Could artificial sweeteners make people more hungry?

You may be relying on them to shed those extra kilos, but turns out, artificial sweeteners may actually be making you eat more.

A comprehensive new study co-led by the University of Sydney has revealed for the first time why this response occurs.

The results shed light on the effects of artificial sweeteners on the brain in regulating appetite and in altering taste perceptions.

Researchers identified a new system in the brain that senses and integrates the sweetness and energy content of food.

"After chronic exposure to a diet that contained the artificial sweetener sucralose, we saw that animals began eating a lot more," said lead researcher Greg Neely, adding "Through systematic investigation of this effect, we found that inside the brain's reward centres, sweet sensation is integrated with energy content. When sweetness versus energy is out of balance for a period of time, the brain recalibrates and increases total calories consumed."

In the study, fruit flies that were exposed to a diet laced with artificial sweetener for prolonged periods (more than five days) were found to consume 30 percent more calories when they were then given naturally sweetened food.

"When we investigated why animals were eating more even though they had enough calories, we found that chronic consumption of this artificial sweetener actually increases the sweet intensity of real nutritive sugar, and this then increases the animal's overall motivation to eat more food," said Neely.

The researchers also found artificial sweeteners promoted hyperactivity, insomnia and decreased sleep quality - behaviours consistent with a mild starvation or fasting state - with similar effects on sleep also previously reported in human studies.

To discover whether artificial sweeteners also increased food intake in mammals, Herbert Herzog's lab from Garvan then replicated the study using mice. Again the mice that consumed a sucralose-sweetened diet for seven days displayed a significant increase in food consumption, and the neuronal pathway involved was the same as in the fruit flies.

The study appears in the journal Cell Metabolism.

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The Trillion Dollar Treasure of Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The famed Padmanabhaswamy temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the creator of the universe, in Thiruvananthapuram, in the state of Kerala, has fascinated India for many years. In centuries past, kings and dynasties had donated gold and jewels to the temple, sometimes weighing crown princes approaching adulthood and donating an equivalent weight in gold. It was rumored that these treasures are still hidden inside secret vaults beneath the ancient temple.

Nobody knows how old the temple really is. Some scholars say it was established over 5,000 years ago. Even as early as 2,500 years ago, Padmanabhaswamy temple was known for its unimaginable wealth. The temple is mentioned in several Hindu texts belonging to the period between 500 BC to 300 AD, wherein it was referred to as the "Golden Temple". Ancient Tamil literature and poetry refer to the temple and even the city as having walls of pure gold.

The treasures were accumulated over several thousands of years, having been donated to the Deity by various Indian dynasties, as well as from the rulers and traders of Mesopotamia, Jerusalem, Greece, Rome and beyond. Also, at times of invasion many smaller temples in the then Kerala and extreme Southern region transferred and stored their wealth for safekeeping in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

For a long time, the temple and its assets were controlled by a trust, headed by the Travancore Royal family. But in 2011, the Supreme Court directed the royal family to open the secret chambers of the temple and reveal its hidden wealth. Of the six vaults, five were opened. Among the valuables discovered in them include 800 kilograms of gold coins, an 18-foot-long pure gold chain, a gold sheaf weighing 500 kilos, more than 2,000 gold ornaments, a pure Golden Throne, studded with hundreds of diamonds and fully precious stones, several golden idols, and several sacks filled with golden artifacts, necklaces, diadems, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, gemstones, and objects made of other precious metals. The treasure is estimated to be worth more than $20 billion, not accounting for its historical value which would probably be at least ten times more.

The opening of the vaults, which is described by The New Yorker, reads like a script from an Indiana Jones movie.

The doors to Vaults A and B required multiple keys, which had been entrusted to Varma and the temple’s current executive, V. K. Harikumar. The observers used the keys to open the metal-grille door to Vault B, and discovered a sturdy wooden door just behind it. They opened this door as well, and encountered a third door, made of iron, which was jammed shut. So they turned their attention to Vault A. Once again, they unlocked two outer doors, one of metal and the other of wood. They entered a small room with a huge rectangular slab on the floor, like a toppled tombstone. It took five men more than thirty minutes to move the slab. Beneath it they found a narrow, pitch-black passage, barely wide enough for an adult to get through, leading down a short flight of steps. It was just like the “hollow covered by a stone” described by the British missionary. Before the observers descended, a team of firemen arrived and used special equipment to pump oxygen into the enclosure. At the bottom of the stairs was the vault.

One of the observers recalled his first glimpse of the treasure:

When they removed the granite stone, it was almost perfectly dark, except for a small amount of light coming in through the doorway behind us. As I looked into the darkened vault, what I saw looked like stars glittering in a night sky when there is no moon. Diamonds and gems were sparkling, reflecting what little light there was. Much of the wealth had originally been stored in wooden boxes, but, with time, the boxes had cracked and turned to dust. And so the gems and gold were just sitting in piles on the dusty floor. It was amazing.

6 Foods You Should Never Order at a Fast Food Restaurant

It’s quick, it’s easy, and usually served fresh out of the package and coated in grease. While it’s no secret that fast food is a staple in many American diets, many restaurants that serve up burgers and fries are also serving up more nutritious salads, grilled sandwiches, and meal options for those who want the fast food flavor without all of the calories and fat. Don’t be fooled by some “healthy” sounding meals, however; while you may think that your meal may have some slight nutritional value due to the addition of fresh veggies, you’ll want to steer clear of those sandwiches that are deep-fried or those salads that are smothered in cream-based dressings.

While nutrition is one of the biggest reasons to stay far away from the drive thru window, you’ll also want to take into account which foods are being served to you fresh and which foods are left fully cooked and sitting before they’re even ordered. The following six items are either high in fat, calories, and sodium, or they’re rarely cooked to-order, making them definite fast foods to avoid.

1. Chicken nuggets
While plenty of fast food restaurants boast that their chicken nuggets contain 100% white meat, Dr. Axe found that only about 20% of the average chicken nugget is actually breast meat. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that up to 60% of the chicken nugget itself is actually ground up bone, fat, blood vessels, and gristle — and this is in addition to the GMO corn, bleached wheat, sugar, hydrogenated oils, and preservatives found in the nugget as well.

While fast food nuggets may contain a surprising amount of protein and a few grams of dietary fiber, the amount of fat and sodium (900 milligrams of sodium per 10 chicken nuggets at McDonald’s) should be enough of a reason to leave these at the takeout window. And, you’ll also rarely get your nuggets fresh out of the fryer. You can thank TBHQ for this, as it’s a chemical preservative found in the nuggets that helps extend their shelf life.

2. Veggie burgers


While veggie burgers seem like they might be your best bet when it comes to a healthy choice for fast food, you may be right — they’re low in calories, saturated fat, and sugar, and they offer a decent amount of protein as well. However, be aware of the add-ons that can make your somewhat healthy veggie burger into a meal as unhealthy as a Big Mac — Eat Clean describes several veggie burgers that are smothered in cheeses and sauces that offer few nutritional benefits and a boat-load of calories. Don’t expect your veggie burger to be anywhere near fresh either, as they are typically bought pre-made and locked deep inside the freezer until ordered, and only then are they resurrected and thrown on the grill.

If the frozen and never-fresh patty doesn’t bother you, it may put you off that your veggie burger could be grilling on the same grill top as the burgers — for strict vegetarians and vegans, this is definitely something to watch out for. While it’s common knowledge that fast food restaurants fry their fries and their meat products in the same grease, vegetarians may not think of the grill top as a shared vessel for the cooking of both meat and meatless products.

3. Blended and frozen coffee drinks
One of the most sinister fast foods is not necessarily a food item you’ll be chewing at all — blended coffee beverages, whether from Starbucks or McDonald’s, both contain sky-high amounts of sugar and saturated fats, making them no better for you than an ice cream sundae or a burger and fries. In fact, you can drink half a day’s worth of calories in just one of these frozen concoctions without even realizing it, and with next to no protein content either, you’ll still crave a full meal after you’re finished.

