Wednesday, April 29, 2015

What is the Instagram diet?

A study by Dr Ryan Elder found that looking at pictures of a particular food, can make that food less enjoyable to eat.

The more pictures of a certain food one looks at, the less pleasure one gains from eating it.

The implication is that if one craves, let's say chocolate, to spend time every day looking at pictures of chocolate. Eventually the cravings to eat and gain pleasure from it will diminish.

The old saying: "Out of sight, out of mind" no longer applies.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Can imagining eating a specific food decease a craving for it?

A study found that imagining eating a specific food, let's say ice cream, can decrease the cravings for that food.

This idea is counterintuitive, as most people think that to suppress thoughts of a particular food, will eliminate cravings for it.

The key is to imagine eating a specific food, rather than thinking about that food. Imagine the feel of smooth ice cream in your mouth.  Imagine your favourite flavour, like chocolate....or the smell of strawberry ice cream. Imagine the coldness of ice cream  with your first spoon full.

Eating the food you crave, in your mind... with your imagination...will  decreases the motivation to eat that food, and also creates boredom with it.

Sunday, April 26, 2015


Why does eating a protein rich breakfast help reduce cravings?

1) Protein takes loger to metabolize in the body, therefore one feels fuller (satiated) longer after eating protein.

2) Protein boosts levels of  dopamine in the brain which regulates cravings.

3) Protein reduces brain signals controlling food motivation and reward driven eating behaviour.

The worst thing someone could do is skip breakfast altogether.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Is food addictive?

A recent study on 120 University of Michigan students found that the more processed the food, the more addictive it was. Highly processed foods (that is, added fats and/or refined carbs) are altered specifically to be rewarding and therefore trigger the addictive-like response in the human brain.