With a dry weight of 350 pounds and an engine that makes 234 horsepower, the Superleggera will likely accelerate with unbelievable violence.

There are a lot of words in Italian that sound good on their own, but when applied to a car or a motorcycle becomes completely magic. One such word is Superleggera, or super light. When it comes to motorcycles, in particular, Ducati has offered Superleggeras before, but they've always been wildly special and expensive bikes. Rare to see in the wild.

Well, they're doing another one, and this one promises to just as much of a near-mythical beast as the rest. But unlike its predecessors, this one comes with track time at Mugello and even a go on a MotoGP bike for a few buyers.

We'll wait until you wipe the drool off of your keyboard.

Now, as we said before, the Superleggera always comes with some unique stuff, but the Ducati Superleggera V4 ups the ante even further by being the only street-legal motorcycle with a carbon-fiber chassis, swingarm and wheels. All that carbon is good for a total weight savings of 14.77 pounds over the standard aluminum-framed Ducati V4.

On top of that, it's got all the wild canards, winglets, and dive planes of its racing cousins, and in racing kit (read: an uncorked exhaust system from Akrapovic) form makes 234 horsepower. In its more "tame" trim, it still pumps out 224 horsepower, and that's from an engine that's 105 cubic-centimeters smaller than the regular road-going V4 Panigale. Oh, by the way -- that engine? Yeah, it's also 6.17 pounds lighter than the regular V4's engine.

Ducati found a way to remove over six pounds from its 998-cc V4 engine and it's not like you'd call the regular V4 "portly."

Toss in the lightweight but likely velvety-smooth titanium Ohlins shock and forks, essentially skeletonized Brembo brakes and a lightweight exhaust, and this bike is just silly.

In total, all of Ducati's weight-saving trickery makes for a bike that tips the scales at just 350 pounds. For comparison, that works out to a power-to-weight ratio that would make most Lotuses weep. Unfortunately, this Ducati, like so many of its special editions, isn't meant for mere mortals. This is a barely-legal street bike that plays awfully convincingly at being a MotoGP bike.

Part of the buying experience for the Superleggera includes access to what Ducati calls the SBK Experience, which lets participants throw a leg over the World Superbike-spec Ducati Panigale V4 R at Mugello in Italy. Even crazier is that 30 of the 500 customers for the Superleggera will go a step further and get the MotoGP Experience, which will let them ride on-track on the Desmosedici GP20 with factory race team support.

Ducati isn't divulging just how much you can expect to pay for its newest track toy. Still, given that the last Superleggera retailed for around $90,000 and had half as many cylinders and less carbon, we can safely assume that it'll be somewhere in the neighborhood of "eye-watering." Ducati plans for deliveries of the bike to kick off in June of 2020 at the rate of around five bikes per day.

See the rest here:
Ducati's Superleggera V4 is a Panigale on a diet and turned to 11 - CNET

Bulking is a term commonly thrown around by bodybuilders.

It generally refers to a progressive increase in the number of calories consumed beyond your bodys needs in combination with intense weight training.

Whereas some people claim that bulking is unhealthy, others insist that its a safe and effective method for gaining muscle mass.

This article explains everything you need to know about bulking, including what it is, how to do it safely, and which foods you should eat and avoid.

Bodybuilding is both a recreational and competitive sport that rewards muscle size and definition.

The three main phases in bodybuilding are bulking, cutting, and maintenance. Among competitive bodybuilders, preparation for their contests can be considered a fourth phase.

Bulking is the muscle-gaining phase. Youre meant to intentionally consume more calories than your body needs for a set period often 46 months. These extra calories provide your body with the necessary fuel to boost muscle size and strength while weight training (1).

To varying degrees, body fat tends to accumulate during bulking due to excess calorie intake (1).

Cutting, or the fat loss phase, refers to a gradual decrease in calorie intake and increase in aerobic training to reduce excess body fat from the bulking phase, allowing for improved muscle definition (2).

