It’s no secret that dieting can make you a bit, well, crazy. (Or at least, it’s no secret to me—my single day of trying the Master Cleanse left me crying and yelling at innocent bystanders, but I digress.)
But, while you might think that going on a diet would give you a new sense of purpose or boost your self esteem, new research from the University of Montreal shows that, at least as far as your brain chemicals are concerned, going on a diet can actually just make you super depressed.
Doctors studied two groups of mice—one twas fed a high fat-sugary diet; the other was fed a healthy diet. They found that the brain chemistry of the mice eating the unhealthy diet actually changed over time and concluded that, should the mice shift to a healthy diet, they would likely experience withdrawal symptoms, depression, and a greater sensitivity to stressful situations, which could launch them into a vicious cycle of poor eating.
The bottom line is that fatty and sugary foods really mess with your brain, but drastically cutting them out may give you a major case of the sads, which could then lead you right back to your old habits. And that kinda sounds like a lose-lose situation.
That’s why it’s super important to find a diet that won’t leave you starving (or stabby), like our healthy detox plan. Bottom line: If you’re looking to firm up, just don’t go turkey from your favorite treats—wean yourself off them first.
[“source-cosmopolitan”]
