Rice is one of the grains consumed most frequently worldwide for a reason. Thanks
to its extreme adaptability, it may be altered to go well with various flavor profiles and
foods. Additionally, there are numerous variations to pick from—more than 120,000,
to be precise. According to Food & Wine, rice accounts for one-fifth of all calories
consumed worldwide.
White rice, commonly referred to as enhanced rice, is one of the most widely
consumed varieties. White rice is rice that has been refined or processed to remove
the outer husk, bran layers, and germ. Despite its widespread use, white rice
frequently has a bad rap due to its processing, particularly when compared to its
more nutrient-dense whole grain cousin, brown rice. There have been rumors that
white rice is a “bad carb” a source of empty calories. Here are some surprising
side effects—both good and not so good.

1. You may have more energy.

According to Manaker, white rice is a source of carbs, which are your body`s primary
fuel source. Additionally, many white rice kinds are enriched with B vitamins in the
United States, which may enhance energy levels.
All B vitamins, except folate, are involved in at least one (if not more) step of the
energy-production mechanism within the cell, according to a study published in the
journal Nutrients. Consuming a dose of each B vitamin is imperative to increase
energy. Additionally, if you consume too little of it, your body won't be able to
produce as much energy, which could be harmful to your metabolism and general
health.

2. You may ingest arsenic.

Manaker claims that arsenic is a trace element that, when ingested repeatedly and in
high amounts, can have negative effects on one`s health.
Even while white rice has less arsenic than brown rice, it`s still advisable to limit your
intake and switch up your grains. Amaranth, quinoa, bulgur, and farro are a few
prospects that are lower in arsenic and worth testing.
You might also check to see if the area where your rice was grown has higher or
lower arsenic levels. White basmati rice, for instance, may contain less arsenic than
other types of rice and comes from Pakistan, India, and California. Another
illustration is American sushi rice.

3. You may build stronger bones.

Eating white rice appears to have a substantial effect on bone health. White rice
contains manganese, a mineral that is underappreciated but is crucial for bone
health.

4. Your risk of developing metabolic syndrome may be higher.

The Mayo Clinic states that "a metabolic syndrome is a group of illnesses that co-
occur and raise your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes." Among the
problems include high blood sugar, increased body fat in the abdomen, high blood
pressure, and unusual cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
According to a study that was published in the Heart Asia journal, consuming white
rice was linked to a 30% increased chance of developing metabolic syndrome. It`s
not severe, yet it`s still important enough. Therefore, think about substituting another
grain for the white rice if you`re at risk for any of these ailments.

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Being active is even more crucial when you reach a certain age, and it is one of the most important factors to consider in your life. Muscle mass and bone density decrease as you age, while the likelihood of developing various diseases including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and lower back pain increases hence the need to exercise. Regular exercise improves bone density, and joint/muscle pain and prevents the illnesses associated with visceral fat such as diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases. Below are some of the best exercises that can assist you in losing belly fat besides slowing down the aging process. Let’s get started!

5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat and Slow Aging

Here are five workouts that you need to incorporate into your routine to help shed belly fat and slow the aging process. Make use of them and harness their benefits into your everyday activities.

1. Dumbbell Goblet Squat

• Instructions: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp a dumbbell in both hands at arm’s length in front of your body with your palms facing your body. Bend your stomach muscles, tilt your buttocks backward and lower yourself until your thighs touch the floor. Finally, push back up through your heels to return to the standing position and squeeze your glutes and quads.
• Repetitions: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

2. Barbell Romanian Deadlift

• Instructions: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp a barbell in front of your abdominal area. Bending your knees slightly, while keeping your chest up, lower the barbell down your thighs. If you feel the stretch on your hamstrings, then pull your hips forward and contract your buttocks to come back to the initial position.
• Repetitions: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

3. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

• Instructions: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie on an inclined bench. With your hands, grab the weights while your arms are stretched out to the sides and above your head. Lower the weights towards your chest pulling your shoulder blades back. Push the weights back up, engaging your upper chest and triceps muscles at the peak of the move.
• Repetitions: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

4. Cable Row

• Instructions: Stand behind a seated row machine and hold the attachment. While standing on the footpad, pull the handle towards your body with your chest level. Move your elbows down and back keeping them in line with your hips, using your back and lat muscles. Hold this position for a few seconds before moving on to the next rep, using your arms and shoulder blades.
• Repetitions: 3 rounds of 10-12 repetitions.

5. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

• Instructions: Take a dumbbell in each hand and step one of your feet backward to assume a wide stance. Bend your knees and lower your body until your back knee touches the floor. Step back to the starting position and push with the front leg and do the same with the opposite leg.
• Repetitions: Three approaches of ten repetitions for each leg.

Start practicing these five exercises, and prepare both physically and mentally to welcome new changes in your lifestyle that will help you burn belly fat and look young.

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1. Calories In, Calories Out
Relying solely on calorie intake ignores variables that may prevent someone from
losing weight, even when on a very low-calorie diet. Choosing low-calorie, nutrient-
deficient foods such as rice cakes and egg whites over higher-calorie, nutrient-dense
foods such as avocados and whole eggs aren`t the best choice for overall health.

2. High-Fat foods are unhealthy 
Dietary fat is necessary for good health. Furthermore, low-fat diets have been linked
to an increased risk of health problems such as metabolic syndrome and an increase
in insulin resistance and triglyceride levels, both known risk factors for heart disease.
Of course, extremes in either direction, whether very low fat or very high-fat diet, can
be harmful, especially if the quality of the diet is poor.

3. Breakfast is very important
Once it was believed that eating breakfast was one of the most important factors in
preparing for a healthy day, research has revealed that this may not be the case for
the majority of adults (except children, pregnant women, and people with certain
health conditions). Skipping breakfast can have a variety of benefits, including
improved blood sugar control and lower levels of inflammatory markers.

4. Eat small, frequent meals for good health
People think that eating small meals will boost their metabolism and lose they will
weight; however, if you are in good health, the frequency of your meals is
unimportant as long as you meet your energy requirements.

5. Non-nutritive sweeteners are healthy
Products containing non-nutritive sweeteners have increased as a result of
consumers growing demand for low-calorie, low-carb, sugar-free foods (NNS). While
it is obvious that eating a diet rich in added sugar greatly raises illness risk,
consuming NNS can also have a bad impact on one`s health.

6. White potatoes are unhealthy
Many individuals who are on a diet to improve their general health avoid white
potatoes. White potatoes are a starchy vegetable that can be incorporated into a
healthy diet despite the fact that is eating too much of any food, including white
potatoes, can cause weight gain. Potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and other minerals are
all abundant in white potatoes.

7. Supplements are a waste of money 
While eating a diet rich in nutrients and with a variety of foods is the most important
aspect of good health, supplements can be helpful in many ways if used properly
and in the right form.

8. Calcium supplements are necessary for healthy bones
Many people are advised to take calcium supplements to maintain a healthy skeletal
system. However, current data indicate that calcium supplements may cause more
harm than good. It is recommended to concentrate on dietary sources of calcium
such as full-fat yogurt, sardines, legumes, and seeds if you are worried about your
calcium consumption.

9. High-fiber diets can be substituted with fiber supplements
Fiber supplements should not take the place of actual food, even though they can
improve bowel motions and blood sugar control. High-fiber entire foods, such as
fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes, include nutrients and plant components that
support your health in a synergistic manner and cannot be substituted by fiber pills.

10. All smoothies and juices are healthy 
Some smoothies and juices are very nutrient-dense. However, it`s crucial to be
aware that the majority of juices and smoothies available in stores are packed with
sugar and calories. They can contribute to weight gain and other health problems
like tooth decay and blood sugar dysregulation when ingested in excess.

Wrapping Up
Misinformation about nutrition is rampant, which causes public confusion, distrust of
medical practitioners, and bad dietary decisions. These nutrition misconceptions are
probably here to stay, but you can feel more empowered to create a nourishing and
lasting dietary pattern that meets your particular needs by educating yourself and
separating reality from fiction in this area.

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According to the University of Sydney, a pre-clinical study found that a high-protein diet changes the gut microbiota, an event that causes an immune response. This study contributes to the comprehension of how diet affects the gut and immune system. Intestinal bacteria exposed to high concentrations of luminal succinate suffer cellular stress which activates the production of ROS. This stress helps in vesicle formation and enhances the levels of bacterial extracellular vesicles.

Associate Professor Laurence Macia from the University’s Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health said: “Our research is looking at how gut microbiota the billions of bacteria living in our gut influences the immune system. Our long-term aim is to look at how bacteria can be manipulated for the benefit of health and we do know that food is one of the simplest ways to change the bacteria .”

