Steps To Recovery: Food Addiction

I recently made a post on topic understanding Food Addiction . In this post i would like to talk about some coping strategies about food addiction or ways to recovery .

1)Reclaim Your Brain

For all addictions, it's imperative to do what it takes to heal both the reward and executive centers in the brain. In order to do this, you need to tell your true truth and make a list of any foods that, after consuming, leave you feeling out of control and launching into overeating. Pitch them now. Will you ever be able to have them down the road? That's not possible if they keep lighting up your reward center and knee jerking you into the fridge. If you're cross addicted, the answer is a firm "no." Brain healing can only take place in the absence of the addictive food products.

2)Use an integrative approach

a) Meditate: Science now shows that when you regularly practice meditation (especially mindfulness and transcendental meditation) you activate and promote healing in the executive center of the brain. You also increase vigilance and stay present as you live through each day.

b) Switch Foods: I call addictive foods False Fixes. Switch out False Fixes with Healthy Fixes. Bag the salty fatty corn chips and bake some kale chips. Get smart and curb cravings by combining protein and fiber throughout the day. The brain perceives fullness and your appetite is reined in. Works like a charm and you're less likely to cave to the crave.

c) Grow a Bigger Brain: Get up and be more active throughout the day. When you do, scientists have shown that you actually stimulate the brain (including the executive center) to grow more brain cells and new circuits to duke it out with the addictive ones. That's why my Hunger Fix motto is "Big Brain, Small Waist". The bigger and more powerful your brain, the better your decisions and the smaller your waist.

3)Practice the 24-hour rule

a) Study your own eating patterns throughout a 24-hour period. Identify the "red zones" when you're more likely to cave to the crave--morning, lunch, 3 p.m., dinner time, after dinner, any or all of the above.

b) Start every day by saying "Today I will______" and keep to your daily goals. "Today I will eat my mid-afternoon snack on time and be mindful at dinner."

c) Be prepared for the red zones by making certain you have the foods you need throughout the day (healthy meals and snacks), staying physically active, getting sleep and practicing better stress management.

d) Take it hour by hour and keep saying to yourself "I'm doing well and I can do this." Stay present and mindful. Keep a food log to stay honest. Keep a vision of your goals.

4)Cope With Stress

Stress is the Achilles heel of people who have addictions. By preparing ahead of time for predictable stresses and by practicing meditation, getting enough sleep, creating a strong support system around you and strategically reducing as much stress in your life as possible, there's less of a tendency to crumble and cave.

5)Create a Healthy Voice

People with addictions often listen to what others say about them and believe those voices above their own. It's time to stop that and instead create your own Healthy Voice. SparkCoach is a wonderful way to learn how to support yourself as you work through each day. So are the helpful comments from your SparkPeople support system. Dump the unhealthy voices and develop your own "You Can Do This" affirmations.

There's so much more, but this is a good beginning to help you understand the gist of what's known about food addiction science and treatment. I welcome your thoughts, comments and stories and look forward to sharing more. Congratulations to everyone as you embrace each day to its fullest, remembering to live, laugh and love.

You can find some useful resources related to food addiction recovery here

Thank You all for reading . Feel free to share your opinions or ask any questions by replying to this forum post .