Aspartame And MSG Make You Fat, Cause Depression

Aspartame And MSG Make
You Fat, Cause Depression
From Dr. Betty Martini,D.Hum
8-11-10

 

Sugar in moderation does not promote weight gain.  Aspartame makes you crave carbohydrates.  If you want to get fat, nutrasweet is where it's at.  However, those using sugar should be sure its raw sugar and not refined sugar.  More here:   http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197265.php    Aspartame And MSG Have Caused An Epidemic Of Obesity   By Dr. Sandra Cabot Mission Possible Australia   I have been a medical doctor for over 25 years and have clinical and research interests in the liver and metabolism. I have authored several best selling health books including the "Liver Cleansing Diet", "The Body Shaping Diet", "Don't Let Your Hormones Ruin Your Life", "Women's Health", "Menopause and Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy" and I lecture internationally on these subjects. I have been consulted by thousands of patients with weight problems, hormonal imbalances, fatty liver, sluggish metabolism and chronic ill health. I have been an advocate and practitioner of nutritional methods of healing for 30 years. I regularly appear on national television and broadcast on many radio stations to educate people about the importance of a healthy liver in achieving good health and weight control!   In the interests of public health I am making a position statement concerning the use of the artificial sweetener called aspartame and sold most commonly under the names of NutraSweet and Equal. One must ask, "why do millions of people ingest a toxic chemical like aspartame everyday"? To me it appears ridiculous and I believe that it is because people have been brainwashed into thinking aspartame will keep their weight down and is good for health. It also shows me that we have lost touch with our own natural senses and instincts.   After having been consulted by thousands of overweight people suffering with problems concerning the liver and/or metabolism I can assure you that aspartame will not help you in any way, indeed it will help you to gain unwanted weight. This has been my experience, and there are logical reasons to explain the fattening and bloating effects of aspartame. When you ingest the toxic chemical aspartame it is absorbed from the intestines and passes immediately to the LIVER where it is taken inside the liver via the liver filter.     The liver then breaks down or metabolizes aspartame to its toxic components - phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol. This process requires a lot of energy from the liver which means there will be less energy remaining in the liver cells. This means the liver cells will have less energy for fat burning and metabolism, which will result in fat storing. Excess fat may build up inside the liver cells causing "fatty liver" and when this starts to occur it is extremely difficult to lose weight. In my vast experience any time that you overload the liver you will increase the tendency to gain weight easily.   Aspartame also causes weight gain by other mechanisms ---Causes unstable blood sugar levels, which increases the appetite and causes cravings for sweets/sugar. Thus it is particularly toxic for those with diabetes or epilepsy. Causes fluid retention giving the body a puffy and bloated appearance. This makes people look fatter than they are and increases cellulite.   To discover more about the liver look up my web site - <http://www.liverdoctor.com>http:// www.liverdoctor.com , and to learn more about natural sugars that are better for the liver and weight, read my books "The Liver Cleansing Diet" and "Boost Your Energy". To order see your book store, or call Ten Speed Press or call 1-888-75-Liver   http:// www.liverdoctor.com     COMMENTS BY DR. BETTY MARTINI   Also with regard to obesity and aspartame, the Trocho Study in Barcelona in l998 showed that the formaldehyde converted from the free methyl alcohol accumulates in the cells and damages DNA with most toxicity in the liver but substantial toxicity in the adipose tissue or fat cells. Further a recent epidemiological study by Sharon Fowler at the University of Texas in 2005 linked diet drinks with obesity.   In the Congressional Record, Senate, S - 5511, May 7, l985, and part of the protest of the National Soft Drink Assn, now American Beverage, is this Statement:   "Aspartame has been demonstrated to inhibit the carbohydrate-induced synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Wurtman affidavit). Serotonin blunts the sensation of craving carbohydrates and this is part of the body's feedback system that helps limit consumption of carbohydrate to appropriate levels. Its inhibition by aspartame could lead to the anomalous result of a diet product causing increased consumption of carbohydrates."   