Unchaining Yourself from an Unhealthy Food Addiction
Protica Research

The cry of I have no willpower! often emerges from the consumers who jokingly surrender to their lack of will when it comes to eating something clearly unhealthy. However, scientific nutritional research has identified that something much more serious much more dangerous is often at work here. For many people, what they perceive as a harmless lack of willpower is actually an addiction an addiction to chemicals that the brain secretes in response to stimulation by certain foods, such as chocolate or cheese[i].

As dangerous as this addiction is, however, recent studies suggest that it is actually much more frightening than it first seems. According to one notable study, the human brain can release dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter linked with feelings enjoyment, when a person merely sees or smells certain foods[ii]. As such, people who may be sensibly avoiding foods that release serotonin and other chemicals (such as chocolate) may still be susceptible to a sight and smell-based addiction to unhealthy food.

Understanding this complex problem begins with understanding the word addiction. Defining a clear-cut definition of addiction is in itself a challenge and a rather hotly debated pursuit at the moment. Still, there is enough unity among credible social and biological scientists to say that a person who is powerless to stop an action is addicted[iii]. When applying this rather grave concept to eating, it becomes starkly clear that choosing an extra slice of pizza or bar of chocolate may be the expression of a very serious addiction to unhealthy food.

Remarkably, unlike how addictions to things like alcohol, drugs, and sexual activity viewed biological and psychological illnesses, addiction to eating is often ignored or, at the very least, diminished to be something that is based on willpower. The insulting advice of just dont eat it if you dont want to get fat! that some obese people actually hear from their doctors, relatives, or colleagues is one of the most common manifestations of this often well-meaning, but potentially harmful, ignorance.

The bottom line fact and one that more medical professionals are accepting based on scientific evidence is that obesity and related eating disorders are often the results of an addiction they are a serious health condition that must be approached methodologically like other diseases[iv].

Understanding that food addiction is indeed a problem a severe disease, in fact is a fundamental key in addressing this unique health challenge. At the same time, the notion of willpower should be removed, in most cases, from the eating disorder vocabulary, and replaced with the word addiction. This will make that extra piece of pizza or that third slice of chocolate cake be seen for what they often are: the means to satisfy a bonafide addiction.

Once the eating disorder as an addiction paradigm is in place, then and only then can both unhealthy eaters and those supporting them take steps to solve the problem. While there are no overnight solutions, there are paths that eaters can take that head in the right direction: freedom from eating addiction. The first step on this path is to eat a complete and balanced source of nutrition.

Taking this first step, like so much else associated with the addiction to unhealthy food, is easier said than done. Eating sensibly is unusually difficult in a time-starved culture and even more difficult when there are arrays of self-described nutritious dietary sources to choose from. Whether it is energy bars or fad diets, finding a simple, convenient, and practical source of balanced nutrition is hard to find.

However, some exceptional products are garnering serious positive attention from scientific community. These products deliver complete protein in a vitamin enriched formula. Furthermore and of critical value is that these products contain no carbohydrates, no unsaturated fat, and few calories none of which are from fat. These products are helping people unchain themselves from food addictions, and reflect a trend towards nutritious and ethical nutritional supplement manufacturing.

Of ultimate importance, however, is that these products return eating choice control back to where it must always remain: with conscious and empowered consumers, and not to some hidden and potentially destructive addiction.

About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at www.profect.com

References

[i] Source: Thats Why We Call it Junk Food. MSNBC. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3606198/

[ii] Source: Food on the Brain. Forbes.com. http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/free_forbes/2005/0110/063.html

[iii] Source: Addiction. eHealth Connection. http://www.ehealthconnection.com/regions/ehealth/health_information/ 00036220.asp

[iv] Source: Obesity as a Disease. MPR News. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/03/29_bensonl_desease/

Copyright 2004 – Protica Research – http://www.protica.com

About the Author

About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. You can learn more about Protica at www.protica.com — Information on Profect is available at www.profect.com

Copyright 2004 – Protica Research

Tags: Alcohol Drugs, Author, Biological Scientists, capsulized foods, Cheese, chemicals;, Chocolate, Conshohocken, Consumers, disease, Diseases, Dopamine, Eating Disorder, Energy Bars, Expression, Extra, Feelings, Food Addiction, food addictions, Forbes.com., head, Human Brain, Lafayette Hill, Msnbc, Neurotransmitter, nutritious and ethical nutritional supplement manufacturing, obesity;, overnight solutions, Pennsylvania, Protica Inc., Psychological Illnesses, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates, related eating disorders, Serotonin, severe disease, Sexual Activity, Slice Of Pizza, Unhealthy Food, Unity, Willpower, www.profect.com, www.protica.com —

The Solution to Healthy Weight Loss
Marilyn Pokorney

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The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem.
There are no official statistics for spending on diet
products, but estimates vary from $40 to $100 billion in the
US alone, much of that on scams and fad diets that promise
the impossible.

