The more I look into food as an addictive substance the more I am convinced that some people react to food just like an alcoholic to alcohol and a drug addict to drugs. Food can a hold over these people's lives and make them miserable. It is like someone or something outside of their bodies has taken control and is forcing them to eat. This is often how an addict describes his or her addiction. Logically then know they want to quit, they know they don't want to smoke the joint, do the line, or mainline the needle but they can't stop.
I really believe this is exactly what happens with food for some people. They have so tied up emotions to food that they no longer can control whether they eat or not. For these people, food is not something to enjoy it has become something they must have. Often times an alcoholic will say he needs a drink to feel normal. I have heard people talk about food this way. Even though they are not hungry, they have to be eating in order to feel normal again. Afterwards they feel like cr*p but during the eating process and for a few minutes after they feel good. With all the free drug rehab help around there should be some help for people who have food addictions.
I think the only way we are going to get a handle on the obesity epidemic in this country is to address this problem of people looking at food as something other than healthy sustenance. We have so completely lost site of the proper role of food that people are constantly turning to crack pot ideas to try to lose weight instead of focusing on a well balanced, healthy plan. At the same time that we have this obesity epidemic we are telling young people they should be skinny. We are completely giving mixed signals.
Just look at advertising. On TV all the restaurant commercials show high calorie, high fat food along with a bunch of normal weight or under weight people laughing and having fun. This is telling the audience that these foods will give you great experiences. They should be honest and show that most of the people in these restaurants are actually fat. It has got so bad that hundreds of people are searching everyday on the internet to learn how to be anorexic. Can you believe that. This is a terrible mental illness and young people are choosing that over the fact that they don't have the proper body type.
We must get our food addictions under control if we want to get back to having a healthy population again.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How To View Food
I had an awakening last night about food addiction and how to deal with it. The reality is for a lot of people being addicted to food is a very real problem. I realized last night that I will not be able to deal with my weight until I change how I view food. Food is not my friend it is my enemy. It is like the alcoholic who relishes in the friendship of the bottle until one day he wakes up and realizes that his "best friend" is slowly killing him. Until that realization is made there is no hope that the alcoholic will stop drinking.
It is the same with food. If I want to limit my calories to get healthy I have got to realize that food is not my friend. It is a seductive mistress whose main goal is to ruin my health. The problem with food is that you can't go completely cold turkey like alcohol and drugs. You must eat some everyday because if you don't you will face a much sooner death than waiting for your arteries to clog up. This probably means I need to focus my thoughts more.
It is not food that is the enemy it is unhealthy food. I can go cold turkey off of high fat, high calorie, high carb foods and shun them just like the alcoholic must shun his or her favorite drink. The alcoholic doesn't stop drinking all liquids, just the ones the cause problems. The ones that contain alcohol.
With the right nutritional supplements and healthy meals I can combat and defeat this most worthy enemy. Just like the alcoholic who can't afford just one drink, I can't afford one bite of unhealthy food.
It is the same with food. If I want to limit my calories to get healthy I have got to realize that food is not my friend. It is a seductive mistress whose main goal is to ruin my health. The problem with food is that you can't go completely cold turkey like alcohol and drugs. You must eat some everyday because if you don't you will face a much sooner death than waiting for your arteries to clog up. This probably means I need to focus my thoughts more.
It is not food that is the enemy it is unhealthy food. I can go cold turkey off of high fat, high calorie, high carb foods and shun them just like the alcoholic must shun his or her favorite drink. The alcoholic doesn't stop drinking all liquids, just the ones the cause problems. The ones that contain alcohol.
With the right nutritional supplements and healthy meals I can combat and defeat this most worthy enemy. Just like the alcoholic who can't afford just one drink, I can't afford one bite of unhealthy food.
