Junk in your Head?

Most flicks that have a breakup in them have the girl or boy immerse him or herself in alcohol and eating junk food. Ok, maybe Twilight is an exception but then again, drinking or salt isn’t a vampire’s favorite food.

New research shows that your mental state is often determined by the food you eat. According to these fast food statistics, those who consume fast foods and sweets were more likely to be predisposed to depression than those who eat little of such foods.

Not committing to a conclusion, Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, researcher at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain is of the view that the intake of these foods must be controlled as they can seriously affect the mental, physical and emotional well being of the individual.

The study started off by selecting about 9000 subjects who had no signs of depression. The participants were required to report on their dietary intake specifically fast food items. Over a period of a few years, the group reported almost 500 subjects had suffered some form of depression that required medication.

Similar results were also found in a study published in the journal PLoS ONE in January of last year which reported a 42 percent risk increase in cases of those who consumed a fast food diet.

The study also revealed that the depressed and junk food lifestyle brought along other characteristics such as being a chain smoker or working 45 hours a week.

Source: Livescience.com

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The easiest Way to lose Weight

Losing weight is easy. Just eat less. If it is that obvious, then what are people doing these days? Well, they are settling for diet plans which according to a study published New England Journal of Medicine is less effective than simply saying no to the second helping.

Dr. Frank Sacks, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention in Harvard School of Public Health advices that the focus of a person intending to reduce weight should be on limiting the calorie intake. Over 800 overweight people were recruited for this study and were randomly selected to follow the popular diets of varying food statistics- Low-fat, average-protein, low-fat, high-protein, high-fat, average-protein and high-fat, high-protein. The daily consumption of fat was regulated and physical exercise was similarly prescribed. Each participant received counseling and dietary goals were set which they reported regularly through a computer plan.

At the end of the study, Dr. Sacks and his team concluded that no diet was better than the other.

Martijn Katan, a nutrition professor at VU University in Amsterdam however believes that the researchers had flawed in thinking that there was a significant difference in content between each of the diet. Professor Katan points out that the actual difference between the contents in the plans varied only by two to three percent.

Source: USnews.com

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Bread for the world, to end hunger

We do hear people saying that they wish to end hunger or if they could feed the world. But is this really possible? There are millions suffering from hunger and this shocking number is increasing day by day. I recently visited a conference in the UN. The conference was all about ending global hunger. The main participants were the charity organizations and they vowed to end hunger. The development experts and also scientists across the globe are running a race that they wouldn’t supposedly win. They actually want to increase the global food production by at least 50 percent to feed the growing population. Recent food statistics have revealed that the population of people who suffer hunger rose to 1 billion. This number is 1 of every 7 people on earth. The recent financial crisis that the world suffered made things worse. The managing of the agriculture across the globe and food security systems doesn’t actually work. Every country in the world is actually increasing food production, but hunger does exist. The global experts do agree that we have the necessary resources to end hunger. When 2030 comes the food production will be increased to 50 percent and by 70 percent in 2050. In short we will need the amount of food to feed 10 billion earthlings in 40 years.

For more information: www.nytimes.com

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Top Fast Food Companies Loose in Consumer Survey

Have you ever been disappointed with the service offered by fast-food restaurants? Well, I have a number of experiences where I felt totally distressed with the service offered by them. Just because I had a great craving for such food, I had to keep calm.

The data on the fast food industry reveals a number of unfolded truths. According to a major survey, respondents who made a total of 98,000 visits over 53 chains discovered that the big brands were much more disappointing than the smaller ones.

The survey on these fast-food restaurants reveals a number of facts. We feel irritated due to a number of reasons. It’s obvious that even if we order fast food, we always wish for something tasty and delicious. In many cases, they score high in speed and politeness, but fail in terms of the quality of food they offer. A quality service should match everything, both the taste and the service they offer. Around 15-19% felt the foods of top brands to be poor or poorer. Another reason for picking fast-food restaurants was merely due to the low prices. Despite of the low price rates, only a few people felt they were worth spending money on. Even though some boast about fast service, they take a lot of time to serve the food.

If they are able to find solutions for all these problems, you would really love to have your tummy full with these fast-foods.

Source: Consumerreports

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Top Rated Fast Food Companies in 2011

Well, it’s quite exciting to know which companies have made it to the top 5 fast food companies, according to a 2011 rating. Here is a chance to experience the world’s favorite cuisine from all around. The fast-food statistics will only be picking up, because so many people still like fast-food.

As always no one beats McDonald’s. Their quick service made domestic sales of 1.5 billion dollars over 2009. They experimented and invented innovative products which became popular everywhere. A few include Angus Snack Wraps, Oatmeal System Wide, Real Fruit Smoothies, and the new Caramel Mocha. The ‘Happy Meal’ accounts for around 10% of the overall sales in McDonald’s.

