It may not be popular to point fingers, but Michael Moss, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter, has done just that in his book, Salt Sugar Fat. The book takes a shocking look into the processed food industry—an industry that rakes in one trillion dollars each year as the largest (no pun intended) contributor to obesity.
It is undeniable that our ancestors have no experience with this problem. They ate what they could raise, catch, or pick. That the industry researches ways to make you want more, buy more, and eat more may not be much of a surprise, either, unless you really do care about your health and well-being.
That is the one single word that the food industry hates: “addiction.” They much prefer words like “crave-ability” and “allure.” Some of the top scientists who are very knowledgeable about addiction in the country are very convinced that for some people, the most highly sugared, high fat foods are every bit as addictive as some narcotics.
In the processed food industry, they are looking for what they call your bliss point.
Their advice to these people is don’t try to eat just a couple Oreo cookies, because you are not going to be able to stop. Sugar uses the same neurological pathways as narcotic [products rely on] to hit the pleasure center of the brain that send out the signals: “eat more, eat more.” That said, the food industry defends itself by saying true narcotic addiction has certain technical thresholds that you just don’t find in food addiction. It’s true, but in some ways getting unhooked on foods is harder than getting unhooked on narcotics, because you can’t go cold turkey. You can’t just stop eating.
According to Mark Hyman, M.D., there is something (in addition to abstinence of processed foods) that you can do to help you cut down on cravings: Supplements. Hyman says nutrients are absolutely essential to address the problem because they can make cells less insulin resistant and they aid in the metabolizing of sugars and fats. A faster metabolism results in healthier blood sugar levels, lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and less inflammation—resulting in your having more energy and enjoying an ideal weight.
In an article titled, “Savvy Supplement Shopping,” Hyman calls nutrients the oil that greases the wheels of our metabolism, and writes that “large-scale nutritional deficiencies in our population, including omega-3 fats, vitamin D, folate, zinc, magnesium, and iron, have been well documented in extensive government-sponsored research.” From that article:
While I strongly discourage you from going off any medication without your doctor’s supervision, you can integrate the following in your regimen to help overcome diabesity.
- A high-quality multi-vitamin and mineral.
- 1,000 to 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 a day with breakfast.
- 500-1,000 mg of omega-3 fats (should contain a ratio of approximately 300/200 EPA/DHA), once with breakfast and once with dinner.
- 100-200 mg of magnesium, once with breakfast and once with dinner.
- 300 to 600 mg alpha lipoic acid a day, once with breakfast and once with dinner.
- 200 to 600 mcg chromium polynicotinate a day (up to 1,200 mcg a day can be helpful).
- 0.5-1 mg biotin, once with breakfast and once with dinner.
- 125-250 mg cinnamon, once with breakfast and once with dinner.
- 25-50 mg green tea catechins, once with breakfast and once with dinner.
- 2 to 5 grams of PGX fiber in powder or capsules, 15 minutes before each meal with 8 ounces of water.
This week, if supplement use to cut the cravings is new to you, do your homework. To learn more about the specific products Hyman recommends to his patients, see www.bloodsugarsolution.com. For sure make it a priority to get plenty of nutrients. That way you will crave the stuff that is good for you!
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Rev. Debra Basham
Voice: (269) 921-2217 Email: debra@scs-matters.com https://scs-matters.com http://ImagineHealing.info http://SurgicalSupport.info Small Changes … Infinite Results™
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~Mother Teresa Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips |