10 Tricks to Help You Eat Less

Do you find that you never feel satisfied after a meal or just an hour or so later you are reaching for a snack to pick you up? Of course I realize that this is lot easier said than done. After all, I losing weight were easy two third of the population wouldn’t be overweight.

In order to lose weight, you have to eat less and when you eat less you usually feel hungry, which most of us find unpleasant. And that’s where it falls apart for a lot of people. Granted there are foods that can boost your feelings of fullness, but how, when and where you eat your meals can also have a bearing on your full factor.

Here are 10 ways to keep your dining habits in check to maximize your feelings of satiety and satisfaction.

Keep eating simple:

People can eat more when they dine in company or with the television on because they become distracted as to what exactly is going into their mouth. Make sure mealtimes are all about the food; focus on it entirely and you’ll feel full sooner. Avoid fast-paced music too, this can increase the speed you eat, resulting in a clean plate before your body is able to recognize it is full.

Smell and chew:

Do you take time to smell flowers? How about taking time to enjoy every meal and snack you eat? There is truth in the benefit of slowing down and appreciating the world around you, food included. When you eat, make sure you give your meal a good sniff as concentrating on the smell of your food as well as the taste also switches on satiety signals. Secondly, chew, chew, chew, and chew some more. Some of the hormones needed to send the satiety signals to the brain are released by your chomping. Focusing on every bite can help you practice mindful eating, which has been shown to cut down on calorie intake. Slowing down between bites allows you to recognize your feelings of hunger and satiety so you have a chance to realize when you’ve had enough—then stop before you clean your plate and later regret it.

Go for bulky and moist:

The rationale behind the bulky and moist rule is pretty straightforward; simply the more air and water in food the quicker it will fill you up. So, in terms of food swaps have vegetable soup rather than pasty, plain air-popped popcorn and crisps, have grapes in place of raisins.

Take your Time:

If you do have a meal with a high fat content then make sure you allow time for that feeling of fullness to come. It can take longer for sense of satiety to come from a fatty meal compared to meal high in protein for example, so allow time for the feeling of fullness from the fat to kick in.

Get enough sleep:

When your body is deprived of sleep, it produces more ghrelin and less leptin. These are the hormones that are involved in the regulation of appetite; ghrelin is produced largely in the stomach and accelerates your appetite, while leptin decreases appetite as it’s the hormone that signals satiety.

Get hydrated:

The daily recommended amount of water to drink is around eight glasses, but many of us don’t get anywhere near that amount and as a result when we feel hungry.  It is often because we’re actually thirsty. Drink a glass or two of water before a meal, and when you do eat, the food will feel more filling.

Get a smaller plate:

Your mother was right about something’s. Your eyes can bigger than your stomach. People tend to fill their plate however big it is, and most of us eat until it is empty. And the aim of getting a ‘clean plate’ makes us more likely to override the satiety signals that stop us eating. So, swap your normal plate for a slightly smaller one, and you’ll find your ‘full’ switch will flip a little sooner. Eat from smaller plates and small bowls for daily use. Without even realizing it, you'll serve and eat less. If your dinnerware is oversized, it might be time for new dishes that won't dwarf your properly portioned meals.

Choose fiddly foods:

If you eat foods that take a little time and effort to eat, this will allow time for your body to recognize the feeling of fullness. Good examples of fiddly foods are corn on the cob, a crunchy salad or fish with bones. These types of foods force you to eat more slowly and help you to feel full quicker.

Eat an apple before your meal:

Apples help promote a feeling of fullness, and research has shown that eating an apple 20 minutes prior to eating a meal reduces the amount of food that was consumed at that meal. So, including an apple in your daily snack will not only contribute to one of your daily recommended fruit or veggie portions but the fibre will fill up your stomach too.

Be natural

Try to eat food that is as natural as possible as most manufactured foods tend to be very energy-dense which means they contain more calories or kilojoules bite for bite. However, raw fruit and vegetables take a lot of chewing and occupy a lot of room in your stomach so they fill you up much more per bite.

