Food or Art?

As some of you may or may not know, I have a BA in fine arts. I don't really use it much today, but I still like to think I have an eye for art. Whether it be photography, painting, or... food.

Over at SeriousEats, they have a photo gallery that features some amazing images of food. Who would think to take a a piece of cooked meat and turn it into art? Someone did, and it makes for a really compelling image.

I've always considered food to be an art form, which may be the reason I find it so interesting. Then again, maybe food interests me because it tastes good and if I don't eat it I'll die. Either way, I love looking through this photo gallery. If I get a better camera, maybe I'll even add to it someday.

Lemon Cake

Portabella Mushrooms

This one is my personal favorite.

Nothing Healthy to See Here: Part Deux

As promised, today I am prepared to give you all a first hand review of the recipe that I found yesterday morning that sent me into frenzy: Chocolate Covered Bacon. Before I delve too deep into the review, I thought I would share a few very important life lessons that I learned whilst attempting this snack.

1. Never cook a sheet of bacon in the oven when you have two beagles with you in your kitchen. The fumes were so, that both my dog Reese and our house guest Wrigley went for each others throats! Bacon evokes a very strong emotion in most men and apparently that passion crosses over to other males of different species as well.

2. When separating a beagle brawl in your kitchen try not to forget about the bacon in the oven that started the whole debacle. With my concentration elsewhere, I lost track of how long the bacon had been in the oven, causing it to burn ever so slightly. This made the bacon a little more brittle than I would have liked.

3. When melting chocolate, you have roughly .2 seconds between optimal consistency and burnt. I had to start over, because I burned the chocolate to the point where it was unusable for this project.

This is a picture of when I SHOULD have taken the bacon out of the oven.

I took this photo when the chocolate was almost perfect. By the time the flash had faded, it was burnt.

Notice that that only 4 out of 7 pieces made it out alive. 2 broke during the dipping process...

...and the remaining piece went to a very patient Wrigley. That smile is not photoshopped.

Once completed, I passed the tray around the room to my roommate and human house guests. The consensus? Not bad... for a first try. Personally, I think it just tasted like salty chocolate. Next time, I need thicker cut bacon and I need to be more attentive in the kitchen. Perhaps with one less, or better yet, no dogs in the kitchen helping me.

Move Along! Nothing Healthy to See Here

There are many defining moments in a young man's life. His first car, his first shave, his first kiss; but the following may be one of the single greatest discoveries I have made in the past 24 years of my life. Ladies and gentleman, I give you…

(Pause for dramatic effect)

Chocolate Covered Bacon!

I first heard of this marvel at SeriousEats.com, and immediately began frantically searching the internet for the recipe. One successful Google search later, I was staring at the ingredients list that will most likely change the way I look at food for the rest of my natural life. I realize I generally blog about healthy food, but who are we kidding? I’m still a guy.

I found this recipe at YumSugar.com. I have already informed my roommates not to make any plans tonight. Right after work I'm hitting the super market, rushing home, and making some good old fashioned chocolate covered bacon. On a scale of 1 to 10 their level of excitement was somewhere around a 16. Tomorrow, I will have pictures and multiple reviews posted about this phenomenon. For now however, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

6-8 slices thick cut, best quality bacon
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 ounces white chocolate, melted, optional for garnish

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven, until bacon is cooked to your liking.
- Let bacon cool on the paper for 5 minutes, than transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Meanwhile set up a double boiler. Heat a large saucepan filled with water over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Set a heat proof bowl over the simmering water. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a fork until smooth and completely melted.
- Cover another baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using tongs, carefully dip the bacon into the melted chocolate turning to coat all sides in chocolate. Transfer to the clean sheet of waiting parchment paper. Repeat.
- Drizzle with the white chocolate, if desired.
- Refrigerate until chocolate is hardened.
- Eat and try to keep your brain from exploding

One Food Guy

I read a lot of food and health related blogs for inspiration, recipes, and restaurant reviews. Some blogs are interesting, some are funny, and some give you some really great ideas. One Food Guy is one of those blogs. Yesterdays post entitled: Spicy Beer Can Chicken, has got me so amped up to grill that I already have one planned for next week. His photos and in depth explanation of the process made me want to quit my job and start grilling at 8:30 this morning.

