Overcoming food addiction
Today’s diets provoke intense cravings by stimulating the brain’s reward centres - it's time to break free!
Picture source: 10 Life Hacks for a Healthy Diet for Kids
Comfort foods - some are more comforting than others!
We seek comfort in food. We’ve permitted processed foods, packed with salt, fats, sugars, and meticulously crafted flavours, to undermine our health. A prior article clearly identifies who is at fault. This article outlines what we can do about it.
Today’s diets are designed to provoke intense cravings by stimulating the brain’s reward centres. The effects on obesity and diabetes are staggering. A meta-analysis published in 2014 showed that, according to the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), obesity and diabetes affected 20% of the Australian population.
The Modern Food Addiction Epidemic
The relief that processed foods offer for stress, overwhelm, anxiety, and depression is only temporary. In the medium to long term, these foods foster an addictive cycle that undermines both physical health and mental well-being.
Processed foods – more addictive than cocaine!
Scientific studies have shown that our brains can respond to the intense sweetness of processed foods as strongly as they do to drugs. In a notable experiment at the University of Bordeaux, rats were given a choice between cocaine and saccharin-sweetened water. Remarkably, 94% of the animals preferred the sweetened water, even when the cocaine dosage was increased! This finding highlights the extraordinary power of intense sweetness in activating our brain’s reward systems—often more so than addictive drugs.
Read: “5 Worst Artificial Sweeteners, Plus Healthy Alternatives”
Dual impact of Dopamine
When you eat foods rich in sugars, fats and salt, (and artificial sweeteners) your brain releases dopamine—a key neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. Research shows that there are two distinct surges of dopamine:
• Immediate: When food hits your taste buds, a prompt signal is sent to the brain, triggering an initial release of dopamine (and while all foods do this, addictive foods are the worst).
• Delayed: A few minutes after finishing the meal, another surge occurs, reinforcing the pleasure of eating (again, any food will do this, but addictive foods are the worst).
This two-stage dopamine release makes eating a pleasurable experience; however, in excess, it can also drive you to keep eating, even when you're no longer hungry!This two-stage dopamine release makes eating a pleasurable experience but in excess, it can also compel you to continue eating, even when you're no longer hungry!
The role of opioids in eating behaviour
Eating food also triggers the release of natural opioids in the brain. These substances amplify the pleasurable feelings associated with eating and can create a cycle of overeating, especially when the food is crafted to be incredibly appealing. Since processed foods typically take longer to bring about feelings of fullness, this effect contributes to weight gain and obesity.
Read:- Gluten (in bread) can break down into opioid-like substances called gluten exorphins
Read: Food Addiction: The Chemistry of Dairy & Wheat
Read: Bisphenol causes obesity
Drugs should be the last resort - not the first!
Medications can help to calm the addiction and appetite centres of the brain, but come with serious risks - and should therefore be the last resort - not the first!
While medications like Bupropion/Naltrexone (marketed e.g under the brand name Contrave for the purpose of weight reduction) have been used to help manage food addiction by altering brain chemistry, they are not the only solution. Note: Bupropion is a re-uptake inhibitor of the brain transmitters Dopamine and Noradrenaline, and is used to treat depression. It carries similar risks and side effects to SSRI’s).
The website Neurolaunch, under the topic of food addiction, discusses several drugs that are weight loss medications:
Saxenda: Like all injectable GLP1 drugs, Saxenda has alarming side effects, and (according to the label), it won’t work if you don’t also do exercise and calorie restrict.
Qsymia contains phentermine (an amphetamine-like drug - side effects here) and topiramate (an anti-epileptic drug - side effects here).
(SSRI’s (such as Sertraline, brand name in USA Zoloft – side effects, which are common and truly alarming, listed here). Independent research and discussion here.
All these drugs have side effects that - frankly - send a chill down my spine. Why should they be marketed as the first resort? - They should be the last!
Managing your food addictions rewires your brain, leading to improved health and happiness!
Natural techniques assist in managing cravings by reorganising the neural connections in the areas of the brain associated with emotion, self-awareness, and reward…
Natural Strategies: Meditation and Mindfulness
A systematic analysis published in Obesity Reviews found that study participants lost an average of 6.8 pounds after mindfulness practice, equating to a mean loss of 3.3 percent of their initial body weight. During follow-ups, the participants’ average weight loss increased to 7.5 pounds. (Regular meditation has been shown to naturally elevate dopamine levels, with experienced meditators demonstrating a 65% increase in dopamine in the ventral striatum, a key area associated with pleasure and reward).
Natural strategies: mindful eating
During my Pilates sessions I teach that, “awareness brings healing”. That’s my take on mindful eating. You know what is happening, which puts you in control (i.e. the addictive food no longer controls you).
Two thought provoking papers…
“The main aims of the programme are developing awareness about automatic processes, being conscious of the level of hunger, learning the relationship between eating patterns and emotions, differentiating physiological hunger from external‐derived signals to eat, finding a balance that allows enjoying eating while being conscious, identifying the bodily sensations related to an excessive intake, increasing knowledge about diet and nutrition, and learning how to take a compassionate approach to deal with binge episodes…”
“Our suggestions have always been to pay attention to what you are eating, such as “Don’t watch TV while you eat,” “Serve the correct portions,” “Chew 32 times before swallowing,” and “Sit down while you eat.” These recommendations have always been about paying attention, just as one would through mindful eating. The difference with mindful eating is that it is not about rules or guidelines; instead, it is about individual experience. No one has the same experience with the same food every time. The idea is for people to have their own experiences and to be in the present while having them…”
Natural Strategies: exercise - preferably combined with social connection
Exercise not only reduces the addictive effects of food, but it also helps manage depression and anxiety while improving dopamine levels in the brain. Unfortunately, the more severe your food addiction is, the more likely you are to dread exercising! The following list from the Canadian Centre for Addiction reminds us that we can break down the problem of exercise into manageable pieces. Try to add a social component to yoru exercise, such as a Pilates class or a walking group.
Running: Some seek to attain a ‘runner's high,’ - an improvement in your Running: Some aim to achieve a ‘runner's high,’ an increase in dopamine levels, which happens when they cross a certain threshold.
• Aerobics: Aim for 20 to 30 minutes daily, five days a week. Don’t worry about the intensity levels.
• Strength training: Building strength can boost your mood. Other advantages include self-mastery, enhanced self-control, and improved focus.
• Yoga and Pilates combine exercise, mindfulness, and meditation, which can help eliminate those pesky, repetitive negative thoughts. Stretching and breathing exercises improve flexibility and balance the mind and body.
• Hiking or walking provides numerous benefits, such as a lower risk of disease, increased energy levels, and better heart health.
• Other physical activities include cycling (whether stationary or mobile), swimming, and various sports.dopamine levels - which occurs when they surpass a specific threshold.
Aerobics: Target 20 to 30 minutes daily, five days a week. Don’t stress about the intensity levels.
Strength training: Increasing strength can enhance your mood. Other benefits include self-mastery, greater self-control, and improved focus.
Yoga and Pilates combines exercise, mindfulness, and meditation, which can help blast away those nasty, repetitive negative thoughts. Stretching and breathing exercises enhance flexibility and balance the mind and body.
Hiking or walking offers numerous benefits, including a reduced risk of disease, increased energy levels, and improved heart health.
Other physical activities include biking (whether stationary or mobile), swimming, and various sports.
Natural Strategies: fasting
Fasting (especially when combined with exercise) is a good way to reset the food addiction loop.
Read: Science behind Stages of Fasting
The first 20 minutes…
It takes 20 minutes from putting food in your mouth to feeling satisfied. So, if you eat slowly and chew well in a mindful and meditative way, you will allow time for the satiety hormones—leptin, (reduced levels of Ghrelin), Insulin, and GLP-1—to kick in and counteract the dopamine urge. You should avoid “junk foods” (the highly processed foods designed to trigger overeating). You can opt for high-protein foods, natural high-fibre foods, and anything that isn’t processed or packaged.
From 3 hours to 18 hours…
This is where understanding Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) becomes important. During the 3 to 18-hour fasted state, you experience peaks of Ghrelin-induced hunger at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (8 am, midday, and 8 pm). At these times, your Ghrelin levels peak, and your hunger comes in waves. If you ride these waves (for example, by distracting yourself with a glass of water, going for a walk, or starting an engaging work project), you can manage the peaks and build confidence in overcoming your cravings.
From 18 to 72 hours…
The levels of Ghrelin hormone decrease with each day of fasting, so your body learns to feel less hungry.
Any fasting in general improve dopamine hormone sensitivity…
And re-establishes a healthy food-reward system
Ref. Dopamine Detox: Resetting Your Brain’s Reward System
Ref. Leptin reduces food intake via a dopamine D2 receptor-dependent mechanism
This means that if you regularly fast, you can consume less of the unhealthy, processed, addictive foods to achieve the same level of dopamine-induced pleasure. Additionally, a person accustomed to fasting will find all the enjoyment they need by eating non-addictive, wholesome, and unprocessed foods.
Chaucer, the author of the Canterbury Tales, understood how fasting normalises the food-reward system.
Quote:"-
“…In which she ate full many a scanty meal.
No pungent sauce (addictive flavourings) was needed for her veal;
No dainty morsel (unhealthy snacks) ever passed her throat.
Her diet, her cottage struck a single note.
Repletion (overeating) thus had never made her sick;
And a moderate diet was all her physic (medicine)…
https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/English/CanterburyTalesXVI.php
Natural Strategies: a quiet time at the beginning of the day
Many have found that beginning the day with a few minutes of meditation can make a difference. By calming the mind and lowering stress hormones, meditation facilitates better regulation of dopamine and helps restore a natural balance between the desire for food and nutritional need. Morning meditation has assisted many individuals in transitioning from stress-eating habits to a more thoughtful and balanced approach to living.
Conclusion
Processed foods are designed to keep us hooked, but all is not lost. When we understand the science behind our cravings, we can fight back. Small, intentional changes in our lifestyle will break the cycle of food addiction and foster a more harmonious relationship with what we eat.
Embrace these strategies, and take back control of your brain and body—one mindful step at a time.
Acknowledgements
When Food Hijacks Your Brain, There Are Ways to Get It Back