In this video, I discuss the common problems that come with yo-yo dieting. You may recognise many of these within yourself.
If you would love to break free from the endless cycle of dieting, but have no idea where to start, join my FREE mini course - it won’t cost you a penny and will gently start you on your transformational journey to food freedom.
Sugar addiction – is it real? Does this white substance really rival the addictive nature of drugs and alcohol? And can we do anything about it?
According to eminent endocrinologist Dr Robert Lustig the food industry is intentionally working on ‘hacking’ our brains to foster addiction to junk foods and sugar by manipulating our brain chemicals. Though there are two opposing camps of thought on this, there is a growing consensus that like other substances open to abuse, sugar and junk food are addictive in nature.
This theory is all to do with the dopamine and serotonin see- saw. Dopamine is the reward brain chemical that tells us we want more. Any substance or behaviour that releases dopamine in the extreme, has the potential lead to addiction. Serotonin is the brain chemical that tells us we don’t need any more but too little of it may lead to low mood and depression.
The constant supply of dopamine can keep our brains in the continual pursuit of happiness because it destroys our ability to feel happy. Couple that with low serotonin levels leading to low mood and this can set the stage for the onset of addictive behaviours.
But what is the connection between these chemicals and sugar? Sugar stimulates a dopamine release in the brain. Eating sugar or ‘white’ carbs such as pasta or white bread causes our blood glucose to spike and our pancreas to release insulin dropping our blood sugar levels right down – this is why we crave as we want more of that reward. When serotonin levels are low, we crave carbohydrates and sugar to help lift our serotonin levels and make us feel happy.
Over the last 40 years, sugar has become ever more present in our daily lives. Stationary shops, petrol stations and even fashion stores, display sugary products at checkout points convincing us that we need that chocolate bar when clearly that’s not what we entered the shop for. Vending machines in offices, hospitals and schools are crammed full of junk food products.
We are constantly bombarded with advertising on social media and TV. Most junk food meals come with a sugary soda drink (significantly upping the sugar content of the meal).
This combined with chronic stress in our daily lives, when we are yearning for a fix, for something to make us feel better, a reward for getting through the day creates the perfect storm.
The government has been actively attempting to tackle the media contribution to our nations unhealthy eating habits. In 2018, the sugar tax was introduced to reduce sugar in fizzy soda drinks and in August this year, a ban on advertising junk foods before 9pm was introduced in PM Johnson’s fight against obesity. This may go a short way to help but in no way addresses the many complex components involved with sugar and junk food addiction, compulsive eating and obesity.
The new series of The Great British Bake Off kicked off recently and coincidentally triggered a conversation initiated by a number of my clients during their sessions. It began with ‘I watched bake off this week and……’
(Now for the sake of full disclosure, I want to add that a vast majority of my clients come to me for help with emotional eating, bingeing and overeating.)
So it got me thinking; what impact do entertainment based baking programmes such as Bake Off have on these very people who struggle with emotional eating? Is watching a programme about baking, really likely lead to a binge?
If emotional eating is something you struggle with, would you change the channel and never watch a baking programme again? If friends and family are watching, would you lock yourself away? Or would you indulge in the programme (and some cake) and then feel bad about it afterwards? Perhaps for you this wouldn’t be a cue to unhelpful eating behaviour at all.
On the surface this may look like a trivial dilemma to some, but for many women battling with their relationship with food, it could be a potential trigger they need support with.
One of my clients, who has been working so hard on behaviour change, did watch the programme in the evening when historically a binge would have happened. She was overjoyed when telling me that she ate balanced meal and felt satiated and didn’t binge later in the evening. This was a great milestone for her. We have been working on regulating her blood sugar so that she is less likely to crave. Addressing her ‘all or nothing thoughts’, is also now beginning to pay off.
Another client decided that she would like to bake something to share with her flat mates and enjoy the programme with them. Here we discussed her mindset around this. For her, eating this piece of cake mindfully, slowly, chewing well and savouring its deliciousness was the way to go.
The answer is not clean cut. Firstly it depends where you are on your journey. Where that journey begins depends to some extent on the history of your relationship with food.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that food restriction does not work. This is far more likely to result in a binge at some point. The intense cravings may lead to one piece of cake consumed at great speed, in secret, mindlessly, perhaps standing up. You won’t have taken enjoyment from it, your stress response will have been triggered, and one piece will lead to two, three or more. It’s likely that automatic negative thoughts such as ‘I’ve blown it’, will prolong your ‘fight or flight’ response. Your digestive function will now be reduced affecting the way you metabolise your food i.e. how you burn your energy.
So you could try this; Watch Bake Off, then, if you would like a piece of cake, chose to have it, if you are able to eat it mindfully. Take some deep breaths, perhaps serve it on some lovely crockery, take very small mouthfuls, chew it well and savour the flavour. Finally, ensure the thoughts about yourself that follow are kind and compassionate.
