1Maryann Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Just came across this study that measured dopamine and other chemical changes in the brains of rats who had their access to fats and sugar restricted, then were given unlimited access. They binged the way addicts do. Just thought it might be interesting for those of us who do great until we slip up a little, then wind up going off the rails. Knowing the dangers might help us avoid the problem. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/28/high-fat-diets-addiction-that-hard-to-break/?intcmp=obinsite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 I feel as if I've become living proof of this. I took some days off between Christmas and New Year's, thinking it would be a great break and a great gear-up to my next round. Not so. I'm starting my Whole100+ early because I started having wild mood swings, my joints are all swollen, my ankles are puffy, my fingers hurt, I'm just totally out of whack. I think, really, that I was living in a state of addiction for many, many years. I am becoming more and more convinced of that. It has affected how I live my entire life, the choices I make for myself in work, relationships, everything. Cleaning up my eating calls me to clean up my life, and it's big. It's big, big stuff. A friend of mine was just talking to me about this the other day - don't know if he saw that article or not, but he experienced it with a BANG when he suddenly had to have quadruple bypass surgery a couple of years ago. He altered his entire life and has discovered that same thing, that what we eat is either nourishment or addiction - it really can be a drug. It's hard to see when you're in the middle of it, I think. Today I was just thinking that I was feeling sad and depressed and angry, and I had to keep telling myself it's the sugar and dairy and grains, that's what it is. So I realized I needed to get back on track - now, not waiting. OK that was more like a confessional than anything else! But yeah, addiction is addiction, no matter what it comes from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Maryann Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 I'm right there with you, Amy. I used to joke "Hi, my name is Maryann and I'm a carboholic." Except it really isn't funny. I CANNOT have "a little" pasta, I will keep going back for more and never feel satisfied. I CANNOT have "a little" dessert, or "a little" mashed potatoes. I wasn't able to finally quit smoking until I understood the addiction component. When I was looking at it as a matter of willpower, I would quit, and then months later tell myself I was cured, and could handle a drag, two drags, a couple of cigarettes. But I never could. It eventually led me back to the same place. It wasn't until I accepted the addiction as a fact that I was able to quit. I had to accept that physically, the cravings are over in 72 hours and that it is a mental game you will play with yourself for life. It has been over 12 years, and every once in a while I still get the crave. It goes away quickly, and I've learned not to give in. I think I have to start dealing with my processed carb addiction the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Maryann, you said it. I didn't deal with nicotine as an addiction, myself; but I until very recently I didn't realize to what extent sugar (and I'm gonna add here the sodium/msg-laden preservatives in processed foods) have been an addiction for me. The idea that these things would be inappropriate for my body, my mind, my spirit just never occurred to me. When I think of the time I spent in therapy trying to deal with so many issues, and while I was in therapy I'd have with me my sugary, dairy-filled coffee drink, I realized it's no wonder I've spent my life fighting myself. It's really a relief to understand that and to feel as if there is another way. And it's helpful in several life contexts for me to understand the difference between loving something (or someone!) and just a craving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Maryann Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 ...And it's helpful in several life contexts for me to understand the difference between loving something (or someone!) and just a craving. THAT is the essence of the issue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Indeed it is, and I am finally learning, through clean eating, to tell the difference between the two - not just in food, but in my whole life. It's a process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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