Friday, April 17, 2009
How to Overcome Food Addiction
Food addiction is getting to be a real problem is this country. We have the highest levels of obesity and diabetes a nation has ever suffered in history. The US is also a very addictive society. We are addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, pain killers, work, excitement, and sex. And these are only the most popular ones. Combine this addictive behavior with the preponderance of cheap food that is high in calories and you have a recipe for a time bomb.
We are already starting to see the results of this over eating epidemic. Health care costs are sky rocketing and much of the problem can be related to our diets. The question is are we choosing to over eat or is there something else going on.
Addicts partake in their addictive substances because it makes them feel better. For food addicts it is the same thing. A food addiction is marked by the person using food as a way to manipulate their emotions. If you have the food monkey on your back you can get help. Finally, people are starting to recognize that being addicted to food is a real problem.
We are already starting to see the results of this over eating epidemic. Health care costs are sky rocketing and much of the problem can be related to our diets. The question is are we choosing to over eat or is there something else going on.
Addicts partake in their addictive substances because it makes them feel better. For food addicts it is the same thing. A food addiction is marked by the person using food as a way to manipulate their emotions. If you have the food monkey on your back you can get help. Finally, people are starting to recognize that being addicted to food is a real problem.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Carbs and Losing Weight
More and more people are getting on the no carb and low carb bandwagon as a way to lose weight. This can be a healthy way to control your weight if you follow some rules. You do need some carbs in order to allow your body to function properly. A no carb diet is not really what you should be striving for. Instead you should try to limit your carbohydrate intake to a realistic level. Most low carb diets recommend a level of 40 to 80 grams of carbs a day. If you watch what you eat this is possible but it can mean a change to your diet.
For example, one slice of white bread can be about 22 grams of carbs. This is because wheat is a high carb food but also white bread is made with highly process flour. Some of the bad carbohydrates in food can be counteracted by carbs from fiber but with white bread the fiber has been all removed. Many celebrities are finding a diet with no carb foods is one that helps them lose weight and keep it off.
I have a friend who was overweight his whole life until about 10 years ago when he read about the Adkins diet. He started following it and lost enough fat to get down to the normal weight for his body type. He has now basically been eating a low carb diet for 10 years and he has kept his weight off. Mostly, he stays away from bread and potatoes and that does the trick for him. I asked him about other vegetables and he said he never worries about them because most of the time the majority of bad carbs is offset by the fiber.
As I have said in this blog before, we have got to get more realistic about what we put into our mouths. This unwillingness to face our relationships with food cause people to want to learn how to become anorexic fast and do harm to their bodies that will never heal. It is like everything else in this culture, we don't want to work for it we want it now. People don't want to change their diet to a healthy one and to start an exercise program, they want to eat whatever they want and then purge it out. I know because I used to be an active bulimic. Luckily, I stopped before it did long term damage I think. I do have some problems with ulcers which can be linked to vomitting.
For example, one slice of white bread can be about 22 grams of carbs. This is because wheat is a high carb food but also white bread is made with highly process flour. Some of the bad carbohydrates in food can be counteracted by carbs from fiber but with white bread the fiber has been all removed. Many celebrities are finding a diet with no carb foods is one that helps them lose weight and keep it off.
I have a friend who was overweight his whole life until about 10 years ago when he read about the Adkins diet. He started following it and lost enough fat to get down to the normal weight for his body type. He has now basically been eating a low carb diet for 10 years and he has kept his weight off. Mostly, he stays away from bread and potatoes and that does the trick for him. I asked him about other vegetables and he said he never worries about them because most of the time the majority of bad carbs is offset by the fiber.