Traditionally, researchers believed that dietary fiber benefits the digestive system of the human body. However, the team from the Charles Perkins Centre utilized computational modeling for the first time in this study published in Nature Communications to explain the impact of 10 diets containing different proportions of protein lipids and carbohydrates on mice. They found that increased protein consumption altered the nature and function of the microbiota.

Mice fed with a high protein diet had increased bacterial extracellular vesicles which contain bacterial information such as DNA and proteins. This activity was seen by the body as a threat and led to the recruitment of immune cells into the gut wall. “We are beginning to understand the relation between diet, gut health and immunity, especially on the protein that influences the gut microbiota,” said Associate Professor Macia.

Although this research is seemingly applicable to humans, the researchers observe that immune system stimulation can be beneficial as well as detrimental. The lead author and post-doctoral researcher Jian Tan said, “There could be enhanced protection against such pathogens as salmonella through increased antibodies in the gut, but an activated immune system would also mean a higher vulnerability to conditions like colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease, or autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease.”

The study therefore brings to a realization of the implications of modern diets, with western countries experiencing reduced incidences of gastrointestinal infections but increased prevalence of chronic diseases. This advancement in knowledge would not have been possible other than by the interdisciplinary approach for which the Charles Perkins Centre is well known. The study adopted the principles of the geometric framework for nutrition introduced by Professors Stephen Simpson and David Raubenheimer.

Responding to questions from Professor Simpson, the Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre said, “Nutritional geometry can be used to map foods, meals, diets or dietary patterns according to their nutrient profile which helps researchers to notice other patterns in relation between some diets, health and disease.”

According to Associate Professor Macia, this concept can be implemented in immunology by the Charles Perkins Centre and he said, “The future possibilities are thrilling.”

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Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the most important ways to boost your metabolism. To learn more about this, we created a guide of “5 Worst Breakfast Habits Slowing Your Metabolism – Eat This Not That.”

Do Not Skip your Breakfast

Breakfast insufficiency has been shown to disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which is known to hurt metabolism and overall health. If you’re finding a quick breakfast, “eggs, whole grain toast, and milk or oatmeal with nuts, seeds, and nut butter paired with Greek yogurt to start the day.” Start with a high-fiber carbohydrate and protein in the morning, then add small meals and snacks throughout the day to keep the fire burning.”

Do Not Start your Day with Added Sugar

Taking an excessive amount of added sugar in the morning will raise blood sugar and then cause falls. Added sugar, particularly in the form of sugary drinks, has also been shown to slow metabolism. It was discovered that participants who were considered overweight and drank a lot of sugary beverages had a lower metabolism. Start by including protein, healthy carbs, and good fat in your meals, such as this omelet with greens and tomato, or avocado for healthy fat on a slice of whole grain toast.”

Eating Carbohydrates 

Even starting your day with only carbohydrates of any kind can cause a blood sugar spike. While your body requires carbohydrates for energy, eating them alone can cause your blood sugar to spike, causing it to drop later and setting you up for an energy crash. Instead of eating only carbs, balance your breakfast with protein. Consuming protein helps you feel fuller quicker and remain fuller longer after a meal. Adding protein can thus help fire up that metabolic process.”

Eat Heavy Breakfast

Many people believe they should eat something light for breakfast and save their calories for the rest of the day. But the truth is something else. Eating larger meals in the morning will help you succeed the rest of the day. Starting your day with a high-fiber, protein-rich breakfast, they tend to eat less at night and avoid some of those evening cravings.

Keep yourself Hydrated

Another unhealthy habit many of us have is failing to stay hydrated first thing in the morning. Because your body requires water to function at the cellular level, dehydration causes your metabolism to slow. Make sure to drink something with your breakfast, whether it’s water, coffee, tea, or juice. Drinking a glass of water must be your first priority in the morning to avoid dehydration.

According to experts, many of the fairly innocuous breakfast habits you engage in regularly may be hindering your metabolism. So, consider our guide and start avoiding these unhealthy habits to fire up your metabolism.

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Eating healthy not only provides adequate nutrition for your body and overall health, but it can do wonders for your skin as well.

Eating healthy is a choice that can be a great challenge for many. It involves discipline, determination and the desire to look and feel your best. Healthy eating is not about eating right, but how to gain the maximum benefits of proper eating. The desire toward healthy eating does not occur overnight, it is a process that may take months or years to accomplish; however, the rewards will be plentiful.