Research shows that 95% of people who have lost weight find
that they regain it back when they return to their normal
eating habits.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s Chronic
Disease Center, in 1991 in the United States, only four
states had an obesity prevalence of 15 percent to 19
percent. In 2003, 15 states had an obesity prevalence of
15 to 19 percent, 31 states had an obesity prevalence of 20
to 24 percent, and four states had a prevalence of 25
percent or more.

Major medical problems associated with obesity include
gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.

If that isn’t incentive enough to lose that excess weight
statistics show that overweight people are usually given
lower paying jobs, get lower salaries, receive little in
raises, and are, as a whole, looked down upon by 40 percent
of fellow employees and employers.

In 2002 The American Heart Association reported that more
than 10 percent of US children ages 2 to 5 are overweight.
That is up from 7 percent in 1994. The situation is
probably even worse now, said Dr. Robert H. Eckel,
president-elect of the heart association and professor of
medicine at the University of Colorado.

The obesity problem among children has increased with
school-age children as well. Four million children ages 6
to 11 and 5.3 million in age group 12 to 19 have increased
by 75 percent from 1991.

Food habits adopted in childhood can be hard to change. As
a result hypertension and high cholesterol leading to heart
disease, strokes, and diabetes are going to become the
nations top health problem with people of all ages within 10
to 30 years. These are ailments that usually afflict the
middle age to elderly population. More than a million new
cases of diabetes are already being diagnosed each year,
says the American Diabetic Association.

Nearly 30 percent of American adults are overweight and
another 30 percent are obese, according to University of
Minnesota researchers. Obesity is usually described as a
weight 20 percent greater than the persons desirable weight.

A study by the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle revealed
that 60% of overweight women, and 70% of obese women, are
likely to become pregnant while taking the pill. The
researchers suggest that a higher metabolism is the reason,
causing the medication to be effective for a shorter length
of time. Or, that the drug interacts with the body’s
hormones in a way that the drug becomes trapped in the body
fat instead of circulating in the bloodstream.

Studies with obese pregnant women show they are 50% more
likely to die during pregnancy than those of normal weight.
Complications such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes,
hypertension, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor, and stillbirth
are also more common. Preliminary evidence shows that
babies are also adversely affected, and are more likely to
be obese themselves in later life.

Fast foods: Studies show that people who frequent fast food
outlets twice a week or more gained 36 pounds over the
course of 15 years compared to 26 pounds for those that
frequented them once a week or less.

A major factor for the obesity crisis is a sedentary
lifestyle, not enough exercise, and the eating of high
calorie fast foods in place of nutritious natural food
products.

Fast food is designed to promote consumption of the maximum
number of calories in the minimum amount of time. This
upsets the body’s normal metabolism. One solution is to eat
smaller, more nutritious, meals more frequently throughout
the day.

Physical activity reduces the effects of being overweight,
but healthy eating habits have to be followed to prevent
disease associated with poor nutrition according to an
expert of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School
of Public Health.

The new diet guidelines set by the Health and Human Services
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is basically a
balanced diet and good old fashioned exercise. They stress
more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and limit fats, sugar,
alcohol, and salt.

Many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day making a choice of
healthy food available at all times.

