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Advice for Food Addicts: Spit It Out

Feb9

An elderly doctor gave me some advice years ago that I was reminded of today. He had retired from his medical practice of nearly half a century and had begun treating patients using nutritional therapies.

This was in the 70’s when nutritional medicine was a more secretive practice than it is today. On one of my evening visits to his Trenton, New Jersey office, Dr. Getlen diagnosed my hypoglycemia.

Until that time, other doctors had attributed my symptoms to a variety of things. Among their suggested diagnoses were newlywed shell shock and a possible brain tumor. I’m not kidding.

That same night I confided to Dr. Getlen that I ate uncontrollably whenever I felt nervous. We didn’t call it stress back then. We didn’t call ourselves emotional eaters or food addicts in those days either.

Whenever my blood sugar would drop, I would crave sweets. Once the addictive feelings began, I ate until the candy was gone. Food addiction creates more problems than just weight gain, and no one knows that better than me.

Today, I was watching a small child eat candy at the urging of her mother. “Try this one, Honey.” The child chewed the jellied candy vigorously and then spit it out. She did this repeatedly until the woman threatened to keep all the candy for herself. No comment on that one.

She asked the little girl why she kept spitting out the candy. The little girl replied very politely and matter-of-factly, “I already tasted it”.

Suddenly, Dr. Getlen’s words came back to me. He told me how to eat what I wanted without having to feel guilty about eating or worrying about gaining weight.

He told me that when I got the urge to overeat sweets to do it. He said to be sure to chew whatever I ate thoroughly and savor every bite.

Then, to my surprise and puzzlement, he told me not to swallow the food, but instead to spit it out. He said it was my mind that was in control and it was only interested in pleasing my taste buds.

He was right. I did it and it worked, especially with jelly beans. That little girl knew the secret and observing her, I was reminded of it.

It may sound like a terrible waste to spit out the food, and it would be rather disgusting if you did it at a restaurant.

The object of the exercise, however, is to satisfy your hunger without turning your body into a garbage dump. So, try it and see if it works for you too. But only at home.

P.S. It doesn’t work with ice cream.

5 Ways to Tell if You Have a Problem With Food Addiction

Feb2

Food addictions are more than just emotional eating or overeating. There are very specific behaviours associated with a food addiction. Here are five ways to tell if your eating pattern signals a food addiction.

  1. Your mind goes to food at the first sign of stress.
  2. You have an uncontrollable urge to eat when you feel uncomfortable, regardless of the situation.
  3. You eat forbidden foods out of sight of others, i.e. the bathroom or the car.
  4. You feel ashamed when you buy a candy bar, chips, or ice cream, often making excuses to the cashier during the purchase.
  5. You continue to eat as if you are starving, even after you feel full and continuing to eat is making you feel uncomfortable.

When you are addicted to something, you feel as though you cannot live without it, as if you will cease to exist if you cannot get what you need immediately.

Food addictions are no different from other types of addictions. First you feel out of control (stress) and then you act out of control (stuffing down your feelings with food).

Regaining control is the only way to pull out of the situation. Sometimes that happens in a matter of minutes. At other times, it may take hours or even days. When my sister died, I ate for several days non-stop.

Everyone is different but two things remain constant. Emotional trauma is always at the root of a food addiction, and stress is always the trigger.

There are many warning signs when it comes to food addictions but if you have these five, chances are you’re in deep. It may be time to ask for help.

Forget About Your Food Addiction for a Moment

Jan31

When we are troubled about something, especially something like a food addiction or an emotional eating problem like binge eating, it’s hard not to focus our attention on it.

However, since we attract to ourselves that which we place the most attention on, it’s a good idea to forget about our food addictions for as many moments as possible throughout the day.

The best way I’ve found to do this is to focus your thoughts and attention on the good things in your life and the things you like about yourself.

Let those things you like about yourself and your life overshadow the dread of measuring up to what society or your friends think you should look like. That only makes the food addiction worse.

We are who we are. And when we can become whatever we want to be, we will still be who we are. The best parts of ourselves are always with us, even when we forget about them.

We can’t change the past, so let it go and concentrate on the present. Forget about your food addictions and use food to change your life and your body to the way you want it to be.

We can have a simple win every day by focusing our attention on those things that will bring us what we desire. It’s hard at first, but it gets easier with practice.

Speak kindly to yourself, with respect and honor, and most of all, with love. The love energy of the heart will help to alleviate the emotional pain the fear energy of the mind can cause.

Create your own life anew each and every moment and you will have enough good memories to make you forget about your food addiction and enjoy your own beautiful self in your own new beautiful life.

Eat Your Way Out of Your Food Addiction

Jan26

Just a little reminder that what, when, and how much matters when it comes to eating. If you’re trying to overcome food addiction, binge eating, or a similar eating disorder, it matters even more.

This is a replay of a YouTube video with some simple tips you can follow to get your eating and your weight back on track. I tried them and they work great.