Benefit and harm: what happens to our body when we eat spicy food. Why do we eat
And why do we like it so much.
Most of us know that junk food is bad, but delicious…. We know that poor nutrition associated with heart problems high pressure, and many other problems. You may even know that it is associated with an increase in depression.
But if it's so bad, why do we keep doing it?
There is an answer. And the science will surprise you.
The term Junk Food (junk food) is widely used in English-speaking countries and means literally in American English: Surrogate; A high-calorie but low nutritional value product, such as American cheese, hot dog, pizza, Coca-Cola, etc. This is usually referred to as products with great content artificial food additives, dyes and fillers, thanks to which they acquire an attractive appearance.
Stephen Witherly is a nutrition researcher who has spent the last 20 years studying what makes certain foods capable of causing more strong addiction, than others. He published the results of his research in the book "Why People Love Junk Food."
By Witherly when you eat Tasty food, there are two mechanisms at work that make the experience enjoyable.
First, it is the feeling of eating food. it whole complex sensations: taste (salty, sweet, etc.); smell; and mouthfeel. This last sensation - known as "orosensation" - can be especially important.
Food companies spend millions of dollars to find the most satisfying level of crunch in potato chips. Their scientists are doing research on the ideal number of bubbles in soda. All these factors combine to create pleasant feelings in the brain with the reception. specific product or drink.
The second factor is the actual macronutrient composition of the food - a mixture of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In the case of junk food, food manufacturers are looking for the perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that fires up your brain and makes you want to eat them over and over again.
Here's how they do it...
How Science Creates Food Cravings
There are a number of factors that scientists and food manufacturers use to make foods more appealing.
dynamic contrast. Dynamic contrast is a combination of different sensations in one product. According to Witherly, products with dynamic contrast are, for example, the combination of a crispy shell with something soft and creamy inside, and full of active flavor. This rule applies to various finished products- fried chicken wings breaded, Raffaello sweets, glazed ice cream, sweet bars, cookies with filling. The brain perceives food with dynamic contrast every time as something very new and exciting.
Salivation. it important aspect digestion, and the more salivary response a food causes, the more taste buds send information to the brain. For example, emulsified products ( butter, chocolate, salad dressings, ice cream, and mayonnaise) contribute to salivation and pleasant sensations in the brain. This is one of the reasons why most people love foods with sauces.
Rapid dissolution in the mouth. A product that "melts in your mouth" sends a signal to your brain that you haven't eaten as much as you actually did. In other words, these foods are literally telling your brain that you haven't had enough, despite having already eaten enough.
Result: You tend to overeat.
Sensory specific response. The brain loves variety. If you taste the same taste over and over again, then you will start to get less and less pleasure. This can happen in minutes. But potato chips, for example, are made so as not to bore the brain - at first they are hard, crunchy, they dissolve in the mouth with a feeling of oiliness. The sensory response is blunted. Moreover, amplifiers, “the taste of dill”, “bacon”, “sour cream” - the sensations for the brain are new and interesting every time.
Density of calories. Unwanted foods reassure the brain that the body is being nourished but not overwhelmed. Receptors in the mouth and stomach send information to the brain about nutrition (which makes you feel good), but not about satiety. It's hard to stop on time.
Memories of past pleasant experiences. This is where the psychobiology of junk food really works against you. When you eat something tasty (say, a bag of potato chips), your brain registers that pleasant feeling. The next time you see this product, smell it, or even read about it, your brain starts to trigger memories and a pleasant response. These memories can actually cause physical reactions - salivation and "appetite".
All this brings us to the very important issue. Food companies spend millions of dollars to develop products that are pleasurable. What can we do about it? Is there a way to counter money Food Industry, science and advertising?
How to resist the habit of unhealthy food?
There is also good news. Research shows that the less junk food we eat, the less we crave it. This transition period will be a real "genetic reprogramming".
Without balance in nutrition, there is no balance in life. How to make our appetite our ally wellness? The task is not easy, because the feeling of hunger has many faces.
The very first meal is the meaning of life
“Relationships with food are the first very intimate experience of bodily contact between a person and another person,” says psychoanalyst Ksenia Korbut. “There is such closeness between mother and child during feeding that they become almost a single being. Only gradually does the baby begin to perceive himself as separate from his mother, to distinguish "I" from "not-I". If this acquaintance with reality fails, the child, and then the adult, will not acquire a sense of isolation and isolation. own body, his boundaries will seem fuzzy to him, he will have a hard time distinguishing between "inside" and "outside", and food will not be experienced by him as something external.
Parting with the mother's breast (or bottle), the child receives the first experience of autonomy. “Both the mother and the child are anxious in such a situation,” continues Ksenia Korbut. - This experience will be traumatic if the mother at this moment has little (or, conversely, too intrusive) attention to the child, if she has depression or if he does not feel sufficiently protected with her. And in the future, his relationship with food will be unregulated. “Only if we regain our senses, listen to our emotions, can we restore harmonious relationship with nutrition and, therefore, with ourselves,” says Olga Dolgopolova, a gestalt therapist.
Physiological hunger: the need for food
no calories and nutrients that we get from food, we cannot function either physically or intellectually. The feeling of hunger tells us that it's time to "refuel". How does our hunger manifest itself? “When I'm hungry, I can't concentrate and I lose the ability to think,” Nadia admits. Some people experience excitement followed by irritation.
“I feel weak, my stomach growls, I become irritable,” says Elena. Biologically, these symptoms correlate with complex and poorly understood mechanisms. There are many hypotheses on this score: a decrease in amino acid reserves, processes associated with liver metabolism, a signal emanating from adipose tissue. The strongest stimulus is considered to be a 7% drop in blood sugar levels.
Everything would be easier if the matter was limited to physiology: then we would eat until our hunger was satisfied. But we are also endowed with five senses and reason - and this greatly complicates the situation.
Sensory hunger: passion for food
Because in human civilization cooking and eating has been elevated to the rank of ritual and almost art, the feeling of hunger is inseparable from appetite. Appetite, which the Ozhegov Dictionary (RAS, 1993) defines as “the desire to eat,” serves to our senses as a harbinger of the pleasure that we will receive from the satisfaction of this desire. It is enough to smell the dish being cooked, to see the cakes in the window of a pastry shop, to hear the crackling of oil in a frying pan - and we begin to salivate. “The sight of a cake stimulates our appetite, causing saliva and a lot of insulin,” comments Dr. Gerard Apfeldorfer, a French psychiatrist and nutritionist. - We have not yet brought a piece to our lips, and our body is already ready to digest the cake we see. Conversely, the released insulin and hormones, sharpening our desires, make this cake even more seductive.
Most of all, the appearance and smell excite the appetite. Then, of course, taste - it is not for nothing that they say that appetite comes with eating. Taste buds make us eat more than we need, just for the sake of taste pleasure. “Taste and smell are the most ancient of our five senses: they mobilize the primitive areas of the brain,” continues Gerard Apfeldorfer. - Moreover, they are inseparable - anatomically and physiologically - from our affects and from our memory. To everyone taste sensation some emotion is automatically attached, an affective reaction of pleasure or displeasure, which gives it a special coloring.
Emotional hunger: food cravings
The hunger of the heart is added to the hunger of the receptors. This is about him the story of the madeleine cake, told by Marcel Proust*. Childhood memories are associated with specific products or dishes, and we eat them not so much for the sake of their taste, but in order to feel again the comfort, love and warmth that surrounded us then. We transfer these emotions to food, and this transfer has nothing to do with the feeling of hunger. The same thing happens when, with the help of food, we want to disperse boredom, brighten up loneliness, drown out anxiety, soften anger. “In all these cases, refreshment is a way to get rid of an unpleasant thought, overcome melancholy, alleviate suffering, since the feeling of fullness is directly associated with a feeling of love, well-being and security,” explains Ksenia Korbut. In the case of bulimia, which is extreme, pathological form emotional hunger, eating acts as an antidepressant instant action. Such people, not knowing how to live their emotions, fence themselves off from their feelings. So, we don't just eat to get the calories we need. With the help of food, we satisfy the need for love, console ourselves and protect ourselves, seek taste pleasures and want to relive pleasant moments from the past. What is your relationship with food? You can better understand them by taking our test on the following pages.