The Huffington Post describes some of the worst frozen coffee drinks you can purchase, some of which contain over 100 grams of sugar, which is 2.5 times the recommended daily intake for men. While you may not consider Starbucks to be “fast food,” a large coffee-flavored Frappuccino, even after using 2% milk instead of whole, still comes to a whopping 69 grams of sugar. Skip out on these milkshake-like beverages and go for a regular iced coffee instead.

4. Salads containing sugary or creamy dressings

Fast food restaurants do an excellent job of making you believe that their salads are low-calorie, nutrient dense, and still packed full of flavor, but this is rarely the case. Many of these quick-prepared salads are loaded with cheese, bacon, chili, or guacamole, offering up a meal that is typically higher in fat and calories than a classic burger and fries combo. And, beware of words like “crispy” to describe the chicken that’s atop many of these salads, as this implies that there’s a deep-fried element to your lunch that will add plenty of saturated fat that you may not have been expecting.

The add-ons found in these fast food salads can be problematic, but it’s the dressings that come with these salads that can really raise the calorie and fat content to a whole new level. Dressings with a creamy base, like ranch, Caesar, or blue cheese, are packed with oils that can ruin your diet. Or, salad dressings that sound healthy like “pomegranate vinaigrette” are typically packed with plenty of sugar. Rodale Wellness outlines the worst salad dressings so you can know what to avoid when eating at your favorite fast food joint.

5. Fish sandwiches
Eating a fish sandwich sounds like you’re doing your health a favor when compared to ordering a double cheeseburger, but in some fast food restaurants, the fish is actually worse. No matter what fast food restaurant you’re going to, you’re in for more or less the same thing — a fried piece of reconstituted cod from the freezer, a white bun slathered in mayo, and a slice of cheese. While Diets in Review tried to find a fish sandwich that was below 500 calories and 500 milligrams of sodium on the market, they failed to find one, proving that the fish sandwich, all around, is a bust.

While the fried piece of fish itself can hold over 10 grams of fat, the heavy dosage of tarter sauce might help the relatively tasteless fish, but it won’t help your health. And, while the sandwich may appear to be deceivingly simple, don’t be fooled — one single McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich contains 101 ingredients, which range from preservatives to sugar.

6. Anything served in a tortilla

Though the contents of a burrito — the meat, the veggies, and the beans — may give your lunch a nutritious and flavor-filled boost, you’ll want to order that burrito without the tortilla the next time you’re craving quick Mexican cuisine. Fast Food Nutrition found that in a Chipotle tortilla, and just the tortilla alone, there were 300 calories. This is without adding anything into the tortilla, so your burrito is already off to a starchy and carb-heavy start before any rice can even touch it.

Many fast food meals themselves actually contain fewer calories than a Chipotle tortilla. For example, an order of Burger King value sized onion rings, a McDonald’s strawberry sundae, and a Burger King bacon cheeseburger deluxe all contain less calories than the tortilla itself. That’s not to say that these items are any healthier, but if you’re adding steak and sour cream onto that tortilla as well, you’ll likely be looking at a meal that’s over 1,000 calories and 50 grams of fat.

9 cooking methods that make your food toxic

How you cook your food is just as important as what you eat. When smoking, frying, or grilling meat, carcinogens are produced and when amino acids, sugars, and creatine react at high temperatures. That's right—grilling your meat can be as damaging to your body as smoking! 

Certain cooking methods can also damage proteins. Denatured proteins (some of the biggest gut killers) which have lost their structure due to heat, aren't toxic in and of themselves. But the more heated a protein is, the more denatured it gets and the less likely it is that your body will be able to take advantage of its signaling molecules. 

And, depending on which cooking style you choose, your strategy could oxidize fats. Fats are your friends, and it's important to be nice to them! As you know, polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and other chemical stressors. When heated, these oils produce compounds called dicarbonyls that cause cell mutations and may contribute to cancer. 

