Why do we not crave healthy foods?

If we are meant to eat a healthy diet then why do we not have cravings for healthy foods?

Scroll to see replies

Because it's full of carbs and sugar.
All that sweet glucose gives us energy, since healthy food is relatively light on carbs it isn't as appealing to our bodies.

Reply 2

1ightheart

Because healthy food doesn’t provide you with the pleasure of eating unhealthy food. Sugar and fats satisfy you when you are in stress. It’s also caused by imbalanced hormones. Healthy food basically doesn’t contain the same amount of sugar and fat that unhealthy food has that makes you crave.

Reply 3

Tom.Nook

Because science is a cruel mistress

Reply 4

Anonymous1502

Original post by MidgetFever

Because it's full of carbs and sugar.
All that sweet glucose gives us energy, since healthy food is relatively light on carbs it isn't as appealing to our bodies.

Then why are high levels of sugar and fat so unhealthy for us?

Reply 5

hajima

Foods high in fats and simple carbohydrates have the highest calorific intake which are most conducive to survival. We've evolved to make this rewarding through the release of hormones such as serotonin when consuming foods high in macronutrients. There are other factors such as the specific makeup of the microbiome in your gut; the more junk food you eat, the more you crave it in the future as bacteria best adapted to breaking these foods down outcompete others.

Reply 6

fijitastic

i'm craving carrot sticks

Reply 7

Anonymous1502

Original post by hajima

Then why can we become ill if we only eat junk food?

Reply 8

Anonymous1502

Original post by fijitastic

i'm craving carrot sticks

Lucky you.

Reply 9

hajima

Original post by Anonymous1502

Then why can we become ill if we only eat junk food?

Junk food is high in macronutrients but low in micronutrients, both are necessary for maintaining homeostasis, so only eating junk food will lead to deficiencies.

Reply 10

1ightheart

So that is why we should have a balanced diet?

Reply 11

fijitastic

Original post by Anonymous1502

Lucky you.

im actually a fat ass.. i just havent had carrots in a while

Reply 12

Ciel.

Original post by Anonymous1502

If we are meant to eat a healthy diet then why do we not have cravings for healthy foods?

i do actually.

Reply 13

Callicious

When I crave a snack there are two options.

A sack of fried popcorn, or a huge sack of salad.

More often than not the rather large sack of salad is the winners choice.

Reply 14

MidgetFever

Original post by Anonymous1502

Then why are high levels of sugar and fat so unhealthy for us?

Couldn't tell you, my knowledge only extends to memory of GCSE Biology, apparently. :lol:

Reply 15

hajima

Original post by Anonymous1502

Then why are high levels of sugar and fat so unhealthy for us?

Eating foods high in simple carbohydrates, fat and sodium (salt) over an extended period of time has many fatal consequences including: coronary heart disease, type-2 diabetes, NA fatty liver disease and (morbid) obesity. An explanation for all of these would take a very long time so I'll just talk about CHD.

If you eat foods too high in saturated fats and salt, your body is more likely to form multiple atheromas in the arteries. This is through a combination of two factors: high blood pressure (caused by a high concentration of salts in the blood so the body holds onto water to maintain homeostasis by dilution, called osmoregulation), which increases the likelihood of damage to the endothelium; and more rapid build-up of fatty streaks due to the increased concentration of lipids in the blood, which later hardens to form fibrous plaque. Fibrous plaque restricts blood flow by narrowing the lumen, raising blood pressure even further which creates a domino effect. Eventually, the blood pressure increases to a point where an atheroma bursts causing thrombosis - the formation of a blood clot by the action of platelets and fibrin. This can cause a total or near-total block of the coronary artery specifically, either through direct thrombosis in the coronary artery or the dislodging of a thrombus somewhere else in the body, which may travel to the coronary artery causing a blockage. The heart receives the oxygen it needs as a muscle (for respiration) from the coronary arteries, so when they're blocked, the heart cannot receive oxygen which causes myocardial infarction (a heart attack).