Nutritional imbalances, restrictive diets and bad habits; nutritionist explains how food can affect people
As time goes by, society also changes, and this is due to different contexts that silently require adaptation and change the way each individual faces these new realities. A great example is the relationship of people with food which, contrary to what common sense suggests, is not limited to nutrition, but is connection with social factors.
When a child receives a candy as a reward for completing a task, the action goes far beyond simply providing nutrients, it is a trigger for dopamine releaseneurotransmitter which, once present in the body, generates a feeling of well-being. So, after all, does food affect our emotions?
“Since we were born, we have created an emotional connection with food. Breastfeeding when the baby cries, for example, the mother strengthens the link between food and maternal affection. Emotional hunger is when our eating is directly linked to our emotions, usually negative ones, such as sadness, anguish, anxiety, irritation. For some people, food is an outlet. This is because when we eat we release certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. These neurotransmitters activate a feeling of happiness, well-being, calm and disposition in our brain ”, comments nutritionist Paula Carretti.
Also according to the nutritionist, this situation is also due to internal factors, when everyone tries compensate for emotions bad with specific foods, rich in sugar, fat and salt. For them, compensation occurs automatically, even without the feeling of physical hunger. Therefore, some tend to eat more when they are anxious.
Hunger: enemy of good humor?
Another interesting aspect is the ability of hunger to influence the humor and even trigger irritability. And all of this has to do with the brain.
“Our brain uses glucose for fuel and it is an important part of what we consume throughout the day. When we are hungry, it means that our blood glucose levels are low and the brain considers it a danger. It then releases two hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress-related hormones. The increase in cortisol also inhibits the production of serotonin, and its low concentration can lead, among other things, to irritability. It is interesting to note that irritability affects women more than men, but the reasons are not yet clear ”, points out Paula Carretti.
Inadequate nutrition can generate serious health problems, moreover, the imposition of an unrealistic beauty standard affects the perception of the body itself. Just as binge eating is a disorder, eating unattended diets also puts the burden on Health at risk, warns the nutritionist:
“The biggest problem with running diets without professional weight loss monitoring is that people associate weight loss with restriction. They eliminate sweets, cut sugars, cut carbohydrates, skip meals, stop eating what they want and focus on foods normally related to the diet, stop attending meetings with friends, birthday parties, aperitifs and have a full social life. No wonder, after a few days of limited food, they feel irritated.
When we realize all the harms of restrictive diets, we realize that this is not healthy in any of the aspects mentioned.
In addition, our body is prepared to deal with periods of scarcity, with the release of hormones that increase appetite. Cortisol is one of them. Another example is neuropeptide Y (NPY), which increases the desire to ingest carbohydrates. NPY levels increase in the same proportion as we decrease the amount of calories ingested, ”reflects Carretti.
Interviewed: Paola Carretti
Instagram: @ nutri.paulacarretti
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Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