Before you start cooking your meals, you need to know which cooking methods will create these toxins in your food. To simplify things, here is a list of the dangerous cooking methods (from least to most), so that you can avoid damaging your precious foods by cooking them the wrong way. 

Simmered

Simmering helps prevent fats from oxidizing, but it does tend to fully denature proteins. Simmering for a short period of time is fine, but leaving a bunch of meat on the stove to simmer for hours is not a good idea. Simmering is also a good option for vegetables as long as you don't overcook them.

Sous vide

This method of cooking food in a water bath can make meat literally melt in your mouth. I've had a sous vide setup in my kitchen for a decade. It's a great cooking method, but it does have a few downsides. The main risk is that BPA and other compounds can leach into your food from the plastic bags you use. The best way to avoid this problem is to use a glass jar packed fully, instead.

Just about every recipe you'll find for sous vide pays little attention to the biological effects of the cooking method. We honestly don't know what you get when you cook an artichoke at 160°F for 10 hours. Did you make it safer for consumption or less safe? Did the meat you cooked for 12 hours make it hot enough to prevent bacterial degradation and histamine? This is a fun way of cooking that produces amazing culinary results. See how you feel when cooking this way.

Lightly grilled (not charred)

This gives meat an unmistakable flavor and texture while keeping toxin formation to a minimum. The best way to grill your meat is so that the outside is just barely browned but the inside is still medium-rare to rare. This reduces the formation of toxins caused by charring meat while still giving your meat that wonderful grilled flavor and texture.

Slow cooking

Slow cooking is an easy and time-efficient way to prepare meals, but it does have a few downsides. Long, slow cooking breaks down collagen, making for soft, delicious meat dishes. However, it can also produce glutamate and overcook meat. That's why you have to slow cook correctly. Keep it tightly covered and use lots of antioxidant spices like turmeric and rosemary, and consider adding some ascorbic acid (vitamin C) powder if you're planning to simmer something for several hours.

Broiled

Broiling uses high heat from all sides to brown meat, which denatures the proteins more than other cooking methods. Broiling also oxidizes fats and causes glutamate to form outside the meat while destroying more nutrients in your food than other cooking methods. It's okay to make a broiled dish every now and then, but it shouldn't be your default cooking method.

Barbecued

While barbecuing meat over an open flame or grill makes it taste great, it also causes a few serious problems. When the fats hit the coals, they form cancer- and inflammation-causing HCAs and PAHs. Most barbecue sauces have hidden sugar and MSG, too (so watch out for these 20 secretive names for MSG). In most cases, you can get a similar taste and texture from low-temperature grilling, which produces fewer performance-robbing toxins, and by making your own Bulletproof barbecue sauce.

Burnt, blackened, or charred

Burning, blackening, or charring meat oxidizes the fat molecules, making them inflammatory. Oxidized fats also disrupt hormonal signaling, which can make you less sensitive to insulin, and thus, fatter. These methods also denature proteins, which makes them irritating to your immune system and harder to digest. They also produce mutagenic and carcinogenic substances.

Finally, these cooking methods produce glutamate, a neurotransmitter that in large amounts overexcites brain cells to death. All of these things decrease your mental and physical performance and may even make you age faster. Never eat blackened meat.

Deep-fried

Deep-frying is one of the worst ways to cook your food, as it bathes your food in oxidized fats, denatured proteins, and glycated sugars. The high temperatures used during deep-frying produce a number of toxic compounds that may increase your risk of cancer.

Microwaved

Microwaved food is fully denatured, and one (albeit controversial) study showed that microwaves cause changes in HDL, LDL, and white blood cells. Microwave ovens also tend to create high amounts of electromagnetic fields in your kitchen. 