Top 10 Face Friendly Foods

You think you can have great complexion by putting on few things on your face or skin? Think again! Yes you heard it right, what you eat also have significant effect on your skin complexion.

Putting your best face forward starts with making your skin cells healthy from the inside out. "Unless your skin is getting the nutrients from food that it needs, it just won't look its best"

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Youthful, radiant facial skin starts from the inside out. Certain foods have been proven to rejuvenate skin and help you keep that youthful appearance and reduce the need for painful surgical procedures to remain young looking. Incorporate these skin rejuvenating foods into your diet as often as possible and try the 'Gorgeous Skin Parfait' recipe at the end which uses all five foods at once and tastes great.

Berries:

Berries act as the perfect healthy skin pick 'n' mix as they provide the perfect combo of antioxidants and vitamins C and E in an easy pick-up package. Vitamin C is really face-friendly as it helps produce collagen, the facial framework tissue which keeps your complexion plump and smooth. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are some of our favorites and easy as to get into your daily diet, but make sure they are eaten fresh and unheated; you'll get the most antioxidants and vitamins that way.

Wholegrain:

Wholegrain certainly are a skin super fruit as they usually are excellent on your digestive system, and once your system can be doing the job to reduce throw away along with harmful toxins efficiently this demonstrates in your skin color. Buy brown leafy or even whole meal pasta, almond along with bakery for getting your own wholegrain as well boost your own absorption of linens. These foods not just improve digestive system transit they are also excellent options for iron along with yet another skin-loving vitamin, nutritional M as well as helping you to feel complete along with satiated.

Cucumber:

Ok, to help you to peel away from some units along with take these in your sight as well, though the healthy properties of cucumber cause them to the skin-friendly meals to enjoy as well. Cucumber has substantial h2o content along with being hydrated needs to be one of the older guidelines in terms of beneficial nourishment on your skin color. Increase your own cucumber absorption by simply as well as these seeing that crudites, throughout salads and also throughout refreshments — cucumber whizzed upward having yogurt, mint along with a splash of milk creates the delectable Lassi.

Salmon:

Salmon also known as oily fish is rich in essential lipids or fats which makes the skin healthy. Salmon is a rich source of fatty acid and Omega 3 which is considered to be the best food for maintaining a healthy skin. It helps in maintain the elasticity which keeps the cell membranes healthy. There are many other examples of oily fish like mackerel, trout, sardines and tuna.

Dark Leafy Greens:

Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and swiss chard are all great examples of dark leafy greens that are fantastic for maintaining healthy skin. It's all to do with their super levels of antioxidant, vitamins A, C, E and the mineral iron - which is essential for keeping your blood healthy and your skin bright. If you are not a great lover of greens you can always add them to a smoothie or sneak watercress, rocket or baby spinach into salads and sarnies to ensure you get your fill.

Beans:

It's the existence of isoflaves - potent antioxidants that make beans a fabulous face-friendly food. Antioxidants are great because they reduce the free radicals in your body (which cause aging) and make you look and feel great.  And black beans, chickpeas, lentils and soybeans are good choices of beans/legumes to incorporate into your diet.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Integral to the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil can help nourish your skin from the inside out. High levels of the antioxidant vitamin E and source of the 'good fats' are what make extra virgin olive oil so skin-beneficial. If you don't already, try using it in place of your regular cooking oil and include a drizzle on salads, pasta and pizza.

Almonds:

Hey, guess what? Almonds are seeds, not nuts, and they're stuffed with vitamin E, a potent sun blocker. Volunteers who consumed 14 milligrams of the vitamin per day (about 20 almonds) and then were exposed to UV light sunburned less than those who took none. "Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that helps to protect skin cells from UV light and other environmental factors that generate cell-damaging free radicals".