I’ll repost the recipe just for fun, but I strongly recommend that you check out his blog at http://onefoodguy.blogspot.com/. The images are fantastic and the whole blog is full of great recipes and reviews. He’s also a New England sports fan, so what’s not to like?

Here’s the recipe courtesy of his blog.

Spice Rub for 2 Beer Can Chickens

- 1/2 cup Hungarian hot paprika
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 whole chickens
- 2 ½ cans of beer

Combine the above ingredients to create the spice rub. Cover the chickens completely with said rub. Then take to cans of your favorite beer that are each half full. Then politely cram the beer cans in the chicken’s nether regions. Stand the chickens upright on a gas or charcoal grill (preferably charcoal) and cook for about 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees. Make sure to use a foil pan to cook the bird with in direct heat, or there bottoms will burn! Turning them every 20 minutes or so. I haven't had a chance to try this recipe out yet for myslef. But rest assured, once I do you're going to hear about it.

Fast Times at Hamburger High

Everyone knows that fast food is terrible for you. It's not really much of a secret, a diet rich in hamburgers and cheeseburgers isn't going to help you keep off the pounds. It's also no secret that it's pretty tough to pass up something that tastes great, is ready quickly, and usually costs less than 5 bucks. Even in the world of fast food, just because you're eating garbage, doesn't mean you have to eat the worst of the garbage. Below are some of the absolute worst burgers you can make the mistake of picking up at the drive through.

But, before you look at those numbers, I think it would be helpful to point out what an average male should consume in a normal day.

- 2,100 calories
- 250 - 270 g carbohydrates

- 65 g protein

- 60 g or less of fat

So how do these burgers match up?

Not so good, I guess. The Hardee's Monster is great, as long as it's the only thing you eat in a 24 hour period. Even then, I'd still advise against it. The fat content is in the triple digits! I didn't think that was even possible! These numbers are scary and lets face it, you never feel good after eating any of these sandwiches. After I eat a whopper, I feel like its sitting in my lungs for the next 40 minutes. Do yourself, and your pants a favor, and steer clear of these abominations of nature.

I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't offer you a at least a few "healthier" alternatives to the artery cloggers above. Below are some of the better choices for fast food burgers if you find yourslef stranded and left with no other options.

I'm not going to lie to you, I love Mcdonalds plain hamburgers. If you eat just one (Which is difficult), then it's not that bad for you. It's all about moderation, just like anything else. Hamburgers aren't healthy, it's as easy as that. If you're really Jonesin' for one, like I am more often than not, just keep a few of these facts in mind.

Restaurant Week in Boston

It’s the tail end of restaurant week here in Boston. For those of you that don’t know, restaurant week is when many of the more upscale restaurants in the city feature special menus that include 3 course meals at a discounted price. I blew it last year and didn’t take advantage of this event. This year I made sure not to make the same mistake.

I went to Bouchee, a great French restaurant located on Newbury St. I had never had French food before, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to try something new. I’m all about trying different types of food, but for some reason French food never struck me as anything too exciting.

I started with Mussels, which are generally my favorite appetizer, so this seemed like a safe bet. I was not disappointed! The mussels were slightly sweet and bigger than the ones I am used to. They were drowning in a garlic butter sauce, which was incredible. I’m pretty sure I put down about 25 in less than a minute. I then proceeded to soak up the remainder of the sauce with my bread. Which was every bit as good as it sounds.

Next, I had a dish whose name I butchered the pronunciation of upon ordering. It was pretty much just a fancier version of shrimp scampi. The difference was, the shrimp were bigger than average, there were more of them, and there was less pasta. The French have the right idea when it comes to portions. The shrimp were also soaked in a garlic white wine sauce, which is always a good move. I can’t say enough good things about the food, but the service was another story.

In general the service was pretty slow, but I am also aware that this is kind of the French style. I’m pretty sure forgetting drink and dessert orders however, is not. I’m not really that picky when it comes to food servers. I understand that sometimes it’s busy and people have bad days. So I’m not gonna tear into the poor guy. Besides, I enjoyed myself either way and his performance in no way took away from my good time.

All in all, I thought Bouchee was a great place. It wasn’t even that terribly expensive. I would recommend it to anyone. My first experience with French food was definitely a positive one. I was a little worried for some reason, but everything worked out nicely in the end.