So as far as product liability is concerned you have companies marketing an addictive excitoneurotoxic carcinogenic drug to the population as a sugarfree diet product knowing full well this is causing obesity. They also know that aspartame is addictive and that the methanol component is classified as a narcotic. Aspartame liberates free methyl alcohol causing chronic methanol poisoning. This affects the dopamine system of the brain causing the addiction.   Dr. Betty Martini Founder, Mission Possible International http://www.mpwhi.com http://www.wnho.net http://www.dorway.com   Aspartame Toxicity Center: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame     Aspartame And Depression   By Dr. Ralph Walton   Depression is obviously a highly complex phenomenon, but oer the past several years there has been overwhelming evidence that one factor in the development of major depressive illness is decreased availability of serotonin.  Serotonin is one of many so called neurotransmitters - chemical substances released into the synapse, or space, between brain cells.   Information is transmitted from one cell to the other both chemically, via neurotransmitters such as serotonin and electrically, antidepressants such as Prozac work by increasing the availability of serotonin in the synapse. The synthesis, or manufacture of serotonin in the brain is very much dependent on the availability of an amino acid building block, L-tryptophan.  Multiple studies demonstrate that tryptophan depletion is associated with the development of depressive symptoms.  Work done in Richard Wurtman's laboratory has demonstraqted that aspartame decreases the availability of L-tryptophan to the brain.   The neurochemical impact of aspartame on the brain is fairly complicated.  Not only does it decrease the availability of the building block for serotonin (l- tryptophan), but one of the two amino acids that comprise aspartame, phenylalanine, is a precursor for another very important neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.  Papers which i published in 1986 and 1993 discuss what i believe is the clinical impact (accentuating depressive illness) of altering the balance between these 2 neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and serotonin).   There is evidence that the therapeutic effect of antidepressants can be blocked by parachlorophenylalanine - a form of phenylalanine- one of the major constituents of aspartame.  Administration of this substance has also been associated with aggression and binging.   Aspartame and weight gain   Food seeking behavior and satiety are driven by an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus.  Stimulation of the medial hypothalamus in a laboratory rat leads to eating. Stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus leads to satiety and cessation of eating.  Placing a lesion in the lateral hypothalamus produces an obese rat.  The lateral hypothalamus is driven by serotonin.  there are many papers in the current literature demonstrating that antidepressants which increase serotonin (but not antidepressants which act on other neurotransmitters) are useful in treating binge eating disorders.  I believe that consuming large amounts of aspartame decreases the availability of serotonin and is thus analogous to placing a lesion in the lateral hypothalamus.  Although much of this work is recent, clinical suggestions that aspartame can lead to paradoxical increased appetite date back to blunder's work of 1986.   An evolving view in modern psychiatry is that although depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, impulse control disorders and eating disorders have historically been viewed as separate entities, in fact they should be viewed as a continuum of disorders all involving some degree of dysregulation of serotonin.  I believe that at this time there is overwhelming evidence that aspartame contributes to this dysregulation.   Ralph Walton, M.D.   For those needing a safe sweetener they can use Just Like Sugar which is made from food and not additives - chicory which has been used for 70 years to improve he health of diabetics, orange peel, vitamin c from organic oranges and calcium.  www.justlikesugarinc.com or  whole foods -  soon safe cookies and gum.   Also remember that aspartame (Ajinomoto has changed the name to AminoSweet to confuse you), Nutrasweet, Equal,Spoonful, E951, Canderel, etc. has caused an epidemic of diseases such as autism: http://www.mpwhi.com/autism_chart.htm     The medical text Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, by H. J. Roberts, M.S.  is 1000 pages of horrors, www.sunsentpress.com  Also read Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. on aspartame and MSG.   The first weekend after Labor Day is Aspartame Awareness Weekend.  See the documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, cori@soundandfury. tv   Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum, Founder Mission Possible Intl 9270 River Club Parkway Duluth, Georgia 30097 770 242-2599 www.mpwhi.com, www.dorway.com, www.wnho.net Aspartame Toxicity Center, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame

 

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Speed cameras set to be switched off across country, council chief predicts - Telegraph

Speed cameras set to be switched off across country, council chief predicts

Speed cameras across the country are set to be switched off as the Coalition's spending cuts bite, one of local government's most influential figures has predicted.

By David Millward, Transport Editor
Published: 7:00AM BST 11 Aug 2010

David Sparks, the leader of the Labour group on the Local Government Association, said many councils will have little alternative but to pull out of the safety camera partnerships running schemes across the country.

The cutbacks come at a time when many of the first generation speed cameras, which used film, are coming to the end of their useful life.

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With spare parts hard – if not impossible – to find, partnerships are struggling to find the money to pay for the new digital cameras which cost around £40,000 a piece.

Conservative-controlled Oxfordshire has already announced it will stop funding speed cameras and Labour-run Thurrock is ready to withdraw from the Essex scheme in a move which will save the authority £184,000.

One partnership, Wiltshire and Swindon, is to close completely and there is a growing belief others will be unable to survive if they lose the backing of councils, who have been their main source of finance.

"I think there is a real possibility that the pressure on council budgets will be so severe that even those councils that are in favour of speed cameras will pull out of partnerships for financial reasons.

"I think this is an example of spending cuts having an impact that had never been forecast," Mr Sparks said.

Originally councils were able to keep the money they raised from speed cameras as long as the money was used for road transport.

Since 2007 they have had to send the fine income to the Treasury, but under Labour around the same amount – between £80 £100 million a year – was returned as a road safety grant.

Since taking office, the Coalition has cut the road safety grant, while councils are still obliged to hand fine income over to Whitehall.

It has left councils picking up a bill for collecting money on the Government's behalf at the same time as facing the biggest financial squeeze in a generation.

David Jamieson, a road safety minister in the last Government who is now cabinet member with responsibility for transport at Solihull Council, predicted more partnerships would close.

"The new Government cut funding for new cameras at a time when the old 'wet film' ones need replacing.

"Also money used to be ploughed back into road safety, now it's not," Mr Jameson said. With the Treasury pocketing the cash, they had become a "real tax on the motorist."

via telegraph.co.uk

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Next Frontier Of ETF Investing: Long/Short Trades | ETF Database

Next Frontier Of ETF Investing: Long/Short Trades

by Michael Johnston on August 10, 2010 | ETFs Mentioned: BRAZ • EEI • EMT • EWZ • EZU • GMF • ILF • INP • IWD • IWF • PLND • SCIN • XLE • XLES • XLI • XLV

There is no denying that the ETF boom is in full swing, as billions of dollars continue to flow into the industry every month despite a difficult economic environment. As individual investors and advisors alike become more informed on the nuances and potential benefits of ETFs, usage has surged. Part of the impressive surge in assets is no doubt attributable to the flexibility of the exchange-traded structure; these securities have found homes in the portfolios of investors across the risk tolerance spectrum. ETFs have been embraced by long-term buy-and-holders because of the extremely competitive expense ratios relative to traditional actively managed mutual funds [see True Cost Of Mutual Fund vs. ETFs]. They’ve also become quite popular as “replacements” to equities; more active investors who measure holding periods in hours have gravitated towards the exchange-traded structure because it provides exposure to a basket of securities that can be traded throughout the day.

There are other, more creative uses for ETFs as well. These securities can extremely useful for investors looking to implement  market neutral pairs trading strategies that generally involve equivalent long and short positions in related (but unique) asset classes. By identifying two securities that are seemingly mispriced relative to one another, investors can capitalize by purchasing the undervalued asset and shorting the overvalued asset. Because the net exposure is zero, these investors don’t really care if broader markets boom or bust; so-called “market neutral” positions can thrive in any environment.

Such a strategy theoretically carries significant risk; (moreover, the presence of a short position means that potential losses are infinite). But by implementing such a strategy with two related assets, investors can effectively establish a low volatility position, since the two will almost always move in the same direction.

Pairs trading is nothing new. All walks of investors have been using market neutral strategies for decades, most commonly establishing long and short positions in two similar stocks (e.g., long BAC, short JPM). But ETFs have changed the game of pairs trading, allowing investors to make plays on perceived high level macroeconomic price discrepancies instead of company-specific disconnects [see more Market Neutral ETF Plays].

