Losing weight is not an easy battle. There are so many diets, exercises which guarantee results but like clothes, there is no one-size that fits all. For ideal weight loss, it is important that you have a good diet in place which is an extremely important thing (supplemented by workout) which would also take care of your hunger cravings in the middle of the night. Wondering how? It is actually your brain and not your stomach which is making you have these food cravings. So, the key is to have food which boosts your brain activity as well as boost your metabolism at the same time. Instead of trying out fad diets which compromise on your sanity and make you more prone to mood swings, try the Dopamine diet!
What is the Dopamine diet?
Dopamine diet can help you keep your waistline in control as well as keep your brain happy. When you eat dopamine promoting food through the day, you tend to have lesser cravings, feel more energetic, motivated to do better. Dopamine is actually released when you eat something you love. When you have any less of it, the brain forces you to reach out for the same. Thus, the trick is to beat cravings by eating the right kind of foods which regulate your dopamine levels and boost neurotransmitter connection in the body, which in turn, keeps you motivated to work towards your mission. After all, the real motivation to lose weight comes from within.
The diet is based on the philosophy of eating what you love and keeping your mind happy. Hence, it is also known as the ‘happy diet’. This was popularised by popular celebrity chef Tom Kerridge who actually lost close to 70 kilograms in two years following the Dopamine diet.
Diet restrictions
Unlike Keto or Mediterranean diet, being on the Dopamine diet is fairly easy. It promotes the concept of good carbs and bad carbs and makes use of those essential carbs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables consumed throughout the day to bring down weight. The only thing the diet asks you to give up on is alcohol. The foods promoted in the diet boost dopamine, which affects reward and pleasure centres in our brains.
Also, this diet doesn’t ask you to cut back on your favourite food items like chicken, chocolates, beef and protein as it believes that consumption of these food items can actually trigger certain happy hormones in the body. This is also supported by certain studies which suggested that when the dopamine levels are in check, you are energised, happy and motivated to work towards your mission and workout, boosting your metabolism and burning that fast faster
When you do eat protein-rich food, you find a solution to your hunger pangs and suppress your appetite, feeling less hungry. This also boosts brain activity as the protein foods contain amino acids which transport dopamine to the brain.
Bottom line
Dopamine diet, like any other diet, works on the basis of putting your body through detox and cleaning up the system by forcing you to ditch the junk for more healthier and clean eating habits when you eat fresh produce every day