Smart Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies and whey protein shakes are a great way to stay in shape and help boost your energy levels. They’re easy to make at home and they taste great! I have gone on a few kicks where I drink one or two a day, and I’ve noticed that they definitely help promote weight loss and make you feel better in general. What I can’t stress enough however, is how great they taste! Here are a few easy smoothie recipes and what they do for your body.

Hangover Helper:

-1 cup orange juice
-1 Tbsp lime juice
-1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
-1/2 cup Canada Dry ginger ale (or any other ginger ale that contains real ginger)

This smoothie is great for helping cure a hangover. The vitamin C will help repair cell damage and the sugar from the fruit juice will speed up the metabolism of the booze that’s still in your system. Lastly, the ginger ale will help with your upset stomach.

Monkey Wrench:

-2 Tbsp peanut butter
-1 banana
-1/3 cup whey protein
-1/2 cup fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt
-1 cup fat-free milk

This smoothie packs a powerful punch of protein from both the peanut butter and the whey. It is also my personal favorite.

Mood Maker:

-1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
-1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango
-1 cup pineapple OJ
-Hand full of crushed flax seed
-1 cup ice

This smoothie is packed with carbs to boost your serotonin and the flax seed will give you a dose of mood boosting Omega 3 fatty acids.

The 12 Best Foods on Earth

Listen up America! I'm about to throw some very valuable knowledge your way, so pay attention. When it comes to eating healthy and losing weight, it’s important to have a few guidelines to live by. There are many simple strategies to help you lose more weight including drinking more water, eating smaller, more frequent meals, exercising regularly, and avoiding foods that lead to weight gain. It’s not terribly hard to figure out which foods are bad for you, but what foods should you be eating? Many of the foods I’m about to discuss have countless health benefits, taste great, and you probably have at least half of them in your refrigerator already.

So what are these wonderful foods?

1) Almonds and Other Nuts.
Almonds help build muscle and the protein they pack helps reduce your cravings.

2) Beans and Legumes.
Beans build muscle, help burn fat, and help aid digestion.

3) Spinach and Green Vegetables.
Green vegetables are packed with vitamins and nutrients for overall health.

4) Dairy Products.
Low fat and fat free dairy items help build strong bones and help burn fat.

5) Instant Oatmeal (unsweetened).
Oatmeal helps maintain blood sugar levels, boosts your energy level, and even your sex drive.

6) Eggs.
Eggs build muscle and help burn fat.

7) Turkey and Lean Meats.
Lean meats build muscle and help improve your immune system.

8) Peanut Butter.
Peanut butter builds muscle and burns fat.

9) Olive Oil.
Olive oil lowers cholesterol and boosts your immune system.

10) Whole Grain Breads.
Whole grain breads and cereals help prevent your body from storing fat.

11) Extra Protein (Whey).
Whey protein, which you can add to smoothies, helps build muscle and burn fat.

12) Raspberries and Other Berries.
Berries help protect your heart, improve your eyesight, memory, and help curb cravings.

The key is to try and incorperate as many of these foods as you can into every meal. It would obviously be impossible to include all 12 into each meal. The more you eat, however, the better the meal. Making a protein smoothie is a great way to accomplish this feat, by cramming as many ingredients as you can into a blender, then hoping for the best.

If you want to learn more about this list, I strongly recommend picking up the Abs Diet. It’s a great resource for all things food, exercise, and is where I learned most of the rules of nutrition that I apply today, including this list.

Dunkin Donuts Egg White Flatbread Sandwich

People, who know me, know that I am predominately a Starbucks guy. I feel their coffee and service is far superior to the competition (Dunkin Donuts in particular). However, when Dunkin Donuts rolled out their new “Smart” menu; I decided it was worth a second glance.
The menu contains mainly old favorites including iced coffee, reduced fat muffins, and some of the less offensive breakfast sandwiches. The newest and most intriguing addition however, is the egg white flatbread sandwich. This baby comes in two varieties (which I discovered only after a painfully confusing conversation with a DD’s employee): Vegetarian and turkey sausage. If I’m crazy enough to eat DD’s for breakfast, then it’s because I am in desperate need of protein. With that in mind, I went with the turkey sausage.