Six Ways To Play

There are a number of ways to construct market neutral portfolios with ETFs, including strategies that seek to capitalize on relative mispricings between sectors, countries, market capitalizations, and slivers of the fixed income pie [for more ETF insights, sign up for our free ETF newsletter]:

6. Value/Growth

There has been a tremendous amount of research done on the relative merits of value and growth investing styles, and ETFs offer investors an opportunity to capitalize on differences in the performance between these two strategies. For example, going long the iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund (IWF) and short the Russell 1000 Value Index Fund (IWD) creates an opportunity to profit if growth stocks outperform value equities (the opposite strategy would allow investors to profit if value stocks beat their growth counterparts).

5. Market Cap

Another pairs trading idea within the same economy involves splitting up equities by market capitalization. Within an individual economy, equities will usually exhibit strong correlations. But different sizes of stocks can maintain very unique risk and return profiles, creating opportunities to capitalize on differences in performance. An investor who thinks small cap Indian equities will perform better than large caps could go long SCIN/short INP. Those who think large cap Brazilian equities are a better bet than mid caps could go long EWZ/short BRAZ. And of course, there are dozens of combinations within the U.S. market.

4. Single Sector

There are a couple of variations on the pairs trading idea that can be implemented within a single sector. The first is to establish a market neutral position consisting of long exposure to a sector in one economy and short exposure to the same sector in a different economy. For example, investors might think that emerging market financials carry less risk and greater potential for return than the U.S. financial sector; going long EFN and short XLF would be an intriguing way to make this play while maintaining net zero equity exposure.

It’s also possible to bet on different market caps within a single sector. Earlier this year PowerShares rolled out a suite of nine sector-specific small cap ETFs that can serve as both alternatives or complements to the sector SPDRs from State Street. An investor looking to stay within the domestic energy market could play long XLES/short XLE, positioning a portfolio to benefit if small cap energy companies beat large cap energy stocks. Because the correlation between these ETFs would likely be strong, such a position should exhibit minimal volatility regardless of whether markets surge higher, plunge lower, or trend sideways [also read Covered Call ETFs: The "Write" Play Now?].

3. Cross Sector

Some investors like the idea of pitting various corners of the market against each other, betting that a certain industry will perform better than others. This pairs trade idea may have significant potential for return, as various corners of the economy often perform significantly better than others. So far in 2010, the Industrial SPDR (XLI) is up more than 11%, while the Health Care SPDR (XLV) is down almost 5%.

Head-to-head sector ETF pairs trading isn’t only an option within the U.S. EGShares offers a suite of sector-specific emerging market products; investors could go long EMT/short EEO if they think metals & mining firms hold brighter prospects than energy companies. And Global X offers a number of sector-specific ETFs targeting various corners of the Chinese and Brazilian markets, creating dozens of potential market neutral strategies [also see Closer Look At Hedge Fund ETFs].

2. Cross Region

For investors with informed opinions on the outlooks for various countries, ETFs offer the fuel to power near-limitless strategies. With funds covering every major world economy, investors can access any corner of the globe through a single ticker [use the free country lookup tool to identify ETFs with exposure to a specific country]. The options for cross-region ETF strategies are numerous: long PLND/short EZU could allow investors to bet on relatively strong performance from Poland relative to the euro zone. Long ILF/short GMF would be appealing to those who think Latin American emerging markets hold more promise than developing economies in Asia [see The Ultimate Guide To Latin America ETFs].

1. Fixed Income Duration

Moving beyond the equity ETF universe, fixed income funds present some intriguing options as well. Although interest rates are expected to remain near zero for the foreseeable future, bond prices have been somewhat unpredictable. Investors looking to play changes in interest rates or investor sentiment have a number of ETF tools to utilize; long exposure to long-term bonds coupled with short exposure to short-term bonds makes for an interesting mismatch in duration, and there is no shortage of options for implementing this play [also see What's Gotten Into Treasury ETFs?].

Disclosure: No positions at time of writing.

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ETF Database is not an investment advisor, and any content published by ETF Database does not constitute individual investment advice. The opinions offered herein are not personalized recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities. From time to time, issuers of exchange-traded products mentioned herein may place paid advertisements with ETF Database. All content on ETF Database is produced independently of any advertising relationships. Read the full disclaimer here.