Most individuals follow a similar daily routine with regard to eating that can cause serious complications within their bodies. The most important part of healthy eating begins within the way an individual applies the knowledge of eating. A person must know how to eat healthy in order to apply the act of eating healthy; therefore, it is important to cook your own food as much as possible in order to avoid unwanted fat in the diet. A person whose surroundings is less stressful tends to eat differently than one who is often on the go.

Demanding lifestyles frequently result in eating foods of lower nutritional value. Proper digestion begins in the mouth; therefore, it is imperative to chew your food slowly. When a person is agitated, he often eats more and chews his food more quickly. How a person chews his food can go a long way towards controlling the volume of food being consumed.

Healthy Eating, Healthy Choices

Always begin your day with an early healthy breakfast. When you wake up, after six or seven hours of fasting, your blood sugar is at its lowest; therefore, eating a healthy breakfast will get your blood sugar to its regular level. Eat just when you are hungry and quit when you are full. Instead of three large meals, it is suggested that you have five or six small meals throughout the day, with dinner being the smallest.

Keep a basket of fruits and vegetables on your counter at home for easy access. Individuals, who consume three to five servings per day of fruits and vegetables, can enjoy great longevity and health. According to Rita Heikenfeld, syndicated columnist, “Mangos contain large amounts of Vitamin C, and like purple grapes can help the prevention of heart disease. Pineapple helps keep your bones strong and even relieves cold symptoms. Apples help move cholesterol and fat out of the body and because they are filling they are a great source of weight control. Asparagus are like spears of protection with important B Vitamins while broccoli is good for your immune system.”

It is acceptable for many folks to enjoy snacking throughout the day. A snack is anything healthy, between 100 and 200 calories. Vegetable sticks and pieces, as well as fruit makes a great snack, as do peanuts and other nuts that are rich in good fats, they provide great protein and also help to prevent problems such as memory loss. Meal bars that provide protein and less sugar, perhaps around 15 grams of sugar or less, makes a great snack.

If you have just decided to eat healthier, remember there are many ways to enjoy the benefits of eating and feeling your best. It is a challenge that will not happen overnight, but with perseverance can happen.

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Healthy food habits often lead to healthy lifestyles. Food gives the nutrition and energy the body needs to operate. Diet influences a person’s health and appearance. To do things well, you need to eat a healthy diet.

Balanced diet

Eating a balanced diet promotes a healthy body and helps maintain a person’s weight. The FDA recommends a diet that consists of eating foods from each food group. The ***inverted pyramid*** is used to remind people good things to eat. Veggies, fruits, lean meats, fish, whole grains and dairy are components of a balanced diet. Portion control is also an important of a healthy, balanced diet. Over indulgence on a regular basis leads to weight gain that may result in future health problems.

Organic options

Organic food options are a healthy food choice for families and singles. These foods refer to those that have no artificial preservatives, chemicals and dyes. Organic meat comes from animals that are fed only organic feed that is free of chemicals and artificial ingredients. Vegetables and fruits classified as organic were raised using natural soil and fertilizers. The plants are never treated with any kind of chemicals or pesticides. Grocers across the globe offer a multitude of organic products. Fruits and vegetables are not the only type of organic foods. Many foods are available in organic. Everything from cereal and milk to steak can be found in an organic style. Meats, produce, dairy and even processed foods come organic varieties.

Healthy snack choices

Healthy snacks provide individuals with the chance to curve in between meal cravings the right way. Snacks should be 200 calories or less. Nutritionist and author Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, suggests snacks including veggie sticks and dip, low fat cheese and whole grain crackers or fruit and yogurt. Eating small snacks throughout the day can prevent dips in blood sugar and maintain metabolism. Recipes for healthy snacks are available on-line, in cookbooks and magazines. Divide snacks into individual portions to control snack portions. Store portions in portable containers that can be transported in a purse, backpack or briefcase for on-the-go convenience. Sweet healthy snack choices include granola or fruit bars, real fruit popsicles and berries with a small slice of angel food cake.

Avoid processed foods

Avoiding processed foods is a healthy food habit. Processed foods are manufactured products that contain chemicals and preservatives used to keep food viable for specific periods. They often contain ingredients such as MSG that, when consumed in greater amounts, result in health problems. Examples of health problems that stem from diets where large quantities of processed foods are consumed include increased sodium levels, high cholesterol, and obesity. These problems can cause health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

In Summarize, What a person eats affects their health and looks. For optimal health, the body need a well-balanced diet. The FDA recommends a diet that consists of eating foods from each food group. Over indulgence on a regular basis leads to weight gain that may result in future health problems. Grocers across the globe offer a multitude of organic products.

