Why do people crave for junk food? Experts decode

Craving for junk food is normal and it is common to give in to these unhealthy temptations It is unclear why people desire to eat outside food despite knowing the harmful effects of such itemsWe keep reading about how harmful junk food can be for our health it can lead to cardiovascular diseases heart attacks obesity high blood pressure and a myriad of other health problems But most of us are unable to control these cravingsA lot of research has been done in this arena and Kajal and Bushra Dieticians and COFounder of Healthy Steady Go have to say this about why you crave junk foodBeliefs around food A lot of us believe that healthy and nutritious foods cannot be tasty and delicious People dont like eating healthy food like fruit and veggies as they did not like it as kids Good news You arent 5 anymoreDont let these old beliefs stop you from trying healthy food Did you know youre your taste buds change every 56 years and that it takes up to 1012 tries before you develop a taste for certain foods We know junk food is tastier but healthier versions can be made with it being tastyNot sleeping enough A lot of people view sleep as a sign of weakness Research shows that sleeping less then required leads to more cravings and unhealthy foods A recent study which analysed brain activity and compared those who sleep 9 hours vs 4 hours found those who slept less the areas associated with pleasure lit up more when subjects viewed pictures of ice cream and pizza compared to veggies and yogurt Sleep deprivation adversely affects all systems in our body leading to an increased craving for comfort whether its from a warm hug or junk foodStress In a stressful situation our body releases a stress hormone known as Cortisol Fats and sugars have been scientifically proven to make one feel better and give comfort As a result our body ends up craving more of such foods A study backed this up by concluding Sugar seems to lower cortisol and quiet stress signals in the brainEating too quickly Ever wondered why everyone says to chew your food 32 times before you swallow Well 32 is a farfetched number cause nowadays people target to finish their entire meals within a span of 510 mins Thats how busy our life and schedule have become Its time we all reconsider this habit now Eating too quickly can create miscommunication between the gut and the brain whereby signals of satiety to the brain can be missed leading to overeatingHormonal imbalances Be it your monthly menstrual periods or when a lady is pregnant hormones in your body can create complete chaos Namely hormones like Leptin and Serotonin which are involved in the coordination between your gut and brain can lead to super strong cravings at weird hoursInsufficient water and protein intake Many times thirst signals are misinterpreted as hunger signals by our minds If we dont drink enough water or our meals lack protein these hunger pangs will make us reach out for all the unhealthy junk food lying around the houseNutrient deficienciesAn underlying nutrient deficiency can also lead to cravings for specific foods Such as magnesium deficiency causes you to crave chocolates nuts or beans Sugar drops or deficiency of chromium or phosphorus can lead to sugar cravings Similarly a basic sodium deficiency will make you crave salty foods like chipsFriends family colleagues Its pretty natural when one person starts to crave some junk and he voices it out the other person starts craving it too Both of them then together enjoy their meal with good company Did you know PICA is a condition in which people crave nonfood items such as chalk dirt coins and ice chipsAlso read Keep it simple How to plan your daily diet amid a hectic work scheduleThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever