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junk food addiction

Junk Food Addiction: Causes & Foods To Cure It

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By on Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Remedies

Its long been noted that the more sugar we eat, the more compelled we are to eat MORE sugar.

But in a study published from the University of New South Wales, Australia, researchers found that in a study when test groups were fed  a “cafeteria” diet, i.e. a heavily processed junk food diet, they actually lost their inclination to try new foods.

Essentially what the researchers found was that after eating the junk food diet, the test groups lost their ability to diversify their diet, and they also (no surprise) gained weight. Considering how this affects humans, it implies that eating junk food inhibits our ability to make better food choices later in the day; it also means that our “reward” system is altered.

Instead of thinking of a junk food as a once-in-a-while event, our brain and our body continue to crave the same flavor. And from this comes a junk food addiction.

In order to break the cycle and stop the junk food addiction, we have to not only avoid junk food as much as possible, but we need to encourage adding certain foods to our diets to enhance our natural dopamine supply.

[clickToTweet tweet=”In order to break the cycle and stop the junk food addiction, we need 2 look to these specific foods” quote=”In order to break the cycle and stop the junk food addiction, we need to look to these specific foods”]

  1. Salmon & Turkey: Salmon and turkey both contain phenylalanine, which can help maintain our focus and alertness, as well as our energy and overall mood.
  2. Mustard Greens: Mustard greens contain tyrosine, which can help maintain your dopamine supply, especially in times of stress.
  3. Spinach: Another green rich in phenylalanine.
  4. Red Bell Peppers: Vitamin B6 also helps us maintain our mood and our overall brain function.
  5. Garlic: Vitamin B6 is also found in garlic, which has immunity-boosting properties and can also increase our ability to taste a variety of flavors.

Recipe: We love this recipe from the vegan chef at The First Mess. It includes foods that have vitamin B6 and phenylalanine too.

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup Recipe

Serves: 4-6

Notes: If you don’t have cashews/forgot to soak them, feel free to use some full fat coconut milk instead-about a 1/2 cup. This will change the flavour a bit, but you could totally go with it and roast the tomatoes with some cumin and coriander seeds to balance the flavours out.

Ingredients

  • 4-ish pounds of tomatoes (I mixed my varieties up for maximum flavour, but also because that’s what I had)
  • 3 shallots, peeled
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped from stems
  • olive oil
  • salt + pepper
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2hours + drained
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
  • 2-3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Cut any large tomatoes into quarters. Cut medium Tomatoes into halves and leave any cherry or grape tomatoes whole. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet with any cut sides facing up.
  3. Cut peeled shallots into quarters and nestle amongst tomatoes. Stick garlic cloves into juicy spots of tomatoes or nestle them between cut tomatoes like the shallots (just to avoid burnt + bitter garlic).
  4. Scatter thyme leaves on top of tomatoes. Drizzle some olive oil on top of everything, using no more than 1-2 tablespoons. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and slide the tray into the oven. Roast for about an hour, or until the tomatoes have shrivelled up a bit and the shallots are soft. Let cool slightly.
  5. In batches, blend the roasted tomatoes with the soaked cashews, tomato paste, basil, and vegetable stock until you have a smooth pur©e. Pour blended soup into a large pot. Once you’ve blended everything, including the accumulated juices in the baking sheet, add the balsamic vinegar to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, check it for seasoning + adjust, and serve hot with extra basil and olive oil drizzles.

See More Junk Food Addiction Articles:

Healing Lifestyles & Spas Team
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