Eating small snacks throughout the day can prevent dips in blood sugar and maintain metabolism. Divide snacks into individual portions to control snack portions. Your purse, backpack or briefcase should be able to accommodate the containers.

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Stevia sweetener, we are told, is the natural, organic, zero-calorie, zero-carb sugar substitute for coffee, tea, soft drinks, and desserts. But is your stevia sweetener really natural?

Dry Stevia Powders Taste Quite Different from Liquid Stevia Extracts

Modern manufacturing processes convert raw Stevia rebaudiana leaf into a pure plant chemical known as a rebaudioside. Unlike the stevia chemicals that get extracted with water to make liquid stevia sweeteners, these chemicals are free of natural stevia’s licorice-like aftertaste.

This chemical is 300 to 450 times as sweet as table sugar. It is so sweet, in fact, that if any stevia sweetener contained pure stevia rebaudiosides, a single packet would sweeten 25 gallons of coffee.

Diluting Stevia from Super-Sweet to Just Sweet Enough

Stevia has to be mixed with a far less intensely sweet agent to be palatable. Over 99% of the contents of your “stevia” packet in fact are not stevia. The three possibilities for cutting the intense sweetness of stevia so you can actually use your stevia sweetener are cane sugar, an artificial sweetener called xylitol, and an artificial sweetener called erythritol.

Sugar in Your Sugar-Free Sweetener?

Adding sugar to a sugar-free sweetener seems like a contradiction in terms, but it’s not an uncommon practice. Many “sugar-free” sweeteners are actually over 99 per cent sugar. The sugar can be sucrose, which is table sugar, or glucose, which is the kind of sugar used to frost cookies. There may be just 1 calorie of sugar in a packet of sweetener, but adding sugar contradicts claims that the product is sugar-free.

A Corn Cob Sweetener Sometimes Added to Stevia

Xylitol, like fructose, is made from corn, only it is refined from corn cobs, not corn kernels. Xylitol mixes well with stevia but it absorbs water from the atmosphere, eventually creating a soggy packet unless the packet is lined with foil.

Xylitol is not unhealthy. In chewing gum, it kills the strep bacteria that can cause ear infections. It alkalizes saliva, helping maintain minerals in the enamel of the teeth. It keeps bacteria from forming colonies on the surface of the gums. But it makes a clumpy product when it’s added to stevia.

The Artificial Sweetener Most Commonly Added to “Natural” Stevia

Erythritol tastes like sugar, and has the same feeling in the mouth as sugar. It occurs naturally in pears, and it is produced commercially by fermenting corn, wheat, or sugar beets.

Erythritol dissolves in water through an endothermic reaction, which is to say, it cools off your coffee as you stir it in. Unlike xylitol, erythritol does not cause stomach upset, and it kills some of the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It’s not a perfect artificial sweetener, but it works reasonably well when added to dry stevia extracts.

So is Your Stevia Sweetener Really Natural?

If you buy dry stevia sweetener in the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, chances are that your purchase is a product that is 99.8 per cent erythritol. Millions of people have used stevia-erythritol blends without ill effects, but stevia sweetener definitely is not a natural product.

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Natural cola drinks made with real cola nuts are both popular and pricey. But who can verify that a cola drink really is made with cola nuts? The technology for testing organic soft drinks for the presence of cola nuts has only recently been worked out.

What is So Special About Cola Nuts?

Genuine cola drinks are made with cola nuts (also known as kola) which grow on trees native to the rain forests of western sub-Saharan Africa. Cola nuts are difficult to grow and expensive to ship. Cola trees require a constant source of irrigation water, but they are very sensitive to flooding. The nuts must be collected by hand and transported to processing companies in a chilled state.

Traditionally, African herbal medicine used cola nuts to treat hunger pangs. The nut tastes bitter at first, but then sweetens with each bite. The nut sweetens the breath and contains three times as much caffeine as an equivalent weight of coffee. West African Muslims, for whom drinking alcohol is forbidden, make party beverages from boiled cola nuts and sugar.

No Cola in Coca-Cola

In 1886, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia combined cola nuts and coca leaves (the leaves of the plant used to make cocaine) to create the world’s most popular soft drink, Coca-Cola. Coke has not contained coca leaf since it was banned in the United States in 1904, but it continues to claim to contain “kola” nut extract. Dozens of expensive competing products claim to offer a completely organic cola with their own African cola nuts and natural sweeteners. Which firms accurately represent their products?

