Why don't we crave broccoli?
Chocolate bars, crisps and fries -- why can't we just ignore them?
Why don't we crave broccoli?
I love broccoli, but I don’t crave it. At 5pm I very rarely go looking for vegetables to satisfy whatever it is I’m looking for!
Researchers have shown that foods with a high fat and sugar/refined carb content change the structure of our brain pathways and stimulates the release of dopamine – the hormone in our brain responsible for motivation and reward.
Sugary and fatty foods also trigger the release of endorphins, which make us feel happy and relaxed. They also provide quick bursts of energy, which can be especially appealing when we're feeling tired or stressed.
If we regularly eat them, the brain learns to drive us to eat more of these foods in the future.
This might be handy in times of food scarcity (not usually a problem these days) but for many of us it drives us to overeat unhealthy foods.
In nature, foods high in fat and carbohydrate are rare and tend to have fibre, which slows metabolism. By contrast, it is very common for highly processed foods to be both high in fat and high in carb and lacking in fibre.
Not that long ago humans lived from the land and what nature provided, but our modern diets are often filled with processed foods that are high in sugar/refined carbs and fat but lacking in nutrients.
Overconsumption of these foods can lead to weight gain, chronic disease, and other health problems.
Basing our diets on whole foods means we eat closer to what nature intended. We aren’t continually activating the parts of our brain that increases our cravings for unhealthy foods. We are satisfied and not stimulating our hunger hormones constantly and therefore not reaching for the unhealthy options when we get hungry and tired.
Check out our Vitality Wraps and Seeded Crackers which are low carb and sugar free and high in fibre. All our gluten free and dairy free foods are based on whole/real foods that contain fibre and no refined carbs.
They satisfy without stimulating unhelpful brain pathways that lead to cravings.
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