During the cutting phase, bodybuilders eat fewer calories than their bodies require, which puts them at a disadvantage for building muscle. The goal of this phase is generally to maintain not gain muscle mass (2, 3, 4).

One review found that the average calorie intake of bodybuilders during the bulking phase was 3,800 calories per day for men and 3,200 for women, compared with 2,400 and 1,200 calories during the cutting phase, respectively (5).

Bodybuilding consists of three main phases bulking, cutting, and maintenance. Generally, bulking is meant to increase muscle mass and strength, whereas cutting is intended to shed excess body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

Bulking requires consuming more calories than your body needs.

You can estimate your daily calorie needs by using a calorie counter, which considers your weight, sex, age, height, and physical activity level to estimate your daily calorie needs.

Experts recommend consuming 1020% above your daily weight maintenance calorie needs during the bulking phase for an average weight gain of 0.250.5% of your body weight per week (1, 6, 7).

For example, if you need 3,000 daily calories per day to maintain weight, you should aim to consume 3,3003,600 instead, depending on your experience level. For a person who weighs 150 pounds (68 kg), this equates to an increase of 0.40.8 pounds (0.20.4 kg) per week.

While novice bodybuilders who have 6 months or less of weight training experience should aim for the higher end of this calorie range, bodybuilders with several years of experience should target the lower end to limit increases in body fat (8, 9).

If youre gaining less or more than 0.250.5% of your body weight per week, you should adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

Once you establish the number of calories you need for bulking, you can determine your macronutrient ratios.

Macronutrients carbs, fats, and proteins are the nutrients that are needed in larger quantities in your diet. Carbs and protein each contain 4 calories per gram, while fat packs 9.

Experts recommend that you get (4, 6):

For example, if you decide you need to eat 3,300 calories per day, your diet would contain:

While you can make adjustments based on your dietary needs, the proportion of calories from protein should remain at 3035% to support optimal muscle growth (4, 6).

You can use calorie tracking apps to help you stay within your calorie budget and macronutrient ranges.

Experts recommend consuming 1020% more calories during bulking than your body needs. Carbs should comprise the largest percentage of your diet, followed by protein and fat.

Many people view bulking as unhealthy because it can increase fat mass, particularly when your calorie surplus is too high.

While bulking, some bodybuilders also tend to eat calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods that are typically not consumed during the cutting phase, including sweets, desserts, and fried foods.

These foods, especially when eaten as part of a high calorie diet, can increase markers of inflammation, promote insulin resistance, and raise levels of fat in your blood (10, 11, 12, 13).

However, proper bulking is not about extreme overeating or giving free rein to every craving.

It can be performed in a healthy manner if you maintain a proper calorie surplus and focus on eating nutrient-dense foods. These foods contain a high amount of nutrients for their calorie count.

Remember that bulking is also intended to be followed by a cutting phase to decrease your fat levels.

When bulking, its easy to eat high calorie, nutrient-poor foods like desserts or fried foods to rapidly achieve a calorie surplus. Yet, healthy bulking is possible as long as you focus on nutrient-dense foods.

Your diet is essential to bulking the right way. Remember that just because a food is high in calories and will lead to a calorie surplus doesnt mean that its great for muscle gain or your overall health.

Including nutrient-dense, whole foods in your diet ensures that you get adequate vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and quality protein.

Here are examples of foods that should comprise the majority of your diet:

Beverages with added sugars, such as sweetened coffee, tea, or regular soda, can be enjoyed in moderation.

While a bulking diet allows for most foods, some should be limited because they contain very few nutrients. These include:

These foods dont need to be avoided completely but should be reserved for special occasions and events.

Supplement use is highly prevalent among bodybuilders (18).

Bodybuilders take supplements for various reasons, including to boost overall health, immune function, and exercise performance (19, 2).

Still, despite the hundreds of supplements marketed toward bodybuilders, only a handful have strong evidence to support their use. Those backed by studies include (20, 21):

Whats more, mass- or weight-gaining supplements tend to be popular among people looking to bulk up. They come in powder form and are mixed with water or milk.

These supplements can pack over 1,000 calories per serving and boast sugar, protein, and several vitamins and minerals.

While theyre a convenient way to increase your calories, theyre often poorly balanced, containing too high a percentage of carbs compared with protein and fats.

While occasional use is fine, most people shouldnt make them a regular part of your routine.

When bulking, be sure to include a variety of nutrient-dense foods in your diet to support muscle growth and overall health. You should limit alcohol, added sugars, and fried foods, though certain supplements can be useful.

Bulking is a technique used by bodybuilders to increase muscle size and strength.

It involves consuming 1020% more than your daily calorie needs in addition to weight training.

To make bulking healthy and effective, you should ensure that your calorie surplus isnt too high and that youre limiting highly processed, nutrient-poor foods.

Excerpt from:
Bulking: What It Is and How to Do It - Healthline

Its no secret that loading your plate with fruits and vegetables and eschewing processed meat products is good for your insides. But is a vegan diet good for healthy skin, too?

Many celebrities say that it is; Natalie Portman and Billie Eilish have noticed significant improvements in their skin since going vegan and cutting out dairy.

Portman told the Cut a few years ago, Im vegan and I found my skin is much, much better than when I was a vegetarian. I cut out dairy and eggs, and I never had a breakout after. Eilishwho went vegan for ethical reasonssaid in a Tumblr post in 2018, Im lactose intolerant and dairy is horrible for your skin and my skin is VERY aware of that.

But its not just celebrities who think veganism is good for your skin, experts agree that theyre onto something. Blade Tiessena medical aestheticianwho owns the Ontario-based Anti-Aging Clinic and has worked in skincare for 33 yearsbelieves that ditching animal products for a healthy vegan diet can have a dramatic effect.I say this from both personal and professional experience. I suffered from acne since my early teens until months after going vegan at 35, being in the industry I had every treatment and product at my disposal over the years, he told LIVEKINDLY. Some helped to keep breakouts under control but nothing solved the issue permanently until shortly after becoming vegan.

Multiple studies say that ditching dairy could help acne-sufferers. Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States; it affects around 50 million Americans every year.

There are a few different theories on why dairy can cause an acne flare-up; some studies suggest that hormones in cows milk are the culprit. These hormones are intended to stimulate growth in calves. When humans ingest them, they release insulin, which can trigger breakouts.

According to a medically-reviewed article on Healthline, sometimes the hormones in milk can also interact with our own hormones, confusing our bodys endocrine system and signaling breakouts.

Nonprofit PlantPure Communities (PPC) recently launched a social media campaign called Ditch Dairy for Clearer Skin. The campaign aims to educate the public about the link between acne and dairy consumption.

In a supporting article, pediatrician Dr. Jackie Busse, MD, FAAP, says, removing dairy is the first and most important dietary change you should make to prevent and treat acne.

A vegan diet could also help people who suffer from eczemaa condition where patches of skin become inflamed, itchy, and cracked. According to Healthline, a handful have studies have shown that a raw, vegan diet, in particular, can be very beneficial, although there isnt conclusive evidence.

Plant-based foods have also been linked with easing psoriasis, an immune-mediated disease. Similar to eczema, it causes raised red flaky patches to appear on the skin.

Eating a whole food plant-based diet can help psoriasis sufferers because it is naturally low in inflammatory foods, says dietician Deirdre Earls, RD, LD. She was once hospitalized with psoriasis as a child, but switching to a plant-based diet helped her manage the condition effectively.

She told Everyday Health,I drastically changed my diet. I took all of the diet coke, all of the ultra-processed stuff out, and then I replaced it with simple, whole, mostly plant-based foods. Within six months, my skin had cleared.She added,psoriasis is an inflammatory condition, so anything you can do to cut down on inflammation should help.

Reality TV personality and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian-West has suffered from psoriasis for more than a decade and was recently diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. She opened up on sister Kourtney Kardashians website Poosh about her battle with the disease, and how switching to a plant-based diet has helped her.

I love a healthy life and try to eat as plant-based as possible and drink sea moss smoothies,she said, adding that she also tries to keep her stress levels to a minimum.I hope my story can help anyone else with an autoimmune disease feel confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Eating vegan foods can help with painful conditions, but they can also just make your skin glow too.

According to Tiessen, patients who follow a vegan diet achieve superior skin results to those who do not. They also have more energy and they sleep better. He says, eating a healthy vegan diet free of inflammatory foods along with drinking lots of water, sleeping well, exercising, reducing levels of stress, taking care of and protecting your skin will help ensure beautiful glowing skin that will last a lifetime.

He also recommends using cruelty-free vegan skincare products. Skincare should be looked at as nutrition and protection for the skin, he added. Supplying the skin with nutrients from organic plants can offer benefits that are unavailable from chemicals and or animal-based ingredients.

If you want to opt for cosmetic intervention, Tiessens clinicsin Orillia Ontario and Port Severn Ontariooffer many cruelty-free and vegan treatments, including microneedling. The chain is also an ambassador for vegan medical skincare brand ElaSpa.

If you prefer to stick to just consuming whole foods, here are seven of the best plant-based foods to eat to keep your skin looking glowing and healthy.

Eating spinach regularly can benefit your skin. Its rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E, which are particularly good for your skin. Its also a great source of iron, as well as folate and magnesium.

Blueberries are packed with skin-beautifying antioxidants. Stephanie Clarkeco-owner of C&J Nutritiontold Self, that deep blue/purple color that makes blueberries so gorgeous translates to helping your skin look young too. This color is a result of compounds called anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that shield the skin against harmful free radicals that can damage the collagen that keeps your skin firm.

Eating avocados is good for your skin, as theyre rich in vitamins C and E. You can also apply them directly to your face and feel their benefits that way. Registered dietician Maureen Eyerman told Elle, the hydrating properties may reduce fine lines and wrinkles, help keep skin smooth, and boost skins immunity against stress and other environmental factors.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin E and vitamin C, which helps to boost collagen. Theyre also rich in anthocyanins, which can help to prevent blemishes and dark spots. Sweet potatoes are also a source of fiber, iron, calcium, and selenium.

Walnuts contain omega-3 fats, which, according to Clarke,strengthen the membranes of your skin cells.They also contain nourishing fats which attract soothing moisture from the air and reduce inflammation, helping to avoid breakouts.

Carrots are associated with good eye health, but theyre good for the skin, too. According to Healthline, vitamin C-rich carrots can help skin recover from conditions like psoriasis and rashes. They can also help you heal faster from cuts and other wounds.

Kiwis have more vitamin C than oranges, and theyre packed with vitamin E. You can also place them over the top of your eyes, which can help to reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Summary

Article Name

The Vegan Diet and Healthy Skin: Everything You Need to Know

Description

Is the vegan diet the best defense against skin conditions? Here's everything you need to know about eating plant-based and healthy skin.

Author

Charlotte Pointing

Publisher Name

LIVEKINDLY

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Read more:
The Vegan Diet and Healthy Skin: Everything You Need to Know - LIVEKINDLY

Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based food has garnered an unfortunate reputation over the years of not being deliciousbut when people see how delicious plant-based cuisine can be and the level of flavors we are able to achieve, they are inspired to eat well and try new things. Its all about crafting really refined culinary experiences without any butter, cream, sugar or animal products, says Matthew Kenney, the award-winning, all-stars visionary, author and celebrity chef behind the beloved Plant Food + Wine in Los Angeles and Miami.

As a chef, I find raw foods the most challenging and rewarding to prepare, and I feel my best when consuming them. Food tastes better when it is alive, full of fresh nutrients and color, rather than charred, over-seasoned and unrecognizable from its origin. Plants offer everything we need for pure health. With my cooking I strive to share this new way of eatingfilled with plant-based and predominantly raw foodswith everyone around me.

