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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Go look at an Indian guru or a Buddhist monk, and you’ll observe that there’s a dreamy look in their eyes, or a state of bliss that emanates from their countenance. Since most people, especially those living in the city, are pervaded by stress in an environment where deadlines, expectations, and goals are at the forefront of their thoughts, the urge to disentangle oneself from worldly worries and insipid thoughts can take its hold every once in a while. Some resort to travel, and some depend on the company of friends. But after the weeding out of negative thoughts, an individual will most likely find himself in the midst of stress again once he goes back in the strangle of the real world. So what’s the best cure after initial attempts to find solace has failed? It can be summed up in two words: spiritual awakening.

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL AWAKENING? Spiritual awakening is a process that takes place in an individual’s being. It involves heightened consciousness, enlightenment, and transcendence. How do we exactly reach this state? Does it involve secluding ourselves in one solitary room and concentrating as hardly as we can? Maybe so, but the act of achieving spiritual awakening is a much more sophisticated process.

SPIRITUAL AWAKENING THROUGH MEDITATION
A full understanding of how our mind works is instrumental in this endeavor. Everything around us – tangible and intangible – are all products of the mind and its processes. Human perception is limited, and what we sense in our surroundings are its mere products. Take color for instance. Color is just a quality assigned by the brain in accordance to different degrees of wavelengths.

So color in itself is just an illusion, and we can’t really tell that red or blue is an absolute truth when describing specific objects. And knowing that our mind is limited by the interpretations of the human brain, we will need to do away with the mind while trying to attempt this exercise. You need to look at the mind like a casual observer, and treat it as something that is separate from our selves. Try to relax and concentrate, and ensure that you are in a location secluded from outside interference.

Imagine that you are in an invisible dome, and that the mind is outside, wherein thoughts and fancies are unable to penetrate. If you achieve this, profound silence will ensue, and you will feel that you are free of the mind. You’ll feel vaster, bigger, and encompassing. And in the state of heightened consciousness, you will have a glimpse of reality, as opposed to the false reality that our mind perceives. You will feel peaceful, and a sense of connection with everything will be felt in a more profound manner.

PRACTICE IS FUNDAMENTAL
This takes a lot of practice and discipline. And it is inherent that you give yourself the opportunity to be alone and in a place where nothing can disturb you. Through constant practice, achieving spiritual awakening will be second nature to you and this heightened consciousness will last longer. Most important of all, this practice can help you improve the quality of your life.

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