Today we will touch on the topic of nutrition. Not just food, but healthy eating. This issue is becoming more and more relevant in modern society. After all, each of us wants to be healthy, preserve our youth and beauty. And just the food is key condition to achieve these goals.
What do we eat?
Those people who witnessed the shortage of goods (including food) in the 70-80s of the last century, probably with some enthusiasm and enthusiasm go again to the store, knowing that they will surely buy the products they want. And at the same time, the main bet is still made on quantitative indicators, the value of the price. If there is a choice: to buy a low-quality, but cheap product, or to give preference to a product that is more expensive, but also of better quality, then in the vast majority of cases the choice will fall on the first option.
Go to any grocery store - and you will see a sea of \u200b\u200bproducts. But among all that mass, only a few will actually benefit health, and not harm it. But why go far - just take and open your refrigerator. What do you see there? Pizza, meat products, semi-finished products, yoghurts and other fast food, beer (or something stronger) and, of course, sweets (read an article on this topic here)? - I observed such contents in my refrigerator some half a year ago.
How do we eat?
More recently, I observed a comical, but at the same time tragic situation. Walking on the street, I noticed a girl who managed at full speed (obviously in a hurry somewhere) to talk on the phone, while hitting a hot dog. My jaw even dropped when I saw it. How can you not respect yourself, so as not to find time for a full meal ?!
But the whole tragedy lies in the fact that similar situation is more of a rule than an exception. Most people not only eat harmful products, but they also do it on a case-by-case basis. Breakfast in the morning is generally a kind of exotic. AT best case- a cup of coffee.
One of my friends complained that she simply had no strength after studying ( chronic fatigue, drowsiness). It would seem that the whole problem in study - to gnaw at the granite of science - is not an easy task. But I asked how things are with food. And I was simply shocked by the answer: she ate fully at best once a day - and of course at night!
How do you eat, do you follow the diet? Indeed, in fact, the regularity of meals and their simultaneity is very important point, which will contribute to a clear and coordinated work of the body. If the diet is chaotic, then this will only lead to a deterioration in health and well-being.
Consequences of malnutrition
Now go to the mirror and take a good look at yourself. Are you satisfied with what you see? If you are already over 30, then the “defects” in the figure will be more clearly visible. How are things with your tummy, hips, sides? And finally, how do you feel, are you full of vitality?
If the results of your "examination" are extremely positive, then most likely you are eating right. But if there is negative points, then it’s difficult to call your diet right.
Improper and irregular nutrition causes problems with gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, heart, endocrine, cardiovascular systems; reduces our life, negatively affects both our physical and emotional state.
Yes, of course, the physical and psycho-physical state depends not only on nutrition, but still its role among all factors (environment, presence of diseases, physical activity etc.) is key! After all, as the truth says: we are what we eat.
Healthy food
To begin with, I would like to point out how healthy food is important component in structure right attitude to yourself. After all, what healthier foods nutrition, the more nutrients, vitamins will be absorbed by the body, the stronger and more efficient it will be, and of course - healthier. And even if you regularly play sports, lead healthy lifestyle life, but at the same time eat fast food (fast food, such as hot dogs, pizza), then all your attempts to have excellent health will be in vain - everything should be harmoniously balanced.