On his quest to seduce the palates with delicious, vibrant and healthful food, he had created several plant-based and raw food culinary academies around the world and a week-long wellness program at Kukuiula in Hawai that involves yoga, meditation, and farming and harvesting.Growing up in Maine really shaped my understanding and love for nature, it's where I fell in love with food. I was always looking to learn about ingredients I had never seen before. Later in my life, my passion for health evolved through my yoga practice and becoming more connected to the planet. Everything about my life changed when I transitioned to a raw food diet. I felt better, I had more energy, and I found new professional inspiration. People are also realizing the major health benefits of adopting this lifestyle and are sharing their own stories just as I have, in order to shift the culture.

Grow your own: Keep a fresh supply of basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage and dill really helps with the presentation of dishes. By growing your very own edible garden to produce organic herbs and garnishes (like our flagship restaurant, Plant Food + Wine in Venice) will certainly enhance the flavor and presentation.

Surprise them with depth of flavor: I love to use local, sustainable, and seasonal ingredients, but this can be restrictive based on availability. When people see how beautiful food can be they are inspired to eat well and try new things. Once they do try our plant-based cuisine, most people are surprised at the depth of flavor were able to achieve.

Sauce is key: Creative plant-based sauces are also a major part of what makes simple raw food interesting and unique. Some of my favorites are pesto, hummus, tahini, salsa, guacamole or sour cream made with nutritional yeast.

Continued here:
Switching to a plant-based, raw diet? Heres some things you need to know - HOLA! USA

I really love Diet Coke.

Or Coke Zero, depending on my mood. Actually sometimes I even go wild and opt for a Pepsi Max.

No calories! No sugar! But all the deliciousness, refreshment, and caffeine!

I have consumed sugar-free soft drinks for as long as I can remember, despite the fact that I know they're full of artificial ingredients and sweeteners. As someone who prioritizes eating a balanced diet and following a healthy lifestyle, my friends and family are always surprised that I am such a Diet Coke fiend.

I know, it doesn't make sense. But I just love Diet Coke or DC, if you will (you won't?).

Towards the end of 2019, I realized my consumption was getting particularly high, and I was drinking a Diet Coke (or another sugar-free soft drink) most days.

It seems like every health, fitness, or nutrition expert you speak to says something different about diet sodas, and the studies into the area reach equally confusing conclusions.

The overall health implications of consuming artificial sweeteners are widely contested, and the same goes for their impact on weight management.

There has been some research which suggests drinking diet sodas is linked to increased risk of stroke and Alzheimer's, as well as diabetes.

However, researchers note that in most of these cases it's hard to draw solid conclusions as you can never fully account for other lifestyle factors which may contribute to these diseases it could be that people who drink more diet soda are doing so because they're already overweight, for example, and it's that which actually results in the health problems.

When it comes to weight management, while some studies claim consumption of diet sodas is bad for example, it's been linked to weight gain by making people crave more sugar others say it can be beneficial for weight loss by curbing cravings without adding any calories.

Sports nutritionist Scott Baptie, for example, previously told Insider he encourages his clients to drink diet soft drinks to help them slim down however, the ultimate goal is to transition to water.

I wondered whether the drinks affect each of us differently, and there was only one way to find out how diet drinks were affecting me: cut them out completely.

Ultimately, I knew it wasn't good for me, so decided to set myself a challenge to go cold turkey for a month to see if I actually noticed any difference.

When setting out my challenge, it was hard to know where to draw the line. Obviously no diet cola of any kind, but I knew that if I only cut out those drinks I would simply transfer to other sugar-free sodas like Diet 7Up or Diet Dr Pepper, which rather defeats the point.

I decided sodas of all kinds would be out, but other flavored soft drinks were allowed.

Opting to take on my challenge in January also made it extra difficult because I was doing Dry January when I've given up booze before, Diet Coke has been my go-to drink when out for dinner or having drinks with friends (unless a non-alcoholic spirit like Seedlip or Ceder's is available) because even though it's not a G&T, it's more interesting than water.

