Food Addiction on the Road to Healthy Living

Some people have trouble getting started on their road to healthy living. Others have no problem sticking to a well-established plan. But there are individuals who end up sabotaging an otherwise healthy diet by consuming large quantities of unhealthy foods.

Recent research has classified this non typical behavior as food addiction. Individuals who exhibit this type of behavior often have an almost insatiable craving for certain unhealthy foods.

What is it?

Food addiction is a relentless craving for typically unhealthy foods. It has only recently been recognized as a real condition. But this is somewhat surprising since the telltale signs so closely mirror behaviors associated with other more illicit forms of addiction.

Most people want to lead healthy lifestyles. But doing so isn’t always easy. For some, things like having a hectic daily schedule always seem to get in the way. But for those who suffer with food addiction, a healthy lifestyle seems impossible.

Processed foods made with refined flours and sugar are the most common culprits when it comes to food addiction.

How can you become addicted to food?

The idea of food addiction was dismissed by many who thought it was impossible to become addicted to something our bodies need anyway.

However, recent studies have helped shed light on the fact that the types of foods associated with food addiction are the fat-filled, high salt, high sugar variety, which can directly impact parts of the brain associated with reward and pleasure.

The studies also show that this impact is basically the same as it would be for someone addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Why it happens

Food addiction doesn’t seem to be more prevalent in men versus women, and it doesn’t seem to be impacted by a person’s size.

Instead, it’s more likely to develop in individuals that experienced some form of trauma during their childhood. However, this may not always be the case, as sometimes it can be triggered by factors such as not getting enough sleep or being overly stressed.

Can it be cured?

Just like addictions to other substances, there really is no cure for food addiction. However, also like other addictions, it is possible to recovery from the effects of addiction by strict avoidance of the offending foods.

The road to health

Recovering from food addiction is not an easy process. In fact, in some ways it can be more difficult than drug or alcohol recovery. This is because the ingredients in the unhealthy products we crave are readily available and wind up in many of the foods we’d normally encounter throughout the course of our day.

Just like with so many other health-related issues, a good regular exercise program can play a huge role in any recovery program. The key is to pick something you enjoy doing, so you don’t give up and go back to your addiction.

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