A pineapple
This exotic fruit has a lot of useful properties, among the first of all it is worth noting the burning of fats in the body (this is carried out through a substance such as bromelain, which is found in pineapples). It is best to use fresh pineapples, as pickled ones, although they have an amazing taste, are no longer so healthy.
Bananas
You can now buy bananas in almost every grocery store or supermarket, and all year round. It's just great, because bananas have a number of useful properties, first of all, they protect our stomach from exposure to it. various salts and acids found in other foods. It is worth noting that among the lovers of these "fruits" there are no patients with an ulcer or other diseases of the stomach.
Bananas are also soothing. nervous system, so they are great way for stress relief - much more useful than chocolate. At the same time, bananas strengthen our blood vessels, normalize the work of the heart. They are an excellent tool for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
But do not forget that everything should be in moderation. If you eat too many bananas, you may end up with excess weight. And in view of the fact that bananas contain quite a lot of sugar, eating them excessively can lead to diabetes. So look - do not overdo it! One or two bananas a day will be enough.
Grape
Very soon the grapes will ripen and we will be able to enjoy its taste. But do you know what useful properties possesses this product? - Grapes have a lot of useful properties, among which are the following:
- Normalizes the metabolism in the body.
- Lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood.
- It is an excellent tonic.
- Accelerates urination and promotes excretion from the body harmful substances especially radionuclides.
- Increases appetite.
But it is worth paying your attention that the above beneficial properties are attributed exclusively to grapes. Some "specialists" attribute them to wine as well. But wine is already an artificially made poison, the use of which will not only not give any benefit, but will also bring great harm to your body.
Zucchini
Zucchini are one of the most healthy vegetables. What are the most useful raw zucchini, since their heat treatment leads to the loss of many useful properties. But for some reason, few people eat zucchini raw. As a rule, they are fried (fried zucchini in flour or zucchini pancakes), boiled (stews, soups) or marinated (zucchini caviar, adjika, jam). But at the same time, there are many raw zucchini salads that are not only very healthy, but also delicious at the same time.
What are the health benefits of zucchini? First of all, they normalize the functioning of the small and large intestines, as well as the gallbladder. Zucchini is recommended for people who are on outpatient treatment(use medication).
Also, zucchini is very useful for women, as it is an excellent tool for the prevention of gynecological diseases.
The most useful food and its properties
Remember that healthy food can also taste good. And there will be a double benefit from eating it: we will give our body everything necessary substances and vitamins, and also enjoy, which is also important.
Banana is one of the world's most popular fruits, eaten either for nothing or added to cocktails, smoothies and many Indian dishes. This natural "quick" food is not only convenient and tasty, it also nourishes the body with all the important substances to help maintain health.
Bananas were originally grown in Malaysia, then they made their way to India and eventually to the West, where in 1876 they reached the shores of America, says Sierra Bright. There are many types of bananas that vary in size, color, and shape, although the most common type is the yellow banana, which is green before ripening.
Banana medium size contains only 105 calories, but it has stores of many nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, a large number of fiber and even some protein.
What happens to the body when we eat a banana?
Bananas improve digestion
The average banana contains about three grams dietary fiber. A ripe banana contains pectin fiber while an unripe banana contains resistant starch. As you know, fiber helps improve digestion, and pectin in ripe bananas helps to remove heavy metals and toxins from the body.
By normalizing intestinal motility, the high fiber content in bananas helps with problems like constipation. At the same time she calms digestive tract aiding in the recovery of lost electrolytes after a bout of diarrhea. Bananas are also considered effective natural antacids, as they can help relieve symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux.
Bananas are brain food
A wide range of studies have shown that eating bananas can make us smarter due to certain vitamins, minerals and amino acids that play a role in keeping the brain functioning at optimal levels.
This wonderful yellow fruit contains vitamin B6, a nutrient important for cognitive function. Research from Tufts University in Boston, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, including a series of cognitive tests for men aged 54 to 81, showed that those with elevated B6 concentrations in their bloodstream were able to perform better on two memory tests. compared with those who had more low levels B6.