Is there anything better than a crisp, sweet can of Coke Zero when you're feeling, well, somewhat delicate after a night of celebrations? There would be no comforting my sore head on New Years' Day with a fizzy drink this year. Surprisingly, I survived.

It wasn't until January 2 that my first real craving hit, and it was only when I saw a colleague drinking Diet Coke. I suddenly had an overwhelming desire for that sweet, fizzy nectar.

I considered buying some sparkling flavored water on my lunch break to fill the void inside me, but I figured I was trying to save money as much as anything else, so resisted.

And that attitude lasted all of one day.

Fanta Grape Zero was calling to me. Rachel Hosie/Insider

Exhausted from a bad's night sleep, on January 3 I was craving, well, everything, so naturally I went to buy sustenance. When perusing soft drink options in Boots, I happened upon Fanta Grape Zero. Fanta Grape Zero! How had I never tried such a delectable-sounding libation? I wanted it so badly, but it would have been breaking the rules.

Instead, I bought a Vit Hit, which are low-calorie drinks made from vitamins, juice, water, and tea. They are, by all accounts, delicious, and no doubt healthier than a diet soda. However, they dostill contain artificial sweeteners, and at 1.90 ($2.50) for a 500ml bottle, they're more expensive than your average soda, too.

Vit Hit: delicious, but more expensive than a Coke. Rachel Hosie/Insider

So much for saving money.

As the month went on, I found myself spending more by trying to choose healthier options kombucha, for example, costs a lot more than Coke.

I do of course realize that the healthiest option of all, water, is free, but I already drink vast quantities of straight-up H2O, so I really enjoy mixing it up with something flavorful.

Over the course of the month I tried a lot of different soft drinks, from peach and pear flavored sugar-free iced green tea (almost definitely not very nutritious) to black raspberry flavored sparkling water.

I wasn't convinced this was actually any healthier than a Diet Coke. Rachel Hosie/Insider

My costs were rising, so I decided to try a new strategy and buy a bottle of every Brit's favourite childhood drink, squash (a fruit concentrate which you dilute with water).

A lot cheaper than buying an individual bottle or can of something most days (and better for the environment), squash still contains artificial sweeteners and preservatives, so I wasn't sure if I was doing my health much good or not.

Itdid fill the Diet Coke gap somewhat, though.

In the middle of January, I went to Finland for a week, and I realized I usually drink a lot of Diet Coke both on travel days and when abroad. Honestly, I missed it.

For starters, European Diet Coke is actually my favourite of all diet cola variants (yes, it tastes different to UK Diet Coke like a cross between our Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, if you're interested). I was sad not to be able to enjoy it.

On the flip-side, I had fun Finnish drinks to try, like flavored vitamin waters and something called a Kane's Ruby Hill Thrill which was a delicious fizzy strawberry drink.

The color of this alone suggests it not exactly natural. Rachel Hosie/Insider

I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely sure if it should be classed as a diet soda, but I figured if I didn't really know what it was, it was allowed. (Debatable, I know.)

As I neared the end of my month sans DC, I realized my cravings for it had definitely decreased.

They hadn't completely disappeared, though it was often when I saw someone else drinking some, or heard that gloriously satisfying sound of a can being opened, that I found I suddenly wanted one.

I didn't cave, but I was drinking squash at an alarming rate.

Squash for the win. Rachel Hosie/Insider

I considered buying bottled sparkling water thinking that it would be better health-wise than an artificially sweetened beverage, but I felt too bad about the plastic, so I resisted. I concluded that for the health of both the planet and myself I should really just drink water from the tap.

On February 1, I had my first Diet Coke in a month and it was, well, underwhelming. Yes, I enjoyed it, but it didn't feel like coming home or anything.

Honestly, I didn't notice any drastic enough benefits to make me want to cut Diet Coke out of my life completely (that might be a different story had I not drunk any soft drinks).

