I often say
to myself I’m a food addict, or a chocoholic, or obsessed with food. The funny
thing is I’m not really kidding. I am a food addict. Food addiction is real.
It’s really no different than other types of addiction, since eating food
increases the levels of dopamine in the body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter
used by the brain to regulate hormones, motor control, memory, sexual desire,
and emotional responses. Increased dopamine in the body results in energy,
excitement, happiness, and heightens sense of pleasure and awareness. Too much
dopamine can over stimulate the body, much like sex, and cocaine. Too much of a
good thing is not good – it’s abuse. Over stimulation makes your body and brain
crave more of whatever made you “high”. The excessive behavior or need to stay
“high” to feel good can be damaging, and result in addiction. Food is a
powerful drug. It’s powerful because you need food to nourish and fuel your
body. So what you eat, and how much of it you eat can be the determining factor
of how you feel, live, and heal.
So knowing
how powerful food is, you can see why so many suffer from diet related health
issues, including eating disorders, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even
cancer. Besides being a physiological issue, the food addiction can also be a
result of a psychological challenge as well. However, regardless of whether or
not the addiction is a result of physiological or psychological dependence what
you eat can make a difference. You can actually assist with overcoming your
personal food addiction by making changes in your diet and lifestyle – a life
long commitment.
One of the
biggest perpetrators of food addiction is the Standard American Diet which is
basically what the majority of our society has been raised on. Ever since the
Industrial Era took the world by storm, more and more “food like” products are made
available to us as a convenience and ease of preparation, shelf stability, and
obviously for big profit. Most of these food products are over processed, and
have little nutritional value. The number of artificial ingredients used to
make these products stable can create toxins in the body, causing disease. Most
of these food like products are high in refined sugar, sodium, and even trans
fats. “How is this even food?” Obviously not all processed food is bad, such as
a bag of frozen organic fruit, or a pre-washed bag of organic baby spinach,
ground nuts, and so forth. You need to read ingredient labels, and you need to
research the source of the food you consume. Obviously a package of chocolate
chip cookies with 30 ingredients, the first being bleached flour, and high
fructose corn syrup, is not the best choice for cookies. However, since cookies
for the most part are for a “sweet indulgence”, having 10 cookies opposed to 1
or 2 cookies is no better! For that matter, even if the cookies were made from
all organic ingredients, eating 10 cookies is still over doing it! You get my
point.
Since we
know that food increases the levels of dopamine, and dopamine enhances a
feeling of happiness, then it’s obvious that if an individual is under a lot of
stress, or is depressed, eating is going to help make them feel better.
However, if you are feeding your feelings with sugar-laden food-like products
then you are going to increase the potential for obesity, diabetes, digestive
problems, heart disease, mental dependence, fatigue, and cancer – which won’t
make you feel better in the long run. If you feed your feelings with fresh
fruit, dark leafy greens, raw nuts and seeds, you have a better chance of
sustaining the good feelings and energy, and nourish your body all at the same
time. That in itself will help the brain, and assist with breaking the abusive,
addictive eating behavior.
If you are
feeling the need to binge on any type of food, than you need to look deeper
into what the cause of the behavior is. If physical, perhaps you are thirsty or
tired, or need exercise; or maybe you have a chemical imbalance of some sort
that requires medical attention, or diet supplementation. If it’s emotional or
mental, perhaps you have anxiety over something in your life that you need to
confront. Consider seeking professional help, counseling, or talking it out
with a friend or family member. Although food is loved by many, including me,
food’s main purpose is to nourish and fuel the body, not pacify it.
I know for
me that whenever I feel stressed or bored, or anxious, I want to eat. Whenever
I feel overly tired I want to eat. When I’m busy and moving about, or focused,
I don’t binge. If I’m well rested, and properly hydrated, I don’t binge. No
matter how well I eat on a daily basis, if my overall day is not in balance,
then binging can become a problem. My addiction. My challenge. Some of it is
due to being post menopausal. However, a lot of it is due to needing rest and
relaxation, and managing my stress both good and bad. As well as keeping on
track with the foods I make available to me throughout the day. The issue with
binging is that convenience foods, processed foods – regardless of whether or
not they are non-organic or organic, can be too easily abused. Sugar is
addictive in any form, especially refined sugars, and natural sweeteners. The
more you eat, the more you crave, the more you binge. It’s a vicious cycle.
In order to
rid your body of these dangerous drug-like foods, you need to detox. Food
rehab! Sometimes the best way to break a food addiction is to transition slowly
by increasing the amount of fresh produce consumed, and minimizing the amount
of pre-packaged processed foods consumed. As the detoxification process starts,
continue to work towards completely eliminating these food like products from
the diet altogether. Perhaps try a juice or smoothie-cleanse for a couple of
days, this too will help the detoxification process. These are all healthy ways
to break the physiological impact of food addiction and begin the healing of
the body and mind. Make it a life long commitment to remain “sober” of these
food like products. Plan meals and snacks, and mental and physical outlets for
when those addictive triggers occur. Make your own “feel good” treats that are
healthy and are not mad of all the additives.
I know for
me personally food addiction will always be a part of me. I know there may be
times that I will slip up, but I find a way to take charge again. Feeling good
and being happy is a life-long goal. Part of making that possible is being
healthy and living healthy. Food should not be the poison – food should be part
of the cure.
As the
great Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy
food”.
Information
Disclaimer:
The
information within this article and throughout the Raw-Riffic website/blog is
intended for general information purposes only. Individuals should consult
their health care provider before administering any suggestions made. Any
application of the material set forth in this article or within the pages of
this website/blog is at the viewer/reader’s discretion and is his or her sole
responsibility.
My
Sources:Dopamine
and Addiction, by Imran Siddiqui. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web1/isiddiqui.htmlThe Top Three Ways Raw Food can Help Release Food Addiction, by Angela Stokes Monarch. http://www.naturalnews.com/025416_food_foods_raw.html
Overcoming Food Addiction, posted by Divine Nutrition~End the Diet War. http://www.rawfooddiet-holistichealth.com/overcomingfoodaddiction.html
Is All Processed Food Unhealthy? By TAMARA DUKER FREUMAN. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/05/14/is-all-processed-food-unhealthy
Convenience food, From Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convenience_food
