Is Food Addictive?
Now, this feeling of being addicted to food is completely valid and if you are someone who resonates with this, then I hear you. But it’s looking at it in the same way as smoking, drinking alcohol and drug addiction. Can we be addicted to food?
🚫 Why this myth is unhelpful:
Firstly, substances like cigarettes, alcohol and drugs are toxic to the body because they harm our bodies. Our liver has to do a lot of work to detoxify them from our bodies.
Food is not a toxin. Food is essential for our bodies to survive. Food nourishes us, fuels our bodies and provides us with nutrients to thrive.
Now, when we eat some foods, it does light up the same pleasure receptors in the brain and make us happy for the short term, as do drugs. But that does not automatically imply that food is addictive (even those sugary foods).
The same happens in the brain when we finish a run or workout, listen to music, ride a rollercoaster or having a cuddle 😉yet we don’t refer to them as being “addictive”.
I am in no way diminishing how addictive food can seem especially if you struggle with binge eating or compulsive/impulsive eating. I believe that addictive-like eating is a result of dieting and diet mentality rather than the food itself.
🌟 What you could do instead:
Feeling like a food addict can stem from various factors, especially from your relationship with food. Let's dive into some questions to help you explore further:
Have you found yourself jumping from one diet to another throughout your life?
Do you often cycle between periods of strict restriction and episodes of binge eating or loss of control?
Do you judge your entire day as good or bad based on what and how much you've eaten?
There are all initial questions to explore if you are describing yourself as a food addict. If you answer yes to these questions, then you may need/want to reach out for support to improve your relationship with food.
Fed of food being the main stress in your life…
Imagine a life where food is a source of nourishment and pleasure, rather than a source of stress and anxiety. If you want to stop dieting and binge eating cycle, it can be a challenging journey, but you don't have to go through it alone.
Work with me 1:1
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Don't let dieting and binge eating control your life any longer. Contact me here to find out how I can support you.
