Lipsticks & Celery Sticks

Fast food for thought... The aggressive advertising that's associated with unhealthy foods and fluids is targeted, tactical and specifically tailored to tempt us. This not only creates a toxic combination that's destined to diminish our dieting determination the second that we step through the supermarket door - particularly if we're battling to banish chronic cravings as a result of resorting to a diet that dictates deprivation - but it also resembles a core culprit responsible for falsely convincing us that we're incapable of change - the weakened willpower that stems from succumbing to the sweet treats in supermarkets is simply the result of aggressive and appealing advertising (commonly created in conjunction with psychologists!), and not the result of a lack of self-control. www.twitter.com/celerylips

Fast food for thought: it's not uncommon to enter a 'daze' when binge eating... Although slimmers who succumb to the occasional overindulgence may not slip into a trance like state, it's not uncommon for those who frequently find a form of comfort in a feast of favourable foods (think cakes, chocolate and confectionery) to experience an emotional 'daze' when binge eating. Despite many sufferers only acknowledging this strange sensation after demolishing an abundance of delicious dishes and/or desserts, this half conscious haze is not only one of the core culprits responsible for the colossal over consumption of calories that's connected to bingeing - this is predominantly due to the fact that binge eaters fail to acknowledge the extent of their abnormal eating actions (and how much they've munched) until the 'fog' like feeling lifts - but it's also responsible for the sense of emotional detachment that stems from frantically scoffing a ...

Top weight loss tip of the day... Don't automatically assume that your tops and trousers are feeling tighter because you're 'failing' to fight the flab. Factors such as muscle mass, monthly hormone fluctuations (menstruation), meals and infrequent bowel movements (etc!) can all (falsely) fool us into thinking that our trousers are getting tighter by making our clothes feel more clingy. www.twitter.com/celerylips

Diet friendly duplicate... Swap: Nutella chocolate spread. For: b razil nuts and cacao nibs nut butter by Mindful Bites -  www.mindfulbites.co.uk Why: although tucking into a tablespoon of sugary spread may seem like a sensible solution to satisfying a sweet tooth, a standard 15g serving of Nutella (the equivalent to one tiny tablespoon!) not only contains 81 nutrient deficient calories, but a staggering 8.5g of sugar - the far from nutritious 'nut' (it's only 13% hazelnut!) based spread's main ingredient. The best bit: swapping a serving of Nutella for a sachet (or two!) of Mindful Bites may see our caloric consumption soar slightly (each sachet contains 117 calories), but it will also slash our sugar intake by an impressive 7.4g (a 20g serving/sachet provides 1.1g of sugar), whilst benefiting our body and brain with a multitude of macro and micronutrients (its ingredients include ground cashews, almonds and brazil nuts - sources of nutrients such as selenium...

Why diets don't work... What: cutting carbohydrates. Deemed an edible enemy by the deluded world of dieting, carbohydrates are frequently feared and forbidden by those who are fixated on fighting the flab. Why it doesn't work: it can have detrimental consequences for our body and brain. Although a low-carb diet may initially see us drop a dress size (this is largely due to the fact that carbohydrates play the most predominant part in our diet and are rarely replaced with an alternative when avoided - an action that leads to temporary weight loss as a result of a reduced caloric consumption), eliminating an entire and essential food group from our daily diet can not only have detrimental consequences for our body and brain - think dietary deficiencies, digestive difficulties and a decrease in cognitive capabilities - but it can also sabotage weight loss success by leaving us lacking the energy and enthusiasm to eat well and exercise - as carbohydrates are the body and br...

Top weight loss tip of the day: curb cravings with chunks of pineapple. Although chomping on chunks of pineapple may seem like a strange solution to curbing a craving - particularly if it's for more favourable 'food' sources such as cakes and confectionery - the tangy taste of this flavoursome fruit can not only satisfy a sudden sweet tooth sensibly, but reduce the risk of sabotaging weight loss success as a result of resorting to the tastier treats that tighten our trousers - an action that often triggers toxic thoughts of guilt (and the temptation to give up on our weight loss goals) if we struggle to sustain the self-control to tuck into a sensibly sized serving, and/or see succumbing to the sweet stuff as a slip up. www.twitter.com/celerylips

Each week we'll be delving deeper into the deluded world of dieting in order to highlight why diets and detoxes don't work, and fads fail to fight the flab - starting with drastic dieting... What:  whether it's investing in an ice-cream cleanse (yes, this is a thing!) or following a fasting fad, drastic dieting is a core culprit responsible for super sizing the silhouettes of dieters who are desperate to drop a dress size - fast! Why it doesn't work: it deprives and/or dictates drastic change. Although it may be tempting to overhaul our unhealthy habits overnight, drastic dietary changes are not only renowned for being met by rebellion - this is partly due to dietary dictation i.e.our diet dictates what, when and how much we eat, but predominantly due to dieting deprivation e.g.our favoured foods (or food in general!) are forbidden - but they also frequently fail to promote a sense of psychological and/or physiological satiety, be it because they force us to feas...