Carrots:

Think of them as orange wonder wands--good for eyeballs, good for clearing up breakouts. Credit vitamin A, "It helps prevent the overproduction of cells in the skin's outer layer”. That's where dead cells and sebum combine and clog pores. Another reason to snack on carrots: Vitamin A also reduces the development of skin-cancer cells. Nibble on a half-cup of baby carrots (that's about 16) per day.

Tomatoes:

Sure, they're swell on salads, but cook them down and these plump little beauties can help save your skin. Why? Lycopene, the phytochemical that makes tomatoes red, helps eliminate skin-aging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays. Your body gains the most sun-shielding nutrients when the vegetable is heated. Just a half-cup of cooked tomatoes or pasta sauce has 16 milligrams of lycopene; along with ample sunscreen, that daily dose should help keep you out of the red.

Our Spiritual Health

Spiritual wellness has a huge impact on our physical health and life and impacts the decision we make, our values and behavior.

Most of us associate spirituality with religion and worship, and consider spiritual wellness to be largely irrelevant to everyday life. If you figure among this group give it a rethink. Spirituality is the way you find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in your life. Spiritual wellness encompasses the meaning we attach to life and the purpose we hold for our lives; peace and harmony within ourselves; the capacity to show love, compassion, forgiveness and empathy; and our attitude towards other living beings and the universe. Obviously then, spiritual wellness impacts most of the decisions we make in life, our values, and behavior.

Some people find spirituality through religion. Some find it through music, art or a connection with nature. Others find it through values and principles.

No one really knows for sure how spirituality is related to health. However, it seems the body, mind and spirit are connected. The health of any one of these elements seems to affect the health of the others.

Some research shows that things such as positive beliefs, comfort and strength gained from religion, meditation and prayer can contribute to healing and a sense of well-being. Improving your spiritual health may not cure an illness, but it may help you feel better, prevent some health problems and help you cope with illness, stress or death.

When families face tough situations, including health problems, sound spiritual health can help them fight feelings of helplessness, restore meaning and order to life situations, and promote regaining a sense of control. For some families, spirituality can be a powerful and important source of strength.

While positive spiritual health enables a person to take the ups and downs of life in stride and look onwards rather than backwards, at the organic level, it helps us cope with stress, which in turn empowers us against infections and psychosomatic disorders. Positive spiritual health keeps our minds relaxed and our systems functioning well.

Enlightenment comes at a price these days and some may say it’s not for everyone. Meditation centers, yoga teachers or spiritual retreats – these are luxuries that not all can afford.

The guidance you receive from someone who has dedicated his or her life to spirituality will help you stay focused but, will it be anything more than an inspiration. A few classes or a course is not the answer. The burning desire to know the truth takes you far in your journey to achieve freedom from life’s illusions. The best teacher you can have is ‘You’ and you certainly don’t need a guru to be happier and healthier.

People are strapped for time and work-related stress affects their health. They look for ways to beat this stress. Meditation is often recommended as a powerful tool for personal growth and development. But, it’s the price that one has to pay that becomes a roadblock for some. It’s fun to be part of a group, and collective effort can bring results, but it does not mean you have to opt for these pricey options.

Spiritual happiness and health can be achieved without stepping out of your abode. You can train your mind and dig deep into your thoughts by understanding yourself. Use your imagination and find ways to use your home as your training ground. Create a space that is quiet, and is devoid of distractions and noise. In silence your soul finds the path in a clearer light, and things that elude you become crystal clear. Meditate, read, visualize, or practice yoga. Do whatever it is that you can do to attain peace and relax your body and mind. Soul searching begins when you are in a questioning frame of mind. Like Swami Vivekananda once said, “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

If you want to improve your spiritual health, you may want to try the following ideas. However, remember that everyone is different, so what works for others may not work for you. Do what is comfortable for you.

·         Identify the things in your life that give you a sense of inner peace, comfort, strength, love and connection.

·         Set aside time every day to do the things that help you spiritually. These may include doing community service or volunteer work, praying, meditating, singing devotional songs, reading inspirational books, taking nature walks, having quiet time for thinking, doing yoga, playing a sport or attending religious services.

