Stimulants

A word or two about stimulants.  No, these aren't just illegal drugs.  They are things we think we can't live without--something that boosts energy temporarily but ultimately are habit forming, addicting, and destructive.  In order to be able to kick these habits, we need to know what habits we are ingesting.  This article is informative about all sorts of dietary stimulants.  In the next email I'll talk to you about what this has to do with dieting and losing weight.

Stimulating your body
A stimulant is a substance that quickly changes a symptom in an unnatural way. Many people in Western society live on stimulation. We use stimulation to make us feel good. If you try to control a symptom with stimulants, the cause of that symptom will remain. The core of a problem will never be solved by using stimulants. The number of stimulants we use is endless.

We will discuss the most important stimulants in a quick overview.

List of most common stimulants

Refined white sugar
A lot has been written about the detrimental effects of refined white sugar on the body. It is really very bad for you. Inform yourself because a lot of products contain a lot of refined white sugar. Cola for instance, but also ketchup contains a lot. Try to cut down on it by using natural brown sugars, like cane sugar. (Regular brown sugar is just refined white sugar mixed with molasses, and is not significantly better for the body.)
Sugar has a stimulating effect. If you consume a product full of sugar you get a kick out of it, that's why products that contain a lot of sugar are so attractive.
Possible substitutes:
- cane sugar; tastes the same, same kick.
- natural fruit juices; same kick from natural sugars.

Coffee
The stimulating effect of caffeine in cola, coffee, tea, and chocolate are well known.
Substitute for cola: for the caffeine green tea; for the sugar it contains (one 0.2 l. glass contains 3 spoons full of refined sugar) you can drink fruit juices.
Substitute for coffee:
- Japanese or Chinese green tea.
Gives the same kick because it contains the caffeine but is less worse because it does not contain the stomach irritating substances.

Diet pills
The stimulation of some diet pills is obvious. A lot of weight loss herbs are stimulatory. Some athletes have even experimented with these to give them more energy during their competitions. How's that for a stimulant?
You should be very careful or better: do not use them at all. If it is really necessary consult your doctor first.
Substitute: Fruit.

Fruit is detoxifying and you can eat as much of it as you want. You will lose a lot of weight if you cut down on other nutrition and replace them by fruit.

Cigarettes
The nicotine in cigarettes is another well know stimulant.
Substitute:
- squeeze fruit (kills time);
- carrots.

Spices
Some people feel that salt, pepper, and some spices can be stimulating. Did you ever notice that some people seem to require large amounts and others require none?
Substitute:
- herbal salt.

Red Meat
People feel good and strong right after the consumption of red meat. This is a bit strange because the energy of meat consists of proteins and they take 4 - 6 hours to digest. Therefore the immediate effect must be a stimulant.This effect can be caused by the stimulating elements the meat contains. A well known theory is that when animals are being killed, the animals know that it's about to happen. This activates the production of adrenaline which fuels their blood with fear hormones. These are incredibly stimulating and it is impossible to remove all of them from the meat (and milk). (This creeped me out a little, and I'm not sure how much I believe--take this all with a grain of salt.--Amy)
Animals are also injected with hormones that can stimulate too.
Substitute:
- fish. (Why wouldn't the fish release the fear hormone as well?)

Drugs
Soft-drugs as hashish and pot stimulate the kidneys and the blood circulation and can't be overdosed but also contain a lot of polluting elements that can cause cancer, like cigarettes. So stay away from them.
Hard drugs are chemical drugs and are extremely stimulative (pills, powders, alcohol). They speak for themselves, the biggest kick, the biggest kick down for health. These stimulants are so aggressive they kill brain cells. An overdose is killing.