What “good nutrition” is, however, can be confusing. Ideas about nutrition have changed over the years. Two decades ago, we were told it was healthy to eat a “low-fat” diet. Unfortunately, in an effort to reduce unhealthy fats, people began eating low-fat processed foods. We didn’t realize then that many of those low-fat foods were laden with extra sugar. Nor did we understand the dangers of excess sugar. We know now that something we thought was good for us has contributed to health problems.

Over the past couple years, I’ve been researching the latest books and articles on nutrition. What’s touted consistently now is a diet of whole, unprocessed foods that discourage inflammation. The anti-inflammatory diet is what seems to have the most health and beauty benefits.

Dr. Oz, Dr. Howard Murad, author of The Water Secret and Dr. Jessica Wu, author of Feed Your Face, and several other doctors writing in the field of health and beauty all agree that inflammation is one of the worst offenders. They say that we promote inflammation when we eat foods that are too high on the glycemic index. And what kinds of foods are those? Foods that are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates. An anti-inflammatory diet will help to keep blood sugar levels in check, keep the skin young, and be a boon to overall health.

Here’s a list of foods synthesized from a variety of sources. Most of these are recommended by a number of specialists in the field of anti-aging. What’s great is that foods that help us stay young-looking also help us stay healthy.

Eggs. In an article in Time magazine from September of 2011 written by Dr. Oz, eggs were among the foods “vindicated,” and now considered to be part of a healthy diet. Previously thought to be detrimental because of their cholesterol content, in moderation, eggs are great because they’re nutrient dense, provide high quality protein and are not high in calories. Another doctor, Howard Murad, recommends that women eat eggs to combat “hormonal aging.” He says that eggs and other embryonic foods (seeds and beans) help women preserve optimum estrogen levels naturally.

Leafy greens. Spinach, kale, collards, romaine lettuce, etc. provide vitamin C, vitamin E, and Lutein, a nutrient that contributes to healthy, great looking skin.

Broccoli. Low in calories, and high in fiber, broccoli is a powerhouse of nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, B6, folate and surprisingly, calcium.

Sweet potatoes. A good choice when you need complex carbohydrates. Rich in vitamin A, which is great for the skin and the eyes, the sweet potato is high in antioxidants (including beta-carotene), has cancer fighting abilities, and its vitamins can help boost your immune system. High in fiber, it’s an excellent addition to the diet if you’re looking to burn fat.

Mushrooms. According to Dr. Howard Murad, author of The Water Secret, Mushrooms are full of vitamins and have strong antioxidant properties and may inhibit tumor growth. Mushrooms also help prevent breakdown of collagen and elastin, helping your skin to stay firm and plump.

Tomatoes. Dr. Jessica Wu, a Beverly Hills dermatologist calls tomatoes “a skin superstar.” High in lycopene, they help protect the skin from sun damage. Eating plenty of tomatoes can help prevent wrinkles, age spots and inflammation.

Apples. They contain Phloretin, a powerful antioxidant. Phloretin neutralizes a large number of free radicals (which contribute to aging) and reduces inflammation and hyper-pigmentation.

Blueberries. Low in calories and virtually fat-free, blueberries are full of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. These are on Dr. Oz’s “anti-aging” checklist and some studies have shown that blueberries are beneficial for the brain and can help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Almonds. They contain copper, selenium, zinc, healthy monounsaturated fats, and fiber. Eat them, but in moderation, due to their high caloric content. According to Dr. Wu, almonds can help in the battle against gray hair, because eating almonds has been shown to increase the levels of catalase in the body. Catalase is an enzyme that neutralizes natural peroxide. When our scalp stops making catalase on its own, our hair begins to loose its pigment.

Walnuts. Loaded with omega 3 fats, walnuts are good for the skin. They’re a good source of phosphorus, zinc, copper and thiamin. Yes, they’re high in calories, but a handful of nuts a day can actually benefit weight loss, because they can curb the appetite. Also, the fiber in nuts helps prevent the absorption of some of the calories.

Plain yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt easier to digest than milk, so it’s a good source of calcium if you’re lactose intolerant. Yogurt contributes to colon health because of its intestine-friendly bacterial cultures, which lower the risk of colon disease.

Be wary of “non-fat” milk and yogurt. According to Dr. Oz, “When you remove all the fat from whole milk, you’re left with too high a concentration of natural sugars, which interacts like candy with your hormones, especially insulin.”

