National Eat What You Want Day 2021: Why Eating Calorie-Dense Food Is Important

Eating healthy and exercising are two important factors to maintain good health. While it takes a lot of willpower to swap the large dinner plate for a salad plate, eating healthy all year-round can also cause food boredom.

One can’t possibly go on eating carrot sticks and yogurt and pretend they are happy. So, it’s very important not to lean too heavily on gluten-free options and take a break from the strict diet rules.

National Eat What You Want Day was initiated to encourage people to break away from the restrictive diet, shifting their focus from the deluge of gluten-free recipes on the internet to the high-calorie foods their hearts pine for.

National Eat What You Want Day is celebrated on May 11 every year to indulge in foods that truly boost the spirits. While there is no direct evidence that food is the cure for depression, it won't be wrong to say that junk foods are definitely effective stress busters.

Ditching your daily calorie allowance sometimes keeps your mind healthy. Here are the science-backed reasons why you should also eat junk food time to time:

Depriving yourself of something makes you crave them more:

Substituting the calorie-dense food items with healthier alternatives is what nutritionists majorly suggest but one only has his willpower depleting by the rigid cut down of calories. Junk foods may be seen as nutrition villains but occasional treats help you maintain a balance. When we deprive ourselves of something that we love for a long time, we end up craving them more.

Mindful eating is the key to make healthy choices:

While junk food or convenience food is linked to several chronic diseases, eating them once in a while works as a breather. Furthermore, it helps us understand our digestion capacities and enables us to make smarter choices.

Calorie-dense foods aid in weight loss:

People who eat lots of carbohydrates face greater odds of depression. However, some researchers concluded that high-calorie food items such as chocolates, avocado, donuts, and butter incorporate some amount of nutrition and aid in the process of weight loss.

Carbohydrates produce serotonin:

Serotonin is a hormone that contributes to the happiness of the human mind. The carbohydrate-rich food items such as sugar, salt, and fat help boost serotonin levels in the body.