Subway, which is famous for its sandwiches, still continues to spread its magic everywhere in the world.   Though McDonald’s is a bit ahead of Subway in sales, it is now one of the largest fast-food company in the world.

Burger King’s innovative thoughts became a breakthrough to set its position in the breakfast day part, adding 11 new varieties of items throughout the year. They also offered premium coffee in partnership with Seattle’s Best.

The Natural Cut Fries along with Sea Salt became the prevalent change in the menu list at Wendy’s. This in turn came out to be a complete makeover with its signature fries on the side.

Starbucks always tried to promote their brands via existing stores. They opened new shops in order to satisfy customer needs. Wi-Fi and other modern stores with coffee-shops and basr were also added.

With competition, more and more companies are coming up with their own strategies to expand their business.

Source: QSR Magazine

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The Global Food Waste

While analyzing food waste statistics, you will get a big shock. Roughly one third of food is wasted each year globally, which amounts to around 1.3 billion tons every year. Can you believe that! There are many hungry people out there who really struggle to have at least one meal per day. It’s high time we need to think it over; or else a day would come where people will starve to death with hunger.

A number of events were organized all over the world to analyze the root cause of food waste and loss in order to finally reach a solution to solve it in the best possible manner. The main cause of food waste or loss is due to the technical, financial, and managerial limitations, which may adversely affect harvesting, storage, cooling, transportation, packing and marketing systems. Once we find an efficient solution for all these, we can easily reduce waste to a great extent. Also there are several issues that need to be effectively handled right from the point of production till consumption.

In this manner the global food waste rate can be dropped down within the limits by undertaking proper measures. New methods are being tried to reduce food wastage to a great extent.

Recently I was totally bestowed to read an article from www.articles.cnn.com, where thousands of people were gathered in London, supporting the cause. Likewise if we all try our best, we can easily handle the situation in the best possible way.

Source: Fao

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The Cost of Healthy Food

Most of you love to eat junk food; even I also have cravings for that stuff. But this food has great influence on our health. The statistics about food reveal that people should try to incorporate more healthy foods into their diet in order to maintain good health, especially in these busy eras where people have a great tendency to overdo it with fast foods. Research reveals that higher rates of obesity and being overweight are found among African-American women when compared with other groups all over the globe. This is mainly due to unhealthy junk food habits, which in turn lead to other health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity etc. As a result new dietary guidelines were recommended in the US, rich in potassium, vitamin D, fibers, and calcium. There were some obstacles in adopting these new food habits at first. In an article published in Health Affairs, researchers pointed out that having potassium rich foods in the diet will add to around $380 yearly in spending on account of food costs for an average person. Well, to burn off your calories, how much do you have to pay for it? The Department of Agriculture reveals that Americans spend around 4000 dollars every year on food. In addition, the foods with more calories are pretty cheap compared “healthy” food. The retail prices for healthy foods are exceeding reasonable limits. I think the government should think about it and seriously consider the economic impact as well. Also, according to some nutritionists, buying quality meats and reducing their overall usage in diet, bulk purchase of long lasting items, frozen vegetables may all help you to cut short your expenses.

Source: Reuters

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Your Best Source of Chinese Fast-Food

I know you all love fast-food, especially if it’s Chinese. Well I am also a great fan of Chinese dishes. Their fast foods are really great for those moments when we are starving. That is why I am so eager to know about the Chinese fast-food market. Their wide range of delicious cuisines will definitely make you feel delightful.

According to statistics from China, the fast-food industry of China showed a growth rate of about ten to twenty percent in the past ten years. In 2010, the industry crossed all limits exceeding CNY by two hundred and sixty billion.

The 1^st restaurant for fast-food in China was opened in Beijing by KFC in 1987. Later on various Western fast-food chains also started entering the market, gaining favorable achievements. Basically the fast food supplied in the market was categorized into two, Western fast-foods and Chinese fast-foods.

The interesting fact is that Western fast-food requires only a few minor and major ingredients. The reverse is the case of Chinese foods, as they use a wide variety of ingredients both minor and major, which makes them the best ever! The Chinese fast- foods include, rice, steamed dishes, noodles, fried dishes, dumplings etc.

The major Western brands in the market include KFC, Burger King, McDonalds etc; the Chinese brands are Kungfu, Da Niang Dumpling, Younghe King etc.

The statistics about fast food, both Chinese and Western, indicate great hype in the coming years. With the developments in economy and urbanization, China is turning out to be the leading fast food market place all over the world.

Source: Cri Report

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