Over the years, many people we know who follow and observe health trends have commented that people are continuing to get fatter and sicker. We, too, have mentioned that when we go to airports, which is only about once a year, we see a noticeable increase in the average size of people and how (un)healthy they look.
Dr. Alan Goldhamer, the director of the True North Health Center in California, has discussed the hidden force that drives cravings for the "wrong foods" and how this force, largely unrecognized, is undermining people's ability to lose weight and be healthy and happy .
Join us to hear more.
When I hear him explain it, it's clear how this hidden force is created by the dopamine cycle, the mechanism that rewards us with feeling good.
It's the same force that keeps people using drugs or alcohol even when they know it is harmful. The desire for that feel good, especially when we're feeling low, is so gripping. Like drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviours, calorie dense foods over-stimulate dopamine production and keep us eating more than we need because it feels good.
It was interesting to hear him link this process to the SOS foods, Sugar, Oil and Salt, that we've talked about before. It's pretty easy to see why these foods over-stimulate dopamine. Sugar is about 1700 calories per pound, but the sugar beet it's made from is only 200. That's gonna spike some dopamine. And in the US, the average person is eating 150 pounds of sugar each year.
Also, both olive oil and avocado oil are about 2000 calories per pound, whereas olives and avocados eaten in their whole form are around 700. Again, a much bigger spike in dopamine and overeating when we consume oil than when the foods the oil is derived from are eaten whole.
Lastly, salt. Although it doesn't have any calories, it's a taste enhancer through the stimulation of dopamine, and that leads to compulsive overeating. The average American consumes 3400 mg of sodium (salt) a day when the American Heart Association recommends 500.
So not adding any sugar, oil or salt to dishes reduces both the calorie intake and the desire to eat more than we need. As a result, the impact on our weight and health are seen by most everyone who gives it a try.
The other takeaway for me was that it's dopamine that makes something taste good. I always thought that if an apricot tasted good to me, it was the unique flavours that I sensed on my tongue that made me like the taste. But Dr. Goldhamer is pointing out that it's actually the secretion of dopamine, resulting in a good feeling in my mind, that connects that food with tasting good.
And this association with good taste and dopamine production is what has driven the Ultra Processed Food (UPF / junk food) industry to grow to more than a trillion dollars each year. In some higher-income countries, UPFs can represent 30-60% or more of total calories consumed. All for the convenience and feel good, but at a price on many aspects of our health.
One thing that Dr. Goldhamer didn't mention was how, when we lower the caloric density of our meals by going WFPB and particularly SOS-free, our bodies adjust to the amount of dopamine produced and the food actually starts tasting better than the high calorie stuff that drives the cravings and overeating.
So, if you find yourself craving the wrong foods, give this a try. Eliminate the high calorie dense foods for a month and see what happens. We were surprised to get our taste buds back and how we had more energy and clarity as well.
The recipe this week is Quick Rice and Beans. This is quick to make, especially if you have some cooked rice on hand. With a few cans of beans, the rice and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, this makes a wonderfully flavourful meal.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Quick Rice and Beans (Serves 4)
- 4 cups cooked brown rice or cooked grain you love
- 15-ounce black beans canned, drain
- 15-ounce pinto beans canned, drain
- 28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 Jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon No Salt seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
In a large pot add onion and garlic, tomatoes, red pepper, Jalapeño and seasonings. Stir well and cook until soft (approximately 15 minutes).
Now add the cooked grain and frozen corn. Cook 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Add the beans, stir well and cook another 5 minutes. Serve.