What Makes Junk Food So Addictive
Theres a lot of math and science that gets put into finding the perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat into food products to make it impossible to have just one bite. This is known as food engineering. Chemistry and technology are used to make food more addicting, and more profitable. When food companies create products with the perfect amount of salt, sugar, and fat, it is known as the bliss point. Its what makes junk food so irresistible. These processed foods stimulate the reward system in the brain in the same way that addictive drugs do.
Reduce Your Time In Stressful Environments
Some stress is good for us. Our bodies are made to handle some amount of stress, and thats an awesome part of being a human being. But too much stress can negatively affect us physically and emotionally. When you start to feel stressed, take a few deep breaths and figure out what is triggering your stressed state. If its something you have to do, then do it and take a break afterward. If you know that a specific environment is not suitable for you, try to avoid that environment, change it, or change your mind frame toward it.
Develop A Nutritional Plan
The development of a nutritional plan for those in recovery involves planning out meals and determining an appropriate meal schedule that meshes with other activities in the treatment plan.
This also involves taking into account any issues the client has around food, including eating disorders. Depending on individual needs, the plan may leave room for snack times, or it may be a better option to restrict intake to three times per day if the client has issues with things like binge eating.
Read Also: How To Kick My Sugar Addiction
Symptoms Of Food Addiction
There are no blood tests or laboratory exams that can diagnose the existence of food addiction. Like other addiction disorders, the diagnosis of food addiction is based on the persons behaviors. Here are the symptoms of addiction:
Can you relate to at least four signs above? You should start to worry about having a food addiction. But if you have six signs or above, go seek professional help because its most likely food addiction.
Stop Drinking Alcohol And Caffeine
Both these beverages reduce inhibitions and cause poor dieting choices. With coffee and other drinks that are high in caffeine, the body begins to crave sugary coffee cakes or doughnuts. Plus, too much caffeine can create anxiety and for too many people junk food and emotional eating have become the most effective tools to treat anxiety.
Alcohol definitely lowers inhibitions more than coffee or other drinks with other caffeine content. Theres also a high likelihood that the bar or restaurant will have addictive foods like chicken wings and french fries and drinking lots of alcohol will only make it more likely that a relapse will occur. If youre alcohol dependent, you might want to handle that first. One addiction at a time.
Also Check: How To Stop Being Addicted To Alcohol
How To Overcome An Addiction
This article was co-authored by Tiffany Douglass, MA. Tiffany Douglass is the Founder of Wellness Retreat Recovery Center, a JCAHO accredited drug and alcohol treatment program based in San Jose, California. She is also the Executive Director for Midland Tennessee at JourneyPure. She has over ten years of experience in substance abuse treatment and was appointed a Global Goodwill Ambassador in 2019 for her efforts in residential addiction treatment. Tiffany earned a BA in Psychology from Emory University in 2004 and an MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Organization Behavior and Program Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University in 2006.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 25 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,122,411 times.
Theres a myth out there that addiction is inescapable or something thats locked in for life, but thats definitely not the case. In fact, more people succeed at overcoming their addiction than fail.XResearch source Acknowledging that youre addicted to something and wanting to change are the first steps, so youre on the right track! This article will show you how to come up with a plan for overcoming your addiction and stick with it, even when things get tough.
Social Causes Of Food Addiction
Scientists believe there are many social pressures that contribute to food addiction.
This includes social pressure to be thin and the social disapproval for people who are overweight.
This pressure fuels the food addicts self-disgust.
The resulting depression causes the food addict to overeat in an attempt to feel better about themselves.
Read Also: What Are The 12 Steps Of Addiction
How To Fight Food Addiction In Ohio Rehab
The Recovery VillageDrug Rehab
For many people, having a healthy and balanced relationship with food can be a struggle. Some are not particularly food-motivated and may find it easy to adopt the eat to live mindset of having a utilitarian, measured approach to eating. However, for those struggling with food addiction, eating can serve as an escape from boredom or a way to manage stress or deal with unsatisfying circumstances in our professional or personal lives.
Work With A Nutritionist
The programs nutritionist takes notes from the physician and analyzes them to determine what nutritional needs the client has. One of the factors to consider is the persons stress levels, which are almost certain to be high during treatment. As the brain is working to re-balance itself after chronic drug and alcohol abuse, the stress hormone cortisol is over-produced and can deplete critical nutrients, including:
- Vitamins A, C, E and B-family
- Minerals, including zinc and magnesium
- Fatty acids
- Electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium
Once specific deficiencies have been targeted, the nutritionist can plan meals designed to replenish the missing nutrients while also providing the client with well-balanced amounts of all six essential nutrients.
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Meet With A Physician
As part of the intake process, clients meet with a physician for a review of health history and discussion of the specific issues related to substance abuse. The review should include a talk about eating habits and weight that touches on:
- Weight gained after abusing depressants or sedatives, including opioids, benzodiazepines and alcohol.
- Weight lost due to appetite suppression created by stimulants.
- Nutrient deficiencies arising from organ damage or poor eating habits.
- Potential co-occurring eating disorders that may be a cause or result of substance abuse.
Once the doctor outlines the clients issues related to food and nutrition, its time for a nutritionist to step in.
How You Can Fight The Food Addiction And Win
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Video taken from the channel: Dr. Becky Gillaspy
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Recommended Reading: Does Intervention Pay The Addicts
How To Fight Your Food Addiction And Win
I recently finished reading The End of Overeating by David Kessler, and it opened my eyes to a side of food that I didnt know existed.
Although there were a few things in the book that I didnt completely agree with , it was loaded with fantastic information and advice on how to break the mental chains that food can have over people. It was certainly a great read.
Now, rather than just recap the book and present its information in a clear, concise manner, Im going to recap it in the only way I know how: by nerding the sh** out of it and relating it to a universally nerd-loved concept:
The Matrix.
Yes, I know Ive written extensively about the Matrix before, but I couldnt help but draw all sorts of parallels to the movie once again while reading this book. Allow me to explain:
Emotional Eaters Do Not Care About Portion Control
Getting experienced is a practical knowledge acquired to achieve greatness. If you learn to change your brain to think and make a better decision, it would help you get a better relationship with yourself and with others.
This is what helps me cope with my food addiction, I started experimenting with meditation, exercise, and Paleo Diet. I discovered a brand new me full of energy, a brand new life full of happiness, and a life of empathy to connect with other people.
Food addiction is comparable to drug addiction. If we treat it as such, then it will lead to a lot more acceptance in our society. Resources will then be directed towards research and development of treatment against this disorder.
As long as we continue to create a stigma around this disorder, then its treatment will remain an illusion, and more people will continue to suffer from it as mental illness. Best advice is to follow a proper and nutritional diet.
Also Check: Why Am I An Addict
An Overview: Learning How To Overcome Food Addiction
Whats In This Article?
Learning how to overcome food addiction can be as challenging as working through other addictions such as to drugs like cocaine and heroin, but its also possible. Food addiction can be complex, and it often involves physical and mental health. When you struggle with untreated food addiction, you may find that it causes or triggers symptoms of other mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety. It can also contribute to physical health conditions like obesity or Type 2 diabetes.
The following provides more information about food addiction and its symptoms, as well as tips to help you overcome food addiction and stop eating in healthy ways. In addition to learning how to overcome food addiction, there are also five books that focus on food addiction and can be great tools if this is something you struggle with.
Read Also: How To Stop Addictive Behavior
Why Am I Obsessed
A preoccupation with food can start as early as childhood, especially when parental control around mealtimes is high. Any limitation, restriction, or condition placed upon food will ignite this preoccupation. Social media feeds, such as , have even been shown to increase ones chances of developing disordered eating habits like orthorexia. .
Food restrictions can be intentional, such as with dieting, or unintentional, such as with a busy schedule. Either way, under-fueling leads to over-thinking. This is also seen when we moralize food into categories like good and bad. A desire for perceived bad foods builds from the mere idea that we shouldnt be eating them.
under-fueling leads to over-thinking
Extreme preoccupation with food can also manifest into diagnosable eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder, and Avoidance/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. To learn more about each, visit the National Eating Disorder Associations website.
The bottom line: its human nature to want what we *think* we cannot have. Dieting imposes restrictions and impedes our ability to fuel intuitively . Since our culture normalizes dieting, one can assume that much of the dance population lies on the spectrum of disordered/restrictive eating.
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Help For Food Addiction
Science is still working to understand and find treatments for food addiction.
Some argue that recovery from food addiction may be more complicated than recovery from other kinds of addictions. Alcoholics, for example, can ultimately abstain from drinking alcohol. But people who are addicted to food still need to eat.
A nutritionist, psychologist, or doctor who is educated about food addiction may be able to help you break the cycle of compulsive overeating.
There are also a growing number of programs that help people who are addicted to food. Some, like Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, are based on the 12-step program that has helped many people addicted to alcohol, drugs, or gambling.
Others, like Food Addicts Anonymous, use the principles of the 12-step program along with strict diets that advise people to abstain from problem ingredients, like sugar, refined flour, and wheat.Ã
Ways To Beat Your Food Addiction
And nix your stress-eating for good
Its an all-too-common scenario: You wake up in the morning swearing todays the day when youll eat clean, nourish yourself with a healthy breakfast at home, and pass up the glistening bakery goodies that tempt you every day. You make it to work without incident and then stress hitsany kind of stress, from a new project deadline to a caustic remark from your boss. A little while later, you find yourself with pastries in hand, wolfing down sugary anesthetics and wanting more. When you finally pop out of your food trance, and the reality of what youve done begins to settle in, the ensuing feelings of shame and guilt stoke your stress levels more and youre already plotting your next food fix. You wonder: Why do I keep caving to these cravings? Wheres my discipline and willpower?
This is your brain addicted to food.
Thats right. Addicted. You might tell yourself, “Im not addicted to food I just love a good sweet now and then.” Well, Im here to tell you that food addiction is real it affects more people than you know, and manufacturers actually design food products so that they are as addicting as possible. Yes, that perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory was created to make sure you keep reaching for more. Thats why I wrote The Hunger Fix, because I want to change the game that is rigged against you.
Here are six ways to beat food addiction:
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Begin Looking At Food Objectively
Manufacturers are experts at producing foods that are chock full of salt, fat, and sugar. These are often referred to as hyperpalatable. Plus, they often require no cooking or preparation, are inexpensive, and are easily attainable. They are made for mass consumption. They are not, however, what your body needs to function. On some level, you know that, but the louder voice in your head is telling you that these foods are a comfort. They are the salve for your emotional wounds. And, yes, they do function that way for you at times. This is why you need to remove the emotional component and look at them solely as a source of nutrition.
You must look to nutritional staples that can give you the healthy requirements your body depends upon. Yes, you crave fat. But, you would do better to get it from fish, lean meats, oil, avocados, and nuts. Yes, you crave carbs, but you can get those from whole grains, sweet fruit, and vegetables. Your brain is designed to enjoy these foods. But, you may not understand that because you have negative emotional associations with them.
Remove the emotional lens through which you filter your emotional eating. Even if you still continue to binge as a coping mechanism, a change to healthier nutrition makes it a slightly less serious issue.
How Many People Have Food Addiction
A recent systematic review examined the total prevalence of food addiction in people all over the world8Pursey K, Stanwell P, Gearhardt A, et al. The prevalence of food addiction as assessed by the Yale Food Addiction Scale: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2014 6:4552-4590.. Some interesting findings from this review emerged:
- The global prevalence of food addiction is 19.9%.
- Females had higher rates of food addiction than males .
- Overweight/obese people had higher rates of food addiction than normal weight people .
- People with an eating disorder had much higher rates of food addiction than people without an eating disorder .
Some people think that food addiction is just another term for binge-eating disorder.
The evidence does not support this, because more than 40% of people with binge-eating disorder do not receive a diagnosis of food addiction9Linardon J, Messer M. Assessment of food addiction using the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 in individuals with binge-eating disorder symptomatology: Factor structure, psychometric properties, and clinical significance. Psychiatry Research. 2019..
This suggests that the food addiction construct is not entirely overlapping binge-eating disorder.
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How To Beat Food Addiction
Sent by JUDY CHO | January 16, 2021
We are halfway into the month of January and what an interesting 2021 its unfolding to be. There is a lot of noise out there and while I try to focus my content mainly on nutrition, its pretty difficult not to see how holistic nutrition is so pivotal to fearing less during these times.
I talk about some of the less than comfortable things in some of these podcasts. I share my personal view of how these times adversely affect our children and how I worry about the next generation. You can find some of my podcast features below.