The magnesium in bananas plays a key role in brain function. When your body metabolizes protein, it produces ammonia. Magnesium triggers an enzyme that converts ammonia into urea so the body can eliminate it. Ammonia can negatively affect the ability to focus and concentrate, and consuming magnesium-rich foods can improve brain function.
Have you ever experienced brain fatigue? Maybe it's because he didn't have enough fuel? Brain cells use glucose as fuel, and since the brain cannot store it, it requires a constant supply through food.
When we consume foods such as candy, pastries, sugary cereals, etc., the body quickly metabolizes these carbohydrates, especially from sucrose, which makes us lethargic. And this again leads us to feel hungry a short time after we have eaten such food.
But if you eat a banana, it will help slow the release of sugar, primarily fructose, into the bloodstream. Because the body can use fruit sugar more slowly than refined, then eating a banana, we get a steady boost for the brain.
Always a great mood
Sad? Eat a banana. It contains tryptophan, tyrosine, and amino acids that are used in the body to produce serotonin and dopamine, hormones known for their ability to regulate mood. When your body gets enough of these amino acids, it can help you stay more focused and calm, while reducing stress and anxiety.
Heart Health Support
Bananas are superfoods for the heart, thanks to high level they contain potassium, a mineral that is considered essential for heart health, as it can control blood pressure levels.
Many studies have shown that rich in potassium diet helps to reduce high blood pressure. In fact, those whose diet contains a lot of potassium have a 27% lower risk of developing heart disease.
Arteries tend to become less flexible as we age, and this stiffness is a significant risk factor for heart disease.
University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers conducted a study to determine if potassium could help keep arteries more flexible. Mice susceptible to heart disease were given minimal, moderate, or high amounts of potassium. Scans of their hearts subsequently showed that the animals given least amount potassium had stiffer aortas and harder arteries compared to those who received more of the mineral. Experts say the results revealed causality between healthier arteries and potassium.
In addition, products with high content fiber is good for promoting heart health. A study from the University of Leeds in the UK found that eating fiber-rich foods such as bananas helps reduce the risk of coronary disease heart and cardiovascular diseases.
Better insulin sensitivity
According to the WHO, insulin resistance is one of the main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes - serious illness which has rapidly spread throughout the world in recent decades. A number of studies have shown that consuming resistant starch foods like bananas can improve insulin sensitivity by as much as 50% in just four weeks.
In addition to the sustainable starch content, the fiber in bananas is especially important for diabetic patients as it helps slow the absorption and digestion of carbohydrates. This, in turn, lowers and controls blood sugar levels.
Relief of muscle cramps and better athletic endurance
Many people think that bananas are perfect food for athletes, mainly because of their mineral content and easily digestible carbohydrates. Eating a banana before a workout can help , That is for about 95% of the population.
These fruits are great for improving stamina: a combination of all the important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that work together to fuel the body for an instant boost of energy. Since bananas are rich in carbohydrates, they also help to activate the muscles.
look younger
Eat bananas regularly and you may well start to look younger as their health benefits work both outside and inside the body.
Bananas are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants and more nutrients, and those who have made it a habit to eat 1 banana a day will notice fast recovery dry skin. The skin will be protected from free radicals leading to premature aging. If you are suffering from acne You'll find your skin clears up: With zinc and lectin that fight acne-causing bacteria, bananas are great for acne-prone skin.
can be used to wipe the face to get rid of warts, pimples and other defects.
Better to see day and night
Although carrots are always recommended to improve eyesight, bananas also do a great job of this. The vitamin A they contain helps maintain normal vision and even see better at night.
Weight Loss Support
A medium-sized banana, as mentioned earlier, contains only 105 calories and a lot of fiber, which plays a role. important role in weight loss. Fiber gives a feeling of satiety, resulting in total calories consumed are reduced.