I’ll be honest with you. It’s pretty tasty. The flatbread was toasted nicely and the egg white was stuffed with peppers, mushrooms, and turkey sausage, which gave the sandwich some nice spice. It was also much easier to eat and less messy than most other fast food breakfast sandwiches. As far as taste is concerned, this is a pretty good sandwich for a “healthy” option.

Taste is all well and good, but what about nutritional value?

At 280 calories per sandwich, we’re not off to a bad start, if you consider your alternatives. With 6 grams of fat, 2.5 saturated fat, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 19 grams of protein, this sandwich is about as healthy as you can hope for fast food. It does contain 800+ mgs of sodium, which is unfortunate, but to be expected of a sandwich that has been previously frozen.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend you down one of these babies every morning, but if you find yourself in need of a quick breakfast on the go, this sandwich is far from the worst thing you could eat. I’ll admit I’ve already ordered it more than once. If nothing else, it feels like you’re eating healthy, even if most of that is just in your head.

Beef and Broccoli

Beef and broccoli is one of the more popular items on any Chinese food menu. If you look at the name itself it seems like a fairly healthy choice, right? There are only two ingredients: beef and broccoli. What most people don’t factor in is the brown sauce in which those two ingredients are drowning. That sauce tops out at roughly 500 mgs of sodium per serving, and that’s if you only eat one serving, which almost no one does. Here is a simple recipe you can make at home that takes some of the hurt out of this salty dog.

What you’ll need:

- 1 teaspoons canola oil
- ½ pound lean boneless top round
- ½ can ginger ale
- 2 cups thawed frozen broccoli
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons slivered almonds

Just heat the oil in large skillet or wok. Sauté the beef, then stir in the ginger ale, almonds, and broccoli. Next, Stir-fry the ingredients for about 5 minutes. Lastly, mix in the soy sauce and continue stir-frying until it begins bubbling.

I recommend serving this meal with brown rice.

How to Cure a Hangover

In the spirit of my current condition, I thought I’d take a few minutes to discuss the finer points of curing a hangover. We all know what causes a hangover, but what exactly is a hangover? One simple word: Revenge. A hangover is your body’s way of punishing you for poisoning yourself. You wouldn’t pour sulfuric acid in your gas tank and expect your car to win the Indy 500, and your body is no different. Just replace racing with basic motor skills and the ability to effectively leave your bed.

It’s far too late for fun analogies though, isn’t it? You’ve already made your mistakes; lucky for you, you don’t remember most of them. Let’s pretend hypothetically, that you’re suffering from a hangover, be it mild or of the Defreest caliber. How to do you shake the headache, nausea, and… the shakes?

Here are a few tips that may help you out if you find yourself in a situation that I find myself in far too often.

Skip the coffee. While coffee may seem like a great way to shock your brain back into coherence after a night of drinking, in all actuality, all it does is dehydrate you further. This is one of the main reasons you feel so terrible in the first place. The caffeine may help your head and your energy level, but it’s not doing you any favors in the long run.

What should you drink?

The short answer is water. However, when you’re dehydrated water isn’t always the best choice. Even though I usually condemn sugary drinks, they are actually your friend in this case. Sugary drinks like fruit juices, energy drinks, and the like will help hydrate you faster, which should help curb your headache.

Energy drinks like Gatorade are also a good way to get your brain back into working order. I’m not going to get into the science of it, because my brain hurts just thinking about it, but let’s just say it has something to do with electrolytes. Whatever those are.

This one is a no brainer, but I had to mention it: Aspirin. Regardless of why your head hurts, aspirin and other pain killers will help you with your hangover. However, if you are on an empty stomach, they may make you nauseas, if you are not already. So eat something, if you’re going to take this route.

Finally, this isn’t the best choice but it has been proven to work. If you’re suffering from the effects of alcohol the cure might be… wait for it: More alcohol! Although, all this is going to do is postpone the inevitable, drinking more will help you shake your hangover. A Bloody Mary or a Screwdriver will make you feel better at the moment, but just know that you’re going to have to deal with your hangover at some point. While I am never one to discourage the consumption of alcohol, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

We can dance around this fact all day, but we all know that the best cure for a hangover is simply not drinking in the first place. But where’s the fun in that? Who doesn’t love going out, having a few drinks, meeting new people, creating new memories, and promptly forgetting them? We all need a fun night of drinking with our friends every once in awhile to help us out when we’re feeling down. After all, nothing chases the blues away like a depressant.