Reporting their research in the May 2011 edition of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research, scientist Pier Giorgio Righetti and colleagues announce the development of a very easy test for real cola nuts in natural cola. Real cola extracts contain protein.

Coca-Cola, it turns out, does not contain any protein, so it seems unlikely that the world’s most familiar beverage contains either of its two namesake herbal ingredients. Many other natural colas, however, contain detectable protein that probably proves the presence of real cola nuts in the mix. Real cola nuts make soft drinks sweeter by including a tiny amount of bitter taste that provides a contrast to the sweet taste of the drink, enabling the maker of the drink to make a sweet drink with a lot less sweetener.

The exact ingredients of Coca-Cola, of course, are a closely guarded secret, and different national versions of Coke are sweetened with different kinds of sugar and different artificial sweeteners. If you want a genuinely natural and organic cola beverage, however, you will need to buy a different brand

Summarize :

Cola drinks are made with cola nuts, which grow on trees native to the rain forests of western sub-Saharan Africa. The nut tastes bitter at first, but then sweetens with each bite. West African Muslims, for whom drinking alcohol is forbidden, make party beverages from cola and sugar. In 1886, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia combined cola nuts and coca leaves to create Coca-Cola. Coke has not contained coca leaf since it was banned in the U.S. in 1904, but it continues to claim to contain “kola” nut extract. Dozens of expensive competing products claim to offer a completely organic cola.

The post Is Your Naturally Flavored Cola Really Natural? appeared first on .

It began as a county fair past-time with the pie-eating contest. Since then, competitive eating has surged in popularity, mostly thanks to the annual 4th of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, where winners gorge for a chance to win $10,000 and take home the coveted Mustard Belt. The “sport” is taken seriously enough to be filmed live on ESPN. But how serious are the consequences of stuffing so much food into the human stomach? The competitions on TV don’t show the painful side effects of speed eating, which can be anything from mild heartburn…to death.

How they do it

Competitive eaters don’t just walk in on the big day and chow down. They train like any other athlete (to an extent), starting in the weeks before the competition. The goal? Stomach expansion, as much as they can handle. Feats like eating 9 pounds of watermelon in 15 minutes are not unheard of. Some prefer to stuff up on the food of the competition, while others might focus purely on volume, eating tons of cabbage and other low caloric foods. There are specific strategies used in competitions. ‘Dunking’ refers to dunking the food in liquid to make it easier to chew (yes, your jaw gets sore after 50 hot dogs). ‘Chipmunking’ is when the competitor stuffs in as much food as possible in the last few seconds of the competition. The stuffing part is easy–it’s gulping it down that’s tricky. A study on Tim Janus, another competitive eater, found that his stomach did not contract (a movement called peristalsis) as it normally should, to move food down the intestinal tract. His hot dogs simply stayed there.

The risks

It’s hard to really pinpoint the danger of competitive eating. The first conclusion jumped to might be weight. One Nathan’s hot dog with bun comes to around 300 calories–part of a tidy lunch for most. The problem for Joey Chestnut is that he ate 62 hot dogs, or 18,600 calories. He just literally ate enough food for a week, so why does he weigh 220lbs at 6’1? He’s not the only slim speed-eater. Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, female champion of the Mustard Belt, is a tiny Korean. Chestnut cites running as his method for keeping the weight down, as well as choosing not to train with the foods he will be eating. But weight is not the only possible issue.

Not just in the USA

In 2008, a 23 year old student died in an eating competition held at a university in Taiwan. He lost consciousness after vomiting uncontrollably as he ate the steamed buns which were the food for the competition. Vomiting is such a part of competitive eating that committees even have rules for it, declaring any trace of vomited food to be a disqualification. They don’t address the actual danger. Other risks include stomach rupture and gastroparesis, as well as acid reflux and diabetes. Despite these dangers, competitive eating remains a hugely popular sport around the world.

Food for Thought

What is the appeal in watching someone test the limits of the human body in such potentially dangerous ways? There is something about speed eating that attracts a lot of people, from bragging rights to the competitive factors. Every city has that local diner with the monstrous dish that’s free if finished. For others, it’s like a challenge. TV shows like Man vs. Wild Food have become wildly popular for its feats of consumption. Everyone wonders, “What are the long-term effects of this?” Some think it’s harmless as a once-in-a-while thing. Others can’t wait till the day when competitive eating is relegated again to the quaint outdated past-time it once was.

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