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August 11, 2010

Defensive Investing: Use Dollar-Cost Averaging to Reduce Volatility Risks

[Editor's Note: This "Defensive Investing" entry discusses the pros and cons of dollar-cost averaging. To see an example of how dollar-cost averaging might benefit an investor, click here.]

By Larry D. Spears, Contributing Writer, Money Morning

Dollar-cost averaging has long been a strategic staple among mutual fund buyers. Longer-term investors use it to smooth out the effects of short-term price fluctuations, but the tactic seldom has been practical for purchasers of individual stocks - that is until now.

For those unfamiliar with the strategy, dollar-cost averaging - also known as constant-dollar investing - involves the regular purchase of a smaller fixed-dollar amount worth of shares over time, as opposed to the lump-sum purchase of a large number of shares at once. For example, rather than buy $1,200 worth of shares of fictitious company XYZ in January, you might buy $100 worth of XYZ shares each month for the full year.

The technique offers several advantages for fund investors:

• Because you are investing a fixed-dollar amount at regular intervals, you don't have to be concerned with trying to time the markets.
• Since the fixed-dollar amount you invest buys more shares when prices are low and fewer when they are high, your average cost basis levels out over time. This reduces the risk that you might pay too high a price by making a lump-sum purchase at the wrong time.
• The lower average cost basis mutes the impact of short-term volatility on your existing holdings.
• You can build a sizable position in a single fund, even if you never have a large sum of money to invest at any one time.

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7 Simple Ways To Say “No” | zen habits

7 Simple Ways To Say “No”

Saying “no” doesn’t have to be hard. Image source

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Celestine Chua of The Personal Excellence Blog.

Do you have difficulty saying “no”? Are you always trying to be nice to others at the expense of yourself?

Well, you’re not alone. In the past, I was not good at saying “no”, because I didn’t want to hurt the other person’s feelings.

For example, whenever I get requests for help, I would attend to them even though I had important work to do. Sometimes the requests would drag to 2-3 hours or even beyond. At the end of the day, I would forgo sleep to catch up on my work. This problem of not knowing how to say “no” also extended to my clients, business associates and even sales people.

After a while, I realized all these times of not saying “no” (when I should) were not helping me at all. I was spending a lot of time and energy for other people and not spending nearly as much time for myself. It was frustrating especially since I brought it upon myself. I slowly realized if I wanted personal time, I needed to learn to say “no”.

Why We Find It Hard To Say “No”

To learn to say “No”, we have to first understand what’s resisting us about it. Below are common reasons why people find it hard to say no:

1. You want to help. You are a kind soul at heart. You don’t want to turn the person away and you want to help where possible, even if it may eat into your time.
2. Afraid of being rude. I was brought up under the notion that saying “No”, especially to people who are more senior, is rude. This thinking is common in Asia culture, where face-saving is important. Face-saving means not making others look bad (a.k.a losing face).
3. Wanting to be agreeable. You don’t want to alienate yourself from the group because you’re not in agreement. So you confirm to others’ requests.
4. Fear of conflict. You are afraid the person might be angry if you reject him/her. This might lead to an ugly confrontation. Even if there isn’t, there might be dissent created which might lead to negative consequences in the future.
5. Fear of lost opportunities. Perhaps you are worried saying no means closing doors. For example, one of my clients’ wife was asked to transfer to another department in her company. Since she liked her team, she didn’t want to shift. However, she didn’t want to say no as she felt it would affect her promotion opportunities in the future.
6. Not burning bridges. Some people take “no” as a sign of rejection. It might lead to bridges being burned and relationships severed.

If you nodded to any of the reasons, I’m with you. They applied to me at one point or another. However, in my experience dealing with people at work and in life, I realized these reasons are more misconceptions than anything. Saying “No” doesn’t mean you are being rude; neither does it mean you are being disagreeable. Saying “No” doesn’t mean there will be conflict nor that you’ll lose opportunities in the future. And saying no most definitely doesn’t mean you’re burning bridges. These are all false beliefs in our mind.

At the end of the day, it’s about how you say “no”, rather than the fact you’re saying no, that affects the outcome. After all, you have your own priorities and needs, just like everyone has his/her own needs. Saying no is about respecting and valuing your time and space. Say no is your prerogative.