What are some of your favorite hangover cures?

Thai Shrimp Pizza

I love cooking. There I said it. The problem is, I’m a 24-years-old and I live in the city. Which means my kitchen is roughly the size of a closet and I share it with 3 other people and a dog. Even if I feel like cooking after I get home from work, I don’t always have the space to do it, and if I do I know I have to make it quick.

While I make it sound like I physically don’t have the time and space to cook, the reality of the situation is that I’m usually too tired, busy, or the kitchen is too much of a mess for me to get anything done. I’ve gotten pretty creative over the years in terms of cooking a decent dinner with as little work as possible.

I’ve found that flatbread pizzas are a great way to have a quick meal that is easy, tastes good, and doesn’t add to the already impressive mountain of dishes that are ever present in my kitchen sink. Another great thing about flat bread pizzas is that as long as you have the flatbread, some kind of sauce, some kind of meat, and some vegetables, you can make a pizza!You can even mix it up and come up with some unique combinations that may surprise you.

Here is one of my personal favorites and what you’ll need to make it.

Thai Shrimp Flat Bread Pizza:

First off, you’ll need to stock up on some flat bread or pita bread. I like Joseph’s flax seed, oat bran, whole wheat pitas. Now, hear me out! I realize they sound awful already, but I assure you they’re quite awesome. They're soft, they taste good, and they crisp nicely in the oven. As a bonus they’re also a great source of omega 3 fatty acids & fiber. I use them for pizza, sandwiches, quesadillas, and I’ve even been known to make pita chips for hummus on occasion.


You’ll also need:

- Unfrozen large cooked shrimp (6-8, diced)
- Peanut Butter (2 tbsps)
- Soy Sauce (1 tbsp)
- Sliced Scallion (1 tbsp)
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (3 tbsps)

Mix the peanut butter and soy sauce together in a small bowl. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s kind of a pain to mix these two ingredients and it’s not going to look too appetizing, but trust me. Mix them until it looks like a slightly darker peanut butter.

Next, spread a generous amount on the pita just like you would tomato sauce on a regular pizza. Then add the diced shrimp, cheese, and scallions. Stick it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 5-6 minutes.

I couldn't find a real photo, but it should look something like this.

The next step is easy: eat the pizza. I recommend using your mouth, but I’m not here to tell you how to live your life. You can cut it into quarters, halves, or just eat it whole (they’re small enough to eat with your hands). You may notice at first that your brain is not quite sure how to process the new taste combination of peanut butter and soy sauce on its first attempt. Once it does however, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Unless of course you hate it, in which case you just wasted about 15 minutes of your life and you're still hungry. Live and learn.

After I posted this recipe an anonymous reader asked a very good question that I thought deserved a little attention. How would you make this recipe if you have nut allergies? Below is my answer.

If you have tree nut allergies, in general you should probably avoid anything with the word "Thai" in it, as peanuts and cashews are both staples of the nations cooking.

You could always try a few tbsp's of hummus. That would be every similar in texture and taste depending on the variety. I don't know a terrible amount about nut allergies, so I'm not sure if you have to avoid legumes all together.

Honey would also be an alternative, but it would severly alter the taste of the pizza. It would be very sweet as opposed to very salty. Which could actually be really interesting.

If you are certain that you are only allergic to peanuts, then almond butter would be a good (yet pricey) alternative.

Foods to Control your Mood

We’ve all heard the expression, “You are what you eat”. Personally I hate clichés, so I avoid them like the plague. Get it? Anyway, you may not be what you eat, but what you eat can most certainly affect your mood. Researchers have shown that chemicals found in certain foods can have both positive and negative effects on your brain and mood.

The actual science of how these chemicals alter the composition of the brain is pretty intense, and if you haven’t noticed by now… I’m not a doctor. I’ll forgo the technical explanation and simply explain how you can apply some simple facts about common foods to help control your mood.

Feeling Stressed? Reach for some carbohydrates. Carbs have gotten a bad rap in the past few years, due mainly in part to one Dr. Atkins (made famous by the low carb, high fat diet that killed him). While you should do your best to avoid processed simple carbs like cakes, candy, and white breads; eating complex carbs like whole grain breads, pasta, and fruit can help improve your mood. Carbohydrates clear most amino acids from your blood leaving only Tryptophan. Once Tryptophan reaches the brain, it is converted to Serotonin which is a neurotransmitter that reduces pain and helps you relax. Need a healthy example? Next time you’re feeling stressed, make yourself a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread. The wheat bread and fruit will give you the carbs you need, and the mono and polyunsaturated fats in the peanut butter will also act as an anti-depressant!

