Food Addiction – Is It Possible? Seriously, Food Addiction!
I’m sure when you hear someone has an “addiction” you probably think of heroin or cocaine, maybe alcohol. No one thinks of a person having a food addiction but millions of people do. There are several different opinions about food addiction – of course we have the internet today to drum up scenarios on everything – but many researchers have found that food addiction actually isn’t about the food itself but more about the individual while others feel people with a food addiction get the same rush some get eating a package of doughnuts or quart of ice cream as a heroin or cocaine addict gets when they get high.
I am certainly not saying that a person with a sweet tooth has the same problems someone hooked on illegal drugs. Experiments on animals and humans though have shown that the same center of the brain comes to both. One of the biggest problems everyone faces today is being so busy and having “quick fixes” at the ready. Let’s face it, everyone knows too much of anything is not good for you (even exercise as it can lead to injury if you don’t rest your body) but being on the go and grabbing a Twinkie (high in sugar) or swinging by a fast food joint for a double cheese burger (high in fat and made of low quality meat in most cases) you brain gets used to the high qualities of fat and sugar which leads to cravings. Below are some tips to deal with this “food addiction” if you feel you have a problem. By the way, I fight the urge to load up on sugar about everyday!
- Clean out your cupboards and freezer. One of the reasons I survive my sugar attacks is I do not keep candy in my home or office. When I buy ice cream, I buy the small 3.6 oz size so I when it’s gone, I’m done! The chances of you getting in your car at night to drive somewhere to grab something unhealthy are much smaller than getting off the couch and walking to the kitchen. Whether you have a food addiction or not, It’s far too easy to sit in front of the TV and just binge eat without even realizing that’s what your doing.
- Track and Set Goals. Does anything in life get accomplished without a written down goal? First thing to figure out is if you have a problem. Write down how many grams of fat, sugar and carbohydrates you are taking in per day. My guess is the number is going to really surprise you. Immediately set a goal of cutting out 25% that day (50%) would be ideal.
- Track Your Water And Protein Intake. 2 or 3 days after you have set goals for fat and sugar intakes, write down how many cups of water you are drinking and how much protein. You should be drinking at least 8 cups of water a day but ideally get closer to a gallon. Daily protein intake should be 1 gram for every pound you weigh. Let me rephrase that, if you are trying to lose weight, make it 1 pound of your ideal weight. You should try to build to 1.5 grams of protein for each pound your weigh at your ideal weight.
- Prepare meals for the week. One day a week spend a couple hours in the kitchen making whichever meal(s) you are struggling with eating properly. Put the meal in a microwave safe tupperware for quick reheating whether at work, home, wherever. If you do not have a microwave at work, make wraps with your favorite meats. Be sure you are getting equal amounts of protein in each meal and drink your water!
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