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Bangalore-based Rashmi Vasudeva's journalism has appeared in many Indian and international publications over the past decade. A features writer with over nine years of experience heading a health and fitness supplement in a mainstream Indian newspaper, her niche areas include health, wellness, fitness, food, nutrition and Indian classical Arts.
Her articles have appeared in various publications including Mint-Wall Street Journal, The Hindu, Deccan Herald (mainstream South Indian newspaper), Smart Life (Health magazine from the Malayala Manorama Group of publications), YourStory (India's media technology platform for entrepreneurs), Avantika (a noir arts and theatre magazine), ZDF (a German public broadcasting company) and others.
In 2006, she was awarded the British Print-Chevening scholarship to pursue a short-term course in new-age journalism at the University of Westminster, U.K. With a double Masters in Globalisation and Media Studies from Aarhus Universitet (Denmark), University of Amsterdam and Swansea University in Wales, U.K., she has also dabbled in academics, travel writing and socio-cultural studies. Mother to a frisky toddler, she hums 'wheels on the bus' while working and keeps a beady eye on the aforementioned toddler's antics.
Brains Love Junk: Why You Cannot Resist That Juicy Burger
So now we know: as far as our brains are concerned, the combination of fats and carbohydrates together is like being in love.
Brain scans have revealed that parts of our brain ‘light up’ when shown foods containing this deadly combo, regardless of portion size, number of calories or the amount of sugar they contain.
The age of exploring the deep connections between our digestive and emotional systems is upon us (think gut microbes and neurons). This Yale University study signifies another step toward understanding the neurological processes involved in our diet and nutrition.
During the study, participants were shown photos of various foods and given a limited amount of money to buy whatever they liked best. Most wanted to buy foods that contained both fats and carbs (such as hamburgers and doughnuts) rather than pick those with only fat content (like cheese) or only carbs (like bread). Brain scans further showed that foods with fats and carbs activate the ‘reward centres’ of our brain in the same way drugs do, suggesting that the brain may indeed have its own ‘pathways’ that guide its estimation and information of food. Furthermore, it gives evolutionary clues about how our past experiences with the nutritive properties of carbs trigger metabolic signals, thus releasing dopamine in our brains. It is these signals which control and regulate how much we eat and what we eat (if we have a choice).
Though a small study and limited in its range, the findings are significant for two reasons:
1. It gives important insights into how the food environment around us contributes to the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes. (What if foods with fats and carbs were not as readily available?)
2. It adds another angle to the ongoing research on the brain-gut connection, especially with regard to eating disorders.
