The Paleo diet solution for food addiction
Triathletes aren’t the only ones with food addictions. I am sure this is something that most of us have gone through, eating more than our bodies need to for fuel. But what causes this? Why do we eat those extra 5 cookies or down that extra Coke or two? The reason is in what these foods do to our brains, acting like narcotics causing us to want more and more. But the key here is to change what you eat for fuel. Once you do that you will change how much you eat. But what should you eat?
Grains - an addictive food
Fortunately it known which foods drive this need to eat more. Rich, sweet or fatty foods, foods made with wheat and milk can all induce the brain to release dopamine causing the sensation of pleasure, just like a drug. Since the reaction is chemical you cannot just stop the addiction without removing its source. Could the Paleo diet be the solution for these food addictions?
Do you find yourself unable to eat just one cookie, one piece of chocolate or one potato chip? You’re not alone. If it’s more than just being hungry after an intense workout, you may be a food addict. Like other addictions, overeating isn’t just not having the will or discipline to stop at just one.
Chemically treated and refined sugary foods, which are readily available as fast food or prepackaged foods, can trigger a response in the brain similar to that from drugs such as cocaine and heroin…
The Paleo diet removes all of the foods that cause these addictions. All refined foods are gone such as flour, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and glucose. Other carbohydrates that may also be problematic are foods like potatoes, other grains such as corn, rice and whole wheat. These foods tend to keep you in the cycle of addiction. It takes several weeks to break the addiction, but it can be done.
Salad vegetables
If the cycle of choosing bad foods and overeating is impacting your ability to reach your health and fitness goals, you may be on the edge of a downward spiral. Because food is socially acceptable and a necessary part of everyday life, this addiction can be hard to acknowledge and break. Food addiction and overeating certain foods do not always mean that the individual is overweight or visibly unwell. Don’t forget that you can be thin or fit-looking and yet still be lacking nutrient-wise—a good diet is the basis of health as well as performance. Click here to read the full article.
The foods that are eaten on the Paleo diet, meat, fish, vegetables, some fruits, some tubers like sweet potatoes, nuts and healthy fats like coconut oil, make it virtually certain that you can break the downward spiral. These foods are immensely satisfying. Your hunger is diminished and food is no longer a burden. Three weeks is all it takes to break the cycle. Are you up to the challenge of trying the Paleo diet solution for your food addiction?
