Sugar, salt, and fat make a food more desirable, at least when it comes to the average person's taste buds. Individually, they are dangerous. Together, they are a potent cocktail that stimulates the brain's reward system and releases dopamine, a chemical that motivates us to eat more. In other words, addiction.
The food industry has done its homework. These companies know we each have a bliss point, the spot that triggers the maximum amount of addiction in our brains. They've spent significant time and effort to learn how to hit the bliss target. Although food that accomplishes this satisfied us in the short-term, it also triggers mindless eating. While these companies benefit financially from this, our health certainly does not.
I recently read a study that fed rats a diet high in sugar, salt, and fat. Not only were the brain's pleasure chemicals activated at meal time, the researches believed the rats had withdrawal symptoms when the sugar, salt, and fat were reduced. Again, a sign of addiction. One study doesn't make a trend, but worth considering nonetheless.
The decision to eat sugar, fat, and sodium consistently causes many problems. Certainly, health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are major risks of such unhealthy eating. What's more, the combination of these ingredients can impact the brain to such a degree that one can become conditioned to unconsciously eat too much. Another factor that doesn't help the situation is that sugar and salt carry the capability to extend the shelf life of certain products, making these unhealthy foods readily available. Hopefully, this sheds some light on the massive increase in overweight adults in our country.
Food industry execs, along with Madison Avenue advertisers, don't play nice either. They spend millions of dollars attempting to establish an emotional connection between you and their product. They want you to consider their product a comfort food. Have you ever watched a commercial where an overweight actor was inhaling a greasy cheeseburger? Of course not. They're always good-looking, fit people. These companies are very good at bypassing your conscious brain to make tie their product to feeling good.
Although food companies do not set out to make us fat and unhealthy, it is an unfortunate byproduct of them trying to sell more products to us. It is up to us to be aware of the forces that be and take steps to keep from overindulging. The best option is to avoid having unhealthy, processed foods in the house. It also pays to be prepared when you go out. Take healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, and nuts out with you. Sweet fruit, in particular, can also help solve sugar cravings. There's a reason why it's called "nature's dessert". Give it a try.
The food industry has done its homework. These companies know we each have a bliss point, the spot that triggers the maximum amount of addiction in our brains. They've spent significant time and effort to learn how to hit the bliss target. Although food that accomplishes this satisfied us in the short-term, it also triggers mindless eating. While these companies benefit financially from this, our health certainly does not.
I recently read a study that fed rats a diet high in sugar, salt, and fat. Not only were the brain's pleasure chemicals activated at meal time, the researches believed the rats had withdrawal symptoms when the sugar, salt, and fat were reduced. Again, a sign of addiction. One study doesn't make a trend, but worth considering nonetheless.
The decision to eat sugar, fat, and sodium consistently causes many problems. Certainly, health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are major risks of such unhealthy eating. What's more, the combination of these ingredients can impact the brain to such a degree that one can become conditioned to unconsciously eat too much. Another factor that doesn't help the situation is that sugar and salt carry the capability to extend the shelf life of certain products, making these unhealthy foods readily available. Hopefully, this sheds some light on the massive increase in overweight adults in our country.
Food industry execs, along with Madison Avenue advertisers, don't play nice either. They spend millions of dollars attempting to establish an emotional connection between you and their product. They want you to consider their product a comfort food. Have you ever watched a commercial where an overweight actor was inhaling a greasy cheeseburger? Of course not. They're always good-looking, fit people. These companies are very good at bypassing your conscious brain to make tie their product to feeling good.
Although food companies do not set out to make us fat and unhealthy, it is an unfortunate byproduct of them trying to sell more products to us. It is up to us to be aware of the forces that be and take steps to keep from overindulging. The best option is to avoid having unhealthy, processed foods in the house. It also pays to be prepared when you go out. Take healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, and nuts out with you. Sweet fruit, in particular, can also help solve sugar cravings. There's a reason why it's called "nature's dessert". Give it a try.
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