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

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In this article I will go over the types of weight loss programs that are available to do as well as list some pros and cons of each. Hopefully, that information will help steer you in the right direction so you can determine which is the best option for you and your unique personality and needs.

Before you start any type of weight loss programs, though, make sure you talk to your doctor. For one thing your doctor can probably offer you some recommendations but if not, she can at least guide you in regards to any limitations you may have so your weight loss is done safely.

Now that that is out of the way, here are some ideas of some programs you may want to consider:

1. The pre- packaged food program. This is pretty straight forward; you sign up and you get fully prepared meals delivered right to your door. The companies claim that the meals will allow you to lose weight because they are nutritious and have the perfect combination of lean protein, fats and carbs as well as just the right amount of calories.

There are several such plans like this available, two of the most well known are Nutri-System and Seattle Sutton (which I have personally used and found very good).

When you are trying to decide between one or the other, make sure you carefully check out all the types of food plans, what is included (how many meals), the price including any shipping or handling costs, what their cancellation policy is in case you aren’t satisfied and the actual calories and nutritional benefits of the meals themselves.

2. Meeting type programs. These have been around for a long time and most people will immediately think of Weight Watchers. This is a type of diet plan where you not only get ideas of what types of foods to eat and in what quantities, you also get help from others who are trying to accomplish the same thing.

This approach allows you to interact with each other and keep each other focused and moving forward. Since you are all trying to lose weight, there are no feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness.

And, there is no public weight in! If you go to an actual meeting (though now you can get access to the materials online if you prefer) you will be weighed but it is 100% private and no one will see or know what your weight is.

How many times have you considered joining a gym, for example, only to feel out of place and get intimidated by all the hot bodies they have on the commercial? I know I have.

When you are trying to lose weight you don’t want to be reminded of what you aren’t (yet) you want to be surrounded by others who look about the same way you do, right?

There are many weight loss programs available today but before you sign on the dotted line you need to read the fine print. You need to know what it is, what it isn’t and what to do if you aren’t satisfied. Making an informed decision will allow your weight loss to be a dream come true instead of a nightmare.

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Being overweight is bad. It is bad for your health it is bad for your self esteem and feelings of self worth. When you are a teenager you have enough other things going on that are hard to deal with, adding obesity and the resultant feelings of insecurity to the mix is not a good thing. The good news is that there are weight loss plans for the youth of today that can help anyone get on a more healthy road.

Virtually anything is harder when you are overweight. It is harder to move, it is harder to meet new people and strike up a conversation. Not to mention the very real toll being overweight takes on your overall health.

Finding the best weight loss plans for the youth of today can really be a fairly simple process, here are some ideas of how to go about it:

1. If you are trying to help your teenager get in better shape, why not lead by example? Do you eat a healthy diet? Do you get enough exercise? If not why not use this as an opportunity to help both your child and yourself?

2. For some who are morbidly obese the best solution may be some sort of weight loss surgery. It is important to get all the facts first though. Your teen must understand that even with weight loss surgery, lifestyle changes will need to be made.

They will need to watch what they eat and they will need to start, and stick with, an exercise plan. Of course, every type of surgery does present risks so this is another thing to consider.

3. For a teen who is only “a little” overweight, say 20 -50 lbs. it can be relatively easy for them to lose that weight them self. Just eating less calories, eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, drinking more water and getting more exercise can make a big impact in a relatively shore amount of time.

Some people find that just changing one small bad habit can make a ton of difference. I have a friend who just gave up drinking soda for a month (and she didn’t even really drink that much, just a couple of cans a day. There are people who drink a lot more than that) and she lost 10 lbs. in just about 30 days.

Think of your habits, is there one thing that really stands out that you may be able to change pretty easily? Even if that one thing isn’t enough to help you lose all the weight you need to lose, it can be a great way to jump start your efforts.

Any journey will require you to take the first step. There are a lot of weight loss plans for the youth of today that are available to anyone who needs a little help. Just find one that appeals to you and go for it. It will take time and there may be times when you get discouraged, but you can do it!

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One very popular contestant in the weight loss supplement contest is hoodia. What many people don’t realize is that hoodia isn’t a brand, it’s an ingredient. There are dozens of manufacturers that make supplements that contain (or so they claim) hoodia. One of the most popular brands is hoodia diet max, this supplement has been shown to help greatly reduce appetite so weight loss can be achieved more quickly and easily.

If you’re not very familiar with hoodia in general, here is a brief overview of what it is and what it can do:

1. Hoodia is a succulent found only in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. It has been used for centuries by the natives as a way to stave of hunger and thirst when they needed to make treks into the desert.

2. There are over 20 varieties of the hoodia plant but the only one that has been shown to have the appetite suppressing compound (dubbed P57 by scientists) is the hoodia gordonii.

3. The P57 compound is only found in the core of the plant and not in the skin or roots therefore the most effective, and expensive, supplements will use only core hoodia powder as opposed to whole powder.

4. Though there are no known side effects with taking a hoodia supplement you do have to be careful that you eat enough nutritious food and drink plenty of water. Even though you are trying to lose weight you still need to keep your body fueled with enough high nutrition food. With such an effective appetite suppressant you may find that you ‘forget’ to eat, and that’s not good. Make suer you eat enough throughout the day. The same thing applies to drinking enough water since hoodia can also decrease your feelings of thirst making it very east to get dehydrated if you aren’t careful.

5. This supplement isn’t a quick fix, you still have to eat properly and get plenty of exercise. The biggest mistake you can make (and many dieters do make) is to think that they don’t have to make any lifestyle changes and the supplement will do all the work. That’s simply not true, after all it’s called ‘supplement’ for a reason. It’s only intended to supplement your other weight loss efforts.

6. It’s very important that you make sure that the product you are buying is certified that it is 100% pure hoodia. Any product that meets this requirement will have a C.I.T.E.S seal on the label. If the product you are considering doesn’t have that label you should keep looking since it probably isn’t 100% pure.

Hoodia diet max is one of the many brands of hoodia currently on the market. It has a lot of loyal followers that swear by it’s effectiveness in helping them control their appetite thus allowing them to lose weight more quickly and easily. It’s certified and has the C.I.T.E.S. seal on the label so you know it’s pure. Give it a try today and you may find that you are well on your way to your weight loss goals much more quickly than you may have thought possible.

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