5 food flavors that provoke overeating
When visiting grocery supermarkets, many notice that the sales area always smells good. However, not everyone realizes that the reason for the pleasant aromas is not the bakeries or catering establishments located in the same premises. Smells of "goodies", as a rule, are spread on purpose, placing containers with artificial flavors in pavilions. This is a marketing ploy that forces visitors to spontaneously purchase large quantities of food. The fact is that some food aromas activate the work of the brain centers responsible for appetite. Inhaling such smells, store visitors begin to feel hunger, which stimulates the desire to buy more food.
Today we will highlight those food flavors that are leaders of this kind and are most often used by marketers of grocery stores.
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Chocolate
A person associates the smell of chocolate with the most pleasant taste sensations, evokes positive emotions. Inhaling this aroma, we unconsciously return to early childhood, we feel the sweetness of mother's milk, associated in our minds with security, kindness and peace.
Sensitivity to the smell and taste of chocolate varies among people of different sexes and ages. For example, scientists know that many women simply cannot help but consume such a delicacy during certain periods of the menstrual cycle and even risk gaining excess weight. Fortunately, there is a simple trick to reduce the inevitable negative effects caused by excessive consumption of sweets. In order not to buy unnecessary "snacks", you need to carry with you a bar of high-quality dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa. It does not contain very much sugar, and usually it is not possible to eat more than 2-3 slices at a time. At any time, you can quickly satisfy an attack of "chocolate hunger" without burdening your body with extra calories and avoiding the purchase of a large number of foods that are harmful to your figure.
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Bakery products
The aromas of warm dough, vanilla and cinnamon are simply impossible to resist. They, like the smell of chocolate, evoke a feeling of reliability and comfort. It is not for nothing that many people, whose work is associated with constant nervous tension, love to buy fresh baked goods at lunchtime or after a hard day.
If you cannot deny yourself sweet buns and pies, there is only one way out - control the amount of food eaten. Prefer small muffins or cookies. Instead of “regular” bread, try getting used to whole grains or baked goods that contain bran. Make it a rule to walk back from work - this way you will spend at least part of the calories obtained from eating starchy foods.
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B-B-Q
The smell of grilled meat is very appetizing. As a result, a person almost always eats more of it than necessary. Barbecue sauces also add extra calories: they usually contain high-calorie ingredients like corn syrup, as well as spicy and hot spices that also contribute to overeating.
However, this should not be the reason for the complete rejection of such dishes. To minimize exposure, you can do the following:
- choose less high-calorie meats for barbecue (chicken breast, turkey, rabbit, etc.);
- marinate the meat in advance and do not coat it with sauce before frying;
- keep the heat on moderate when cooking. The frying time will increase slightly, but the meat will turn out soft, and its surface will not char;
- prepare the sauce yourself, avoiding a lot of sugar, acid and hot spices;
- eat as many herbs as possible with meat (cilantro, parsley, basil, dill), greens of onions and garlic, lettuce and fresh vegetables.
With this approach to consuming meat and other grilled foods, you will get maximum pleasure and not cause significant harm to the body.
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Chips
Potato chips are recognized as the most harmful food product: in the almost complete absence of vitamins and other biologically active substances, they are oversaturated with salt and synthetic flavors (including those that provoke overeating and become addictive). Their regular use not only has a detrimental effect on the state of the digestive tract, but also leads to a partial rejection of ordinary food, which begins to be perceived as bland and tasteless.
Nevertheless, many people eat crisps every day: they are attracted by the smell of spices and flavorings, as well as the characteristic crunch, which, according to scientists, can also whet the appetite. Of course, eating any other potato dish is much preferable.
If you really feel like eating chips, don't eat them from the bag. Place the slices on a plate, take one at a time, and chew each bite thoroughly to help you eat less. Another option is to replace the potato chips with salted nuts (like pistachios). This product still contains useful substances, and it is much more difficult to consume it in large quantities.
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Bacon
The smell of roasting bacon is extremely attractive. It stimulates appetite and overeating. It is not without reason that this particular flavor is especially in demand in the production of chips, snacks, crackers and other popular fast food.
A small piece of smoked pork, fried with eggs or placed on a sandwich, cannot harm a healthy person. The trouble is that the case is usually not limited to one piece.
The bacon lover can trick his appetite to some extent and avoid overeating. For example, you can add smoked tomatoes or paprika to cooking dishes: their smell is very similar to that of smoked pork. You can replace pork bacon with smoked turkey breast, which is lower in calories.
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The problem of appetite dependence on enticing food aromas will be largely solved if you constantly monitor your actions. It is very important to keep track of the portions of food you consume at home or in food service outlets. There is always the option to buy one instead of two, or bake muffins in smaller tins. In addition, it is desirable to generally reduce the amount of consumed ready-made food and give preference to home-made dishes, the composition of which is precisely known.
When visiting grocery stores, there is an opportunity to avoid spontaneous purchases provoked by the tricks of marketers. Experts advise never to buy food when you are hungry, because an increased appetite almost always leads to an uncontrolled filling of the basket with excess products. It is also useful to come to the store with a pre-compiled list of products and have a limited amount of money with you (better in cash, not on a bank card). By following these rules, you can avoid unnecessary waste and eating unnecessary and unhealthy food.
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Maria Kulkes Medical journalist About the author
Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".
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