How to Trick your Brain into Craving Healthy Food (Starting Today!)

Have you heard about intuitive eating? It means that instead of counting calories or following strict meal plans, you listen to your body and what it needs.

But what if your intuition says “eat Doritos”?

Intuitive eating often does not account for the addictive nature of processed foods. However, there is a way that we can find balance and enjoy our food whether it is chips, chocolate, an apple or brown rice. First, we need to understand the relationship between dopamine (the pleasure centre of the brain) and the food we eat.

You’re Allowed to Enjoy your Food

Food is heavily tied to our emotions. It is meant to be that way. Think about a favorite childhood memory, holidays, family vacations, or a special event? Do you remember what foods you ate? Does eating that food again trigger that memory?

This is a good thing; food is meant to instill comfort, happiness and security. The mistake often made when trying to eat healthy is forgetting to put this emotion back into all of our food. There is little joy to be found in an unseasoned chicken breast and steamed broccoli.

When we don’t find joy in everyday foods, we begin to look for that joy in other places. This is where we will gravitate toward hyper-palatable foods.

What are Hyper-palatable Foods?

Basically, a hyper-palatable food is a food that has been processed to have more intense flavour than what is found in nature. For example, orange juice from the grocery store is considerably more sweet than an orange. If you only ever drank orange juice and then tasted an orange, you may find it bland in comparison to the concentrated flavour of orange juice.

Hyper-palatable foods are usually either intensely sweet or salty. Hyper-palatable foods include:

• Soft drinks
• Juices
• Chips
• Fast food e.g. French fries
• Cookies

Even foods that we wouldn’t necessarily consider “junk foods” can be hyper-palatable, such as:

• Crackers
• Granola bars
• Sweetened yoghurt
• Fruit pouches and sauces
• Natural fruit gummies

In general, we are referring to packaged foods; any food that has been designed by a food company to have an optimal flavour. Often these foods contain more sugar or salt than what we would add to our own cooking. It’s okay, these foods can be convenient at times, especially when we’re on the go. The goal isn’t to demonize these foods or even the companies that make them.  Instead, we want to understand how eating too many of these foods can impact our brain chemistry.

The Neurochemistry of Food Cravings

 Our tongue is full of sensory receptors. Not only do these receptors sense the flavours in the food, but also texture and temperature. The pathway between the senses in our mouth to our brain is called the gustatory system.

The gustatory system is highly sensitive and will let us know whether to accept or reject the taste of a food. The presence of sugar and salt will trigger the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward, motivation and mood. From an evolutionary perspective, we can appreciate how important the gustatory system is for our survival. It means we can distinguish between food or poison.

Craving salt and sugar are essential for life. We need sugar for energy and salt for water and mineral balance. Of course, hyper-palatable foods contain more salt and sugar than what is found in nature.

Hyper-palatable foods create a higher dopamine response. Over time, this surge in dopamine from eating these foods can cause a reduction in dopamine receptors called D2.  A reduction in D2 receptors is also found in cases of alcohol and drug addiction.

Fewer D2 receptors means we will require more dopamine to feel the same sense of pleasure – meaning we crave more. Essentially hyper-palatable foods become addictive over time by creating a Reward Deficiency Syndrome that produces cravings.

How to Increase D2 Receptors

So far, we’ve learned that too much sugar and refined carbohydrates can decrease D2 receptors. Less receptors meaning we need more of something to create that same feeling of pleasure. Thus, increasing our craving for that food; in this case hyper-palatable foods.

Sugar decreases D2 receptors but fat can increase them.  A 2007 study conducted on mice found that a high fat diet significantly increased D2 receptors after just 20 days. Furthermore, the protein transporter of dopamine, DAT was decreased in density after consumption of a high fat diet. DAT is responsible for terminating the synapsis of dopamine. This means that a lower density of DAT will increase the effect of dopamine and therefore you won’t feel the need for more.

Eating more fat does not mean chowing down on a stick of butter. One gram of fat is 9 calories of energy; compared to 1 g of a carbohydrate or protein is only 4 calories of energy. This means that every time you eat 1 g of fat, you are getting over twice as much energy as you would if you ate a 1 g of a carbohydrate (e.g. 1 tsp of sugar.) 

