You know junk food is bad for you, yet, you cannot stop eating it. The drive to eat poorly is as strong as any addiction, including opioids, alcohol and tobacco. To overcome the problem, you need to know the biologic AND physiologic mechanisms involved. Our food cravings are due to what our mommies ate when we were still in utero, our gut bacteria, the types of food they are used to AND mood/stress/psychologic issues that demand comfort through food.
Once you become aware of these factors, you will need significant emotional support from family, friends and health workers, not just information on a diet. Good luck to you.
References
How Bacteria Rule Over Your Body – The Microbiome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzPD009qTN4
Infants may develop taste differences while still in the womb
HealthDay (9/22, Munez) reports infants may develop “taste differences while still in the womb, according to a new study that delivered the first direct evidence that infants can smell and taste while in utero.” Study researchers “fed 100 pregnant women a single capsule containing approximately 400 milligrams (mg) of carrot or 400 mg of kale powder” and then observed 4D ultrasound scans, “watching the fetuses’ facial expressions. Babies whose moms had consumed carrot showed more ‘laughter face’ responses, while those who had tasted kale through their moms showed more ‘cry face’ responses, the study authors said.” The findings were published in Psychological Science.
Short-Term Consumption of Sucralose with, but Not without, Carbohydrate Impairs Neural and Metabolic Sensitivity to Sugar in Humans,
J. Cell Metabolism 2020:31:493
Consuming the low-calorie sweetener sucralose with, but not without, a carbohydrate impairs insulin sensitivity in healthy humans. This effect is associated with a decreased brain response to sweet taste but no change in sweet taste perception. The results suggest that consumption of sucralose in the presence of a carbohydrate dysregulates gut-brain regulation of glucose metabolism.
Gut Microbes Controlling Blood Sugar: No Fire Required!
J. Cell Metabolism 2020:31:443
The gut microbiota plays an important role for the absorption of nutrients and the maintenance of metabolism, potentially impacting the development of human metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Krisko et al. (2020) demonstrate that the gut microbiota regulates glucose homeostasis solely via hepatic gluconeogenesis and not via thermogenic adipose tissue as suggested previously.