7 Ways to Burn Fat Faster

It takes great determination to lose weight. The fat has just been adding up for months or years, as the case may be. However, don’t kill ourselves with a mean crash diet.

These fab fitness tricks can help ramp up our body to burn more calories throughout the day. Add these activities in to our everyday fitness routine, and they are sure to add up some big results.

Step it up with intervals:

When we train in intervals, we add bursts of high intensity exercises into our workout. A study found that, after interval training, the amount of fat burned in an hour of continuous, moderate paced cycling exercised increased by 36%. These bursts of high intensity exercise burn off more fat than steadily paced exercise. To change our body, we have to shock our body.

Divide and conquer:

Who says we don’t have the time to work out? Breaking up our workout into two 20-minute exercise sessions spread throughout the day can be even more effective than spending an hour at the gym because our metabolism is revved up for 1-2 hours after a workout. Time is on our side!

Find our inner peace:

Stress can be a huge contributor to belly fat. Cortisol, a stress hormone that increases our appetite and encourages fat storage around our abdomen, to environmental and emotional stresses. The best way to fight cortisol is to lower the stress in our life. Find activities that we enjoy that lower our stress levels. Some activities proven to reduce stress are yoga, or long walk with good friends.

Break routine, get sporty:

Challenge our body by trying new sport or exercise class. Even if we’re a dedicated runner or live for our circuit training, a new activity is sure to work our muscles in a new way and “shock” our body into working harder.

Lift heavy:

Once a week, train with heavier weights than we usually use. When we lift heavier, we challenge our muscles, and the result is lean, strong muscle mass.  While cardio may burn more calories during exercise, that muscle mass will burn more calories for 24 hours after exercise. Plus, weightlifters burn fat tissue almost exclusively, while cardio devotees burn both fat and some muscle. Lifting will help cut the fat and help you tone up.

Sleep it off:

Remember cortisol? Lack of sleep increases the stress hormone, too. Lack of sleep also increases levels of insulin, and makes it more difficult to process carbs throughout the day. Sleep is our time to recharge the batteries that run our metabolism. Get at least 6 hours a night to start out fresh and ready in the morning.

Get Up, Stand Up:

Whether we sit or stand at work may play as big a role in our waistline as our fitness routine. Inactivity (4 hours or more) causes a near shut- down of an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase our fat-burning, break up long periods of downtime by standing up—for example, while talking on the phone.

12 Ways We Sabotage Our Mental Health

Our mind and mood are keenly sensitive to the world around us. Distressing life events—a bad breakup, unemployment, the death of a loved one—often leave us rattled or sad, of course, but our daily routine and patterns of thinking also have a big impact on our mood. Bad habits like skimping on sleep, drinking too much, or nursing grudges can undermine our mental health, whether that means a brief episode of the blues or full-blown depression and anxiety.

Happily, many of these mental pitfalls can be avoided. Break down 12 of the most common and provide tips for how to steer clear.

Avoiding Exercise:

Few years back when I decided to take a break from my work, I had stay at home without nothing much to do. This resulted in a bad head ache for me throughout the day. I was not able to find the reason first and decided to consult a doctor. Listening to my problem the only suggestion which he gave was to move my body daily. You don’t believe it; the result was shown from the first two days. Now no bad headaches and a great positive energy.

Why it is harmful: In addition to keeping our body in shape, physical activity plays a key role in propping up mood; it can help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Regular exercise appears to have a positive effect on brain chemicals and mood-related hormones, and it may confer psychological benefits (such as increased confidence) that foster better mental health.

What we can do? If we struggle to stick to a workout schedule, it might be too ambitious. To start, try setting aside 15-20 minutes per day for a brisk walk. Even modest exercise routines are associated with improved mood.

Ignoring Clutter:

Why it's harmful: Even if our pack-rat tendencies don't rise to the level of hoarding, unchecked clutter in our home can be a subtle source of psychological distress. "Clutter makes us feel weighed down, both literally and figuratively,”. “It has been shown to be related to depression, anxiety, and even weight gain."