Speaking of anti-depressants; caffeine is a great mood booster for people with mild depression. A cup of coffee or two a day has been proven to help boost your mood, but just don’t overdo it. Too much caffeine can have the reverse effect on some people. You should also avoid caffeinated energy drinks that are high in sugar. The crash you’ll receive later will negate any good the caffeine did in the first place. It’s also important to note that if you suffer from severe depression, you should probably put down the coffee and seek medical attention.

Want to remember everything I just told you? Have some eggs for breakfast! Choline, a nutrient found in foods like eggs and liver is later turned into Acetylcholine in the brain, which helps boost your memory and concentration. Low levels of Acetylcholine have actually been linked to Alzheimer's disease. Do you need any more reasons to start eating eggs again?

Did everyone get it that’s going to get it? Good. I promise my ramblings won’t always be this scientific. I’ve always found the power food has over the brain pretty interesting. We all struggle with things like mild depression and stress every so often, and it’s good to know that there are a few easy steps you can take to help fix these problems. Personally, I didn’t know eggs could boost your memory until I started researching for this article. Looks like we all learned something today.

It's Worse Than You Drink

I believe that I’m like most Americans, in that I’m impatient and I always want the quickest fix possible. I want to win the lottery so I don’t have to work, date a girl without having to jump through hoops, and stay in good shape without having to watch what I consume. Unfortunately, you have a better chance of getting killed by bees on your way to work than achieving any of these goals.

In 2003, when I decided I didn’t want to be fat anymore, I obviously wanted to lose weight as quickly as I could. Lucky for me, there actually is a quick fix for jumpstarting your weight loss, and there’s a good chance that you didn’t know how easy it was. Watch what you drink!

People are always concerned about the fat content the number of calories in what they eat, but who really pays attention to what they drink? Each year, Americans pour thousands of empty calories down their throats and this is one of the many things in this country that is making you fat! Our brains are not wired to feel full after drinking. This is so that we don’t forget to eat, even if we’re consuming large amounts of water. Sadly, today most people don’t drink enough water. They have replaced water with soda, energy drinks, and liter upon liter of high fructose corn syrup.

We see the word “vitamin” or “smoothie” on a bottle and we instantly identify it as a health drink, when in most cases that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Did you know that Vitamin Water was good for you? Well you shouldn’t, because it’s not! One bottle contains more sugar than almost 2 cans of regular soda, and this sugar is what’s making you fat! This single piece of knowledge can quickly help you take control of your weight.

So what should you drink?

The simple answer is water and lots of it. Drinking water has numerous health benefits, no calories, and it falls from the sky! Our muscles are already 80% water, so you can pretty much drink as much as you want. Whenever I go on a health kick (like I am currently), I drink as much water as I can. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll instantly notice that you just feel… better.

For people that have grown up on soda and juice, it can be difficult to cut these drinks from your diet entirely. I certainly couldn’t go cold turkey. You have to take small steps to slowly ease into your new healthier lifestyle, just like anything else.

If you need to have a can of soda, make it diet. Instead of fruit juice, reach for a lightly sweetened iced tea (I personally avoid them all together). If you grew up in New England like me, then your morning coffee is most likely 75% cream, 20% sugar, & 5% coffee. Man up Girl Scout, and switch to unsweetened black coffee. Can’t stomach that? Try using a low calorie sweetener like Splenda instead of sugar (which tastes better anyway), and non fat milk instead of half & half.

You will be amazed at what reducing this kind of sugar intake will do for your body. Whenever someone asks me what the best way to lose weight is, I always start with this advice. If you keep pumping your body full of sugar, then you’re only hope for dropping weight will be when you lose your foot to Adult Onset Diabetes. The best part is, after you’ve been cutting these drinks from your diet for a while (I’ve been doing it for 5 years now), you don’t even crave them anymore! Your body doesn’t need that garbage and certainly won’t miss it once it’s gone. If you’re not constantly chasing sweet and sugary foods and drinks; you’ve taken a very dangerous player out of the game.