For more tips on how to lose weight safely see The Secret to
Weight Loss at:
http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/diettips.htm

*****************************************
Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
*****************************************

About the Author

Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

Tags: Active Link, American Diabetic Association, American Heart Association, Author, Center For Disease Control, Chronic, Chronic Disease Center, Colorado, diabetes;, Diet Products, disease, Disease Center, E Zine, Email Spam, Fad Diets, Fellow Employees, Food Habits, food;, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Freelance Writer, Gallbladder Disease, gestational diabetes, Harvard School, Healthy Food, High Blood Cholesterol, high blood pressure;, High Cholesterol, hypertension;, Marilyn Pokorney, Minnesota, miscarriage, nutritious natural food, Obesity Epidemic, Obesity Prevalence, obesity;, Official Statistics, Osteoarthritis, Overweight And Obesity, Pokorney, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor, President, Problems Associated With Obesity, professor, result hypertension, Robert H. Eckel, Strokes, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United States;, University of Colorado, Unsolicited Commercial Email, USD;, Weight Statistics, Worldwide Problem —

The Simplest Diet Plan Ever – 3 Easy Steps to Healthy Living
Emily Clark

You’ve heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut the
fat! Cut the carbs! Cut the calories! Eat a balanced diet! But
how can you cut though all of the confusion, and eat a diet
that’s balanced and healthy?

Here’s the advice from nutritional science:

Cut the JUNK fats: Most people do not need an ultra low fat
diet. But most of us could improve our diet by cutting out the
junk fats. Basically, these are the processed fats:
hydrogenated fats, polyunsaturated oils that have been heated,
and fats that are combined with junk carbs. Processed fats are
the fats most likely to put on flab and clog your arteries.

Cut the JUNK carbs. Most people do not need an ultra low carb
diet. But unfortunately, so many people who go on a low fat diet
continue to eat highly processed foods – they switch from
processed high-fat to processed low-fat. And when food
manufacturers create low fat foods, they tend to replace the fat
with junk carbs, that tend to pile on the pounds. Basically,
junk carbs are low-fiber carbs. Like sugar, fructose (and all
the other *oses), flour, cornstarch, fruit juice. Yes, fruit
juice is a junk carb too! – After all, how much fiber is there in
fruit juice? – Virtually none – its yet another junk carb. You
should eat the whole fruit instead, with its fiber intact.

Cut the JUNK calories. Most people do not need an ultra low
calorie diet. But just think what your diet would be like if you
dropped the processed fats and the low-fiber carbs. You’d be
eating mainly natural proteins, with lots of vegetables plus
whole fruits – and the odds are that you would be eating far
fewer calories as well. That’s the kind of calorie cutting most
of us should be doing.

Eat a balanced NATURAL-FOODS diet. By natural foods, we mean the
foods that would have been eaten by your hunter-gatherer
ancestors: – lots of whole vegetable foods for vitamins and
fiber; moderate to small portions of meats, fish, seafood, and
other animal and protein foods, grilled, stewed or baked; and
small portions of fresh whole fruit in season. This is the diet
on which the human race evolved, and the diet which, for the vast
majority of people, makes for optimum health

So the next time you’re about to order a meal with fries and
sugary soda, think about how it could be improved. Replace the
fries with a salad, and the soda with mineral water, and you’ve
already made significant progress towards a more healthy,
balanced meal.

And at home, look for recipes that use whole, fresh foods, with a
minimum of processing. Make sure your meals include natural
unprocessed foods, with lots of healthy vegetables, both cooked,
and raw in salads. Avoid processed fats and processed low-fiber
foods.

A sample menu:
– grilled fish with steamed green beans, and peppers
– large mixed salad, dressed with small amounts of olive oil and
vinegar or lemon juice
– fresh fruit platter

Yes – A healthy, balanced diet can be that simple!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.

About the Author

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on topical health matters.

Tags: Author, Balanced Diet, Cornstarch, Diet Plan, disease, editor, Emily Clark, Flab, Food Manufacturers, food;, Foods Diet, Fructose, Fruit Juice, Hunter Gatherer, Lifestyle Health News, Low Calorie Diet, Low Carb Diet, Low Carbs, Low Fat Diet, Low Fat Foods, Natural Proteins, Nutritional Science, olive oil;, Oses, Polyunsaturated Oils, Vegetable Foods, Weight Loss Diets —

The Hidden Price of Being Healthy
Dr. Jamie Fettig

What I am also going to point out is the not-so-obvious cost of not being healthy. But, as you know, nothing in life is free. If there is a benefit, there is a cost. What most people do not see is the cost, the price you have to pay for the benefits you are getting.