7 Simple Ways To Say “No”

Rather than avoid it altogether, it’s all about learning the right way to say no. After I began to say no to others, I realized it’s really not as bad as I thought. The other people were very understanding and didn’t put up any resistance. Really, the fears of saying no are just in our mind.

If you are not sure how to do so, here are 7 simple ways for you to say no. Use the method that best meets your needs in the situation.

1. “I can’t commit to this as I have other priorities at the moment.”

If you are too busy to engage in the request/offer, this will be applicable. This lets the person know your plate is full at the moment, so he/she should hold off on this as well as future requests. If it makes it easier, you can also share what you’re working on so the person can understand better. I use this when I have too many commitments to attend to.

2. “Now’s not a good time as I’m in the middle of something. How about we reconnect at X time?”

It’s common to get sudden requests for help when you are in the middle of something. Sometimes I get phone calls from friends or associates when I’m in a meeting or doing important work. This method is a great way to (temporarily) hold off the request. First, you let the person know it’s not a good time as you are doing something. Secondly, you make known your desire to help by suggesting another time (at your convenience). This way, the person doesn’t feel blown off.

3. “I’d love to do this, but …”

I often use this as it’s a gentle way of breaking no to the other party. It’s encouraging as it lets the person know you like the idea (of course, only say this if you do like it) and there’s nothing wrong about it. I often get collaboration proposals from fellow bloggers and business associates which I can’t participate in and I use this method to gently say no. Their ideas are absolutely great, but I can’t take part due to other reasons such as prior commitments (#1) or different needs (#5).

4. “Let me think about it first and I’ll get back to you.”

This is more like a “Maybe” than a straight out “No”. If you are interested but you don’t want to say ‘yes’ just yet, use this. Sometimes I’m pitched a great idea which meets my needs, but I want to hold off on committing as I want some time to think first. There are times when new considerations pop in and I want to be certain of the decision before committing myself. If the person is sincere about the request, he/she will be more than happy to wait a short while. Specify a date / time-range (say, in 1-2 weeks) where the person can expect a reply.

If you’re not interested in what the person has to offer at all, don’t lead him/her on. Use methods #5, #6 or #7 which are definitive.

5. “This doesn’t meet my needs now but I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.”

If someone is pitching a deal/opportunity which isn’t what you are looking for, let him/her know straight-out that it doesn’t meet your needs. Otherwise, the discussion can drag on longer than it should. It helps as the person know it’s nothing wrong about what he/she is offering, but that you are looking for something else. At the same time, by saying you’ll keep him/her in mind, it signals you are open to future opportunities.

6. “I’m not the best person to help on this. Why don’t you try X?”

If you are being asked for help in something which you (i) can’t contribute much to (ii) don’t have resources to help, let it be known they are looking at the wrong person. If possible, refer them to a lead they can follow-up on – whether it’s someone you know, someone who might know someone else, or even a department. I always make it a point to offer an alternate contact so the person doesn’t end up in a dead end. This way you help steer the person in the right place.

7. “No, I can’t.”

The simplest and most direct way to say no. We build up too many barriers in our mind to saying no. As I shared earlier in this article, these barriers are self-created and they are not true at all. Don’t think so much about saying no and just say it outright. You’ll be surprised when the reception isn’t half as bad as what you imagined it to be.

Learn to say no to requests that don’t meet your needs, and once you do that you’ll find how easy it actually is. You’ll get more time for yourself, your work and things that are most important to you. I know I do and I’m happy I started doing that.

Celes writes at The Personal Excellence Blog on how to achieve our highest potential and live our best life. Get her free ebook “101 Things To Do Before You Die” by signing up for her free newsletter.