As I have said in this blog before, we have got to get more realistic about what we put into our mouths. This unwillingness to face our relationships with food cause people to want to learn how to become anorexic fast and do harm to their bodies that will never heal. It is like everything else in this culture, we don't want to work for it we want it now. People don't want to change their diet to a healthy one and to start an exercise program, they want to eat whatever they want and then purge it out. I know because I used to be an active bulimic. Luckily, I stopped before it did long term damage I think. I do have some problems with ulcers which can be linked to vomitting.
| how to become anorexic fast |
| how to become anorexic fast |
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Healthy Eating and Weight Loss Lenses
As I have shared in this blog before, I have struggled with being overweight and food addiction my whole life. Because of this I have gained a lot of knowledge about nutrition, weight loss, and food addiction over the years. One vehicle I am using to share this information is this blogspot blog. It is great because adding posts to a blog is so easy I can have an idea and almost instantly I can put type it in to blogspot and post it on the web. The problem is I then need to get people to view the blog. I have decided that I need to find other ways to get my message out while still posting here.
I have decide to start a few lenses at Squdioo.com. A lens it just a web page that is posted to the internet like any other web page. They are very easy to make and I can realistically set one up in about 20 minutes which includes writing the text I want to put on the page.
You can view two of my lenses at no carb foods and healthy diets. My plan with the lenses is to focus a small particular aspect of healthy eating and food addiction with each page and explore it to its fullest. The nice thing about using Squidoo is you can have as many lenses as you want. In fact they really would like you to develop as many as possible. Their business model involves making money off of people's lenses and sharing that revenue with the authors. I guess it works. All I know is that it is another great place to post content.
I have decide to start a few lenses at Squdioo.com. A lens it just a web page that is posted to the internet like any other web page. They are very easy to make and I can realistically set one up in about 20 minutes which includes writing the text I want to put on the page.
You can view two of my lenses at no carb foods and healthy diets. My plan with the lenses is to focus a small particular aspect of healthy eating and food addiction with each page and explore it to its fullest. The nice thing about using Squidoo is you can have as many lenses as you want. In fact they really would like you to develop as many as possible. Their business model involves making money off of people's lenses and sharing that revenue with the authors. I guess it works. All I know is that it is another great place to post content.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Are Carbohydrates Addicting
Have you ever started eating potato chips and not been able to stop? How about a craving for a donut or cookie that nothing else would satisfy. Does it sometimes feel like you have no control over what you put in your mouth. There is some growing evidence from government and private research that some people have a physical addiction to carbohydrates. The chemicals in their brains appear to react differently to the compounds derived from digestions of carbohydrate rich foods.
At this time there are no good tests to determine physical addiction to carbohydrates. Many people are having good results trying a low carb diet for a few weeks to see if they feel better. Most of these people report increased levels of energy and feelings of better well-being. It seems that a diet of no carb foods or low carb foods allows the chemistry in the person's body to become more balanced. If you suspect that you may have an unnatural desire for foods high in carbohydrates try a low carb diet for a few weeks and see how you feel. Be sure to let your doctor or other health care provider know about your results.
Some food to stay away from are ones that contain a lot of sugar and foods that are known as startches. Common starchy foods include potatoes, breads, pasta, and corn meal products. The best way to determine if a food is high in carbohydrates is to check the nutritional label on the back of the package. Most low carb diets limit the daily intake to 40 - 80 grams of carbs. A small bowl of 15 potatoe chips will contain about 20 grams of carbohydrates. So you can see that potatoes would be something to stay away from.
Sugary foods are also loaded with carbs. Again, you need to check out the information on the package to find out the number of carbs in a serving. Be careful of serving size. If a portion is 10 grams and there are 5 servings in the package then an entire package will contain 50 grams of carbs. This is all you could eat for the whole day.
Watching the number of carbs vs protein is another example of healthy eating habits. You really need to be aware of what you are putting in your body. No one else can or will determine what you eat, instead you need to be aware and eat only those foods that help your body to function like it was designed.
At this time there are no good tests to determine physical addiction to carbohydrates. Many people are having good results trying a low carb diet for a few weeks to see if they feel better. Most of these people report increased levels of energy and feelings of better well-being. It seems that a diet of no carb foods or low carb foods allows the chemistry in the person's body to become more balanced. If you suspect that you may have an unnatural desire for foods high in carbohydrates try a low carb diet for a few weeks and see how you feel. Be sure to let your doctor or other health care provider know about your results.
