Food addictions

[Cherub T]

I just wondered... why do we crave certain foods. I know Doreen Virtue has wrote about this and I really am interested in reading this book. I just wonder "why do we crave certain foods?" I once got hypnotised to stop eating chocolate and it worked for over a year. I am now back to eating chocolate. I know some people that love crisps and eat loads. Is this a taste... or is it more spiritual? What are we lacking, that we make up in food?

Just wondering what everyones views are?

[Osian]

Anything can be a addictive, it just depends whether you are the addictive 'type'. Fitness and being ultra slim or muscly can be an addiction but usually coincides with some food addiction or metal/emotional issue. Craving food can be your body crying out for something it's lacking, maybe a certain vitamin or mineral deficiency could be at play.
When it comes to chocolate i would say that represents a want of sweetness in your life, it could be a sugar addiction which is seriously powerful. It then becomes habitual to snaffle a bit of chocolate here and there and constantly justifying it to yourself all the time then feeling like **** afterwards for eating it!! I know this because i have a soft spot for chocolate (thankfully i still have a good figure) but it could get out of hand if i allowed it to. Personally i feel we fill the gaps in our life with 'whatever' i.e food, people, internet, relationships, sex, drugs, smoking, alcohol....take it as extreme as you like but its usually an indication of an addiction or a way of coping with emotions. Thats my view on it anyway....now, where is my chocolate ?

[Freeda65]

Before learning how to overcome food addictions it is first necessary to admit that you are a food addict, or sugar addict or whatever it is that you feel you must eat. Some say that food is not addictive, and all you need is some self-control, but others agree that abuse or overuse of any substance, whether that is alcohol, drugs or food, is classed as an addiction.
Animal studies carried out at Princeton University have indicated that sugar can be addictive, with the classic withdrawal signs associated with other addictions. Some go so far as to say that eating fatty foods can lead to an addiction similar to that of cocaine. The so-called ‘pleasure centers’ of your brain become used to sugar excesses and it takes an even increasing amount to get the same sensation – or even just to feel like normal again [1].
Whether you eat excessive sweet, sugary foods, carbohydrates or fatty foods, it all ends up as glucose after digestion, so your addiction is ultimately a sugar, or glucose, addiction. Many people trying to find out how to overcome food addictions soon find out that replacing sugars with artificial sweeteners does not help them overcome their craving, because artificial sweeteners do not hit the same centers of the brain.
Some food addicts trying to self-cure claim to experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood changes, cramps, tremors, sweating and insomnia and some even become depressed. In fact, Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse explained to Scientific American [2] that food affects the same dopamine systems of the brain as alcohol and drugs. As dopamine receptors are neutralized, addicts have an increasing need for ever more of the substance to which they are addicted, whether that is amphetamines, chocolate or sugar.
Given, therefore, that the concept of food addiction is a genuine one, what can you do to overcome your addiction? Here are some suggestions that are believed to have helped others in the same situation:
Admit It: Before you can learn how to overcome food addictions you must first admit to yourself that you are addicted to food, or at least certain types of food. In this respect, food addiction is just the same as any other form of addiction: recognizing that you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Unlike drug addicts or alcoholics, cold turkey is not an option, and you have to deal with your addiction one small step at a time. It might seem difficult, but it can be done.
Start Slowly: Begin by limiting your intake of sweet foods, including those containing artificial sweeteners. Do this gradually, slowly replacing sweet foods with something filling that is not packed with sweeteners of any kind. Do the same with salt, because this can also add to your problem. Your initial objective is to get your taste buds back to being used to non-sweet foods.
Eat at the Table: Stop hoarding food around the house, in your car and at work, but plan out your daily meals and eat them at the table. It is easier to eat smaller portions of food if you are not eating in front of the TV or doing anything else other than eating. Eat all your meals at the dinner table, or in the canteen when at work. This will not work immediately, and it might take a few weeks of limiting your food intake for your hunger to assuage, but you have an addiction and it will not just go away – you have to be committed.