Top 5 most addictive foods

Top 5 most addictive foods     While we all know about the dangers of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, did you know that you could become addicted to your favourite food? From withdrawal symptoms to changes in brain chemistry, our snacks have surprising ways of keeping us wanting more. Here is our guide to five of the world’s most addictive foods.

Chocolate
Many people claim to be chocoholics, but can you really be addicted to chocolate?
The answer is... perhaps. One reason many people feel "addicted" to chocolate is that
the food's chemical compounds (including theobromine, phenyethylamine, anandamide and tryptophan) actually have pleasure-inducing effects that can mimic the effects of drugs on the brain.
Chocolate also contains alkaloids (tetrahydro-beta-carbolines) which are present in alcohol
and have been linked to alcoholism.

However - before you go booking yourself into Chocoholics Anonymous - it is important to note
that many researchers have pointed out that the chemicals in chocolate also exist in other foods
which most of us do not crave. It has also been suggested that the chemicals in chocolate are
not in high enough doses to lead to addiction. Regardless, it is impossible to deny that
chocolate is one of the world's most-craved foods -
whether this is due to psychological reasons or a physical addiction.

Cheese
From pizzas to cheeseburgers, cheese is a staple of many widely-craved junk foods,
 but there could be more to our cravings than we think.
Various studies have discovered the presence of opiates -
including the highly addictive morphine - in the popular dairy product.

While the amounts of morphine in cheese are very small and probably not enough to cause addiction,
some researchers have expressed concern about its levels of casein (the main protein in cheese) which produces morphine-like opiate compounds called casomorphins during digestion.
On top of this, cheese also contains phenylethylamine, a substance with stimulant effects
which is thought to give consumers a natural "high", and which is reputed to have addictive qualities.

Sugar
We all know that sugar is bad for our health but, according to numerous studies,
it can also be addictive. Studies have suggested that when we eat sugar, chemicals
called opioids are released by the brain, which leads to an intense feeling of pleasure.
It is this feeling that people may crave in the absence of sugar.

A study by psychologists at Princeton University investigated sugar addiction
by studying its effect on rats.
They discovered that after rats were fed a diet high in sugar, they experienced symptoms
 similar to those produced by drug withdrawal when the sugar was withdrawn,
including shaking and changes in brain chemistry.
The study therefore concluded what other researchers have also suggested;
that it is possible to become severely dependent on sugar.

Burgers and other processed meat
Numerous researchers and studies have suggested that fatty, processed junk food such as burgers
 may actually be addictive. According to Professor David Kessler - an ex-commissioner of the US Food and
Drug Administration and author of The End of Overeating - the combination of fat, salt and sugar
in junk food triggers our "bliss point" and leaves us wanting more.

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida backed up this theory with a study which found
that the addictive responses in the brains of rats when fed junk food including fatty meats were the
same as in those that consume cocaine or heroin. On top of this, meat - like chocolate, cheese and
sugar - releases opiate-like substances during digestion which some studies have suggested
can leave us craving more.

Coffee
Many feel that they can't start the day without a cup of coffee and people often joke about
having a caffeine "addiction", however this may not be far from the truth.
Although there has been much debate over the years about whether or not caffeine is genuinely addictive,
it is difficult to deny that many of us crave it to the point where we feel we can't function without it.

One reason that people may crave caffeine so much is due to the fairly severe symptoms of
caffeine withdrawal that people often face, ranging from fatigue and headaches to irritability
and depression.
However, it may be that, rather than being physically dependent on caffeine, you are actually
addicted to the belief that you can't function without your morning cup of coffee.
Whatever the reason, caffeine remains the world's most popular drug and a staple of many daily routines.

 

 

 

 

 

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White Tea

White Tea White tea 'may prevent wrinkles' It could also help treat arthritis A nice cup of tea can be very relaxing at the end of a stressful day, but now it seems it may help you in surprising ways - even keeping you looking younger. Scientists at Kingston University in London analysed the health properties of a number of plant extracts. Although many of them were found to have potentially beneficial properties, the researchers were stunned by the findings in white tea.

The research showed that white tea can prevent the activities of chemicals
which breakdown collagen and elastin - which in turn can lead to wrinkles as we age.
These chemicals are also implicated in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Although the chemicals are a vital part of the body's normal workings,
leader of the study Professor Naughton pointed out that
"in inflammatory conditions,
suppressing the activities of these excess components has been the
subject of decades of research.
We were surprised to find such high activity for the white tea extracts
in all five tests that were conducted."

He continued: "We were testing very small amounts far less than you would find
in a drink, the early indicators are that white tea reduces the risk of inflammation
which is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers as well as wrinkles."

It should be noted that the study has not actually demonstrated that any of the plants
studied have been successfully used in treatments of either wrinkles or any other condition.
It has demonstrated the existence of potentially beneficial chemicals within the plants.
Obviously more work is required to see how this can be of practical benefit to humans.

The study was funded by Neal's Yard Remedies and published in the
BioMed Central journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

What is white tea?

In normal conversation white tea and black tea refer to tea either with or without milk.
But in both cases the tea used to make the drink is generally "black tea" -
90% of teas sold in western countries such as the UK are black teas.

Black tea leaves have been processed to react with oxygen in the air.
This strengthens the taste and caffeine content of the tea and also allows
it to be stored for more than a year, hence its popularity.

White tea is tea that has not been processed.
It often contains buds and young leaves.
It is a speciality of the Chinese province Fujian.

There have been previous claims that white tea has more
health benefits that either black tea or green tea.

Green tea is made from a particular type of tea leaf which has
minimal processing. It is very common in Japan.

 

Chicken Steak (Recipe)

Recipes Chicken Steak (Recipe) Ingredients: : 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon mustard paste 1 tablespoon lemon juice ...1 tablespoon vinegar 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed white pepper 1/4 cup oil (preferably olive oil) 1 teaspoon garlic paste   Method With the help of a flesh hammer, pound 3-4 chicken breast fillets  (or 500 gms. undercut beef steaks). In a bowl add all the above ingredients and mix well with a whisker till oil is fully blended. add 1 teaspoon salt in it. mix well and marinate the chicken breasts  (or beef steaks).  marinate for 2-3 hours.  Grill or fry in very little oil in non-stick frying pan.  Don't fry too much otherwise the moisture will not be retained. white sauce:

saute 2 cloves chopped garlic in a little oil in frying pan.
add 2 tablespoons white flour and brown it partially.
add 1 and half cups of milk and remove frying pan from flame.
whisk thoroughly. put the frying pan on flame again and add pinch of oregano,
 pinch of black and white pepper each and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
 Cook toll the sauce thickens. add 2 tablespoons cream and lower flame.
 whisk.
 simmer for a minute or so. pour on steaks for serving.

Garlic Bread

for garlic bread just grind a few cloves of garlic.
 soften 1-2 teaspoons butter at room temp.
 add the garlic paste, a little salt and pinch of oregano.
 spread on pieces of french bread cut in circles.
 bake in oven at high temp. for about 10-15 mins.
 or till it turns brown. u can also add
shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

 

 

 

 How to make naan bread - Indian Food - BBC 

Learn how to make traditional Indian naan bread with chef and foodLearn 'Indian Food Made Easy'.