canada.com Watch out for the bliss point BY NICKIE POISON -- MARCH 8, 2013 Follow your bliss. That is good advice when it means to follow the dictates of your heart and find your way in life. But today, bliss has a darker side. When it comes to eating, few of us realize we have a scientifically analyzed "bliss point." But processed food manufacturers have figured it out in detail. Their food scientists work to create foods that fuel our bliss point; they create and feed our cravings. The bliss point involves a balance of taste, appearance and mouth feel. Our brain chemistry betrays us because those foods act to stimulate the 'feel-good' chemicals in our brains. We enjoy the experience and we want more. Given a food with the right combination, most people will find it irresistible. The more we find out about this kind of food engineering, the more it seems to resemble creating addiction. More and more voices are being raised to say that the engineered foods are addictive - and that they are designed to be so. The marketing of these foods is being questioned, especially as the ads often target children. One of the processed foods most effective in reaching our bliss point is the potato chip. Start with the coating of salt, the fat content that stirs the brain's pleasure centers, the sugar in the potato starch, then add the mouth feel of the chip and the crunch itself. It adds up to a very successful junk food. A British study of health professionals found that even they were gaining weight and the 'food' most likely to contribute to the weight, without providing healthy nutrition, was the potato chip. Why can't we eat just one? Many reasons, but a big one is the potato starch which is more quickly absorbed than regular sugar. It causes blood glucose levels to spike and then fall, leaving us craving more. Page I 1 of 2 EFTA00591131