What we can do? If we haven't used something in 12 months, give it away. And instead of spending our money on more stuff, consider saving up for a special dinner or vacation. These so-called experiential purchases actually buy us more happiness than material goods do.

Not Sleeping Enough:

Believe me this is the worst of all, I know many of you agrees as well.

Why it's harmful: Anyone who's missed out on sleep thanks to a deadline or bawling infant is familiar with the irritability, stress, and gloom that can set in the next day. If sleep deprivation and disturbances become chronic, they increase a person's risk of developing depression or anxiety disorders.

What we can do? Prioritize sleep and practice healthy bedtime behaviors, such as limiting caffeine and alcohol in the hours before bed. It's also important to curb our computer, tablet, and smart phone use late at night; the blue light emitted by these devices suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin and can disrupt our circadian rhythm.

Keeping up with Neighbors:

Why it's harmful: Constantly comparing our income or possessions to those of others is "one of the reasons we are not happy. Coveting our neighbor's riches tends to breed dissatisfaction, and it's also a bit irrational, since the relationship between income and happiness is actually much weaker than we think.

What we can do? Focus instead on being grateful for what we do have. Simple exercises—such as keeping a "gratitude journal or writing a letter to a loved one—are associated with greater satisfaction, optimism, and happiness.

Obsessive Thinking:

Why it's harmful: Turning the same thoughts over and over again in our mind sends our body and brain into the stressed-out state known as fight or flight. Our breathing and heart rate quicken, and our body releases the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, all of which takes a toll on both our physical and emotional health.

What we can do? Learn to recognize the thoughts we dwell on most, and train ourselves to avoid those obsessive pathways. Deep breathing helps, as does snapping ourselves out of it—literally. "Put a rubber band on our wrist as a reminder and every time we're ruminating, pull it back a little. "It's a reminder to stop ruminating and change our train of thought."

It really works!

Bottling Up Anger:

Why it's harmful: Anger and frustration are completely normal reactions to life's inevitable challenges. But when we suppress those feelings and let our grudges and grievances fester, it can backfire. Several studies, in fact, have found that suppressed anger and angry brooding—types of obsessive thinking—are associated with depression symptoms.

What we can do? It's important to express negative emotions, but only in appropriate ways. If we can communicate our anger in an assertive but calm manner, we're likely to feel better afterward. If that's not an option, our best bet might be to just let it go: Research suggests the act of forgiving confers mental health benefits.

Working too much:

Why it's harmful: When our work-life balance is out of whack, we tend to get stressed-out and we increase our risk of more serious mental health problems. Working 11-plus hours a day (versus a more reasonable seven or eight) more than doubled a person's odds of sliding into depression.

What we can do? Think carefully about our values and priorities and make sure our schedule reflects them. And set aside time for family, friends, and hobbies the same way we'd commit to a meeting at work. "It sounds kind of funny to plan for fun or relaxation, but making it protected time is really important,”.

Drinking too much:

Why it's harmful: Alcohol depresses the nervous system, slowing us down and potentially dragging our mood down as well. What's more, drinking too much alcohol in the evening—though it may initially make us sleepy—tends to cause nighttime waking and less refreshing sleep.

What we can do? Limit our intake to "moderate" levels, which doctors define as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. If it's a special occasion and we do choose to exceed those limits, be sure to pace ourselves, count our drinks, and alternate alcoholic beverages with water.

Staying Inside:

Our busy city life has decreased the time we spend outdoor. This is really bad for our mental and physical health. This is also affecting our social life as well. Coming from a country side and staying in a city for some years now I am able to figure out the differences very easily.

Why it's harmful: Holing up inside deprives us of two mental-health essentials: vitamin D, which is produced by the body in response to sunlight and has been shown to protect against depression, and nature itself, which appears to soothe us on a subconscious level. Brain scans showed that people who walked through parks were calmer and less frustrated than when they walked on busy city streets.

