Breaking the Food Addiction (Part 3)

May 10, 2004

:

>

> Breaking the Food Addiction

>

> If food addictions are real, how difficult is it to break them? Clinical

> psychologist Lisle, PhD, says that at the TrueNorth Health Center in

> Rohnert Park, Calif., where he is director of research, patients have had the

> most success through " therapeutic fasting " -- in essence, rebooting the " hard

> drive " in their brain through a period of water-only fasting in a medically

> supervised setting, followed by the introduction of a diet emphasizing fresh

> fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. (The process is

> described at TrueNorth's web site, www.healthpromoting.com).

>

> But if your stomach is already growling at the mere thought of a total fast,

> try making a complete break just from the foods you crave -- a process that

> Barnard says works much better than trying to eat them in moderation. He

> argues that staying completely away from a food item for three weeks often

> resolves the problem. " At the end of three weeks, your tastes will have

changed, "

> he says. " You won't want the food as much anymore. "

>

> When you get rid of the sugar or chocolate from your diet " cold turkey, "

> don't expect any of the withdrawal symptoms that are often associated with

other

> addictions. " Occasionally, a person does say to me, 'When I stop consuming

> sugar, I feel lethargic and depressed,' " says Barnard, an adjunct associate

> professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. " But

> withdrawal symptoms are not essential to the definition of a food addiction. "

>

> Also, don't be surprised if you backslide. " You can expect to fall off the

> wagon into the waiting arms of chocolate, " says Barnard. " Just like an

> alcoholic, you may relapse before making the break permanently. "

>

> Published April 19, 2004.

>

Recommended Posts