Eat This to Block Your Brain from Craving Unhealthy Foods

If constant cravings are wrecking your weight loss goal, you’re just one food away from [...]

By Kelsey Patterson

If constant cravings are wrecking your weight loss goal, you're just one food away from squashing those unhealthy pulls for good.

A new study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found that eating a few walnuts can help you relieve the urge to eat unhealthy foods.

For the double-blind study, 10 people with obesity lived in a clinical research center for a pair of five-day sessions. (Being in a controlled environment allowed researchers to accurately log each person's eating habits rather than rely on the participants to report what they ate.) In one session, half of participants were given smoothies that had 48 grams of walnuts, which is the American Diabetes Association's recommended serving size, while others got a walnut-free version. The groups switched for the second session.

At the end of each session, each participant underwent an MRI while looking at photos of naughty foods like burgers and sweets, healthy veggies and neural, non-food items.

When the delicious, unhealthy foods were shown, those who were given walnut smoothies has increased activity in the insula, a part of the brain that regulates appetite and impulses. This group also said they felt less hungry after consuming the walnut smoothies compared to the other.

Researchers note that the part of the insula that showed increased activity is involved in mental control, so those who ate walnuts were able to consciously choose healthier options over the 'cheat meals'. This ability to resist unhealthy foods will keep your metabolism boosted for weight loss, as well as improve your overall health.

What researchers aren't sure of, though, is whether this habit can be sustained or if the impact of walnuts on your mental will power fades over time.

Still, you can't go wrong eating walnuts for a healthier life, especially for weight loss. Though they're considered a 'fatty' food, the American Heart Association notes they're high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for the heart. But because they are a high-fat food, the AHA recommends snacking on 1.5 ounces per day.

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