What we can do? Get outside! If we work in an office, take a walk—in a green space, if possible—or sit outside during our lunch break. "Even a pretty small amount of sunlight—15 minutes—can really, really help”.

Social Isolation:

Why it's harmful: Although withdrawing from friends and family is a common symptom of depression and anxiety, social isolation—and especially accompanying feelings of loneliness—also increases the likelihood of experiencing those mental health problems. By the same token, strong relationships tend to protect against depression and promote happiness.

What we can do? Even if we're preoccupied or not in the mood, make an effort to connect (or reconnect) with friends and loved ones, even for just a few minutes over coffee. Social interactions like this are uplifting—and they often end up being more fun than we expect, experts say.

Perfectionism:

Why it's harmful: Trying to meet an unattainably high standard of perfection in everything we do, be it tonight's dinner or tomorrow's work presentation, is a recipe for disappointment and low self-esteem. So it's not surprising that perfectionism has been linked to a suite of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

What we can do? Instead of perfectionism, aim for what mental health experts call healthy striving. That means setting more attainable goals, welcoming mistakes as avenues for learning, and, most of all, enjoying the journey, not just the destination.

10 Unhealthy Foods that sound healthy, but aren’t

We may have already made the switch from white bread to brown bread in a conscious bid to eat healthy and save our diet. But have we thought the brown bread we pick up every time from our local general store could well just be brown color bread?

We are a nation of dieters. We try the new fads and the new products. We listen to the promises of fast and easy weight loss. We also have so many food options that confusion on what’s healthy and what’s not is the norm – from cookies with vitamins to drinks that will help us lose fat.

Despite the number of hours at the gym we wonder where we are going wrong. Well, the reason behind this is foods we think are healthy, but are actually not.

I love food. I also love unhealthy food, unfortunately, and in attempt to help myself and others with trying to eat healthier, I made this list to make people aware that what we might think of as healthy, might just quite the opposite.

Health drinks:

There are hundreds of “Health” drink options on the market today. We can find drinks filled with vitamins, probiotics and even fiber. But how do they truly stack up when it comes to meaningful weight loss.

If they’ve got more than 1 to 2 ingredients, my advice is to skip it. That’s because any drink with various ingredients is likely to either have added calories in the form of simple sugars, and if it’s sweet but has no calories, it’s got artificial sweeteners, which aren't great for our waistline, either. Recent studies are linking artificial sweeteners with vascular events and even increases in metabolic syndrome. When it comes to drinks, think simple – water, coffee, tea – and cheap!

Brown Bread:

After it slowly sunk in that white bread is bad for health as it is made of all-purpose flour and can lead to obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes, we made a reluctant transition to brown bread. Now, it turns out the brown bread locally available is no more than regular white bread colored brown by using chemicals. By having brown colored bread regularly for breakfast we are doing our body no good, worse still if we are exercising as well.

White Rice:

Devoid of nutrition, white rice is nothing but a refined grain that has been stripped of its vitamins, minerals and fibre. Cooked white rice is all starch that easily converts to glucose in our body and shoots up our blood pressure, or gives a tummy bulge. White rice should especially be avoided by those who are carb sensitive as even a little bit of rice could make them feel full, and even fat. Also, white rice leaves us hungry too soon as our body takes very little time to break it down and digest it.

Granola:

For most (but not all), a teeny tiny amount of granola will give us a wallop of trans fats and sugar – both have been shown to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke – and calories. Plus, the portions are so small that we tend not to be satisfied with the initial bowl and continue to fill the bowl until the milk is gone … and then add a little more milk, what I like to call the vicious cereal cycle.

Foods Labeled "Fat-Free":

Fat-free does NOT mean calorie-free. Just because a food contains no fat, that doesn't make it a health food. (Think gummy bears.) Of course, there are many very healthful fat-free foods (like most fruits and vegetables), but always check the nutrition labels when buying packaged foods to be sure we're getting a nutritious product and not just one that's fat-free. Calories, sodium, fiber, and vitamins and minerals are all aspects we should consider in addition to fat.