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Medical News Today News Article - Printer Friendly

Fighting Fat With Chili Pepper Ingredient: New Evidence 23 Jul 2010    Capsaicin, the stuff that gives chili peppers their kick, may cause weight loss and fight fat buildup by triggering certain beneficial protein changes in the body, according to a new study on the topic. The report, which could lead to new treatments for obesity, appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research. Jong Won Yun and colleagues point out that obesity is a major public health threat worldwide, linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health problems. Laboratory studies have hinted that capsaicin may help fight obesity by decreasing calorie intake, shrinking fat tissue, and lowering fat levels in the blood. Nobody, however, knows exactly how capsaicin might trigger such beneficial effects. In an effort to find out, the scientists fed high-fat diets with or without capsaicin to lab rats used to study obesity. The capsaicin-treated rats lost 8 percent of their body weight and showed changes in levels of at least 20 key proteins found in fat. The altered proteins work to break down fats. "These changes provide valuable new molecular insights into the mechanism of the antiobesity effects of capsaicin," the scientists say. Article: "Proteomic Analysis for Antiobesity Potential of Capsaicin on White Adipose Tissue in Rats Fed with a High Fat Diet" Source: Michael Bernstein American Chemical Society Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195594.php Main News Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Also Appears In:  Nutrition / Diet,   Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions. Save time! Get the latest medical news headlines for your specialist area, in a weekly newsletter e-mail. See http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newsletters.php for details.

Send your press releases to pressrelease@medicalnewstoday.com

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How to Microwave Gourmet Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag | Squawkfox

How to Microwave Gourmet Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag

By Fox - 38 Comments

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Peeeeee-yew! I’m done with the stinky stench of microwave popcorn. Actually, I haven’t popped a single bag of that toxic smelling stuff in years since I hate the thought of being swindled by a stank bag of greasy kernels. That’s right people, I’m calling foul on microwave popcorn since it’s a reeking wallet rip off.

Doing the mathy math, microwave popcorn costs around $22.65 for 12 boxes with 3 packets per box (source Amazon) — that’s an eye-popping $3.53 per pound!

Sure, you may think you’re paying all that delicious cash for a magic metal-lined bag that pops better kernels and cooks your corn more evenly. But think again. I can do the same popping magic trick with a cheapo plain brown paper bag. And at a tasty 50 cents per pound, plain popcorn kernels bought in bulk cost FAR less than that slimy packaged stuff.

Now let me pop the big question: have you ever recycled your leftover microwave popcorn bags? I cringe to think how much of this product graces our landfills, all in the name of snack food. But no fear, by switching your home movie snacking habit using this frugal trick, you can compost or recycle your used brown paper bags and create no waste. See How To Compost Without Raising a Stink for easy composting help.

Speaking of waist, do you know how many calories are contained in those popcorn flavor packets? What about the ingredients? Here’s the ingredient list from the Act II popcorn page on Amazon. Note: I couldn’t find this information on the company’s website.

Act II Popcorn Ingredients: Popcorn, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Annatto Color. Contains: Fish, Milk

Fish? Milk? In my popcorn? Um, no thanks. I’ll skip the hydrogenated oil, fish, and milk additives in my snacks by sticking to my frugalicious and homemade popcorn version. Here’s how to make Microwave Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag:

Step One: Get a brown paper bag

This is ridiculously easy, internet people. Just head on over to your local grocery store and pickup a package of no name flat-bottomed brown paper lunch bags.

I nabbed a package of 100 brown bags for around $2, on sale.

Step Two: Bag your popcorn

Add a 1/2 cup scoop of bulk popcorn kernels to your brown paper bag.

Fold the bag over twice. Don’t use staples to secure the bag — this might spark in your microwave.

This is so exciting. I’m popping with excitement.

Step Three: Pop in microwave

Stick the popcorn bag into your microwave. I set mine for 3 minutes on high.

Popping Tip: Stop the microwave when the popping slows to one to two pops per second. You don’t want to burn your tasty snack.

Step Four: Add gourmet topping

A pinch of salt with a dab of butter is the most popular way to eat popcorn.

But why not get creative and try some sweet or savory flavors to mix up movie night?

Try these toppings for some gourmet popcorn fun:

• Mexican: Add chili powder, hot sauce, and salt.
• Kiss My Breath: Shake in onion powder and garlic powder — hold the kiss.
• Cheese Please: Mix in Parmesan cheese with a little salt.
• Sweet Tooth: A dash of cinnamon, a sprinkle of sugar, and a topper of honey. Now that’s money.
• Classic: A shake of salt with a pat of butter.

via squawkfox.com

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