Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

FACT #02 – HUMAN BODIES GET ADDICTED TO OVER-EATING
Many doctors today describe carbohydrate cravings and food-addiction as a matter of
biology, not one of will-power. High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort
foods feed the eating addiction like a drug. They produce correspondingly high blood
sugar and insulin levels, which leads to even more cravings in the near-future.
And not only are we bombarded with social, environmental, and emotional cues to
overeat, our basic biology can work against us as well. Research has proven that many
foods produce “feel good” chemicals like serotonin and endorphins in our brains that can
literally become addictive.
Foods high in refined carbs cause an increase of serotonin production in the brain.
Serotonin provides us with feelings of sedation and calmness. Unfortunately, these
“quick fixes” are as illusory as they are brief, and over time, just like with any other
addiction, we end up requiring more and more of the “substance” to produce the desired
effect.
Foods with high sugar & fat combinations boost endorphin-production in the brain.
Endorphins are our body’s natural pain killers; they produce a feeling of relaxation and
even euphoria — feelings to which we become easily addicted.
And even if we don’t ingest many of these “sweet killers”, eating too much of anything
stretches the stomach past the point of comfort, which also causes the release of
endorphins. The “food coma” that you associate with being “well-fed” or having “eaten
well” is actually your body’s response to you having eaten far too much – and it is also a
warning sign that you too are addicted to food.
FACT #03 – OVER-EATING IS AN EMOTIONAL ESCAPE
“Gluttony is an emotional escape;
It is a sign that something is eating us.”
~ Peter De Vries
It has been shown that Fear, Anger, Tension and Shame (“FATS”) are all emotions that
trigger overeating (though the latter three are actually all extensions of the first – Fear).
As such, even if you address the content of your diet (your physical addictions to certain
foods), if your emotional issues remain unaddressed, your food addiction will continue.
The one constant in all addictions is an underlying psychological (a.k.a. “spiritual”) issue
that is calling to be resolved. Deep inside, many of us intuitively feel that something truly
important is missing in our lives.
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