Some food to stay away from are ones that contain a lot of sugar and foods that are known as startches. Common starchy foods include potatoes, breads, pasta, and corn meal products. The best way to determine if a food is high in carbohydrates is to check the nutritional label on the back of the package. Most low carb diets limit the daily intake to 40 - 80 grams of carbs. A small bowl of 15 potatoe chips will contain about 20 grams of carbohydrates. So you can see that potatoes would be something to stay away from.
Sugary foods are also loaded with carbs. Again, you need to check out the information on the package to find out the number of carbs in a serving. Be careful of serving size. If a portion is 10 grams and there are 5 servings in the package then an entire package will contain 50 grams of carbs. This is all you could eat for the whole day.
Watching the number of carbs vs protein is another example of healthy eating habits. You really need to be aware of what you are putting in your body. No one else can or will determine what you eat, instead you need to be aware and eat only those foods that help your body to function like it was designed.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Why Do I Eat?
I have been thinking a lot lately about my addiction to food and what triggers it. I know that stress is a cause of my eating but another cause is celebration. When something goes well, even something small, I have a strong desire to eat something in order to celebrate.
In my family growing up we always had a very unhealthy view of food. We used it for comfort and we used it as a way to celebrate good things. If it was your birthday you got to go out to dinner. If you received good grades, you could have special ice cream. If there was a get together it was all about what we would have to eat. We never really thought about food as only sustenance. Instead we always thought about it as being tied to some sort of emotion. I am now battling this every day as I try to break my addiction with food and start to get my body in shape for my old age.
The other thing I have been thinking about is that my body image is really skewed. I can look in the mirror, if I choose to look at all, but I don't see reality. I do not tend to think that I am as fat as I am. This came as a sad realization a few weeks ago. I received an electronic picture frame for Christmas. While I was going through pictures for the viewer I came seeing how big my belly really was. Boy was this and eye opener. I am really fat and now that I know that I am changing my behaviors to lose weight.
I dawned on me that overweight food addicts have a lot in common with under weight, even anorexic people. Both realities are a symptom of a skewed body image. I came across a blot the other day that talks about this. How to be anorexic is a blog about anorexia but a lot that is posted can also be applied to heavy weights like me who eats for pleasure and comfort instead of to fuel my body.
I really am working on my body image so I can really "see" exactly how I look. I do not want to be fat like I am. I want to be healthy and trim for the remainder of my life.
In my family growing up we always had a very unhealthy view of food. We used it for comfort and we used it as a way to celebrate good things. If it was your birthday you got to go out to dinner. If you received good grades, you could have special ice cream. If there was a get together it was all about what we would have to eat. We never really thought about food as only sustenance. Instead we always thought about it as being tied to some sort of emotion. I am now battling this every day as I try to break my addiction with food and start to get my body in shape for my old age.
The other thing I have been thinking about is that my body image is really skewed. I can look in the mirror, if I choose to look at all, but I don't see reality. I do not tend to think that I am as fat as I am. This came as a sad realization a few weeks ago. I received an electronic picture frame for Christmas. While I was going through pictures for the viewer I came seeing how big my belly really was. Boy was this and eye opener. I am really fat and now that I know that I am changing my behaviors to lose weight.
I dawned on me that overweight food addicts have a lot in common with under weight, even anorexic people. Both realities are a symptom of a skewed body image. I came across a blot the other day that talks about this. How to be anorexic is a blog about anorexia but a lot that is posted can also be applied to heavy weights like me who eats for pleasure and comfort instead of to fuel my body.
I really am working on my body image so I can really "see" exactly how I look. I do not want to be fat like I am. I want to be healthy and trim for the remainder of my life.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What Can Anorexia Teach Us
I have been doing some reading about anorexia lately to see how it fits into my fight with food addiction fight. The interesting thing is anorexics are preoccupied with food just like I am. Only they are preoccupied with doing anything possible to not put food in their mouths. I am preoccupied with the joy and relief I get from putting food in my mouth.
Yesterday I tried a trick from Alcholic's Anonymous. I told myself I just had to get through that one day without getting something from the snack machine. That is all I focused on was getting through the one day. I made it. I looked at the machine several times but I did not stop and put my money in. I was able to control the monkey on my back for that one day. This was success.
When I got home though I over ate. I was craving cheddar cheese. I ate too much. But then I did not eat the rest of the night which was a victory. Normally I eat a meal when I get home and then later about 7:00 pm I eat dinner. This is after a very small breakfast and basically no lunch. This is not a good way to operate I know. I need to balance my eating out better.
Today my goal is again to not get into the snack machine. I know I can do it because I did it yesterday.
I am craving protein again right now and I am not sure why. I must get something from that I just know what it is. If I get that shot of protein or carbs I feel great and I am off to the races. I can't stop eating the rest of the day.
We can combat these food addictions with the help of others.
Yesterday I tried a trick from Alcholic's Anonymous. I told myself I just had to get through that one day without getting something from the snack machine. That is all I focused on was getting through the one day. I made it. I looked at the machine several times but I did not stop and put my money in. I was able to control the monkey on my back for that one day. This was success.
When I got home though I over ate. I was craving cheddar cheese. I ate too much. But then I did not eat the rest of the night which was a victory. Normally I eat a meal when I get home and then later about 7:00 pm I eat dinner. This is after a very small breakfast and basically no lunch. This is not a good way to operate I know. I need to balance my eating out better.
Today my goal is again to not get into the snack machine. I know I can do it because I did it yesterday.
I am craving protein again right now and I am not sure why. I must get something from that I just know what it is. If I get that shot of protein or carbs I feel great and I am off to the races. I can't stop eating the rest of the day.
We can combat these food addictions with the help of others.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Like Food Withdrawl
One of the big problems with Food Addiction is you can't go cold turkey like you can will alcohol or drugs. You need a certain amount of food to enable your body to continue to function. Unlike abused drugs or alcohol which your body can function without just fine. I think the key is to find out which foods trigger the addictive behavior and treat those foods like you would any other deadly substance. You can still get good nutrition without eating the foods that trigger the madness associated with addiction.
In my case I think it is simple carbohydrates like white flour, sugar, and corn syrup. In particular, I think high fructose corn syrup has a powerful affect on me. As soon as it touches my tongue I can feel the affects. I get a warm feeling and I feel energized and "normal." This is the same results that alcoholics and drug addicts report when they use their drug of choice.
When I don't have these foods I start to get feelings just like alcohol withdrawal symptoms. I get irritable, I don't have any energy, and I just don't feel right. I can definitely tell that something is missing in me. When I start getting these food withdrawal symptoms my body is controlled by something other than my conscious brain. I walk to the candy machine and put my dollar in even though I know I don't want to eat junk food. It is like I no longer have any control over what I am doing.
These are classic alcohol withdrawal symptoms. I am going to view my trigger foods the same way alcoholics and addicts view their drugs of choice. Zero tolerance. I hope this will help combat my food addiction.
In my case I think it is simple carbohydrates like white flour, sugar, and corn syrup. In particular, I think high fructose corn syrup has a powerful affect on me. As soon as it touches my tongue I can feel the affects. I get a warm feeling and I feel energized and "normal." This is the same results that alcoholics and drug addicts report when they use their drug of choice.
When I don't have these foods I start to get feelings just like alcohol withdrawal symptoms. I get irritable, I don't have any energy, and I just don't feel right. I can definitely tell that something is missing in me. When I start getting these food withdrawal symptoms my body is controlled by something other than my conscious brain. I walk to the candy machine and put my dollar in even though I know I don't want to eat junk food. It is like I no longer have any control over what I am doing.
These are classic alcohol withdrawal symptoms. I am going to view my trigger foods the same way alcoholics and addicts view their drugs of choice. Zero tolerance. I hope this will help combat my food addiction.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Food Addiction and Diets
There are a lot of diets advertised for people who are over weight. What we consume is a big cause of the obesity in this country and other western societies. An interesting note is the people in other countries are also seeing their obesity levels rise as they consume a more western diet. We need to combat food addiction in two ways. We need to deal with what we eat and we need to deal with why we eat.
I think a diet is a good thing to get started on if you have a food addiction because it sets up a system for keeping track of the food you eat. This allows you to focus on the food and start to ask yourself if you are really hungry or if you are eating because of emotions. A diet I like is the cottage cheese diet. This is structured and it allows you to think about the food you are putting in your mouth.
Yesterday at work I had a candy bar and a bag of chips. Why? There were two causes. First, I started having withdrawl from carbs. I started feeling not very good and my head felt light. I really started telling myself that I needed some carbs to "feel better". I ate the candy bar and it didn't really help. Then I had a bag of Doritoes andI felt much better. Now today my pants are tight. I want to stop doing this.
The second reason was because we had a problem at work and I am always using food as a comforter. When I am stressed I tell myself that I will feel better if I eat. The eating does make me feel better then but the next day I feel rotten. I am going to use this blog to fight my food addictions.
I think a diet is a good thing to get started on if you have a food addiction because it sets up a system for keeping track of the food you eat. This allows you to focus on the food and start to ask yourself if you are really hungry or if you are eating because of emotions. A diet I like is the cottage cheese diet. This is structured and it allows you to think about the food you are putting in your mouth.
Yesterday at work I had a candy bar and a bag of chips. Why? There were two causes. First, I started having withdrawl from carbs. I started feeling not very good and my head felt light. I really started telling myself that I needed some carbs to "feel better". I ate the candy bar and it didn't really help. Then I had a bag of Doritoes andI felt much better. Now today my pants are tight. I want to stop doing this.
The second reason was because we had a problem at work and I am always using food as a comforter. When I am stressed I tell myself that I will feel better if I eat. The eating does make me feel better then but the next day I feel rotten. I am going to use this blog to fight my food addictions.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Food Addcition
If you have a food addiction you know how rotten that makes you feel. I hate the way food can take control of my life and make me do things I don't want to. You know what I mean, you start the day with all the best intentions in the world. Today I am only going to eat healthy food, you tell yourself. It goes well at breakfast. A little oatmeal and fruit. Then you get to work or you get the kids ready for school. The little stresses start to mount up. Nothing big just that little voice in your head telling you that donut would really make you feel better.
But you don't fall for it immediately. You fight it. You know you will end up feeling worse at the end of the day if you give in now. A few more stressors add up. You feel a little tinge in your stomach because you are not stuffed. You are still telling yourself you won't over eat today.
Then it happens. Your boss gets upset or the kids start to fight. It is not a lot but enough to send you over the edge. You reach for the candy bar but as you are reaching you know it is not what you want to do. You know logically the chocolate will not help your situation. You tell yourself no but it doesn't matter. The addiction has control of you and is running your life.
You unwrap the bar but your fingers don't even sense the feeling in your hand. You don't smell it. You don't really even see it. You are running on addiction autopilot and it is crashing into the ground. You stuff the candy into your mouth even as you tell yourself you don't want any. You know the candy will make you feel worse but you have no control. Later on your disgusted with yourself again. Another day and another day of addiction.
The addiction is active and you have no hope.
Let's work together to combat this terrible disease and get you back to being healthy. Won't you work with me?
But you don't fall for it immediately. You fight it. You know you will end up feeling worse at the end of the day if you give in now. A few more stressors add up. You feel a little tinge in your stomach because you are not stuffed. You are still telling yourself you won't over eat today.
Then it happens. Your boss gets upset or the kids start to fight. It is not a lot but enough to send you over the edge. You reach for the candy bar but as you are reaching you know it is not what you want to do. You know logically the chocolate will not help your situation. You tell yourself no but it doesn't matter. The addiction has control of you and is running your life.