I was curious about this, and so began paying attention at the grocery store. When I looked at labels on regular plain yogurt, sure enough, the non-fat variety had a higher number of sugars. I now opt for low-fat, rather than non-fat. Some non-fat Greek yogurts did NOT have high sugar contents, so those are a good choice.

FYI, fat free foods often have added sugar to make up for the reduction in fat and good taste. Dr. Alan Lustig gave a lecture on the dangers of sugar and he credited the proliferation of low-fat foods in the American diet with higher levels of obesity and diabetes. According to Lustig it is not the fat that’s makes us fat and sick, it’s the sugar.

Salmon. Rich in omega-3s, salmon is recommended by many anti-aging specialists. Dr. Nicolas Perricone, author of The Wrinkle Cure says that eating salmon will keep your skin looking younger longer. Eating salmon helps reduce inflammation and can also help prevent heart disease, due to its high omega 3 content.

Red wine. (in Moderation, no more than 2 glasses a day) thought to raise good cholesterol and reduce the bad kind, as well as protect arteries against cholesterol-related damage. You may have heard of the benefits of Resveratrol, which red wine contains. However, according to Dr. Oz, you’d have to drink 60 liters to get the full benefits. Still, if you’re going to drink alcohol, red wine is the best choice for your health. White wine doesn’t contain resveratrol.

Dark chocolate. Eat dark chocolate in moderation (meaning no more than one oz. a day or every few days) and reap the benefits of its antioxidant content and high concentration of flavanols. Dr. Wu says that dark chocolate consumption can promote better circulation, improved skin hydration, and can help the skin resist the signs of sun damage.

Olive Oil. This is a “healthy fat” which, according to Dr. Murad will feed your brain, skin, and your cellular membranes. It’s one of the essential fatty acids that helps keep us hydrated, supple, youthful and beautiful.

Coconut oil. Another healthy fat. Previously thought to raise cholesterol, recent studies have proven that coconut oil raises the good cholesterol, while keeping bad cholesterol in check. Also, there’s new evidence that suggests coconut oil is salutary for the brain and can guard against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Green tea. An excellent source of antioxidants, in particular Epigallocatechin gallate, green tea is one of the best things you can drink for health and anti-aging. It helps enhance the skin’s ability to fight sun damage. It also fights inflammation.

Oatmeal. Filling and high in fiber, oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate that can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Just be sure to eat the kind without added sugar and chemicals. You can add your own nuts, and/or fruit to make it taste good. Even if you add a sweetener, better to be able to control the amount you use, rather than consume all the extra sugar in pre-packaged brands.

Quinoa. Quinoa tastes and acts like a grain, but it’s actually a seed. It’s high in antioxidants, fiber and protein (it contains all the amino acids), and low in calories.

Of course there are many more healthy foods than those on this list, but these are the foods on the lists of a number of doctors specializing in anti-aging, and health & beauty.

A Few Foods You Should NOT Be Eating or Drinking and Why:

White bread, donuts, cookies, pastries, cakes and sugary cereals. These high glycemic foods contain trans fats and sugar, which contribute to inflammation.

According to Dr. David J Goldberg, author of Light Years Younger, these foods all contain “high-glycemic” carbohydrates, which flood the body with glucose molecules minutes after they are eaten. All these foods have been linked to decreased insulin sensitivity, which means they impair the body’s most important glucose regulating mechanism. To save your skin, favor foods low on the glycemic index.

Sodas. (Diet or regular.) Both regular and diet sodas pose health risks. A recent study showed that regular soda contributed to hard to detect fats in the organs, particularly in the liver. And the artificial sweeteners and dyes in diet soda have been linked to brain cell damage. Sodas also cause the body to draw calcium from the bones, contributing to osteoporosis.

Sugar. Processed sugar doesn’t contribute to good nutrition and too much of it can be harmful. Aside from contributing to weight gain and diabetes, excess sugar ages the skin via a process called glycation wherein harmful sugar molecules attach to the collagen and elastin in the skin and make it rigid. These molecules build up and eventually cause wrinkles. Sugar also contributes to more health issues than were previously understood. According to Dr. Alan Lustig, who gave the famed lecture Sugar: The Bitter Truth, sugar should be deemed a toxin. Fruit, which is high in natural sugar is okay, because it contains fiber which helps keep it from spiking the blood sugar level, but juice, with all the fiber removed, is less beneficial.

