Addictive, Compulsive & Disordered Eating
Processed Food Addiction Leads to Compulsive, Disordered and Emotional Eating
Before Big Tobacco took control of processed foods in the 1980s, we ate real foods. After Big Tobacco applied the Addiction Business Model to processed foods, millions of people were no longer eating real food. They were eating addictive food-like substances.
Research clearly shows evidence of addictive substances that have been intentionally placed in foods to hijack our brain chemistry. They include Sugar – which hits the dopamine response, flour that hits serotonin, gluten, excessive salt, and dairy are opiates, processed fats hit the cannabis response, and caffeine hits dopamine. All the other additives may also produce addictive responses in our brains.
The food industry knew they needed to get the public addicted to sell their foods and make millions while in the process literally hijack brain chemistry. They figured out that processed foods, while they look, taste, and feel horrible – they can be altered to become addictive by adding salt, fat, and sugar to create addiction, this both changed how these processed foods taste and, in the process, they leveraged unbelievably addictive foods that create mental and physical addiction.
The food industry was able to figure out through their research that it only takes 7 days for sugar to begin its addictive effect on the brain neurons. Rats chose sugar over cocaine when studied and sugar will activate dopamine faster than cocaine. They took fried potatoes containing salt, sugar, and starch altered by high heat to produce the most addictive combination. Dairy contains 4 natural opiates that addict and take over the brain.
From 1970 to 1997, a pound of processed foods per person per day, a 37% increase which proved that neuromarketing is effective and it has led to epidemics of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, memory loss, and learning disabilities.
How I can help you regain control
Food swaps are critical. Out with the processed, packaged, addictive food and instead replacing with Whole, Unprocessed, 1 Ingredient Foods. Those foods that we can recognize what they are, where they are grown – fresh and delicious – not packaged, processed, with chemicals, additives, and addictive substances. Once off those substances it is incredible how quickly mental and physical health, clarity, and sense of well being return. It is like a black cloud is lifted. I have seen this transformation over and over with clients and it is the most wonderful life-changing solution.
Re-thinking the Solution
Overeating is the old paradigm. The new thinking around overeating is food addiction. Defining overeating as: lack of willpower, gluttony, they haven’t yet hit rock bottom, exercise, and just figure out your calories in / calories out, and plain self-sabotage. Instead let’s look at food addiction for what it is: we have the wrong diagnosis, dieting is a horrible, destructive mismatch, people need a lot of support (much more than they are currently given), these people have cognitive impairments and kidnapped mirror neurons because of their food addiction.
"Repair Your Relationship with Food!"
Common Questions
Looking at a goal of fat loss, not weight loss, it is possible to lose 1-2 pounds per week of fat – no more. The rest would be a fluid loss.
The problem with heavy restriction whether it be from fasting or severe calorie restriction is that not only is not sustainable but it does more harm than good. While initial weight loss happens, it is not sustainable and ultimately creates metabolic damage.
Exercise is awesome and I encourage my clients to do both cardio and strength training. However, this is not what is responsible for weight loss. 80% or more of your success in weight loss will come from the food you eat (or don’t eat). The rest is lifestyle – exercise, sleep, stress, and hormones.
I offer a package of that includes 5 coaching consults that I can do in person or virtually, or by phone. The initial consult is an hour and the follow-up consults are 30 minutes. In between I offer daily support via text and email.
I offer a Free Nutrition Consult which is a 30 minute Discovery Call to see if we are a good fit for each other. My goal is to help my clients reach their health and weight loss goals in the most sustainable way!
My Approach & Philosophy
Are you frustrated with your inability to lose weight and/or keep it off? I know how you feel. One of the reasons I became a nutritionist/dietitian, is that I struggled with my own weight loss journey. I went on a diet, lost weight, and then gained it back – a cycle that I repeated over and over. I decided to take matters into my own hands and find out how to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy and sustainable way. I myself, lost and have kept off over 100 pounds. I know what it feels like to be unhappy with my weight and in my body. My own journey has helped me to help others who struggle. I have helped thousands over my last 25 years in practice achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It is lifechanging!
Over 95% of people who lose weight on a diet will gain all the weight back, and more. If you have experienced this frustration you are not alone. The most important thing I can do for you is help you find a healthy and sustainable eating plan – both for weight loss and weight maintenance. This will change the way you feel in your body, the clothes you wear and provide you with the energy to live life to your fullest potential.
