There are countless weight loss articles providing you with tips to avoiding food temptations. Sure, having healthy food choices on hand is one way to fight the urge to reach for an unhealthy snack but… temptation is everywhere! Vending machines, grocery check-outs, lunch rooms, shopping mall food courts, need I continue? Finding something high in fat, sugar, and calories is far easier than we realize.

[An artisty take on Adam and Eve's apple temptation story. If this isn't photoshopped then double kudos to the photographer!]

It seems advertisers have been utilizing images of tasty dishes to persuade people to buy their products forever. However, do I really get week in the knees when I see a picture of a succulent, juicy, well-seasoned burger? Not even close and it sounds like I may not be alone. According to researchers in the Netherlands, food temptation might in fact strengthen one’s self-control.

The study details…

In a study published in Appetite (an International Research Journal), the theory was tested with 54 female students divided into two groups with group A looking at pictures of cake and group B looking at pictures of flowers. The researchers then asked each female about their eating habits and offered them a choice between a chocolate or oatmeal cookie.

Looking at dirty food pictures helps!

Group A – the cake viewers – gave a higher priority to healthy eating than the second group who had seen the flower pictures. They were also significantly more likely to pick the oatmeal cookie which in earlier tests was perceived to be a healthier option.

The results of this study are not at all ground breaking. Previous studies have suggested that another sense – your sense of smell – can also cause people to rate healthy eating more importantly as well. However, as someone who now thrives in the face of temptation, this could be a timely reminder of your fat loss goals regardless of which one of your senses you are using.

My experience with dirty food pictures

It took me quite awhile to understand how my mind was responding to the usual food marketing images and ads. Essentially, the images served as a reminder for my personal fat loss goals and how I was either succeeding (skip unhealthy food) or failing them (eating something I shouldn’t be). Not long after this realization, I started posting unhealthy food advertisements on the inside of my pantry door. Every time I opened that door I could hear Michael Corleone lecturing me – keep your friends close but your enemies closer!

Go ahead and subscribe to “PlayFood”

How’s that for killing off any urges to indulge? Al Pacino, The Godfather himself ready to whack you if you dare think about eating that not-so healthy food. So why not give it a shot? Your imagination probably isn’t as vivid as mine but feel free to sub in your own movie phrase or character to help you battle any food temptations you’re experiencing. Pictures could be put in any strategic location such as the inside of your lunch bag, the front door of your fridge, or the visor in your car. Don’t over think it – Be fun and creative. The only requirement? You have to want to lose weight!

NOTE: We’re talking about food pictures here. Now don’t be running out and stocking up on discounted Halloween candy and think you can withstand the temptations of junk foods. It doesn’t work, unless of course you have the powers of George Clooney in Men who stare at Goats… Hilarious!

For more information about the psychological barriers to eating and fat loss, check out the Eat Stop Eat review. Author Brad Pilon explains how our relationship with food has gone too far and offers a successful approach on long-term fat loss.

I had some really crazy offers for fat burning remedies this week in my email inbox. Offers such as a six pack of hydroxycitric acid all the way to pre-packaged garlic cloves. I think I might have a problem!

These emails are like Entertainment Tonight or Celebrity News for me… probably because they are so comical in their claims and the poor grammar never gets old.

Getting back on track: I have a new-found love of herbs and spices after having dinner with friends at a restaurant in Toronto called Spice Route.

[Talking about spices got me thinking back to my weekend trip to Marrakesh, Morocco. The food markets in the town square were overflowing with herbs and spices.]

It’s Indo-Chinese cuisine that tantalized my taste buds like nothing of recent memory. Perusing the menu was an eye-opening experience.

Indian spiced dips with Naan bread, Ginger chicken, Vegetable Pakora and so much more. Never mind the tea selections. I felt like I was being guided through expansive tea fields in Japan.

Our table was like a bunch of eight year-olds at Chuckie Cheese for the first time. “What? I didn’t know you could use that? I wonder what that taste like? That taste is absolutely wicked!”

Spices and Fat Loss?

Not only can spices make a healthy meal exciting (I’m looking at you turkey breast sandwich) it turns out that spices can help you and me burn more body fat.

The August 2006 issue of The Journal of Physiology and Behavior cites a couple of studies on spices and herbal drinks that increased thermogenesis in the body.

Quick chemistry lesson: Thermogenesis is the process of heat production in mostly warm-blooded animals (that would be you and me) through exercise and diet predominantly. Since we’re talking diet here, it’s simply heat and we know calorie is a unit of heat, so guess what?

More thermogenesis = more calories burned = Less body fat.

One particular study from the August issue by Margriet Westerterp-Pantenga at Maastricht university in The Netherlands concluded the consumption of spiced foods or herbal drinks not only increased thermogenesis significantly but also satiety.

Damn, spices are powerful indeed!

So which spices help you burn body fat better?

Capsaicin
The compound gives red chili pepper its heat, increased energy via heat expenditure by up to 23% after ingesting it at breakfast.

Black Pepper
Increases body heat (thermogenesis) by bonding to TRPV1 receptors in the brain. (Are we reading a Star Trek script here?)

Turmeric
It has both anti-cancer and pro-thermogenic support. Sounds like the best of both worlds.

Combine these three spices (red chili pepper, black pepper and turmeric) and use them liberally, or as much as your taste buds can tolerate, on your lunch and dinner meals.

If your looking for recipes that utilize the spices above, here’s a quick list to give you some ideas:

Monkfish recipes
Ginger, Chilled, with Prawn Curry, basically has it all from world renowned chef Jamie Oliver and his user community

Chicken Kolhapur
Indian style recipe which goes well with Naan or rice.

Cha Ca La Vong
Vietnamese dish which is marinated and then char-grilled. Scroll down and you’ll find it near the bottom.

Beef and Potato Curry
Classic Pakistani dish which incorporates a bunch of other interesting spices.

Just be careful not to go crazy with the spices, otherwise you’ll end up with more heart burn than fat burn, or worse yet, an extended visit to the Washroom Inn, if you catch my drift.

Very few fat loss programs out there discuss the use of spices as a part of ones’ fat loss strategy. Raylen Sterling and his Master Cleanse Secrets book attempts to tackle the world of herbs and spices right from the start with his lemonade recipe which includes cayenne pepper. Check out our Master Cleanse review to see if Master Cleanse is right for you.