Flavored yoghurt/milk:

Our local dairy shop will first produce a strawberry-flavored yoghurt cup when we ask for yoghurt. Such is the hoopla surrounding every food that's flavored. Its novel and apparently healthy. But it is only preposterous to think that they contain real fruit pulp and probably as good as plain yoghurt. All our strawberry, blueberry and mango flavored yoghurts are loaded with sugar and chemicals to get the desired color and sweetness, for real fruit pulp can never be that sweet. The same goes with flavored milk.

Breakfast cereals:

We have been stocking all sorts of breakfast cereals for a while now due to our busy life. But reconsider a moment. Not all breakfast cereals on the market are low-calorie, or the least bit healthy. When buying breakfast cereals, be extremely picky about the ingredients of our pack; check for the sugar content, artificial coloring, salt, fibre and fat content. It is always advisable to steer clear of the sugar-frosted, chocolate-coated varieties as we don't want our first meal to do anything but pump sugar into our body.

Ketchup:

Despite containing the antioxidant lycopene (antioxidants greatly reduce the risks of mutations in our body, and the risk of developing diseases like cancer), ketchup contains loads of sugar (as high as 26% carbohydrates, according to Wikipedia), and also a lot of salt. Most of the ketchup we eat is processed and non-organic, so the lycopene levels are much lower than what it could be from the amount of tomatoes used.

Vegetable Oil:

Like some of us learned in Chemistry class, fat is supposed to be healthier the more liquid it is, therefore it’s commonly believed that all vegetable oils are healthy. And hey, they’re from plants, too! So this sounds about right. It is actually a general rule that the fat is more healthy the more liquid it is, since the “healthy” double bonds in the unsaturated (or good, if you will) kind of fat will decrease the melting point. However, what most people forget is that ordinary butter can be liquid too, if it’s just heated a little. The “oil” used for frying in fast food restaurants, is most commonly palm oil, an almost purely saturated (unhealthy) oil. It’s semi-solid at room temperature, but is of course liquid when heated and used for frying, and it’s certainly not healthy. If more healthy oil had been chosen for frying, those tasty fries wouldn’t have been bad for us. Not at all, as long as the potatoes are of good quality. “Then why don’t the fast food restaurants use the healthy kind of oil then?” we might ask ourselves. The unhealthy stuff is cheap, and the fast food companies tend to care more about their money than our health.

10 Relationship Rules you need to break

Many of the “rules” concerning relationships tend to over-generalize—and play up the guilt factor—by suggesting that all couples should be doing X to be successful. However, each relationship is different, so the advice rarely applies to everyone.

If you’ve ever wanted to be a renegade, here is your chance. Here’s permission to flaunt your rebellious side and break free of the relationship rules you’ve been sticking to for so long. Here shows what rules you need to break and how they will help you to achieve relationship success.

Forgive and Forget:

Forgiveness is a great thing. It is something that every relationship needs if things are going to work. Yet forgiving you husband or wife or your boyfriend or girlfriend when they repeatedly upset you or break your relationship rules is not a great thing; it is in fact disastrous.

If your partner continuously breaks your rules then don’t forgive and don’t forget. Instead, you need to ditch them. If you don’t then your partner will continue to behave as they do and this will ruin your self-esteem and make you feel miserable and bitter.

Never say Never:

If you’ve been after that hot guy or gorgeous girl for months now and they still won’t go out with you, don’t listen to those people that tell you, ‘Never say never’. If something was going to happen between you and the girl or guy you like, then it would have happened by now.

Granted, after pursuing someone for months you might find that they finally agree to one date.  Yet really, is that what you want? Do you want to have to persuade someone to date you? A good, solid relationship comes from mutual attraction and you can’t force these things.

Boys will be boys:

The saying ‘Boys will be boys’ has meant that men around the world have been getting away with behaving badly for far too long. This seemingly innocent phrase gives people the impression that men have an innate, predetermined characteristic that makes them misbehave and that they don’t do so by choice. If you are going to break just one of these relationship rules, let it be this one.

