devvyn

I've recently become addicted to spicy foods.  And there may be some healthy benefits.  The article below does a poor job of citing sources but serves to illustrate a simple point.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=69514-spices-pepper-obesity

There are multiple studies--some on humans and some on rats--to show biochemical effects of capsaicin on fat reduction within the body.

At any rate, all that aside, I think I'm really just addicted due to my tendency to take things to extremes.  It's gotten to the point now where I'm disappointed if I have to eat a meal without some kind of spicy ingredient.  I carry a shaker of black pepper and a bottle of hot sauce with me at all times.  When I plan my meals and snacks, in my mind I'm trying to choose foods that go with the hot sauce I have, rather than the other way around.  It's become a lifestyle for me.

I don't know how long it will last, but it's fun.  I found that after less than a week of adding hot sauce to every meal I had worked up a tremendous tolerance for spices.  I didn't even have to force myself to suffer extremely spicy dishes to get used to it--I just had to gradually let it build up in my system.  Whereas before I could barely tolerate a tablespoon-sized dash of chili sauce in on a plate full of chicken yakisoba I could now drink that same sauce straight if I wanted to after less than three weeks.  It really takes no special effort to reach that level.

However, having the tolerance I do, it's still fun to push it to extremes once in a while as a test.  I buy all the spiciest sauces and seasonings I can find and add them all to the same dish sometimes.  For example, I might get a cheeseburger or slice of pizza and add cayenne, black pepper, and Frank's Red Hot Xtra Hot all at the same time.  This rates as "pretty spicy".  If I add more my food drips.  I need spicier sauces.

I did have a bit of an interesting experience a couple times though by mixing activities.  I was deliberately over-spicing my food one night to the point where it was really quite agonising, but I continued anyway.  My face sweating, my mouth watering to cope with the irritation, and finally I started to feel a slight bit light headed.  I assume this was the point at which endorphins were starting to kick in, because at that point I didn't really notice the pain as much, and I was able to keep eating.  Well, to make things interesting, I figured I'd take a couple gulps of brandy that happened to be within reach.  The burn was a bit different, but what made it really interesting was when the alcohol started absorbing into my body.

I assume the mixture of dopamine from my brain due to the pain and alcohol hitting my system while I was in that state of vascular stimulation and raised body temperature was what caused the sensation that followed.  For the ten minutes that proceeded, I felt quite euphoric.  I became giddy and laughed out loud, eventually falling to the floor where I giggled and flailed my arms joyously, thoroughly reveling in the natural sensation of being overwhelmed with a mellow sense of well being.

Well, it sounds a bit embarrassing to explain it that way but hey, it was fun and presumably safe, and nobody was around to witness it, so I feel it was a noteworthy experiment with good results.  :-)  I was able to reproduce these results once after but failed on a third attempt.  I think the failure was due to an attempt to rush through it.  (I actually know very little about neurochemistry, so please feel free to offer a better explanation of what happened here if you know how to word it.)

In conclusion, good times.

It's occurred to me that I tend to take simple things to extremes. I've made mention of my music collection in past entries. By the way, back in March, I made a playlist containing every song in my collection, and started playing it while I'm at the computer. I'm now 10% of the way through. At this rate, I'll be done by then end of the year.


I recently realised my cupboard is getting overstuffed with tea. While moving the tea out to count the boxes, I realised I could literally play Jenga with them. This seems to be indicative of a more recent extremeness of mine. So, for the heck of it, here is a list of what I found in my cupboard:

• "Herb Tea Sampler", containing a single remaining tea bag: "Sleepy Time" (some kind of spearmint blend)


• Tanagerine Orange Zinger - sounded good, but it's like hot Kool-Aide


• Raspberry Rendezvous - about the same as the above


• Camomile - the staple herb tea


• Chai (decaffeinated) - the staple white tea


• Bengal Spice - really spicy, like an over-cinamonned Chai


• Tension Tamer - haven't tried it yet, but judging from the ingredients label, it sounds like a mish-mash of every herbal tea in existence


• Oolong - tastes good, but oddly smells like pot; a good black tea


• Lychee Black - good if you like lychee


• Darjeeling - pretty much your typical tea


• Rooibos - also known as "bush tea"; comes from Africa and has a completely unique flavour


• Moroccan Pomegranate Red - flavoured rooibos


• Rooibos (Vanilla) - my current favourite

I also like vanilla chai, but I ran out.

Any recommendations? Post your favourites! Also, which teas make you vomit and/or want to vomit?