[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by giselley

Highly spiced snack foods have sent many people to the emergency room with gastritus. On the other side of it, High fructose corn syrup is also an issue. It is much sweeter than real sugar, and people have gotten addicted to it.

Both of these "flavors" have addictive effects on the brain, which is what I was writing about. More has been written about HFCS, of course, but salt is also addictive, and it is a major component of "spicy chips" and so on. Many spices are really good for you though. So this is why many people who are addicted to salty and spicy foods, like a king size bag of chips (insert random brand name here), can go through a bag of them at one sitting. And when eating fatty pork ribs, or chicken wings, more people eat more of them because of the spicy sauces on them. There would certainly be less consumption of hot wings if they were just boiled chicken wings.

Obviously, I invite you to do your own research.

Are you defining "spices" as additives? Because there are numerous cultures all around the world who spice their food heavily with only positive health effects. Aryuvedic medicine for example prizes spices for their medicinal effect, and encourages people to eat food that is cooked for better digestion. So for example aryuveda does not encourage salads or raw carrots with hummus because these have an adverse effect on digestion. Spices have always been used for medicinal purposes and Indian people for example who eat a lot of spicy food have low levels of stomach cancer and digestive problems. But if you are defining "spices" as extra hot and spicy Cheetos then yes, these are not good for your health but they are also not spices, just additives.

[Missy789]

I refuse to eat anything that I don't find delicious. Every bite I take needs to be worth it. Maybe try exploring greek, mexican, or asian types of seasoning. I have bought more new spices than I can count during this diet and it has made everything so fun!

[miniDoodles]

Originally Posted by giselley

I look at this from the viewpoint that eating something you love causes a nearly narcotic effect in your brain in which the chemical serotonin causes an almost drug-like "high." You can teach your body to produce serotonin in response to eating all kinds of things. What about fresh fruit? Apples, cherries, tangerines?

On the Standard American Diet (SAD) people are really used to fatty, over-spiced and over-sweetened food, so it is very difficult to understand that a carrot is crunchy and sweet. If your pallet is trained only to like certain foods, it is hard to get to know other foods.

Oh no, I don't think your view is how the majority of ppl actually relate to food. My hubby is a picky eater & when he was 30 yrs old when we met 21 yr ago, he thought he disliked cauliflower & spinach. I put it in a salad & he's eaten it ever since, raw & cooked. His moms recipes weren't tasty, so eating healthy can be as simple as the accompanying ingredients or how it's cooked.

Whenever I'm at Subway I never top off my sub w dressing, I enjoy it savoring the distinct flavors of each veggie As a kid, I ate by looks & smell & missed out eating/enjoying soo much food. As a adult I've never felt judgement for eating anything, from desserts to being adventurous trying nutrients ex: like flax in my food. The food recipes can make all the difference between loving it's flavor or never eating a food again.

We're Blessed to live in America with such a variety of choices. I have a large variety of fresh & dried herbs & spices. I also infuse my water with cucumbers.

Enjoy your foods

[madoxegy]

If the food you are eating is boring find other food. There is absolutely no reason that food has to be boring to work.

[Skinnyminnie Wannabe]

This is like my favorite "diet" book ever. The Four Day Win by Martha Beck. Written with compassion and humor (expect to LOL at times!), it deals with the psychological reasons we are at war with ourselves w/regard to food. It helps us reframe our thinking so NO food is forbidden (though we may certainly choose to avoid some of them such as HFCS - but it will be much easier to do so) - nor does any food have excessive power over us.

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Day-Win-.../dp/1594868123

I'm embarking on a new phase after surgery to my abdomen, do not want to put pressure on my new hernia-repaired, resculpted tummy. I've found that the wisdom I gained some years ago from this book, plus just little tricks like portion control and reintroducing some of the vegetables I am willing to consume (as a picky eater, see my blog, that is maybe more difficult for me than for some, but by being gentle with myself I'm doing not too bad), and not having soda, which I haven't for some years anyway, just little things, it's working.

Wishing you luck finding good ideas and not being so bored - I'd go so far as to say if you're finding it that boring, you're not doing it the best possible way. I bet you'll be able to find some more appealing choices and still have success.

[GinaAntonia]

I used to agree with you , right now I am 3 full weeks into "my plan" and I am experiencing something I never have before ... vegetables - I know how it sounds already but I love to cook and I have eaten every high fat meal that you could every think of "cooked to perfection" - I have had my fill - what I have never had before was - Spaghetti Squash , Butternut Squash - Quinoe stuffed things - Try Pintrest - and just experiment -I'm not bored this time. I really hope it lasts for me