Why Do I Crave Certain Foods?

I've always believed that you can train your brain to crave certain foods that make you feel good.

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By Stephanie Cornwell, Editorial Assistant I've always believed that you can train your brain to crave certain foods that make you feel good. No matter how disgusting I thought bananas were, I knew they were good for me. So, I started putting them in my morning smoothie, and now I find myself looking forward to them every day. Today's Top Story You Might Be Better at Picking Nutritious Foods Than You Think A new study validates the idea that humans have an innate "nutritional wisdom," or the instinct to select foods that meet our micronutrient needs. We've evolved to choose the foods that will sustain us.   You may think, "if I crave what I need, why do I want candy, ice cream, and McDonald's?" Fair. Despite our bodies knowing what they need, cultural, social, and evolutionary influences impact our food choices significantly.   This is the argument Mark Schatzker, co-author of the study, makes in his book The Dorito Effect.   Selecting healthy foods may have been easier for our ancestors. Modern fast-food options and synthetic flavoring in processed foods can trick the brain into linking artificial flavoring with nutrition.   Our ancestors also didn't have access to the amount of food we do now. We evolved with unstable sources of calories, so we instinctively want to gorge ourselves on foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. Know More You may find your dietary habits change during certain life stages. An example is choosing foods high in iron during pregnancy. Feel Better Understanding why our brains crave certain foods can help us make better choices. Intuitive eating practices can ensure that we get enough vitamins and minerals from our diet. READ MORE What You Should Know About Stockpiling Plan B With the news that Roe v. Wade may be struck down, there's been talk on social media about the need for an emergency supply of Plan B, birth control, and abortion pills. While it may be wise to have emergency contraception on hand, don't hoard it. You might be limiting access for others. Plus, these pills do have an expiration date. READ MORE Can Stress Cause Shingles? Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Even after you recover from chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus lays dormant in the body and can be reactivated at any point if something happens to your immune system. Psychological stress can impact the immune system and may be a trigger that reactivates the virus. The connection between stress and shingles is not definitive, but managing stress and getting the shingles vaccine can help prevent the virus. READ MORE   If I were in one of the 28 states that might outlaw abortion, I would at least have some emergency contraception. Abortion medication is harder to get and more expensive. Sophia Yen, MD, MPH Clinical associate professor at Stanford Medical School   Keep Reading   ■ Psychologists Explain How to Age Gracefully. HuffPost     ■ When Does Life Begin? Religions Don't Agree. NPR     ■ The One Parenting Decision That Really Matters. The Atlantic More From Verywell Calorie Restriction May Strengthen the Immune System READ MORE What You Should Know When Buying Plan B One-Step READ MORE What You Should Know About Getting a Shingles Vaccine READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.         You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy