Tom Kerridge attributes his remarkable 11-stone weight loss to a little-known dieting regime. The celebrity chef, 51, dubbed his plan the 'dopamine diet', which centres on foods that boost happiness.
"Over three years, I lost eleven stone and devised my own low-carb diet regime built around ingredients that are known to trigger the release of dopamine, the 'happy hormone' in your brain," Tom previously wrote on his website.
He continued: "If you're struggling with your weight and need to shift unhealthy pounds, this approach makes it easy, and is guaranteed to make you feel happier in the process."
As Tom implies, 'dopamine' is a neurotransmitter the brain produces, leading to increased pleasure, motivation, and focus. Those with lower levels of dopamine might suffer from fatigue, motivational issues, or memory problems.
Cleveland Clinic highlights dopamine's critical role in other bodily functions as well. Not only can it aid in ridding the body of sodium and urine, but it can also sometimes help lower blood pressure.
While consuming any food is believed to raise dopamine levels, Tom has identified certain 'dopamine heroes' - specific foods that particularly influence the chemical and help curb hunger.
His guide notably emphasises increasing the intake of proteins such as chicken, beef, and turkey. This comes amidst emerging evidence that amino acids in meat may help boost dopamine production while curbing snack cravings.
Fruits and vegetables, of course, make the cut in his recommendations, along with:
Conversely, Tom advises cutting out alcohol and starchy carbohydrates. Writing online, he added: "These are recipes that don't feel like diet food and can be shared with friends and family. It worked for me and it can work for you."
In the wake of Tom's positive results, a plethora of dopamine diet interpretations have surfaced across social media. However, nutritionist Kerry Torrens cautions dieters about certain pitfalls.
Crucially, she stressed that swapping carbs for more protein isn't universally beneficial. Eliminating them completely could present challenges in maintaining a balanced and nutrient-rich diet.
Additionally, she noted the personal nature of food-related happiness. She told BBC Good Food: "The motivation to eat certain foods is complex and influenced by many different factors including our genes, psychology, environment and culture.
"So, although increasing the protein contribution of your diet may improve appetite and fullness, it may not be enough to reduce your carb and fat intakes, especially if you are exposed to highly palatable foods.
"For this reason, if you attempt the dopamine diet with weight loss as your goal and you know you have a weakness for certain high-fat, high-sugar foods, you may need to limit your exposure to them."
