Eatuppet

 There are days when eating a full meal just feels... like too much. Not because you’re not hungry, but because you’re tired, or the silence feels too loud, or you just don’t want to deal with dishes. And maybe that’s fine once in a while. But if it keeps happening—skipping meals, grazing on random snacks, or just not caring about what you eat—it might not be about willpower. It might be about loneliness.  It turns out, being socially disconnected doesn’t just affect your mind—it also messes with your appetite, your cravings, even how your body processes food. A 2022 paper published in  Nature Aging  found that chronic loneliness is linked to changes in brain regions involved in both social behavior and food-related decision-making. In other words, when people feel alone, they’re more likely to seek out fast, hyper-palatable food—not because they’re lazy, but because their brain is low on dopamine and looking for something,  anything , to feel good again.  ...

  Let’s just say your gut has opinions. One day it’s totally fine with three cups of coffee and a slice of cold pizza, and the next day when you decide to have the same thing or even less, it’s like, “Absolutely not. Here’s some bloating and existential dread for your choices.”   But have you considered that your gut isn’t just being dramatic for no reason? There’s a lot of mechanisms behind it. The gut is home to trillions of bacteria, and together they make up what’s called  gut microbiome —a microscopic ecosystem with heroes behind the scenes. And these tiny creatures can affect not just the digestion system, but also impacts your mood .   According to a 2019 review published in  Nature Reviews Microbiology , the gut and brain are constantly talking to each other through what scientists call the  gut microbiota-brain axis .    Basically, your gut and your brain are texting 24/7, and sometimes the gut is sending serious “we need to talk” energy....

  Sometimes, when we’re stressed out, it’s no surprise that we’re drawn to things like chips, cookies, or instant noodles—basically, anything salty, sweet, or greasy. And while it might feel like a moment of weakness, or like you’re just being “bad” again, there’s actually more to it. Some theories would say it’s not just you—it’s your brain, wired to push you in that direction.   When your body is under stress, it produces a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol doesn’t just make you feel alert—it also makes you crave high-calorie, high-fat foods. It’s kind of like your brain thinks you’re facing a sort of threat (even if it’s just an exam or a rough day at work) and decides to store up energy fast, just in case. A study published in Nature Communications in 2023 shows that stress changes how our brain reacts to food, making us more likely to want “comfort foods” even when we’re not actually hungry.   The problem, that most people end up facing after having them, is those co...