Losing weight isn't as easy as it seems, especially if you want to maintain a healthy mind and body, while doing so. Weight loss diets are a dime a dozen and it can be very confusing for someone wanting to shed those extra kilos, to process all that information and settle for a diet plan that actually works. Diet is crucial for weight loss and is known to be even more important than exercise, if you want to shed a few pounds fast. A number of so-called health influencers and celebrities will try to convince you that the diet they follow or the weight loss products they consume really work, but it's difficult to ascertain whether their claims are truthful or not. Certain diets can be quite distressing as they tend to be quite restrictive in nature. However, the dopamine diet for weight loss is one that promises not just slimmer body, but also a happier mind.
It may sound like an oxymoron, but the dopamine diet is based around the principle of consuming foods that boost the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. The diet is, therefore, also known as the 'happy diet'. The diet is also called the Tom Kerridge Diet, after the Michelin-starred chef who claimed to have lost almost 70 Kgs in three years by following the diet! Most diets seem to be very hard to follow in the long term, as they restrict the consumption of healthy carbohydrates or eliminate entire food groups from your meals. But the dopamine diet seems to be different as it doesn't eliminate carbs, proteins or fats, but instead just bans the consumption of alcohol and starchy carbs. The dopamine diet includes working around recipes that include a lot of fresh produce including fruits, vegetables, as well as plenty of protein.
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Dopamine Diet For Weight Loss: It involves eating more fruits, veggies and dairy products
Dopamine Diet For Weight Loss
So what are the main foods that dopamine dieters should consume more of? Chef Kerridge believes that his 'dopamine heroes' are foods like dairy products including yogurt, good quality meat products like chicken and turkey, and even chocolate! The diet seems to be based around the growing research evidence that suggests that certain foods are capable of triggering happy hormones in the body. Some studies have even suggested a link between body weight and the production of dopamine in the body. The studies have suggested that an exposure to excessively sugary and fatty foods may impair dopamine release pathways in overweight people. This may lead to depressive symptoms and low feelings, as well as habits of overeating in people with a high weight.
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On the other hand, it has been found that eating protein-rich meals may curb your appetite, whilst also increasing the production of dopamine in your body. This is because proteins are made up of amino acids, which are important for release of dopamine. The dopamine diet may work, as it doesn't deprive you of any particular food, although it does encourage reducing the consumption of carbohydrates.
Dopamine diet promotes consuming fresh fruits over starchy carbs.
Does The Dopamine Diet Work?
Any diet that promotes the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables over starchy carbohydrates may work by making you eat healthy and cleaning up your meals. Most health experts will advise you to include more fresh produce and proteins in your diet and eliminate alcohol, and sugary and fatty foods. But there is limited evidence to suggest that the diet will surely leave you with feelings of happiness. The dopamine diet is based on the fact that the amino acid tyrosine converts to dopamine in the body, but there is not enough scientific evidence to suggest that eating more proteins will definitely result in more release of dopamine in the brain.
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Daily exercise and a generally healthy diet including less sugar and less fat is said to be better for your overall health, whether a celebrity chef condones it or not!