Sleep on it:

Of all the terrible ideas in the world, this must be one of the worst. After having a blazing row with your partner you should never, ever try to sleep on it. In fact that must be one of the worst things you can do. By sleeping on it you give the bad mood that has been brewing between you the chance to continue and grow. You will also end up having a terrible night’s sleep, which won’t help you tackle the issues you need to solve with a clear mind.

Although you may not be able to resolve every fight before you go to bed, make the effort to at least be on speaking terms with your partner. This way, you give your anger a time limit, meaning that those bad feelings can’t seep into the next day. Thus, you’ll both wake up feeling close enough to face whatever issues you have.

Never mix business with pleasure:

When you’re at school you are constantly meeting people, yet as you get older opportunities for meeting ‘The One’ grow slimmer and slimmer. Therefore, why limit your pool of potential dates by vowing to never mix business with pleasure? Although work relationships can be awkward, if handled well they actually have lots of benefits.

According to a recent survey 19 per cent of 28 to 39 year olds meet their spouse at work and 15 per cent of 18 to 27 year olds meet the love of their life in the workplace. Although it’s not advisable hitting on your boss or getting it on in the stationery cupboard, mixing business with pleasure can be great if you’re cautious and sensible. Remember to check what your work’s policy is on employees dating each other before you announce your affair at the work’s annual meeting though.

If it's not broken, don't fix it:  

Many people think that once you’ve found someone who you love and who loves you back, then the hard work is over. Yet, committing to a long-term relationship is when the hard work really begins. A good relationship requires lots of dedication and effort to keep it strong and enjoyable.

Therefore, to make your relationship work, don’t stick to the rule that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. In fact do the very opposite. Be aware of ways you can improve your relationship and be open to new things you can both try to keep your relationship fresh, fun and strong.

There are plenty of fish in the sea:

Although there is not just one person out there for you, constantly telling yourself that there are plenty of fish in the sea may make you blasé about your relationship and it may mean that you won’t try to make your relationship work. Relationships aren’t easy. They require a lot of work. Therefore, if you think that there are plenty of other fish in the sea you may bail on your partner when you come to the first hurdle, thinking there are better ones out there.

Instead, understand that although there may be other people out there for you, whoever you end up with the relationship will require effort, work and sacrifice.  

You have to share all the same interests:

Some couples mistakenly think that being on the same page — and being close — means taking an active interest in all of each other’s pastimes.

If you love tennis and so does, he, great. Bur forcing yourself to participate in his random hobbies dilutes your interactions. You get bored and ask him lots of questions, and he feels uncomfortable because he knows you’re not really interested. Conversely, pressuring him to take part in your extracurricular will just make him resentful.

Nonstop couple time creates a dynamic that’s more ball-and-chain than boyfriend-girlfriend. Plus, you’re simply more interesting to each other if you’re able to share separate experiences. “When you pursue your own interests, you appreciate the things you do as a couple more”.

You must tell each other everything:

Sure you need honesty in a relationship, but that doesn’t mean you have to tell your spouse absolutely everything. You backed into another car in the parking lot? Confession required. You bump into the guy you had a torrid affair with before you met your husband? Details not required.

Before fessing up, do a gut check: Is what I’m about to say going to come back to haunt me? Is what I’m about to tell him based on guilt? Is this going to make my partner feel better or worse about himself? “Honesty is good, but not causing another person unnecessary pain is good too”. So at the mall, look your partner straight in the eye and say, “Yes, I knew him. Different time in my life.” Then does your gut check before deciding whether or not to share more.

Always put your Children First:

Experts maintain that having a strong marriage will greatly benefit your kids’ lives. So, bending this rule doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to put your marriage before your kids; rather, it encourages you to continue to make your relationship with your spouse a priority after your children are born. Think of it as putting your family—spouse and kids—first, a move that will benefit everyone.