Posted by mmorand on June 1, 2012
Hello all,
If you’re reading this series of articles you’re joining me in exploring how certain foods influence our brain chemistry and our moods and in understanding why we’re drawn to eat them, often in quantities that we know aren’t in our body’s best interest. This understanding is key to being able to freely choose to make different choices and to genuinely offer yourself understanding and compassion when you feel compelled to have those forbidden/guilt laden tasty treats. Both are important components of completely healing from your stressful relationship with food and from your body image / weight-loss roller coaster.
In my last newsletter I asked you to be on the lookout for a few things so you’d be better prepared for the next few articles. If you missed that article and you’d like to catch up feel free to read it first and then come back to this one when you have time. It will really help you to see where this information can be applied to your life and you’ll get the most out of your time and effort.
For this week I want to share a little education with you about how Dopamine influences us and how we can directly influence our Dopamine levels. Then in the next handful of articles we’ll be looking at specific food groups and food choices and how they directly impact our dopamine levels. When we do, you’ll see quite clearly that the reason you don’t reach for carrot sticks when you’re feeling down has nothing at all to do with willpower and everything to do with a combination of unmet needs and brain chemistry.
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Tags: binge eating, brain chemistry and food, brain’s pleasure centre, compulsive eating, cravings, Dopamine, eating disorder treatment, Effects of Dopamine on binginig, effects of hormones on craving food, emotional eating, influence on our moods, overeating, stress eating, triggers
Posted in: 2012, Brain Chemistry, Relationship with Food
• Do you have a love-hate relationship with food?
• Do you love the taste of certain foods and find that once you start you can’t stop?
• Do you find yourself drawn to eating certain foods even when you know they’re not good for you and you’re going to feel crappy afterwards?
• Do you find that even when you know that eating as much as you are eating, or the kinds of foods that you’re eating, is only going to put fat on your body and make you feel bad about yourself, in that moment you just don’t care? …And then you beat yourself up afterwards?
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