You unwrap the bar but your fingers don't even sense the feeling in your hand. You don't smell it. You don't really even see it. You are running on addiction autopilot and it is crashing into the ground. You stuff the candy into your mouth even as you tell yourself you don't want any. You know the candy will make you feel worse but you have no control. Later on your disgusted with yourself again. Another day and another day of addiction.
The addiction is active and you have no hope.
Let's work together to combat this terrible disease and get you back to being healthy. Won't you work with me?
Food Addictions Suck
This blog is going to be about food addictions and how to fight them. Obesity is of monumental proportions (no pun intended) today. In the US, and more frequently in other countries, overeating has become a pass time with the result being that we have become more unhealthy than ever. This current generation of children in the US may be the first generation ever which will have a shorter average life span than their parents. This has got to stop. We cannot continue to eat ourselves into an early grave.
Food Addiction Matters
There are many reason why we are getting fatter as a society but one of the biggest is food addictions. We have completely lost sight of the real purpose of food which is to sustain our body for the physical labor required to go through our day to day lives. When was the last time you were hungry? I don't mean board and looking in the fridge or cupboard for something to eat because you didn't have anything else to do. I mean the kind where your stomach has little cramps and maybe you get a little light headed. The kind of hungry you get from not eating for a day or two days. I bet it has been a long time.
Our western society has more calories available than at any time in history. With our current transportation systems there is nothing we can't have for a fairly reasonable price. Up until the last few centuries most people had no idea what a sweetener was unless they were lucky enough to find a bee's nest. Now sugar is so cheap we have to have government subsidies in order to keep the sugar cane and sugar beet farmers in business. Consequently, sugar or corn syrup is added to almost everything which in turn increases the calorie count for the food.
I think this added sugar is also fueling our food addictions. Our bodies are addicted to the white stuff (not cocaine) and we go into withdrawls when we don't get it. I know half way through the day I start feeling really bad unless I have some chips or a candy bar. Instantly, when I eat these I start feeling better and within a few minutes I have a great sugar high. The only way to combat this is to stop eating processed foods. Eat naturally and you can limit the amount of extra sugar added to your life.
As we go along I will be blogging about my fight against food addiction. I hope I can help you to learn how to live without thinking of food every minutes. I don't have the answers yet but I will explore options and let you know what I find. Together, we can fight food addiction.
Food Addiction Matters
There are many reason why we are getting fatter as a society but one of the biggest is food addictions. We have completely lost sight of the real purpose of food which is to sustain our body for the physical labor required to go through our day to day lives. When was the last time you were hungry? I don't mean board and looking in the fridge or cupboard for something to eat because you didn't have anything else to do. I mean the kind where your stomach has little cramps and maybe you get a little light headed. The kind of hungry you get from not eating for a day or two days. I bet it has been a long time.
Our western society has more calories available than at any time in history. With our current transportation systems there is nothing we can't have for a fairly reasonable price. Up until the last few centuries most people had no idea what a sweetener was unless they were lucky enough to find a bee's nest. Now sugar is so cheap we have to have government subsidies in order to keep the sugar cane and sugar beet farmers in business. Consequently, sugar or corn syrup is added to almost everything which in turn increases the calorie count for the food.
I think this added sugar is also fueling our food addictions. Our bodies are addicted to the white stuff (not cocaine) and we go into withdrawls when we don't get it. I know half way through the day I start feeling really bad unless I have some chips or a candy bar. Instantly, when I eat these I start feeling better and within a few minutes I have a great sugar high. The only way to combat this is to stop eating processed foods. Eat naturally and you can limit the amount of extra sugar added to your life.
As we go along I will be blogging about my fight against food addiction. I hope I can help you to learn how to live without thinking of food every minutes. I don't have the answers yet but I will explore options and let you know what I find. Together, we can fight food addiction.
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