Why don't we crave vegetables? Why do we want cake, hamburgers, chocolate, but we never say "I wish I could eat my fill of broccoli"?
Let me tell you why. The answer isn't just in our taste buds, but in our brains, culture, and memories.
Because the human brain was evolutionarily coded to find high-calorie, fatty, and sugary foods more appealing. This is a survival reflex. Today, however, this reflex is deceiving us on supermarket shelves.
Chocolate releases dopamine, while vegetables don't really. In other words, chocolate is perceived as a reward, while vegetables are seen by us as merely a duty meal.
Also, as children, we were forced to eat broccoli until it was finished. Vegetables were introduced not with pleasure, but with obligation. Now our brain subconsciously rejects that memory.
Because processed foods have been made much more attractive. Our taste buds have changed. We've started to forget real flavors.
And most importantly, we need to see vegetables not just in terms of calorie count, but perhaps as a reflection of the respect we have for life.
It's not just about what we eat, but what we feel.
We don't crave vegetables because we treat them "like a punishment."
However, a properly cooked vegetable dish, with olive oil, spices, and prepared with pleasure, provides much more healing than chocolate.
This post of mine is a small reminder to reconnect with ourselves, our bodies, and nature.