So if you are looking to get more of energy from fat instead of from carbohydrates, start with some small changes. Put butter on your vegetables or add a bit of extra olive oil to a salad or a stir fry. 

Here are some of our favorite sources of healthy fats:

• Hemp seeds
• Flax seeds
• Chia seeds
• Avocado
• Sesame seeds
• Almond or cashew butter
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Olive oil
• Grass fed butter
• Wild salmon

Remember where there is fat, there is flavour, so this will also increase your enjoyment of the food and increase natural dopamine levels without reducing your D2 receptors.

How to Boost Dopamine Naturally

Step 1: Gather the Raw Materials

Dopamine, like every other chemical in the body, has to come from somewhere. We can’t make something out of nothing; it has to come from our food. Dopamine is made from the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine.  

These are very important amino acids, as they also make thyroid hormones and our adrenal hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine). 

The body can make tyrosine, but we must get phenylalanine from food. 

Here are some sources of phenylalanine:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Tuna
• Pinto beans
• Pumpkin and squash seeds
• Sweet potato

Step 2: Make the Dopamine

So, we have the raw materials, both phenylalanine and tyrosine. Now our body still has to make dopamine. Iron, folate and vitamin B6 are all required for this bio-chemical reaction to occur. 

In general, these are easy nutrients to obtain from food. If you are vegan or vegetarian, it may be a bit more difficult (but not impossible).

Here are the highest sources of iron and folate from the plant world:

• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Spinach
• Navy beans
• Black beans

Iron levels can also become low due to heavy periods or after giving birth, so it’s important to get regular blood tests. Temporary supplementation can help bring iron stores up to normal, while you are adding more natural iron-rich foods.

But we’re not the only ones making dopamine. Certain microorganisms that live in the gut also produce dopamine. In fact, 50% of dopamine is made in the gut.  These bacteria will communicate with our nervous system and brain, and it is referred to as the gut-brain axis.

While more research is required, we know that these microbes are important and we need to take care of them. We can do so by ensuring we eat enough prebiotic fiber and avoiding too much sugar. Taking a probiotic supplement can also help to replenish these bacteria.

Step 3: Release the Dopamine!

There are plenty of other ways to get a good boost of dopamine without eating hyper-palatable foods. 

Here are some scientifically proven and healthy ways to get a dopamine hit:

• Exercise – more research is required on the type and duration of exercise, so just do what you enjoy
• Meditation – Meditation has been shown to increase dopamine levels.
• Get Sunlight – Low dopamine due to lack of sunlight may be one of the causes of SAD (seasonal affective disorder, in which less daylight may set off a chemical change in the brain leading to symptoms of depression).
• Sleep – dopamine is a part of our circadian rhythm; like cortisol, dopamine is highest in the morning and dips throughout the day. When we get a good night’s sleep, we are more likely to have good levels of dopamine in the morning
• Listen to music – Music has been shown to increase dopamine levels.

How to Enjoy a full range of flavours (Not just salt and sugar)

 Hyper-palatable foods are all super salty and super sweet foods. However, there are so many other important flavours that make up a delicious meal. Many Eastern traditions of medicine discuss the flavours of food. Often a different element is assigned to each flavour and these different tastes are used to bring balance to the body and your constitution.

In traditional herbal medicine, the flavour of the herb is often used to describe its physiological action. Once you get used to appreciating all the other flavours in food, you will realize how truly boring most hyper-palatable foods are. I mean, sure McDonald’s French fries are good, but have you ever had a really delicious curry? So many different flavours and textures all at once!

Let’s go through these five flavours – some that the food industry has forgotten about. 

Sweet

Associated with the water and earth element in Ayurveda. It means nourishment. It is the taste of life.

Salty

Associated with the element of water and fire in Ayurveda. It means cleansing, blood flow and digestion. This makes sense as sodium chloride, (NaCl; aka salt) is needed to make stomach acid (hydrochloric acid - HCl). Salty is the taste of movement.