I was hoping my afternoon snack cravings might magically disappear when I stopped drinking diet soda, but I'm not convinced they did. My cravings changed day to day, but that happens normally.

My energy levels didn't change, nor did my focus or body. It was all rather anti-climactic.

I may never give up Diet Coke all together. Rachel Hosie/Insider

I don'tneed Diet Coke to get me through an afternoon. I just quite enjoy it.

That said, I am going to try and limit my diet soda consumption to one or two a week. I know they're not good for me, so I hope I can gradually wean myself off all soft drinks and be one of those beacons of health who only drink water. Maybe.

At the end of the day (well, month), I believe in moderation and having a little bit of everything you fancy as part of a balanced diet. That's the key though: a little bit. Not seven cans a week.

Read more:

A sports nutritionist says drinking Diet Coke will help you lose weight, despite a new study that suggests the opposite

There's even more evidence that drinking diet soda is bad for you

Low-calorie sweeteners are no better for weight loss than sugar, according to a new study

Read more:
I gave up Diet Coke for a month to see how it affected my body - Insider - INSIDER

A significant number of Britons are actively trying to reduce their meat intake.

According to research commissioned by plant-based food brand Strong Roots, almost half of Britons (47%) have tried to reduce their meat intake at some point, and over one-third (36%) feel guilty when they eat meat.

However, 69% of respondents said they love meat, and 33% reported they cannot make it through the day without eating meat.

When the British population does attempt to cut out meat products for good, temptation is regarded the biggest reason for falling off the wagon. Of the 2,000 adults surveyed, over one-quarter (27%) said they struggled to resist the lure of fast food, of appealing meat dishes when eating out of home, or the sight of family members eating meaty meals in the home.

And of the meat products consumers said they would most miss on a vegan or vegetarian diet, respondents listed bacon as the clear leader (20%), followed by beef steak (15%) and sausages (14%).

UK plant-based brand Strong Roots is hoping to help consumers wean themselves off meat, which a company spokesperson told FoodNavigator is perceived to be a significant challenge.

We conducted research which showed that many people struggle reducing their meat consumption. The figures showed that one in six (17.5%) of the adult population believe that giving up meat is a tougher challenge than giving up cigarettes (15.2%) or alcohol (15.1%).

The research also revealed that 30% believe there should be more support for those trying to cut out meat.

As a plant-based brand that wants to support those making plant-based choices, Strong Roots wants to raise awareness of this issue in an engaging way, we were told.

Strong Roots solution is a meat patch inspired by nicotine patches. Intended to be worn on the arm, the patches contain a bacon scent sourced from a supplier of commercial aromas which is activated by scratch and sniff technology.

The patch was inspired by insights from the University of Oxfords professor of experimental psychology, Charles Spence.

The professors research shows that our sense of smell is strongly connected to our ability to taste, and that there is evidence to suggest that experiencing food-related cues, such as smelling a bacon aroma, could lead us to imagine the act of eating that food, Strong Roots spokesperson told this publication.

We wanted to explore whether having the smell of bacon on a patch while eating might help consumers imagine eating meat, help them feel sated and manage their cravings.

For Professor Spence, the potential success of a smelly strategy is supported by several lines of evidence, including everything from work on sensory-specific satiety the idea that repeated exposure to the colour, taste, or smell of food can lead to satiation through to more recent work on embodied mental simulation.

According to the latter notion, experiencing food-related cues, such as, for example, smelling a bacon aroma, can lead us to imagine the act of eating that food. Imagine eating enough bacon and you really might find yourself sated, he noted.

However, in order to be really effective, my suspicion is that one may want to combine that highly-desirable food aroma with actually eating something.

Strong Roots has not conducted scientific trials, and therefore cannot prove the efficacy of the patches. However, the company has requested anecdotal feedback from consumers testing the patch samples in cities around the UK.

Read more:
Nicotine style 'meat patch' developed to help wean consumers off carnivore diet - FoodNavigator.com