Anyone who has been on a diet is familiar with the vicious circle: hunger strike, relapse, overeating, guilt and hunger again. We torture ourselves, but in the long run the weight increases. Why is it so difficult to restrict yourself in food?
Society condemns smoking, alcohol and drugs, but turns a blind eye to overeating. When a person eats a hamburger or a chocolate bar, hardly anyone will tell him: you have a problem, see a doctor. This is the danger — food has become a socially approved drug. Psychotherapist Mike Dow, who specializes in the study of addictions, warns that food is an unhealthy addiction.1
In 2010, Scripps Research Institute scientists Paul M. Johnson and Paul J. Kenny experimented on rats — they were fed high-calorie foods from supermarkets. One group of rodents was given access to food for an hour a day, the other could absorb it around the clock. As a result of the experiment, the weight of rats from the first group remained within the normal range. The rats from the second group quickly became obese and addicted to food.2.
The example with rodents proves that the problem of overeating is not reduced to weak will and emotional problems. Rats do not suffer from childhood traumas and unfulfilled desires, but in relation to food they behave like people prone to overeating. Excessive consumption of foods high in sugar and fat changed the brain chemistry of rats, much like cocaine or heroin does. Pleasure centers were overwhelmed. There was a physical need to absorb more and more of such food for normal life. Unlimited access to high-calorie foods has made the rats addicted.
Fatty food and dopamine
When we ride a roller coaster, gamble, or go on a first date, the brain releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which causes feelings of pleasure. When we are bored and idle, dopamine levels drop. In the normal state, we receive moderate doses of dopamine, which allow us to feel good and function normally. When we “boost” the production of this hormone with fatty foods, everything changes. The neurons involved in the synthesis of dopamine are overloaded. They stop producing dopamine as efficiently as they used to. As a result, we need even more stimulation from the outside. This is how addiction is formed.
When we try to switch to a healthy diet, we forego external stimulants, and dopamine levels plummet. We feel lethargic, slow and depressed. Symptoms of real withdrawal may appear: insomnia, memory problems, impaired concentration and general discomfort.
Sweets and serotonin
The second important neurotransmitter in terms of nutritional problems is serotonin. High levels of serotonin make us calm, optimistic and self-confident. Low serotonin levels are associated with feelings of anxiety, fear, and low self-esteem.
In 2008, scientists at Princeton University studied sugar addiction in rats. The rats showed human-like reactions: cravings for sweets, anxiety about sugar withdrawal, and an ever-increasing desire to ingest it.3. If your life is full of stress or you suffer from anxiety disorders, chances are your serotonin levels are low, leaving you vulnerable to sugar and carbs.
Eat foods that stimulate the natural production of serotonin or dopamine
White flour products help temporarily increase serotonin levels: pasta, bread, as well as sugar-containing products — cookies, cakes, donuts. As with dopamine, a surge in serotonin is followed by a sharp decline and we feel worse.
Nutritional rehabilitation
Excessive consumption of fatty and sugary foods interferes with the natural production of serotonin and dopamine in the body. This is why following a healthy diet does not work. Removing junk food from the diet means dooming yourself to a painful withdrawal that lasts for several weeks. Instead of self-torture that is doomed to failure, Mike Doe offers a food rehabilitation system to restore natural chemistry. When the chemical processes in the brain return to normal, there will be no need for sweets and fats for good health. You will receive all necessary incentives from other sources.
Introduce foods into your diet that stimulate the natural production of serotonin or dopamine. Serotonin generation is promoted by low-fat dairy products, brown rice, whole grain pasta, buckwheat, apples and oranges. Dopamine production is supported by foods such as eggs, chicken, lean beef, beans, nuts, and eggplant.
Do activities that stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine. Going to the movies or a concert, talking with a friend, drawing, reading, and walking the dog can help raise your serotonin levels. Dopamine levels are increased by dancing, sports, singing karaoke, hobbies that bring you pleasure.
Control your intake of addictive foods. You don’t have to forget about hamburgers, french fries and macaroni and cheese forever. It is enough to limit the frequency of their consumption and monitor the size of portions. When chemical processes are restored, it will not be difficult to refuse junk food.
1 M. Dow «Diet Rehab: 28 Days To Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat», 2012, Avery.
2 P. Kenny and P. Johnson «Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats» (Nature Neuroscience, 2010, vol. 13, № 5).
3 N. Avena, P. Rada and B. Hoebel «Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake» (Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2008, vol. 32, № 1).