Low glycemic carbs include: oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, soybeans, lentils.
High glycemic carbs (which should be avoided) include white flour, white bread, white pasta , corn, corn chips, cornflakes, processed cereals with sugar, white rice.
Low glycemic vegetables include: yams, green beans, cabbage, leafy greens, avocado, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli.
High glycemic vegetables include: white potatoes, carrots and parsnips.
Low glycemic fruits include: apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, melon, kiwi, blueberries.
High glycemic fruits include: fruit juices, bananas, mangoes and papayas.

There you have it: to eat and not to eat. It’s a lot to consider, but hopefully knowing the benefits and risks of you options can help you make good decisions about what you put in your body.

As always, wishing you good health and great beauty.

Toni Ann Johnson is the author of Vibrating Youth, available on Amazon.com as an ebook and in paperback. Follow Vibrating Youth on Twitter and Facebook.

You Feel More Pleasure
A University of Vienna study found that bigger breasts are sometimes less sensitive than smaller ones. “Larger breasts have more fatty tissue than glandular tissue, which is the most sensitive part,” says sexologist Rachael Ross, MD, PhD. “With smaller breasts, the glands are easier to stimulate during foreplay because they’re not underneath a fatty layer.”

They Keep You Healthy
Having a smaller set does your body good in other ways too. “In self-exams, it’s easier to detect a lump in the back of smaller breasts, since there are fewer layers to feel through,” says oncologist Marisa Weiss, president and founder of breastcancer.org. And small breasts can also save your neck. Larger boobs are heavier, and that puts pressure on the body. “It alters a woman’s posture so her neck is strained and she’s more likely to have headaches,” says Dr. Weiss.

You Look Younger, Longer
Back in caveman days, men needed a way to tell a woman’s age. “They had to look at physical signs,” says Satoshi Kanazawa, PhD, an evolutionary psychologist. The giveaway: her mammary glands. “Larger breasts sag over time, so it was an indicator that a woman was older,” says Kanazawa. “It’s more difficult to assess a woman’s age if she has smaller breasts.” Since your breasts are less affected by gravity, they’ll stay sexy for way longer. SOURCE

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• The diet takes at least 10 days (up to 40 days, the period of time that Jesus fasted after his baptism, as Burroughs points out)
• The only nourishment that you take is a special lemonade concoction made from the Master Cleanse ingredients: lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water, six to twelve glasses per day, each glass containing about 110 calories in sugar carbohydrates
• An herbal laxative tea is drunk at night and a quart of salt water is drunk first thing in the morning, resulting in several liquid bowel movements every day — you need to always be near a toilet when you do this diet, and you need to stock up on toilet paper
• You come off the diet by transitioning to solid food over a few days, ideally becoming a raw food vegetarian in Stanley Burroughs’ version of the diet

The Master Cleanse was originally developed in 1940 as a stomach ulcer cure by alternative health practitioner Stanley Burroughs.

Forget Beyonce, would you do the “Master Cleanse?”

Find out more information, here!

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DRY, ROUGH SKIN
Indoor heating and long, hot showers will warm you, but they’ll also suck you dry. Keep moisture contained by eating whole-grain bread and rice. Also, enjoy extra helpings of Swiss chard cheese and egg yolks – both contain biotin, which promotes production of fatty acids — a must-have for smooth skin.

ENERGY SHORTAGE
It’s dark. It’s cold. Of course your energy is zapped! Spot-treat with gum. Chewing enhances blood flow to the brain, perking it up, almost like caffeine but without the crash. Maximize the effect with minty flavors — or reach for a minty drink, like peppermint-infused water. You may even actually perform better if you inhale it: the scent of mint seems to change brain activity. Also, stabilize blood sugar — and energy — by pairing lean protein (eggs, yogurt, tofu, nuts) with high-fiber carbohydrates (whole-grain waffles, multigrain toast, fresh fruit, oats).

LOW IMMUNITY
Germs spread with abandon in winter because we’re cooped up indoors. So eating at least 75 milligrams of vitamin C (from papaya, red bell peppers, oranges, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe) will stimulate the growth and activity of infection-fighting white blood cells. To bolster your immune system further, heap on beta carotene (from leafy greens such as spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, and kale, and orange-colored produce such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and winter squash). GET MORE HERE!