Your tap water contains fluoride, aluminum, lead, chloride, chlorine and lithium. Use cilantro to purify water

Our tap water contains chlorine, fluoride, and different amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorides, sulfates, and bicarbonates. It can also contain iron, manganese, copper, aluminum, nitrates, insecticides and herbicides.

Additionally, according to a report by the Associated Press, that’s the conclusion from a study of 24 municipal tap waters – yes, small quantities of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, hormones, mood stabilizers, and other drugs – are in our drinking water supplies.

The problem with heavy metals is that they accumulate in the body, causing numerous health problems that can seriously impact literally every major organ in the body. Studies show that heavy metals in the body may be implicated in everything from Alzheimer’s to cardiovascular disease, from behavioral problems to kidney dysfunction, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and even paralysis.

Fortunately, the popular herb cilantro has now been found to be an excellent water purifier, absorbing harmful chemicals and heavy metals such as lead and nickel.

Why Cilantro?

Chemical agents in cilantro bind to toxic metals, wresting them free from tissues and flushing them out of the body.

The secret to cilantro’s purifying power lies in the structure of the outer walls of the microscopic cells that make up the plant. The architecture of these walls make them ideal for absorbing heavy metals.

According to a research team lead by Douglas Schauer from Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette, Indiana along with a group of Mexican researchers, cilantro leaves is a cheaper way to filter water especially poorer regions where water is not clean.

The team tested various samples of plants and determined that cilantro is the most prevalent and powerful bioabsorbant material in the Tule Valley in Mexico City where water is heavily contaminated with lead and nickel. The cilantro bioabsorbant is replaced by the typical charcoal, which is more costly, in order to capture metal toxicity.

Schauer says, “The organic toxins we can take care of pretty easily with a number of different methods, but the only way to really get rid of those heavy metals is to treat them with filtering agents like activated charcoal, but those types of materials are kind of expensive. They are a little expensive for us to use, but they are very expensive for the people living in that region.”

How to Use Cilantro

Just a handful of cilantro will clean a pitcher (about 2 liters) of highly contaminated water.

The Incredible Things that Happen in Your Body Just By Drinking One Glass of Cucumber Juice Every Day

Cucumbers provide health benefits from head to toe, inside and out. Nutritionally they contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, and potassium. Cucumber juice is a highly alkalizing and hydrating drink  It helps cleanse and detox the entire body.

Helps Detoxify the Body

Cucumbers are a natural diuretic food, which means they can help the body produce more urine to carry out toxins and waste.

Builds strong bone tissue and nourishes your kidneys.

Consuming cucumber juice helps to fight the effects of vitamin K deficiency, which can include nosebleeds, bruising and bleeding gums. Vitamin K builds strong bone tissue and nourishes your kidneys.

Additionally, recent studies found that vitamin K may play a role in treating osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s, and that consuming increased levels of vitamin K can help protect against cancer and heart disease.

Produces healthy red blood cells and boosts your immune system

Cucumber juice also provides a source of copper. Copper is the third most prevalent mineral in the body and it is mostly carried by the blood plasma protein. Copper helps with the formation of collagen, increases the absorption of iron and plays a role in energy production.

Hydrates Your Whole Body

Cucumbers supply electrolytes to restore hydration of the body cells and balance the fluid levels in the body.

Cancer-fighting Abilities

Cucumbers contain cucurbitacins, glucosides, lignans, apigenin and flavanols like firestin. These are known to have strong cancer-fighting abilities since they can protect DNA and cells from damage due to oxidative stress.

Researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain have found that cucurbitacins antioxidants, a type of triterpene compound, can induce cancerous cell death (a process known as apoptosis).

Cucumber Juice

Ingredients:
2-4  organic cucumbers

Method:
Wash the cucumbers and cut as needed. Run the cucumbers through your juicer and drink immediately for best results. If you do not have a juicer, then blend the cucumbers and strain liquid.

Drink and Enjoy!

Make sure to use organic cucumbers.  According to the Environmental Working Group’s 2014 report “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides,” conventionally grown cucumbers are among the top 12 fruits and vegetables on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found.