9/22/14
BURN Fitness 101: The Blissful Path to Obesity
America is addicted to fattening food. And I do mean ADDICTED… as in the clinical definition of addition. From Merriam-Webster.com the definition of addiction is:
ad·dic·tion noun \ə-ˈdik-shən, a-\
: a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)
: an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something
: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful
“American Food” or the way food is served in America is a highly studied, carefully concocted combination of ingredients, and food combinations that are literally designed to maximize the production of pleasure hormones in the human brain. Scientists working for fast food companies and major restaurant chains spend millions to study and design the exact combination of foods, and ingredients to addict us.
The vast majority of drugs we have defined as “highly addictive” work to affect our brain chemistry in a way that produces a heightened sense of pleasure, euphoria, call it a high. When that drug goes away, the resulting drop in these chemicals and hormones in the brain causes depression, and even potentially withdrawal symptoms.
What food scientists have discovered is that specific food combinations can produce similar responses in the brain, effectively driving an “addiction” to these combinations that bring customers back over and over. This is great for the restaurant, as repeat customers are their life-blood. But what is good for the restaurant’s bottom line is slowly but surely killing us.
These scientists have found that sugar is a highly addictive substance alone. But when the sweet taste of sugar is mixed with something salty… the brain response (craving) is multiplied. Scientists also know that the enjoyment of food is as much texture as it is flavor… and fat adds a pleasant texture to foods that we naturally subconsciously crave. Think of the cookies grandma use to make that had a whole stick of butter (or more) in the ingredients! That greasy stain under the pizza on the box… or the gobs of cheese melting down the side of every food quintessentially American!
When the perfect balance of sugar, salt, and fat are combined into a food “grouping” (a meal), the brain goes into pleasure-chemical overload! ADDICTION forms…
Let’s look at some examples:
- “Salty-Sweet” anything! Protein Bars, chocolate covered pretzels, etc.
- Value Meals! Burger (fat), Fries (salt/fat), and a coke (sugar).
- Barbeque sauce with anything! BBQ sauce is made of brown sugar, salt, and paprika… slathered over ribs (fat).
- Restaurant entrees with sauces, loaded with salt, and served with a “featured” sweet mixed drink.
- Trail mix is possibly the most addictive food on earth! Peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms?
- The sauce used on pizza is VERY sweet! Add in pineapple, ham, and cheese? Deadly.
These combinations of food strategically marketed and sold together, combine to create what food scientists call the “Bliss Point”. The Bliss Point is the “magic” balance of sugar salt and fat that trigger a food addiction in the brain. Restaurants KNOW this, and they create the food combinations that bring us back over and over, resulting in ”persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful”.
We know these foods are fattening. We know these foods are bad for our weight and health… yet as a country we compulsively over-eat them on a regular basis. It’s an unconscious urge we follow to return again and again to the “Bliss Point” that creates the brain chemistry that brings pleasure!
So how do you break the addiction???
The first step is just like any other addiction… Realizing you HAVE a problem! Educate yourself on what happens to YOUR brain when you mix sugar fat and salt! Focus on removing as much SUGAR as you can from your diet first. That is the most addictive and destructive of the three by far. Next, go after the salt and fat. Write down the foods you eat. Look for the patterns of sugar fat and salt in those foods. Break that pattern!
Avoid restaurant meals like the plague… If you must eat out, go in with an understanding of the “Bliss Point”, and break the pattern. Go for a salad, and add some healthy fat, like avocado, cheese, or olive oil… but DON’T slather on the French dressing! Its fine to grab an entrée on occasion that is salty and fatty (like a steak), but don’t eat ANY sugar with that meal. No sugar… No Bliss Point.
Most importantly, just be conscious of what you’re putting in your mouth. Understand why some foods become addictive, and steer clear of those combinations.
If you feel you have an addictive attachment to certain combinations of foods, come talk to us at BURN Fitness Training. The psychology of food, cravings, and how they interact with your brain and body is one of our specialties. We can help you break the patterns that keep you unhealthy and fat!
