Tag Archive | Food Addict

Scripps Research Study Says Junk Food as Addictive as Cocaine and Heroin

Apr11

According to a report published the end of March by The  Scripps Research Institute in Florida,  junk food contains the same molecular mechanisms that cause drug addiction.

The three-year study confirmed for the first time that junk food contains addictive properties, something that food addicts and compulsive overeaters have been saying for decades. And now we have our proof.

With all the junk food junkies out there and obesity numbers growing daily, it’s almost comforting to know that there is a legitimate reason for compulsive overeating and food addictions.

The research, which was performed on rats, showed a direct link between obesity and a progressively deteriorating chemical balance in the reward center of the brain.

Real answers, at last. Click here to read the entire press release.

Food Addiction and Exercise

Apr8

Today I joined a gym. I’m tired of being overweight so I signed up for a 16-week program at a gym that is only a couple of miles from my home. Then I went home and binged, but only slightly.

My life has been particularly stressful the last two years and the binge eating isn’t helping anymore. At first there is some feeling of relief, and that may last for some people, but it isn’t working for me anymore.

Being overweight makes part of you fade away. Even though you take up more space, you feel invisible. It’s a very emotional experience that gets more stressful as you gain more weight.

Some people can go on an emotional eating binge now and then, put on a few pounds and then take them off. But for a person with a food addiction, those emotional upsets always seem out of proportion as do the binges that follow.

I walked on my treadmill almost every day for the past three or four years. Recently I was injured and missed almost six months, then it was the flu for two weeks, and now the tread has started slipping.

There are diets, exercises, weight loss programs, and pills that promise a flat tummy or toned backside in some short period of time. Then you see the women in bikinis, sleeveless dresses, all  smiles.

If they can do it, why can’t you, you ask yourself. And so you give it a half-hearted try and lose a few pounds.

Then something unpleasant happens and the food addict will likely give in to a binge because that’s what we do when the stress of imagining oneself in good shape, happy, enjoying ourselves in a social situation is too intimidating, too overwhelming.

So let’s see how the gym experience goes. Perhaps the exercise will prove a good substitute for overeating in times of stress.

We shall see.

Addicted to Processed Foods?

Apr6

Many of the foods we reach for when we get stressed out are packed with sugars, fats, preservatives,  salt, and myriad other substances, some of which we cannot even pronounce.

Food addicts rarely crave celery, carrots, or broccoli when the triggers click. We are more likely to go for chips, candy, cookies, ice cream, or other snacks that are high in sugar,  fats, and sodium.

Unfortunately, these foods are highly processed and full of additives that may cause a food addict to crave them even after the emotional stress has eased.

Processed foods are readily available. You can grab a package of lunchables, a bag of chips, a package of wings and a soft drink,  a slice of pizza, or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s at a drugstore, gas station, or supermarket at any time of the day or night.

This presents a few problems. For one, you don’t have a lot of time to consider your decision. Fast food, a fast decision. Then there are the aftereffects like gas, bloating, upset stomach, lack of energy.

Food is supposed to give you energy, not take it away, something to consider when making a food choice. All those additives may contribute to your food addiction by affecting hormones in the body.

Overeating prepared foods with lots of fillers, salt, corn syrup, dyes, and MSG (which has many names and can be found in numerous processed food items) can cause bloating and weight gains of as much as 10 pounds overnight.

The best way to avoid overeating junk foods is to prepare your own food, but since many people have gotten spoiled by convenience foods that you just pop in the microwave for a few minutes, another suggestion might be to just cut back.

If you eat packaged foods every day, cut back to twice a week. Cook a meal three times a week and use the leftovers in creative ways for lunches and healthy snacks.

When you buy chips, buy a small package instead of the economy size so when you eat the whole bag, it will be only one or two servings.

Wean yourself off sodas which are usually very in sodium that can cause you to retain fluid and try flavored water or iced tea, or watered down juice.

If you’ve been eating deli foods and other prepared foods for any length of time, it may be hard to go back to regular foods.

Carrots and broccoli don’t have to be smothered in a fatty ranch dressing to give them flavor. They already taste good–well, the jury’s still out on broccoli.

If you think you’re addicted to processed foods, you may be right. Make a pot roast and take a roast beef sandwich to work for lunch. Add a few strawberries or an apple with some cheese.

Treat yourself to a nutrient rich meal that tastes good. You could get used to it. After all, everyone deserves a healthy body.

Diets and Weight Loss

Mar16

No matter the reason for those extra pounds, if you are an emotional eater or a food addict, the odds are that you are overweight.

No matter what the root cause of your emotional eating binges might be, you are probably more concerned with losing the weight than getting to the source of the problem.

We hear every day how “diets don’t work” but what does that really mean? Fad diets are just that–fads. They come and they go. We lose interest in the food or tire of the monotony, and just give up–until the next miracle diet comes along.

Changing your eating patterns radically for short periods of time can undermine your health, even when your intentions are good. And even if you drop a couple of pounds, if you don’t feel good, then what’s the point?

Most people who have found success with a weight loss program say the same thing: “I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life”. That should tell you something.

At various times in my life, I have had success with weight loss products and programs, as well as energizing supplements and foods that helped me achieve my weight management goals.

Some of these products are listed in the column on the right and, yes, I receive a small commission when someone buys them from my website. This doesn’t bother me because I know they work.

You shouldn’t have to change your life for any diet. A weight management program, and that includes any diet, should fit into your life in a way that promotes your good health.

The real challenge isn’t losing the weight. It’s finding a weight loss and management program that works for you. It may take a few tries but if you don’t give up, you will be successful. You will lose the weight.

Make it a goal to find something that works for you in the long run. Our bodies change so an eating plan that worked in the past may not have the same results now.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, but make sure you do your research. After all, no one knows your body like you do.

Check out Diet Magic and other great weight loss products, and start on your new road to health today. When you get to the website, click on Products and scroll down to Weight Management.

You are awesome!