But since bananas also contain carbohydrates, they recommended to eat in the morning: this rule is especially important for girls and women who control their weight.
Why do we eat? It would seem that this is a very simple question, the answer to which in most cases will be the phrase - in order to live. Indeed, there is a certain logic in this.
As you know, a car without fuel will not even be able to move. In the case of a person, this situation looks similar. If we stop eating, we won't be able to live. Although it should be noted that there are people who claim that they not only do not eat, but even do not drink water. The veracity of their statements should be questioned, because no one of them has publicly been able to demonstrate this.
In fact, there are several reasons why each of us should eat food every day. First of all, it is: physiological, then psychological reason. Standing apart in this list are the so-called temptations, which, in principle, can be attributed to psychological factors. But first things first.
Physiological causes
All the organs of our body work continuously, the heart contracts and pumps blood through the vascular system, the liver undergoes biological transformation of all the substances that come with food, the muscles contract, the intestines function, and so on. It is quite clear that in order for all this to work, energy is required.
Nutrients that enter our body with food play a very important role in the human body, primarily energy. Carbohydrates, which are part of most foods, are broken down in the intestines into simpler components, primarily glucose. It is she who goes to meet energy costs.
With a lack of glucose, which occurs when diet food, the body is forced to break down its own accumulated reserves, first of all, we are talking about body fat. With a lack of the substances mentioned above, the body will try to restore reserves at the expense of other tissues, in particular muscle.
This can happen with uncontrolled or starvation diets. Therefore, it is very important to lose weight correctly, not quickly and rapidly, but slowly.
Unfortunately, the feeling of fullness does not come immediately after eating, as a rule, for the level of glucose in the blood to rise, it takes some time, about 20-30 minutes. As a result, most of us often overeat.
This is especially true if you take food quickly, chewing it badly. It is quite predictable that such a lover to eat will most often be haunted by problems of obesity.
Hence, the universal recommendation: do not rush when you eat. All foods should be chewed thoroughly, and leave the table with a slight feeling of hunger, which should completely disappear in about half an hour.
Psychological reasons
Eating food is not always associated with hunger. Sometimes we eat in order to get positive emotions, and somehow compensate for all the hardships and hardships of our lives. Unfortunately, the fast pace of modern life largely condones this.
Stress has already become a common companion of almost all of us. The simplest and affordable way resist external negative factors, this is to eat, whatever is tasty. Hence, there appear overweight which are sometimes hard to get rid of.
To the number psychological factors, can also be attributed national characteristics. Remember how your holidays usually go. For the most part, this is a plentiful feast, and besides, it is pretty seasoned with alcohol. The latter, by the way, greatly enhances appetite. A tipsy person is sometimes able to consume as much food as a sober person would not be able to eat.
Of course, you should not refuse dishes prepared by hospitable hosts, but you should always know when to stop. Try everything, but little by little, and try to avoid heavy drinking.
How to cope with stress, the question, of course, is not an easy one. It is unlikely that it will be possible to avoid it at all, because, as we all live in modern world. universal recommendation probably won't be here. Someone will like a trip to a resort, someone will like buying something new, for example, a handbag or something else. In a word, try to find relaxation in something else, and not in food.
temptations
Often, we take food not when our body requires it, but when our eyes, nose and other senses want it. Remember, when your colleague decides to drink tea or coffee with a cake or a slice of cake, you probably have a desire to join him in your soul.
Another case is when you go to the store, most of the time you come out with big bags of all sorts of goodies. What can you do, marketers do not get paid in vain, and they know their business very well.
Conclusion
It is probably already quite clear that most of us take food not when the body requires it, but because we are used to doing so. We are simply accustomed to seizing all the negative life situations, doing ourselves a disservice. You should not do this, it is better to make a rule for yourself, to listen to your own body.
If this does not work out, you can make a meal schedule for yourself, and strictly follow it. Avoid the temptation to snack, eat healthy and balanced, and always be healthy!
