Food Addiction Is Real and Devastating: Breaking Free From Processed Food Dependency
Introduction: My Journey With Food Addiction
Those of you who know me or have read my book, Living Like the Future Matters ~The Evolution of A Soil to Soul Entrepreneur, realize I had a serious food addiction. For 37 years, I owned and operated a fabulous natural foods bakery/cafe in Homer, Alaska, with access to organic brownies, sticky buns, milkshakes, and everything I wanted at my fingertips. I got fat and sick and was ready to give up. I know firsthand how dangerous food addiction is. Food addiction is on the rise because the way our food is grown, processed, and what we put in our mouths has become more and more toxic. To get the details, you can download a free chapter of my book, Leading to Addiction.
The Hidden Truth About Processed Foods
Plain and simple, we need food to survive, but the process of making it supposedly tastier and more convenient is actually making us sick. Children are becoming addicts without having a choice. Even many so-called natural foods have addictive substances, such as too much sugar, salt, and fillers. Many natural foods brands are now owned by industrial food giants such as General Mills, The Kellogg Company, Campbell Soup Company, and Kraft.
The Science of Food Addiction
There are chemicals and ingredients used in processed foods that are specifically made to be addicting. A study published by PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, supports that processed foods high in added fats and refined carbohydrates are more likely to lead to food addiction. The foods that showed the most addictive properties were “pizza, chocolate, ice cream, and French fries,” while the least addictive were foods like “cucumbers, beans, and brown rice.” Overeating and consuming these types of foods overload the pleasure system in the brain, which causes addiction similar to recreational drugs.
Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular therapeutics at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, has noted that the pleasure center essentially crashes, which eventually “requires increasing amounts of the drug or food.” According to Dr. Mark Hyman, a renowned integrative medicine doctor: “The science of food addiction is clearer now than ever before. A powerful study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proves that higher-sugar, higher-glycemic foods are addictive in the same way as cocaine and heroin.”
The Global Health Crisis
Pay the farmer now or Big Pharma later. The Western diet is plagued by convenient, unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, the cheap prices of these harmful processed foods are desirable to us as a society, as everyone is trying to save a buck or has no choice. According to a Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition report, poor nutrition poses a greater risk than alcohol, tobacco, and unsafe sex globally. Many people live in food deserts and have no access to healthy foods, and these communities also have the highest crime rate.
Breaking Free: Steps to Recovery
Most of the time, we may not have the willpower to effectively handle our addictions by ourselves. There is help, of course, and the best way to get this help would be through methods of therapy by a professional who deals with addictions. It is refreshing to know that there is improvement and hope, but if not taken care of early on, there are certainly repercussions. When it comes to food consumption, eating natural, non-processed foods will reduce most food addiction habits because there are no chemicals that cause addictive qualities.
Key Points To Take Away From This Information:
- Love yourself and be willing to change for the benefit of your health.
- Refrain from eating processed foods of any sort as much as possible.
- Find a support system to encourage you.
- Understand that good habits will increase your lifespan and improve your well-being.
- Seek help if you can’t seem to cut the habit out of your life.
Conclusion: Reclaim Your Health
Applying these key points makes you much closer to quitting your addiction. This is a big topic and growing, and I will write more about it in the coming weeks. You can also download the free chapter or get the Living Like the Future Matters ebook for only $1.99 for a limited time, where I share the story of my battle and recovery from food addiction.
Your Call to Action
This week, take one concrete step to reduce processed food in your diet: clean out one section of your pantry, plan one whole-food meal, or visit a local farmers market. Notice how you feel physically and emotionally when you make this shift. Share in the comments: What step are you taking to break free from food addiction? Let’s support each other on this journey toward true health and freedom!
Resources:
- Food Addiction Community, Dr. Joan Ifland
- Which Foods May Be Addictive? The Roles of Processing, Fat Content, and Glycemic Load
- The Facts on Junk Food Marketing and Kids
🥰 A Dose of Positivity
This week’s guest on A Dose of Positivity is an expert in processed food addiction, Dr. Joan Ifland. If you, or anyone you know, are struggling with food addiction, join us. Come with your questions and input. You will be glad you did!
Need some Mama Donna love? 🥰