If you are struggling to overcome emotional eating, binging or overeating, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.
I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.
My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.
If you are ready to transform your life, join the waiting list to gain access to the special, one-time only launch price and find out more
The process begins when the cells in our stomach stimulate the release of ghrelin. This sends signals to our brain telling our bodies it’s time to eat. The more ghrelin in the bloodstream, the bigger the appetite and the more food you’ll eat. After eating, ghrelin levels are decreased as we’re satiated, and they don’t rise again until your body starts looking for more energy.
If you’re trying to lose weight, you might be thinking you need to keep your levels as low as possible. But do bear in mind as with all hormones, ghrelin is there to do a specific job in the body. If we weren’t ever hungry, we wouldn’t know when we’re low on nourishment and certainly wouldn’t be able to take any joy from the food we eat.
We can run in to trouble however, when the intricate balance of hormones becomes out of sync. Our diet and lifestyle choices have a significant impact on this. That doesn’t mean jumping to calorie restriction. This will only increase your ghrelin levels, potentially leading to overeating and storage of fat.
Interestingly, research has shown that individuals who are overweight have lower fasting levels of ghrelin. This suggests that overeating can decrease sensitivity to the hormone and that over time it is possible to lose this essential control mechanism. This is just one of the reasons why it can be so difficult to overcome emotional eating, binging and yo-yo dieting.
1. Eat a diet rich in fibre from fruit and vegetables, legumes and wholegrains
Fibre slows down our digestion whilst also keeping our gut bacteria diverse and healthy. Foods high in fibre give you a better bang for your buck when it comes to nutrient dense food per caloric intake.
2. Limit intake of high GL carbohydrates and processed foods high in sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Refined and processed foods are low in nutrients and will spiking your blood sugar for a short period, sending your hunger and energy levels on a rollercoaster. They trigger release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with reward. We start to associate that short lived high with reward as opposed to the feeling of being nourished and satiated.
3. Eat protein with every meal
Incorporating a portion of animal or vegetable protein into each meal (oily fish, beans and pulses organic eggs, poultry meat or tofu) will slow gastric emptying, keeping you fuller for longer. It will also blunt the insulin spike you get from eating a carbohydrate based meal, preventing the sugar cravings which inevitably follow that initial sugar high.
4. Reduce stress
Studies in animals have shown that exposure to chronic stress increases circulating ghrelin and growth hormone levels (Massachusettes Institute of Technology, 2013). It also interacts with the brain’s reward pathways to increase food intake, creating a vicious cycle where we begin to see food as a comfort during times of stress and anxiety. Incorporate yoga, meditation or breathing into your daily routine, get out for a walk or run in nature, find something that works for you to allow you to live (and eat) more mindfully.
5. Sleep well
Sleep deprivation has been associated with an increase in ghrelin levels, appetite and hunger comparative to sleeping for longer periods. Aim for 7-9 hours per night, practice good sleep hygiene by limiting screen time, avoiding heavy meals, caffeine and alcohol before bed, and try to stick to regular sleep and waking up times to regulate the circadian rhythm.
If you’re looking for support with emotional eating, incorporating these diet and lifestyle changes would be a great place to start. It’s important to remember however, that ghrelin is only one of many factors impacting your eating behaviour .
Many women who come to me for help with bingeing and emotional eating feel guilty and blame themselves. Living in a weight obsessed society, they feel a failure being unable to conform to societies expectations. They carry shame and guilt as their headspace is constantly taken up with thoughts about food, their weight or appearance.
If this is your struggle, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.
I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.
My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.
If you are ready to transform your life, join the waiting list to gain access to the special, one-time only launch price and find out more
References
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Ghrelin, a stress-induced hormone, primes the brain for PTSD." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 October 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131015191405.htm>.
Most processed foods commonly consumed in Europe and the US, meet the hyper-palatable food criteria. This was defined and accepted in 2019 by researcher’s who came up with specific quantities and proportions within processed foods that have the ability to affect our brain chemistry in this way.
Professor Fazzino and his team conducted a study that found that food companies have well designed formulas for foods to increase the amount we eat. The scientists believe they can activate our brain neuro-circuits in a similar way to cocaine. The researchers also discovered that these foods may have the ability to overcome our satiety and fullness signals that tell us when to stop eating.
I would forgive you for thinking foods labelled low or reduced sugar, fat or salt would not qualify in this rather special food category. However, the same study found that 49% of such foods also met the criteria. Understandably it feels almost impossible for most to navigate the food isles and avoid these brain hacking food products.
Most people I work with to overcome compulsive and emotional eating feel guilty and blame themselves, they feel society blames them for having no will power, failing at diets and not being ‘good’ enough. However, the battle is so much more complex than having will power. The addictive nature of these foods is one of the many components making it so hard.
If this is your struggle, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you, who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.
I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.
My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.