What Are You Addicted To?

All of us are addicted. To something. 

What are you addicted to? Do you know? For many people food is a common addiction.

Fast foods, fried foods, processed foods... These are all common foods that people are addicted to. Besides food, people are also addicted to anything from binge-watching Netflix, shopping, alcohol, drugs, sex or any number of other things.

In this blog I'm going to focus on how food can be addictive. 

With food there's the habit of reaching for a certain food as a coping mechanism, or as an escape. Once you get into the habit of doing that, your body can also become chemically addicted to that food.

In fact, many processed foods are formulated to ensure you become addicted! Sugar is a prime example.  Sugar is highly addictive, more addictive than cocaine. 

Sugar actually changes your gut microbiome. Once that happens, the bacteria in your gut actually screams out for more sugar. You can want to stop eating sugar, but the bacteria in your gut will continue to demand it, making it very difficult to kick the habit. That's why it's important to embark on a nutrition protocol that works on your gut health to change the bacteria in your gut. 

Why do we keep repeating habits that don't help us? The answer starts at the point where the bad habit actually helped you cope/escape. For many people, it all goes back to childhood. 

It is in childhood that many learn to use food as a coping mechanism, or are given some sort of treat as a reward. When I was a kid, I used sweets to help soothe hurt feelings as a way to feel "better".

This addiction followed me into adulthood. Chocolate bars, milkshakes and M & Ms were my go to if I was stressed out, or going through a bad breakup. I was also hooked on fast food. I went to Wendy's three times a week in university. 

We all know someone who heads to McDonald's every day for lunch.

Textbook food addiction.

It took some figuring out, but eventually I realized all the harm I was inflicting on myself by using sugar in very unhealthy ways. At that point, I decided to start changing my own behaviour around sugar. I put myself on my own program - what is now a full 40-day detox called Bye Bye Sugar.

That was almost two years ago and I'm happy to report that sugar no longer has any power over me. 

When dealing with issues around food, the first thing to do is recognize what you're experiencing in your body. In the case of a sugar addiction, your energy would often be all over the place, you'd experience aches and pains, or maybe start carrying excess weight. These are all clear, physical signs that your body needs a sugar detox. 

The next thing to notice is when you're driven to consume foods that aren't helping your health. 

Do you do it when you're bored? Stressed? Tired? Emotional?

I love journaling because it helps me get clear on what I'm doing and why. You can journal about your own habits around certain foods and bring awareness to any emotions you may be holding onto. 

Now here's the most important and pivotal part of the process.

What can you do instead? 

The next time you're stressed, tired or feeling emotional how can you deal with things differently?

Can you talk to a friend? Go for a walk? Workout? 

How about going to a calming yoga class? Or doing a 15-minute meditation?

When you allow yourself to experience your feelings, and then choose a different behaviour to deal with issues, you'll start to break the pattern of addiction. 

It may feel uncomfortable in the beginning, but after awhile you'll get used to it. It'll become your new normal. 

Once you start eating healthy whole foods, the cells in your body will change. Most importantly your gut microbiome will change which will make it easier to stick to healthy food. 

If you have many habits around food, it's wise to work with a health coach to help you move through the emotions that might be driving your behaviour. 

No matter what, have faith in your own ability to embrace positive lifestyle changes that will help you get healthy and feel good in your body. 

Do you need support with positive habit change around food? You can email me at [email protected] or book a free consultation. 

Top image by Obi Onyeador/Unsplash