From eNewsletter 1/8/2020
DID YOU KNOW that dietary supplement use has reached an all time high?
New research from the Council for Responsible Nutrition's survey on Dietary Supplements found the highest overall dietary supplement usage to date, with 77% of Americans reporting they consume dietary supplements.
More women take dietary supplements than men, 79% versus 74%. Vitamins and minerals continue to be the most commonly consumed supplement category.
SENSITIVITY TO PLEASURE FOODS
Steve & Bonnie: The pleasure/reward center of the brain strongly influences our eating habits. The pleasure/reward center is dependent on the neurotransmitter dopamine. When there is enough dopamine, things are status quo. However, if there is an overproduction or deficiency, that's where issues arise. Drug makers (legal and illegal), food manufacturers who specialize in sugary and fatty foods, cigarette and e-cigarette manufacturers, mobile phone and social media companies, to name a few, exploit the fact that billions of human beings are highly susceptible to addictive substances either because of dopamine deficiency or overproduction. This is why almost 50% of Americans are obese, the opioid crisis rages, and vaping spread like wildfire in a short period of time. A study published last week in Current Biology reaffirmed and added a new twist in relation to food and dopamine. Researchers demonstrated that the pleasure center of the brain that produces dopamine, and the brain's separate biological clock that regulates daily physiological rhythms, are linked, and that high-calorie foods, which bring pleasure, disrupt normal feeding schedules, resulting in overconsumption.
There are numerous studies showing that when dopamine signaling is knocked out in animals, they are able to eat a normal diet at normal times, and do not become obese, even when exposed to 24/7 high calorie foods.
The problem is we cannot knock out our dopamine signaling pathways because we would just be walking around like robots. Dopamine, and the feeling of pleasure/reward, makes life worth living. Those who exploit our dopamine pathways know this. So how can we control our dopamine exposure? Know that there is constant exposure to dopamine inducers. Just about every hour of every day of your life they exist. You don't be militant about avoiding all dopamine exposure. You just need to be aware of it and take measures to be reign it in, especially if you are genetically susceptible. Know your genetic risk. Our Pure Genomics wellness screening extensively screens for potential dopamine abnormalities. Those who have genetic mutations are much more susceptible to addiction because they get dopamine rushes which create much stronger pleasure sensations. Many clients who have been made aware of this susceptibility are proactive in mitigating exposure. Understanding How Much and When You Eat Matters This is a quote from the lead researcher of the Current Biology study. "The human body, through thousands of years of evolution, is hard-wired to consume as much food as possible as long as it's available. This comes from a long earlier history when people hunted or gathered food and had brief periods of plenty, such as after a kill, and then potentially lengthy periods of famine. Humans also were potential prey to large animals and so actively sought food during the day, and sheltered and rested at night. We evolved under pressures we no longer have. It is natural for our bodies as organisms to want to consume as much as possible, to store fat, because the body doesn't know when the next meal is coming. But, of course, food is now abundant, and our next meal is as close as the kitchen, or the nearest fast-food drive-through, or right here on our desk. Often, these foods are high in fats, sugars, and therefore calories, and that's why they taste good. It's easy to overconsume, and, over time, this takes a toll on our health. Additionally, prior to the advent of our electricity-powered society, people started the day at dawn, worked all day, often doing manual labor, and then went to sleep with the setting of the sun. Human activity, therefore, was synchronized to day and night. Today, we are working, playing, staying connected, and eating, day and night. This affects our body clocks, which were evolved to operate on a sleep-wake cycle timed to daytime activity, moderate eating and nighttime rest." Thus, when we eat is just as important as how much we eat. A calorie is not just a calorie. Calories consumed between meals or at odd hours often become stored as fat. This is one reason why time-restricted feeding is being researched so vigorously. It is an eating style very compatible to our genetic makeup. While we encourage you to confirm your genetic susceptibility to dopamine deficiency, one thing you can do right now is imprint onto your brain the word moderation when it comes to addictive behaviors.
FADS THAT WILL DIE OUT IN THE 2020s + ENDURING NUTRITIONAL TRENDS
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