Do you remember Lay’s commercial “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One?” It came out in 1963! Even that far back, big food processing companies were looking for a way to create a product that people couldn’t stop eating. I watched an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Michael Moss, who wrote the book Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions. It was fascinating and scary at the same time. Is it possible that food is addictive, like drugs or alcohol? The answer is “YES!” Companies like Nestle, own over 2,000 brands of food. Many you might recognize like Cheerios, Haagen Dazs, Stouffer’s, Toll House, and Gerber. The food giants like PepsiCo (who owns Lay’s), Tyson Foods, Kraft Heinz, and General Mills own the majority of our packaged, canned, and frozen foods. These companies hire “food scientists” to make the food more appealing and addictive! (1) Michael Moss is quoted as saying “I was really struck by how many people inside the industry itself hold their industry totally accountable, totally culpable for this surge in obesity that we’ve had for the last 30 years now.” (2) One food scientist he interviewed stated that “we try and create that “bliss point” to capture that perfect amount of sweetness that would send us over the moon, and their products flying off the shelf.” | |
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Your Brain Has Been Hijacked You make a neurotransmitter in your gut and your brain called “Dopamine.” Dopamine is the “pleasure” neurotransmitter. It is also the neurotransmitter that makes you feel “satisfaction”, such as achieving a goal. It is also involved in motivation. Dopamine reinforces enjoyable behaviors by linking them with a desire to repeat them. What the food industry has figured out is, how to fire off dopamine from the food you eat! You start to eat a couple of Oreo cookies and the next thing you know you’ve eaten the whole row! You open a bag of Doritos and the next thing you know you’ve eaten half the bag! If your “addiction” is in the house, you are going to be drawn to that time, and time again. Sugar, caffeine, social media, video games, pornography, alcohol, and drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and meth, all cause a dopamine “push.” It’s known that it takes 4 days of stopping video games to allow the brain to clear the dopamine. It takes two months for the brain to completely return to normal! Over the many years that I have run programs live and online that are 30 detoxes, I’ve had hundreds of people say it got them off the sugar and processed food. Often within ten days they start to feel that “crave” subside. Each of us is different, and even our genetics play a role in this. | |
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Ways to Increase Dopamine NaturallyWe all want to feel pleasure, accomplishment and motivation. So what can we do besides eating sugar, processed food, and drinking alcohol? Sunlight We know that increasing our Vitamin D levels helps to restore balance in the brain and often can lower depression and anxiety. The northern part of the United States (like Washington) has one of the highest rates of depression in the winter months. Getting sunlight first thing in the morning also increases serotonin which makes you feel happy, calm, focused, and emotionally stable. It is also the precursor to making melatonin, which helps you sleep better. Exercise It’s been long know that you can create “endorphins” from exercise. Exercise also increases dopamine production in the brain. Even moderate exercise like walking is beneficial. You always feel better after you exercise, right? Sleep Sleep increases dopamine levels by replenishing the brain’s dopamine stores during rest periods, particularly during REM sleep, which allows for a surge in dopamine release upon waking, contributing to feelings of alertness and motivation; essentially, sleep acts as a “recharge” for the dopamine system. | |
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Accomplish TasksDopamine is created when we accomplish a goal. I’m sure you have felt that feeling when you finish a big project. You feel good about yourself. What research has found is that even accomplishing small, daily tasks (like finishing the laundry) can increase dopamine production. Protein All of your neurotransmitters are made from protein. L-tyrosine (an amino acid) is the precursor for making dopamine. L-tyrosine is found primarily in animal proteins. It is also found in avocados, plantains, and bananas. Having protein with every meal can stabilize blood sugar, and allow the body to extract the l-tyrosine to make your dopamine. I suggest some complex carbohydrates with your protein as the carbohydrate helps “carry” the l-tyrosine across the blood-brain barrier quicker. Supplements There are a couple of supplements that can help boost the manufacturing of dopamine. • Omega 3 fats – your brain is 60% fat and it loves Omega 3’s. You can supplement with fish oil, eat omega 3 rich foods such as salmon and flax seed. • L-tyrosine does come in supplement form. • B vitamins are essential for good brain function, mood, and the nervous system. • Magnesium glycinate helps calm the nervous system. Magnesium deficiency may contribute to lower dopamine levels and an increased risk of depression. | |
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I know for me, I cannot have those “addictive” foods in the house. We all have our “crave” sometimes, but I try and do it when I’m not at home and I do not bring it into the house. The food industry has captured our neurotransmitter dopamine in a very effective way. Instead of “fighting” the biology, try some of the tips above! Chris Mckee Certified Nutritionist at Achieve Integrative Health | |
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References: 1. Food cravings engineered by industry. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/food-cravings-engineered-by-industry-1.1395225 2. How the Food Industry Helps Engineer Our Cravings. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/16/459981099/how-the-food-industry-helps-engineer-our-cravings 3. Stages of Video Game Addiction: How Bad Can it Get? https://www.healthygamer.gg/blog/stages-of-video-game-addiction#:~:text=Understanding%20the%20stages%20of%20video,you%20could%20not%20stop%20playing. |
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