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Let’s be real though, most of us (myself included) will never be able to get over sugar entirely. We’re going to creep back to it, ’cause the stuff is just so good. But, we really have to learn to keep it to minimum if we care about our health and youth. Here’s why: Sugars (ALL sugars, even natural sweeteners like agave, honey, and maple syrup) raise our blood glucose level. Natural sugars are a little better for us, because they raise it less, or more slowly, and they do contain some nutrients (white sugar has none), but, all sugars raise the blood sugar level and that is a problem…

According to anti-aging specialist Dr. Nicolas Perricone, a spike in our blood sugar level causes inflammation on a cellular level, which causes our skin to wrinkle. Did he say wrinkle? Sugar gives us wrinkles? Yes, it does. Time for us to drop the donuts. Back away from the Krispy Kreme.

Dr. Perricone is hardly alone in his assertion about sugar and wrinkles. Because I read books and articles on anti-aging as frequently as most of us check Facebook and Twitter, I know that many of the anti-aging doctors including Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Howard Murad, Dr. Jessica Wu and Dr. Adrienne Denese advise us to avoid sugar. Dr. Wu, a Beverly Hills dermatologist, says: “Glucose actually eats away at your skin’s collagen and elastin.” The horror.

Here’s the science behind the claim: When our blood sugar spikes quickly and repeatedly, the sugar attaches to the proteins (collagen and elastin) in our skin, rendering them stiff and inflexible. This process is called “glycation.” These harmful sugar molecules form compounds called “advanced glycation end-products,” or AGEs. As these “AGEs” accumulate they damage adjacent proteins, which leads to sagging skin, and wrinkles.

This is sad news for those of us who just can’t go without something sweet. I’m sorry, but life is not worth living without my daily dark chocolate! (It’s okay, we can indulge in a little.) But, if you’re serious about staying young-looking, even as you move into middle-age, you have got to consider cutting back your sugar intake considerably. Now, you might be saying some of the same things I said myself at first: “I’m not gonna worry about this. I have good genes. My mother ate sugar and she still looks good. Black don’t crack.” I hear you. If wrinkles aren’t enough to get you off the sweet stuff, though, I’ve got more for you and the news gets worse.

In April of 2011, The New York Times published an article called “Is Sugar Toxic?” written by Gary Taubes. The article discussed the work of a hormone specialist, Dr. Robert Lustig, who presented a lecture in 2009 called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” which I highly recommend. You can find it on Youtube. Lustig’s research concludes that sugar is, indeed, toxic and that it is not only aging us, it’s making us sick and fat. His evidence, which includes statistics on diabetes and obesity levels since the “low fat” craze began, is compelling. Processed “fat free” foods generally contain more sugar, which helps make them taste better after all the delicious fat has been removed. Sugar and its evil twin High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is ubiquitous in processed foods and beverages, is not just bad for us; according to Lustig, it’s a POISON akin to alcohol and cigarettes.

I knew that too much sugar could contribute to diabetes, but Lustig’s research found that sugar consumption also leads to heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers as well. Astonishing, isn’t it? If I didn’t know people who’ve had heart disease, hypertension and cancer I might be disinclined to believe this. But knowing the dietary habits of friends and family who have been victims of these conditions makes me less skeptical. Each of them ate sugar with abandon. Another surprising and disheartening thing I learned via Lustig is that fruit juice isn’t as good for us as we thought. Whole fruit is much better than juice, because  whole fruit contains fiber which helps keep it from suddenly spiking our blood sugar level. Fruit juice has a lot of sugar, with no fiber to mitigate it. Too much of it can raise the blood glucose level as fast as regular sugar.

Even if you aren’t convinced of the correlation between sugar and diseases, the fact that it speeds up the aging process has been accepted in the anti-aging community well before Lustig’s 2009 lecture. Doctors overwhelmingly agree that sugar and HFCS cause inflammation and inflammation is an enemy to our skin. Omitting sugar from our diets entirely is probably never going to happen, because even fruits, vegetables and whole grains turn to glucose (the type of sugar that fuels glycation) when digested. And we’re never giving up chocolate, right? Of course not. But we can cut back.

An article in Prevention, written by Karen Repinski recommends the following guidelines: “Keep added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories. If you’re a 45-year-old woman of average height (5-foot-4), that’s 160 calories (or 10 teaspoons) from added sugar–about the number in one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola or six Hershey’s Kisses. By comparison, the average American consumes 31 teaspoons per day of added sugar, or the equivalent of 465 calories.” So, if you’re among those who can’t live without regular sugar, follow her guidelines. Processed sugar doesn’t do it for me, because it’s got no health benefits at all, but I do like honey, maple syrup and agave, so I’m trying to stick to no more than 160 calories per day from those.