Sour

The most popular taste after salty and sweet. It is associated with fire and earth in Ayurveda, as well as digestion and the elimination of waste. If salt is the flavour for the stomach, sour is for the gut. Lemon juice increases the secretion of bile (which helps with fat metabolism). Sour fermented foods, like sauerkraut, are rich in probiotics.

Pungent

This means spice and aromatic oils. It doesn’t have to mean spicy, just flavourful. Think garlic, onions, ginger, herbs and spices. The pungent flavour is associated with the elements fire and air. It’s what we always smell in the air when we add fire to our food (i.e. cooking.) It’s when you start to smell the garlic and spices cooking that your mouth begins to water. This is probably why this flavour is meant to stimulate appetite.

Bitter

The most ignored taste by the food industry and the most important. Associated with air and ether element in Ayurveda, it is more than just a taste. Bitter receptors are not only found in the mouth, but throughout the body in the digestive system and even in the vascular system.

When we eat something truly bitter, it initiates a full parasympathetic nervous system response (rest and digest) and stimulates the vagus nerves. This results in secretion of all digestive juices and an overall stimulation in our digestive system and liver. This is why a leafy green salad is best enjoyed at the beginning of the meal.

In herbal medicine, bitter herbs are often nervine sedatives, meaning they relax the nervous system. An overstimulated nervous system is one of the reasons why we will gravitate towards hyper-palatable foods in the first place.

High levels of cortisol and other stress hormones are also associated with sugar cravings. The joy of eating should come from the gentle stimulation of the vagus nerve from bitter greens, instead of the dopamine hit from hyper-palatable food. This is why bitter greens are truly the antithesis of hyper-palatable foods.

Here are some of my favorite bitter greens:

• Mustard greens
• Arugula
• Dandelion greens
• Escarole
• Swiss Chard
• Radicchio
• Kale
• Turnip greens

How to Trick Your Brain

So, here’s how to trick your brain into craving healthy food:

1. Stop eating so many hyper-palatable foods

I know this can be difficult, especially if you have become addicted to them. So be patient with yourself. Only you can decide what’s best for you. If you know you won’t have any self-control, maybe try not buying any of these foods for a while.

2. Eat more healthy fats

This will help to increase the D2 receptors in your brain. Also, fat will keep you feeling full longer, which I find is the easiest way to avoid cravings.

3. Naturally boost dopamine levels

Ensure you are eating enough protein, iron, folate and B vitamins. Take probiotics to take care of your microbiome, which will also make dopamine for you. Get enough sleep, sunlight and exercise. Listen to music and meditate.

4. Learn to appreciate all the flavours of food

When you cook, make sure you are balancing the flavours, so that you are making something you will enjoy. Don’t forget the bitter flavour!

So if you can’t stop eating “junk” food, it’s not your fault. Blame your brain then put on some music, dance in your kitchen and get cooking!

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Kirsten Colella, CNP, a Holistic Nutritionist who graduated from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition with high honours, is also a certified yoga teacher. As a yogi who teaches individuals, groups and soon online, Kirsten does her best to live a full yoga-styled life. Living on a farm with her family, Kirsten prepares a wide variety of farm-to-table meals, sharing her delicious recipes, colourful food pics and health-promoting food ideas on our Instagram page @essentialbalanceholistic.    

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Sources quoted for the blog:    

• High-Fat Diet Exposure Increases Dopamine D2 Receptor and Decreases Dopamine Transporter Receptor Binding Density in the Nucleus Accumbens and Caudate Putamen of Mice | Neurochemical Research (springer.com)

• Do your gut microbes affect your brain dopamine? - PubMed (nih.gov)

• Seasonal Affective Disorder - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

• Neurophysiological, cognitive-behavioral and neurochemical effects in practitioners of transcendental meditation - A literature review - PubMed (nih.gov)

• Bidirectional Association between Physical Activity and Dopamine Across Adulthood—A Systematic Review - PMC (nih.gov)

• The Neurochemistry of Food Cravings | Psychology Today

• A Life of Balance, The Complete Guide to Ayurvedic Nutrition and Body Types with Recipes by Maya Tiwari