BURN Fitness 101: The Blissful Path to Obesity
America is addicted to fattening food. And I do mean ADDICTED… as in the clinical definition of addition. From Merriam-Webster.com the definition of addiction is:
ad·dic·tion noun \ə-ˈdik-shən, a-\
: a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)
: an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something
: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful
“American Food” or the way food is served in America is a highly studied, carefully concocted combination of ingredients, and food combinations that are literally designed to maximize the production of pleasure hormones in the human brain. Scientists working for fast food companies and major restaurant chains spend millions to study and design the exact combination of foods, and ingredients to addict us.
The vast majority of drugs we have defined as “highly addictive” work to affect our brain chemistry in a way that produces a heightened sense of pleasure, euphoria, call it a high. When that drug goes away, the resulting drop in these chemicals and hormones in the brain causes depression, and even potentially withdrawal symptoms.
What food scientists have discovered is that specific food combinations can produce similar responses in the brain, effectively driving an “addiction” to these combinations that bring customers back over and over. This is great for the restaurant, as repeat customers are their life-blood. But what is good for the restaurant’s bottom line is slowly but surely killing us.
These scientists have found that sugar is a highly addictive substance alone. But when the sweet taste of sugar is mixed with something salty… the brain response (craving) is multiplied. Scientists also know that the enjoyment of food is as much texture as it is flavor… and fat adds a pleasant texture to foods that we naturally subconsciously crave. Think of the cookies grandma use to make that had a whole stick of butter (or more) in the ingredients! That greasy stain under the pizza on the box… or the gobs of cheese melting down the side of every food quintessentially American!
When the perfect balance of sugar, salt, and fat are combined into a food “grouping” (a meal), the brain goes into pleasure-chemical overload! ADDICTION forms…
Let’s look at some examples:
- “Salty-Sweet” anything! Protein Bars, chocolate covered pretzels, etc.
- Value Meals! Burger (fat), Fries (salt/fat), and a coke (sugar).
- Barbeque sauce with anything! BBQ sauce is made of brown sugar, salt, and paprika… slathered over ribs (fat).
- Restaurant entrees with sauces, loaded with salt, and served with a “featured” sweet mixed drink.
- Trail mix is possibly the most addictive food on earth! Peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms?
- The sauce used on pizza is VERY sweet! Add in pineapple, ham, and cheese? Deadly.
These combinations of food strategically marketed and sold together, combine to create what food scientists call the “Bliss Point”. The Bliss Point is the “magic” balance of sugar salt and fat that trigger a food addiction in the brain. Restaurants KNOW this, and they create the food combinations that bring us back over and over, resulting in ”persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful”.
We know these foods are fattening. We know these foods are bad for our weight and health… yet as a country we compulsively over-eat them on a regular basis. It’s an unconscious urge we follow to return again and again to the “Bliss Point” that creates the brain chemistry that brings pleasure!
So how do you break the addiction???
The first step is just like any other addiction… Realizing you HAVE a problem! Educate yourself on what happens to YOUR brain when you mix sugar fat and salt! Focus on removing as much SUGAR as you can from your diet first. That is the most addictive and destructive of the three by far. Next, go after the salt and fat. Write down the foods you eat. Look for the patterns of sugar fat and salt in those foods. Break that pattern!
Avoid restaurant meals like the plague… If you must eat out, go in with an understanding of the “Bliss Point”, and break the pattern. Go for a salad, and add some healthy fat, like avocado, cheese, or olive oil… but DON’T slather on the French dressing! Its fine to grab an entrée on occasion that is salty and fatty (like a steak), but don’t eat ANY sugar with that meal. No sugar… No Bliss Point.
Most importantly, just be conscious of what you’re putting in your mouth. Understand why some foods become addictive, and steer clear of those combinations.
If you feel you have an addictive attachment to certain combinations of foods, come talk to us at BURN Fitness Training. The psychology of food, cravings, and how they interact with your brain and body is one of our specialties. We can help you break the patterns that keep you unhealthy and fat!