The Huffington Post reports:

You’ve just eaten 10 Taco Bell tacos and drank a frozen Mountain Dew and you still feel suspiciously hungry. You’ve consumed about 1,880 calories, but your body isn’t satisfied. What’s happening?

Studies show that satiety, the mechanism that stops us from eating more than what we need, has less to do with caloric intake than it does with the intake of certain macronutrients - types of protein, carbohydrates, and fat - and the physical volume of food. We’re getting plenty of calories when we eat a full sleeve of Oreos, but we’re not getting the nutrients that our bodies need for high quality, sustainable energy. Even though it may feel like a large volume of food, it moves through us quickly - meaning the feeling of fullness fades after we eat.

They continue:

The satiety level of a food is partially due to its nutrient density, which refers to the ratio of nutrients to calories. Though highly caloric, junk foods supply a much lower amount of nutrients compared to the volume of food. In other words, all calories aren’t created equal. For 100 calories, we can eat about 15 cups of spinach or two Oreos. The spinach will physically fill our stomachs with more food, plus provide dietary fiber and vital nutrients. The Oreos, on the other hand, provide little more than intense levels of simple carbohydrates, which give us quick bursts of energy that don’t last. 

This is a true story. In 2010, a shocking mining accident took place in Chile that drew the attention of the entire world.

Thirty-three miners were trapped underground, about 700 meters deep. To give you an idea of what that means—it’s roughly as deep as one of our country’s tallest skyscrapers if it were buried straight down into the earth.

Day after day passed as these miners remained trapped underground. Their water and food supplies grew scarcer, and they still couldn’t communicate with anyone on the surface. It seemed completely hopeless.

What would you have done if you were in their place?

After 16 days, although they were still alive, despair began to take hold—some even thought about ending their lives. But then something happened. Outside, rescue workers and experts from around the world tried every possible method and finally managed to drill a small passage that reached them.

All of a sudden, the 33 men went from hopelessness to hope. But did that mean they were saved already? Not yet. They were still trapped underground, but their state of mind completely changed—they no longer felt overwhelming fear or despair. Through that small passage, rescuers were able to send them real, practical help—food, water, and oxygen.

With hope and this support, they endured for 69 long days. In the end, all 33 men were rescued—a true miracle.

Many people tend to fight the onset of tears, when crying is in fact a natural and beneficial response to several common emotions such as grief, sadness, dejection, and even joy. Tears are triggered by our emotions, but they are also a practical and protective reaction from the body. We produce three main types of tears.

Basal tears are in our eyes all day. Basal tears are functional, lubricating tears that help improve our vision, focus, and fight against infection. A protein called lysozyme is present in basal tears. This protein protects against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Basal tears contain oil, mucus, salt, and water. The oil prevents the tears from evaporating and blinking spreads a layer of basal tears on the eye’s surface.

Reflex tears are our eyewash tears. These are triggered by environmental irritants such as dust, smoke, and wind. These tears flush out any irritating material for our eyes. These are also the tears produced when we cut an onion.

Emotional tears flood our eyes in response to strong emotions and are similar to basal tears in chemical makeup but also contain stress hormones and natural pain relievers.

Crying has a number of other proven benefits as well. Crying has a self-soothing effect which helps us to calm ourselves, regulate our emotions, and return us to a more neutral emotional state within a certain period of time. Deep belly breaths from crying and sobbing regulate our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing - all of which aids in recovering from stress.

Crying can cause our body to produce hormones that make us feel better. We release oxycontin and endorphins after we cry, which can help reduce stress, relieve pain, and lift our mood. In other words, having a good cry can improve our mood after we cry. 

Crying is also a way the body rids itself of chemicals that are released in the body to help us cope during times of stress, but can have negative impacts when not processed out of the body. So, if we try to push back the tears or feel shame when we cry, it can have the opposite effect, inducing anxiety, depression, upset stomach, and heart-associated issues.

Crying is also an attachment behavior. Crying signals to others that we need help and support. Most obviously associated with infants and small children, research suggests that crying serves the same functions in adults, facilitating deeper social connections and community support.