The battle between carbohydrates and fats is an epic saga which seems to be never ending. Could the culprit be a combination of the two? One study suggests that the way your body is wired the combination of both a highly fatty and carbohydrate could send your body into an uncontrollable state of euphoria which ultimately leads you to continue to want to eat more of these combinations and leads to an ever-increasing waistline.
Your brain is wired to innately crave carbohydrates and fats and is due to many factors one being they are high in energy and back in the caveman days would stop you starving in case of a famine. The bliss felt when eating carbohydrates and fats begins at the mouth but does not stop there, the connection between your brain and your gut called the brain gut access may also be wired to promote overeating of foods high in both carbohydrate and fat. It is hypothesised that carbohydrates and fats have a different pathway in the signalling between the brain and the gut than protein. When the two macronutrients are eaten both in high amounts at one time this may be one of the factors which sends this signalling pathway into overload and drive you to eat more of these foods in excess.
Before you give up completely in trying to eat healthy there are ways to manage the cravings and drive to eat these highly fatty and carbohydrate foods. Instead of reaching for the cake in the office kitchen or the hamburger at lunch which are both high in refined carbohydrates and unhealthy types of fats. Try these meal and snack combinations which can do more good than harm as they are also high in fibre and protein which will keep you feeling fuller for longer and help prevent the overeating.
- 30g of unsalted nuts and 15g (small packet) of air popped corn
- 2-3 whole grain crackers and 1 tablespoon of 100% peanut butter
- A wholegrain sandwich with ¼ avocado and 95g of tuna with salad
- 1 cup of wholegrain pasta or rice with 80g of lean chicken breast 1and your favourite cooked veggies and tomato sauce cooked mixed in with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole grain wrap with ½ cup of ricotta or cottage cheese and 1 cup of salad vegetables
Take home message: knowledge and preparation are the keys. To be healthy you can no longer simply follow the drive to eat certain foods because you feel like eating them. The food industry does not help at all and having awareness of this can help you to avoid the environments which may lead to selecting these unhealthier choices. Having food and snacks prepared can allow your body to feel satisfied while still looking after your overall health and width of your waistline.
Reference:
Dana Small, Ph.D., director, Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Mitchell Roslin, M.D., chief, obesity surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Mascha Davis, R.D.N., M.P.H., registered dietitian and nutritionist, Los Angeles; June 14, 2018, Cell Metabolism