I also recommend Stevia, which is a natural sweetner (made from a plant) that doesn’t contain harmful chemicals. Stevia has very few calories and it’s recommend by Dr. Wu, author of Feed Your Face, and also by by Dr. Howard Murad, author of The Water Secret. Other than Stevia, most anti-aging specialists do not recommend artificial sweeteners, like Equal, because the chemicals in them cause us to crave sweets.

Here are some recommendations:
1. Read labels and check for sugar in prepared foods. Don’t eat foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. This is easier said than done, because it’s in so many things, but if you eat fewer processed foods and more whole foods, you can avoid it.
2. Consider omitting sodas from your diet. Instead drink water, carbonated water with a splash of lemon or lime, tea, or coconut water.
3. Stop adding processed sugar to food and beverages. Replace it with honey, agave or maple syrup, but use the least amount your taste buds will allow.
4. Drink less fruit juice (which is all sugar, no fiber) and eat the whole fruit instead. Or make smoothies from low sugar fruits, like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
5. Eat fewer high glycemic carbohydrates like white flour, white rice and pasta. Instead, eat whole grains, like brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa or whole wheat pasta.

Sorry to have been the bearer of bad news. The fact that sugar is so damaging to us is hard to accept. Sugar has comforted us throughout our lives and it’s immensely difficult to revise our view of it and to curb our habit of consuming it without worry. Still, knowledge is power and it is empowering to know the consequences of what we feed ourselves.

That said,  I’m not suggesting that we live joyless, abstemious lives never eating anything fun and sweet. Just cut back and eat less sugar. You know you’ll be better off if you do, even if you’d rather not hear it.

Wishing you good health and great beauty.

For many more anti-aging tips, please check out my book, VIBRATING YOUTH available on Amazon in paperback or as an ebook. And please follow me on twitter @Vibratingyouth and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vibrating-Youth/291243730912385 www.vibratingyouth.com

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How To Beat The Mid-Afternoon Energy Slump

1. Make a specific and exciting project or plan after your work hour that you can look forward to. Make it as specific as possible so you know you will do it for sure. (“I am going to go shopping for recipes and try cooking a new vegetarian meal after work around seven o’clock” as opposed to “I am going to cook after work.”)

2. Take a scheduled mental break to slack off and be lazy. If you are feeling your mind wandering, use a kitchen timer or a cell phone alarm to schedule a 10-minute do-whatever-you-want min-break where you can organize your desk, e-mail a friend, stalk someone on Facebook or look at your favorite shameless celebrity gossip blogs.

3. Make yourself a nice cup of hot green tea. Drinking coffee or black tea might be too much caffeine for the second half of the day, which will disrupt your sleep schedule. Green tea has just a little bit caffeine, and also contains antioxidants that are good for you.

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The video below will demonstrate each each movement in circuit fashion. Remember, challenge yourself burn as many calories as possible, most important, be safe and have fun.

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Take yesterday for instance. I had a great ride around Brooklyn–mostly for cost-effective commute purposes, admittedly, and also because I can get just about anywhere faster on my bike over the bus and sometimes the train. The health benefits are a plus, I enjoy it, and my legs are looking better than I expected.

But then I got hungry. Instead of eating a salad like one would expect, I headed to KFC and ordered a crispy strip combo with potato wedges (and a Diet Pepsi, of course). It’d been a while, and I just wanted to eat something that tasted good even if it’ll slowly kill me.  I don’t really want to have to answer questions, or have a discussion as to why I’m eating fast food when I’m watching my weight. Sure we talk about it here, but in my daily life, folks aren’t really in on this conversation. Just do what you have to do, and STFU about it.

There are a number of ways to avoid this phenomenon.

“One is simple — you can keep your mouth shut,” Gollwitzer says. “Another one is to form different kinds of intentions, not only say what you want to do but also when, where and how you want to do it.”

Such planning helps create situational action control, he explains. When you find yourself at the gym before work, the situation you mentally mapped out controls your behavior instead of your intention to exercise more.

The third way, Gollwitzer says, is to tell only one or two people who hold power over you (metaphorically) so that they help you stick to your intentions. [SOURCE]

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Procrastinators Unite…Tomorrow: Are Your Bad Habits Holding You Back?

With multiple celebrities–Rick Ross, Vince Herbert (Tamar Braxton’s hubby), Heavy D and Erick Sermon–all catching headlines for their health problems and even deaths lately, I think it’s time to remind the men out there that while you may be Superman in many ways, you’re not invincible. Even Superman had a weakness. Most health problems come with warning signs and it’s up to us to recognize them and seek medical attention. Men are usually the first to tell women that they’re being paranoid for going for a doctor’s visit based on a small unfamiliar pain. And if they’re the ones that feel that pain, they pretend as if it’s not happening instead of taking the proper steps to making sure that pain isn’t prepping them for something life-threatening.

Here’s a few signs of danger that men need to stop ignoring:

Snoring: His mac truck rivaling snores may not only be annoying in the wee hours of the morning, but they can be a siren for something bigger. Snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea–which slows or stops one’s breathing while sleeping. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke and sudden death.

Chest pain: Men typically equate that little nagging pain in their chests to stress, indigestion or just being out of shape and not take it as a big deal. Most times, chest pains are mostly indicative of a looming heart attack and one should always seek medical attention asap after experiencing chest pain or tightness.

Big Belly: Obesity is the cause of many life-threatening illnesses. Your honey’s love handles may give you more to love, but also give you more to lose. Those extra inches in their waist may mean low testosterone levels which increase the chance of diabetes or coronary artery disease.

Frequent urination: This is one of the easiest warning signs to ignore because one could simply say, “I drank a ton of water today.” If your man gets up a few times through the night to tinkle, please make him an appointment to have his prostate checked.

Can’t keep it up: A man’s ego cannot take when anything goes wrong with their penis. I’m convinced it’s where most of their confidence comes from. So when there’s a problem lifting off when things get hot and heavy, most men would rather say they’re tired or just had a release rather than realize if blood isn’t flowing properly to the penis, then something could be going on with their blood supply to their heart and brain.

So men, the next time you hear your woman complain of your snoring, feel a pain in your chest, need to buy larger pants, wake up more than once a night to pee or can’t stay up at attention, please do yourself a favor and get a check up. Ignorance may be bliss, but when it comes to your health, ignorance is death.

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However, there are small tricks you can use, which, while not a miracle cure, can help you change your attitude to eating, without making you go into debt to pay off the ridiculously over-priced ab workout machines. We all know the trick of using a smaller serving plate, which gives you the illusion of eating a lot of food when in reality you’re really not, but did you know there are other just as effective small mind tricks which you can use? Shine published 4 great tips you can use to help you with portion control, to ensure you don’t over eat….

1. Light a vanilla scented candle.

Supposedly, the vanilla scent reduces dessert cravings. In fact, Shine report that one group of 160 volunteers actually lost an average of 4.5 pounds each by wearing vanilla-scented patches. Smells amazing, and you don’t intake useless calories on dessert. How can you beat that?

2. Paint your dining room blue.

Blue rooms help people to eat less, as the blue tinge makes the food look less appealing. In fact research has shown that people eat 33% less in a blue hued room. While no one is actually crazy enough to go all out and paint their walls blue, you can try to achieve the same mood by hanging blue lamp-shades and paintings, or using blue plates and napkins. Conversely, red, yellow and orange colors have been shown to promote appetite, so steer clear of these in your dining rooms if possible. I guess it’s no coincidence so many fast food chains use red and yellow in their color schemes is it?

3. Put on relaxing music.

Soft, slow background music helps you to slow down and relax normally doesn’t it? So logic holds that the same would apply when eating. It has been found that soft tunes playing in the background while eating actually encourage more leisurely chewing. It combats hurry-up, stress-related eating by naturally relaxing you, which means that you eat less, because instead of wolfing down an entire plate before you know it, your body has time to digest and work out that it’s actually full. Genius really!

4. Turn on the lights.

Nobody looks their best under full florescent lighting, and the same applies when eating. It has been found that low lighting seen in restaurants works to lower eating inhibitions, making people feel more comfortable with what they’re eating, which in turn makes them eat more. Turning up the lights works as a sort of “food shaming” by making people feel more self-conscious, which helps them to eat less.I don’t know about you, but sitting in a restaurant, (or even my kitchen) which resembles a hospital, would definitely stop me from lingering over the dessert plate and make me want to just get the hell out of there!

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