There are also tons and tons of hidden costs that most people never see. I will list some of the biggest ones. This is the price you have to pay for not being healthy:

1.Vitality
2.An abundance of energy to do everything you want to do
3.Happiness
4.Love and closeness with others
5.Satisfaction and fulfillment in life
6.Healing symptoms and disease
7.Symptoms and disease going away
8.Relief from the suffering that goes with the symptoms and disease
9.Inner peace and harmony
10.Being symptom- and disease-free
11.Mental focus, memory, and clarity (no brain fog)
12.Being awake and fully alive every day (not just dragging through stuff and surviving)
13.Being present and having the ability to be with people
14.No worry or fear
15.Being confident in yourself
16.Being complete and happy
17.The ability to deal with issues that arise simply and with ease
18.Having better health now, with security for yourself and your family later
19.More time to do what you want to do
20.Simpler choices
21.Looking great, feeling good, reducing fat, and having tons of energy
22. Being satisfied and Not being hungry all the time

The list goes on and on, but these are some of the big ones.

These are all things you do NOT get if you avoid being healthy. It is the price you have to pay to not be healthy.

If you are being healthy, these same things are your rewards. These are the things you get when you are well. These things show up in your life as you are being healthy and well. So much so, that I want you to think of your own reasons why, things vital to your happiness, freedom and life that you know you would get you out of bed in the morning wanting to be healthy.

There are the hidden benefits that many people get for not being healthy. Benefits that, if you are honest with yourself, you like getting as well.

You probably are very familiar with the benefits you get from NOT being healthy. You get to eat food that tastes good, you get to be lazy and sit on the couch and veg out and watch TV. You get to not do all the hard work of exercise. There are many other benefits that people get from not being healthy, and many others that I probably did not list. I am not going to list them all, because you know most of them. I will list the benefits you do get that most people do not want to admit, often, even to themselves.

There are four main benefits that you probably get from not being healthy, that you dont want to admit:

1.Avoiding being responsible
2.Getting to be right and making others wrong
3.Dominating others and avoiding domination
4.Justifying yourself and invalidating others.

These things are the hidden benefits. I will talk about each of them in more detail, and explain what I mean. You have to dig down and be honest, though. These four things are usually true for everyone, and the point of my sharing them is to make you aware of them, and for you to be honest with yourself about them. Most people do not think of these things as benefits. But if you look at them and are really honest with yourself, you will see the benefit people get from them.

People get to avoid being responsible by putting the responsibility on the medical symptoms and disease care system. You live under the illusion that they will create a magic pill or invent some technique or system to make you think and healthy without you having to do a thing. They are responsible for your health, not you. It is an illusion many of us believe. Because then we get to avoid being responsible for our own health and eat anything we want. We get to do what we want, and then blame all of our symptoms on someone else.

You get to be right and do exactly what you want. You dont have to listen to all those doctors, all those people, especially that annoying health freak in your family. Every family usually has one. You get to be right about being able to do what you want. You get to make them wrong. And dont we all enjoy making someone we dont like so very wrong? We all want to be right and I can prove it. Have you every seen someone try and prove themselves wrong? Argue that they are not right? People love to be right and that includes being right with being able to eat whatever they want for whatever reasons they want.

You get to dominate others, and avoid others dominating you. You do not have to do what they say. You can do what you want. You can probably even control people and make them angry by doing things your way, by doing what you want.

You get to justify yourself and invalidate others. You get proof for yourself that what you are doing is right. You get evidence that the way you are doing it is right. You get to make sure that other peoples way of thinking is wrong, and make sure they know you know they are wrong.

Realizing the real, often hidden truth about the costs and benefits of being healthy will often help you create a stronger desire to be healthy.

About the Author

Getting your target of health is essential. This and this article are Part of a Free e-Course on Dieting and Eating Healthy. Go to http://www.bazuji.com/ecourse to sign up for the free e-course. He is also giving you dozens of valuable free gifts to “ethically bribe” you into helping him make his new book, “The Ultimate Non-Diet” a #1 best seller. For details go to: http://www.TheUltimateNonDiet.com/free

Tags: Abundance, Author, Benefit, Better Health, Brain Fog, Choices, Clarity, Closeness, disease, Dr Jamie, e-course, energy;, Fear, Fettig, food;, Freedom, Fulfillment, Happiness, Inner Peace, Mental Focus, Peace And Harmony, Rewards, Satisfaction, Suffering, Vitality —