Words by Zoe Moore
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Food is my only friend.
This is a statement repeatedly said by many a food addict.
Food can be an addictive drug just as you can’t resist it when you crave more. Experts say that it is the emotional stress that pushes us over the edge of food addiction. When something wears us down, we tend to do something that destroys us more. Let us say, when you have recently broken up with your boyfriend, you tend to get out of your sober world and engage yourself to be addicted to liquor by going home drunk.
With this ever-changing world, what haunts you is what urges you to have emotional breakdown. And, this can be one of the causes of food addiction. You try to throw up your life by releasing pain through eating more and more. Food can be as addictive as caffeine is.
What are the signs of food addiction?
- If you have this “As long as it’s there” behavior. For example, if there are a lot of foods stored in your fridge, you will keep on eating them as long as they are there. You’ll never stop until it’s all gone.
- A consistent increase of food intake every week, month and year can be a sign of food addiction. That happens when you have totally been worn out with eating but still you eat. Fatty foods such as sugar, flour, and even salt can bring harm to your body when over consumed.
- You are seemingly preoccupied. It’s like your attention is being driven by thinking about how much food you will eat. Because your mind is centered on food, there will never be space for other activities you will need for your personal development.
- A food addict is persistent. Very persistent. When something bothers them like seeing themselves very fat in front of a mirror, they don’t mind. They continue being unaware of what consequences it may bring when they still don’t stop. In some cases, they often cover themselves by ignoring to take a look at the mirror or even wearing loose clothes for their belly to be covered.
- Too much craving for wheat can be a predictor of food addiction. Given that wheat is where gluten exists, gluten has these peptides called exorphines that can activate opiod receptors. For celiac patients, gluten makes the intestine permeable. And, these peptides pass through it reaching the brain which leads to addiction. The only solution for this is by going on a gluten-free diet.
What can you do?
- Be mindful of what you eat. Eating is not race. Take time in chewing the food. Some say that you can feel the delight of the food if you take it slowly.
- Do some behavioral shifts. Keep a record of how much you eat so that you can regain control – list the what you eat and the amount of food to eat at each meal. This is to help you notice how much you eat.
- Do not eat just because you simply want to eat. Eat when it is only necessary to do so. Do not be easily influenced by your friends who may also be food addicts.
- Find exercise as a fun thing to do. Knock your fats by snooping around your neighborhood and taking a little walk. Physical activities also activate the brain chemicals like serotonin which removes depression in you.
- If you have gained a lot of weight, you can join a weight loss group. There is no harm in trying. If you don’t want the other solutions mentioned above, maybe you’ve wanted to make a big change. This is it!
It is not too late for a change. If you have stumbled the 99th time, you can still succeed in the 100th try. Be pro-active and change will flow smoothly and you will never have that monster again that growls in your insides.
Zoe Moore is a researcher and a dietitian who works in a various field. She enjoys discovering new recipes daily, aiming for proper nutrition. Her passion for cookery further inspires her to write and encourage others to go for gourmet dish-inggg. However, she’s also concerned with people who cannot eat anything they want on a whim because they are suffering from celiac disease. It leads her to support the mission of Metropolitan-Gourmet in providing an all-natural gluten free product for celiac sufferers. She’s also a social media advocate, a wine specialist and a devoted cook guru in her own kitchen. Find her on Twitter @zmoore_official