Lactose stimulates rather than relaxes the system. Try a relaxing herbal tea instead.

Pasta is a calorie/carbohydrate dense insulin invoking food more suited to being eaten earlier in the day when your body really needs a higher carbohydrate intake.

Ditto for pizza. With high insulin levels from all the carbohydrates and excess calories sitting in your stomach you have a perfect recipe for fat gain.

A bowl of chilli can be a healthy source of protein and slow-burning carbohydrates. However, eaten late at night spells trouble. Spicy chilli can cause heart burn. A small bowl of vegetable broth would be better.

A late night binge of  meat might sound like just the thing for preserving lean muscle and promoting fast workout recovery. However, protein requires a lot of digestive energy which is likely to keep you awake. Eat it earlier, not later.

Often, a Chinese late night take-out feels like just what you need. But beware. Most Chinese take-out food contains monosodium glutamate – MSG – which is a stimulant similar to caffeine as well as a common source of allergic reactions.

Celery- Those on a strict fat loss diet focused on vegetables need to avoid eating celery late at night. Celery is a diuretic which will have you running to the bathroom all night, thus ruining any chance of the deep, uninterrupted, muscle building and hormone repairing sleep you need.

A glass of fruit juice may seem like a harmless late night option, but beware. Fruit juices are all acidic and can cause heartburn. They also contain sugars and insufficient fiber for measured release which can result in a crash-spike blood sugar episode.

Finally there’s chocolate. High in sugar, fat and caffeine it’s an energy booster, not a soporific.

Weight gain and retention have many origins as well as supposed solutions. However, one common food item with a significant impact on body weight is salt, or sodium.  Food manufactures add a lot of salt to foods, deadening our over-stimulated taste buds, and to increase product shelf life. Salt is in virtually all commercially produced foods and drinks including diet soda and even some supposedly organic products. We get used to the taste and then find products with less or no salt not to our liking.

Fats are 80% water and excessive sodium, in most cases, leads to higher levels of water retention in the body, thus making it harder to lose weight. Other factors which also lead to water retention include high insulin levels from too much sugar or gluten. Insulin makes it harder to excrete sodium. Certain medications such as antibiotics, anti-histamines, birth control pills and anti-inflamatories also work against water removal. Artificial sweeteners have a similar effect.

Lack of exercise, or conversely too much, can also affect the body’s ability to reduce water. Poor circulation from too little exercise leads to clogged lymphatic systems and more than one hour a day of cardio exercise will increase cortisol levels. Both conditions add to water retention. High stress levels and insufficient sleep have similar effects on the body.

Salt raises the body’s natural pH levels leading to greater water retention. Adding some squeezed lemon to a glass of water will help lower your pH again. By removing excessive water from your body you will lose unwanted lipids faster. In order to reduce your sodium content naturally it’s important to have a balanced diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits. Also, read the labels on food products and don’t say ‘please pass the salt!’

For sure, most of us over-indulge from time to time but for some impulsive/compulsive eating disorders become ingrained habits that are hard to break and play havoc with any fitness regime or weight loss program.

Impulsive eating is eating without thinking and without need. It becomes habitual and can be triggered by any sudden urge or situation we associate with food, such as watching TV or simply out of boredom. Compulsive overeating is more of an obsessive/compulsive eating disorder which is used to compensate for an emotional void, or to hide from stress or personal problems. Over time, both conditions can lead to serious weight gain as well as other health issues. They also play havoc with any fitness regime.

To overcome impulsive eating habits you need to first recognize the problem and its associated behaviours, attitudes and emotions. Change you focus by doing something physical such as taking a walk to overcome the initial impulse to over-eat or keep nibbling.

Compulsive eating, which has little connection to actual hunger, leads to serious weight gain and ultimately obesity. Junk food is often involved. Replace it with health foods and rather than bingeing, eat more small meals during the day. Ironically, dieting can often compound the problem. Exercise helps reduce stress and depression and can reduce emotional eating.
Overall, be kind to yourself and don’t expect perfection.

According to a study at Princeton University, a genetic tendency for addiction combined with irregular eating patterns can result in a sugar dependency which leads to a cycle of binge eating and deprivation.

In tests with rats indications of a vicious cycle of sugar dependency increased during a period of less than ten days and led to a starve – binge eating pattern with excessive sugar intake. Restricting the rat’s access to sugar resulted in symptoms similar to that of drug addiction with sugar causing the brain to release natural opioids and the bingeing causing dopamine release which leads to dependency. Lacking these neurotransmitters the rats became anxious and desperate for sweet food. Even when saccharine replaced the sugar they showed behavioural changes. According to these tests it was the sweetness, not the calories that led to the sugar dependency.

Although rats are not human, we are all animals nevertheless and there are solid scientific reasons why they are chosen as human proxies. However, although there is still apparently no clear understanding of how to reduce sugar craving even scientists, as well as probably the rats too, now understand that moderate and regularly scheduled meals overcome the withdrawal symptoms and irregular dopamine levels associated with sugar dependency.

Although most people who regularly take multivitamins do so for nutritional reasons another advantage which is often overlooked is how they can enhance your appearance. To get the best for your looks out of your multivitamin it should contain 100% of the following ingredients:

Vitamin A helps protect your skin from infection as well as aiding cell tissue growth. It’s best as beta-carotene which converts to vitamin A in the body and is less toxic than straight vitamin A.
Vitamin B aids in converting food into energy via the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein.
Vitamin C helps keep gum and skin tissue healthy by strengthening capillaries and blood vessel walls. It also produces collagen, a protein in connective tissue.
Biotin is produced naturally via healthy intestinal bacteria, but a lack of it can result in dry skin and dermatitis in adults. Eggs are especially rich in biotin but don’t eat egg whites raw as they contain a protein that prevents the absorption of biotin unless they’re cooked.
Vitamin E alone is a good enough reason to take a multivitamin as you can never get enough via a regular diet. A combination of mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols is better than only alpha tocopherol.
Calcium is of course good for strengthening teeth and bones.
Iron helps make haemoglobin which carries the protein containing oxygen to your blood.
Zinc helps cell reproduction, immune function and tissue growth and repairs as well as aids in the absorption of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Other aids to good looks include always using a good quality sun screen containing either zinc or Mexoryl when exposed to the sun; always getting enough rest and drinking enough fluids either as plain water or as tea – either black, green, white or oolong. Also try to avoid getting stressed out.