A Healthy Helping of Food for Thought

11/21/2007 Stephen L. Betts Although an astonishing 77 per cent of rap songs mention drugs or alcohol, a recent study shows that country music lyrics contain more references to drugs and alcohol than rock ‘n’ roll music. Health Day News reports that the study, done in 2005, found that 37 percent of top country songs mentioned booze or drugs, while rock music weighed in with less than half that number: 14 percent. Other things to keep in mind as we head into the traditionally food-centric holiday season:  Get a good night's rest: The less you snooze, the less leptin your body is likely to produce. Leptin helps promote weight loss in two ways: It discourages you from eating and it rouses you to expend energy. Turn off the radio (or at the very least, fill up on some ballads). Studies show that the faster a song’s beat, the faster - and more - we tend to eat. Walk: Your risk of obesity increases by 6 percent for every hour you spend in your automobile each day, studies show. Get some sun: Your body needs sunlight to produce a very essential feel-good hormone called serotonin, which may lessen your cravings for sugar and other carbs. Don't store cookies and other treats in glass jars: If you keep fatty foods out of sight, it'll be much easier to keep them out of mind.  Set your fork down after every bite: It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to send signals to the brain that it's full. So when you eat too quickly, your body doesn't have time to recognize that it's satiated. Turn on all the lights: The dimmer the room, the more you'll eat. Why? One theory is that low lights make you feel more relaxed and less self-conscious. Lose the anger: Getting riled raises levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in your body, and that increase can cause you to gain weight. Plus, research suggests that the angrier you get - and the more frequently you get angry - the more likely you'll be to put on pounds around your waist. And one last tip from all of us at CountryHound – never mind the statistics, crank up the country music and have a great (but safe and healthy) holiday!