Food addictions are real! Here's a list of the 7 most addictive foods.
These foods hijack your brain's reward centre and leave it craving for more
HIGHLIGHTS
- Some unhealthy foods are very addictive
- Pizzas are the most addictive of all foods
- To curb your addiction for chocolates, you can switch to dark chocolates
Putting down a pack of chips and giving up on pizza requires a good deal of courage! And it's not just these two, foods like fries, cheese burgers, sodas, bacon and cakes are tough to say no to. If these foods are all you wish to hear and talk about, this one is for you. Some foods are so irresistible that a single bite can make your brain scream for more. These foods hijack your brain's reward centre and leave it craving for more. These high-in-carbs, high-in-sugar and low fibre foods are addictive. Yes, that craving to have more is addiction.
Pizzas, fries, cakes, bacon, burgers, doughnuts and all these yummy and unhealthy treats can do no good to your health. So do you need to avoid these foods? Of course you do! Even if they haven't taken a strong toll on your health, you still need to take caution and control your intake of these foods. We have compiled a list of the 7 most addictive foods and how you can curb that addiction. Take a look.
1. Pizza
This Italian treat is probably a universal favourite. Thin crust, loaded with sauce with cheese exploding from the sides, yummy!
But did you know pizzas are the most addictive of all foods? One single slice of pizza carries as many as 300 calories and 100 gm of fat. So if your jeans are falling too loose, you can enjoy this treat. But if you wish to prevent yourself from becoming obese, you must try and control your love for it. You can try to make pizzas healthy by going for healthy toppings, healthier and lesser amount of cheese and new ways of making the crust in a healthier way using shredded vegetables.
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2. Chips
Do you find it difficult to put down a pack of chips? Is it the one important thing you need to have by your side anyhow while watching a movie or enjoying? Well, you must take note of the fact that chips are notoriously high in salt and fat. And if you thought that the baked variety is any safer, trust us, it's not. To curb your addiction, you can try going for a low-salt variety.
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3. Chocolates
Milk chocolates are the real troublemaker. This sweet indulgence is usually seen by people are a stress-relieving food. But chocolates can be very addictive. A recent study shows that people experience the same amount of pleasure and craving as they experience while doing drugs. To curb your addiction for chocolates, you can try switching to dark chocolates. They taste bitter to begin with, but you soon develop a taste for them. They are much healthier as they help in controlling your cholesterol levels.
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4. Cookies
Do you look at a jar-full of chocolate-chip cookies and just gobble it down in a few minutes? Well, they are very addictive too!
Butter, milk, sugar, flour, all unhealthy ingredients are used to make cookies. The only way you could curb this is by preparing them yourself at home with healthier ingredients like wheat flour, brown sugar, toned milk and unsalted butter or less butter.
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5. French fries
Deep fried thin potato fries covered with salt are a must-have with a cheeseburger or chicken burger. That necessity is actually addiction. And the worst part is, they are easier to eat and when you're done with one pack, you end up wanting more. Fried foods with high salt content in no way are healthy. But you surely can do something to make it healthier. You can try baked sweet potato fries.
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6. Soda
We all love soda so very much! Coupling it with some delightful treats is so much fun but it is downright unhealthy. Sodas are loaded with sugar which can increase your blood pressure, obesity risk and even diabetes in some cases. You can replace them with fruit juices.
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7. Breakfast cereal
Even in breakfast cereals, sugar is the main culprit. They are combined with low-fibre flakes or puffs. High sugar content in breakfast cereals make them addictive. You can look for a low-sugar cereal instead and have it with toned milk.
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