Separation of Addiction and Overeating

We overeaters are a subset of the population who's first reaction to many things in life is to reach for food, consume food, too much, too frequently. Any event or condition will be sufficient. Anything produces a cue. Then, we need to decide how to react to the cue.

Lets stop for a moment and separate out several other situations, true hunger, and food addiction. These can and do occur, but we must learn to separate these out. I can tell the difference, can you? I have all three issues.

The separating characteristic of food addiction is the craving is very specific, and will not be satisfied by anything but the desired food. Normal overeating, emotion based, almost any food will do. And also, when the cause is removed, the craving goes away. Chemical induced craving (like glucose-insulin issue) can also be specific, but these behave differently. With food addiction, there was no relief for several days, and ongoing severe intermittent cravings for months, and with any taste, the craving returns. Complete abstinences may be primitive but it works and the medical community has nothing to offer. It is no more difficult than a person with a nut allergy staying away from nuts, or a celiac staying away from gluten.  The approach is scoffed on and at, and decried, criticized by many, but have you got anything that works better short and long term? We all would like a softer easier way.   

The overeater will respond to almost any emotion or chemical stimulus in the same way, a craving for food, as separated from appetite, the desire to eat. Any emotion will do, celebration, stress, boredom, indecision, to busy, to quite, people, lack of people, and then there is chemical, drop in blood glucose, insulin rise, insulin surges, glucose-insulin- leptin issue, or just the presence of palatable food is enough.

Anybody got any real solutions?

Redundant Questions

This AM, Dr. Sharma once again raises the red flag with http://www.drsharma.ca/obesity-is-preventing-childhood-obesity-affordable.html.  Do we have a choice but to treat the youth? But in order treat the youth, they must first be able to treat the adults. The success the governments have at treating obesity is minimal, largely due to there moderation approach, ELMM, inconsistent and often wrong methods addressing the wrong problems. People who have a few pounds to lose cannot be compared with the grossly obese, what ever the politically correct term is. One size fits all is a wasted effort. The grossly obese need a major change in lifestyle to correct the problem. There is no use in arguing with an idiot.

The government must first recognize the other experts that do not follow the Canada good food guide, and instead treat insulin resistance, carbohydrate intolerance, metabolic syndrome, T2D and the like with a low carbohydrate diet of some ilk. There are a bunch of bacteria which some of us support that produce dopamine that feed off carbohydrates. Feed them and we become addicted; starve them out and we are near normal until we eat a carbohydrate rich meal, and the addiction returns. Such is life with food addiction.

There is another group of processes that cause an issue with excess omega 6 oils in many of us, and gluetin is another issue.

The cost of the medical intervention is massive: we have little choice than to deal with the root cause, the government promoting the wrong food plan since the Keys fraud. Paleo is the way to go, avoiding sugar, grains, omega 6 oils, and all new foods. Trans fats start life as omega 6 oils. It is difficult to gain weight on real food, without the  empty calories of starch rich foods. Watch the quantities of real foods with a caloric density above 0.5 calories/gram. Every thing else is just not food.

No SGO6, honey badger attitude.

Addiction to Food

Suppose some foods or combination of foods are an addictive substances, now that we know bacteria can manufacture dopamine and serotonin, and these both are addictive. Or rather, the food feeds bacteria, which produce dopamine and serotonin which feeds the addiction. Now, the simple solution is to live on foods that the bacteria who produce these substances do not eat; or do not feed dopamine and serotonin producing bacteria. But I do not know what those bacteria eat, but sugar and carbohydrates seem to be addictive. I will start there.

To aid this suppose we drink cold water, which slows bacteria growth. Is this why cold water reduces hunger?

Maffetone has his two week test for carbohydrate intolerance which is similar to Atkins Induction, lets just add cold water to the protein, fat and green vegetables. Sounds like Bernstein now. This is another n=1. But this is day 4, since after getting back, I went back to Maffetone to get started another cycle of cutting.

Hunger is slightly reduced, but sill there and temptation is always present. The low impulse control and leaky memory are always present. Energy is always low anyway.

Any comments or other ideas?

Addiction vs Hyperinsulinemia

Note that Carbohydrate Addiction and transient postprandial reactive Hyperinsulinemia are different critters, but are both set off by carbohydrate load and dense carbohydrates with a high caloric density.

Carbohydrate addiction is a endorphin opioid reward hedonic response low impulse issue. 

Transient postprandial reactive hyperinsulinemia is a after some meals reaction of excess insulin.

Both produce cravings or a hunger for carbohydrates. In the case of hyperinsulinemia, mild exercise will reduce the hunger through GLUT4 transporter.

addiction

Note: more wrong information; No separation between hyperinsulinemia and addiction, and gluten, these are separate items. I just happen to have all 3, and many others can have all 3 also, but not necessarly.

from http://weight.insulitelabs.com/Addiction.php

As many as 75% of overweight and obese people may be addicted through poor eating habits to either carbohydrates or the protein called gluten, which is found in all wheat, rye, barley and oat products.

Like any addiction, these cravings are unhealthy and problematic. They take the form of either an irresistible craving for carbohydrate-rich foods such as desserts, candies and junk food, or gluten products like breakfast cereals, breads and pasta.

Carbohydrate-rich foods make up a large part of the modern-day diet and include bagels, cakes, chocolate, cookies, crackers, pastry, fruit and fruit juice, ice cream, potato chips, potatoes, pretzels, rice, pie, popcorn and sugar-sweetened beverages. In addition, carbohydrate "act-a-likes" such as sugar substitutes, alcoholic beverages and monosodium glutamate may trigger intense, recurring carbohydrate cravings, which can lead to excess weight and obesity.

Proteins such as gluten result in the production of substances that can have addictive, narcotic-like effects. These substances are called "exorphins." Hydrolyzed wheat gluten, for example, has been found to prolong intestinal transit time and may contribute to weight gain. The effects of exorphins on the brain tell a person to keep eating gluten products, which, in turn, could contribute to the mental disturbances and appetite disorders that routinely accompany food-related illnesses.

Many food "addicts" are right to suspect there is a physical reason that makes them crave carbohydrates and put weight on easily. But the underlying cause of their struggles often goes undiagnosed and untreated by the medical profession.

Carbohydrate Addiction

Carbohydrate addiction is, in fact, caused by excess insulin, which is released by the pancreas into the blood stream when carb-rich foods are eaten. Insulin signals the body to take in food and, once the food is consumed, orders the resulting energy to be stored in the form of fat. Too much insulin results in an irresistible and frequent desire to eat.

The scientific term for this condition is post-prandial reactive hyperinsulinemia, which means too much insulin is released after eating. Hyperinsulinemia stems from Insulin Resistance, an imbalance of blood glucose and insulin levels. If left unchecked, Insulin Resistance can result in excess weight and obesity, increasing the risk of developing a variety of damaging disorders such as:
The cluster of cardiovascular risk factors called metabolic syndrome (syndrome X), which can lead to a heart attack or stroke
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of female infertility as well as numerous other symptoms including skin conditions, excess body and facial hair and male pattern baldness in women
Reversible pre-diabetes, which, if left untreated, can lead to type 2 diabetes, which is irreversible in the vast majority of cases. Type 2 diabetes may require daily injections of insulin and significantly increases the risk for blindness, heart and kidney disease and the need for amputationGluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance can manifest in many ways. You may have heard of Celiac Disease, an extreme reaction to any product containing gluten, a protein found in wheat. The symptoms are chronic watery and bloody stools. The immune systems of those with Celiac Disease are reacting severely to this protein, however there are thousands of people who suffer milder reactions to gluten and are unaware of the underlying cause.

Eating gluten can cause inflammation in the sensitive mucous membranes of the intestinal lining which can trigger an immune response. Because of this immune reaction, individuals experience wide variations in symptoms such as rashes, fatigue, mental fog, behavioral disorders like hyperactivity in children, gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea, chronic headaches and more.

Many individuals have increased food cravings as a reaction to consuming gluten, but are unaware of the reason for their desire to eat continuously or even out of control. Some medical practitioners are challenged to pinpoint this condition and, as a result, their patients are often left to treat the symptoms rather than the cause - ingesting glutens. Due to the lack of specificity in identifying their disorder, many people continue to eat gluten for decades and struggle constantly with their food cravings.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin increases the insulin sensitivity of your cells, which, in turn, impedes the vital process whereby food converted into glucose in the bloodstream passes through the cell wall to be converted to energy. Glucose "bounces" off the cell walls after being denied entry and "free floats" to the liver, where the sugar is stored in fat cells throughout the body via the blood stream.

Common symptoms of resulting energy starvation include irritability, shakiness, tiredness, intense cravings, confusion and headaches. As high insulin levels continue, glucose gets trapped in the blood stream and can bring on pre- and type 2 diabetes.

Pre-diabetics, who have blood sugar levels higher than normal but not yet in the range of type 2 diabetes, can reverse their condition with a balanced, nutritious diet and regular exercise. Type 2 diabetes can develop if you neglect the symptoms of pre-diabetes.

There is currently no accepted blood test to determine definitively whether you are carb-addicted. Fasting insulin levels do not necessarily predict how your body will react after eating carbohydrate-rich foods and glucose tolerance tests use highly sweetened drinks that are not the equivalent of typical carbohydrate-rich meals.

But if you are overweight or obese, there is a good chance you are carbohydrate or gluten-addicted. However, it's not necessarily true that you over-eat, just that you are trapped in the bad habit of eating the wrong diet i.e. carb or gluten- rich food, while leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Changing those habits is a key factor in the Insulite System's approach to improved health through weight loss via a balanced nutritious diet, regular exercise and ongoing support.

A crucial aim is to address the impact that food makes on neuro-transmitters in the brain. By changing your lifestyle and "re-training" the way your brain perceives food, you can reverse Insulin Resistance and achieve lasting weight loss and a greater sense of well-being in ways that may not have occurred to you.

addiction

More evidence showed up that we “easy to fatten” have been marks to the food industry for a long time. They do not have public health uppermost in there minds. The food industry is corrupt, with corrupt marketing, and much is owned by old tobacco money. How do we know what information to trust?

Overcoming addiction is tough. Tobacco was the easiest of the three that I overcame. Sugar was next, and next easiest. Wheat was tough, I craved for about a severely for about year. Withdrawal included bad headaches, different from low glycogen headaches. Both wheat and sugar creep into my food occasionally, and result is intense cravings. Both are everywhere. With sugar and wheat generally gone, I dropped 55+ kgs. Manufactured oils, or Omega 6 oils also appear to be addicting, or hyperpalatable, but it is difficult to cut to 2 gm/day as it is everywhere.

For the record but I did not save the source 

It is proposed that chronic hyperinsulinemia is largely responsible for hunger, cravings and weight gain observed in many obese. This form of obesity can be treated by decreasing frequency of daily intake of carbohydrates to one well-balance meal each day and allowing for additional meals that are low in fat (I am assuming low in added fat), low carbohydrates and high fiber. Animal experimentation and epidemiological evidence support the role of chronic hyperinsulinemia as a major factor in obesity and accounts for the frequent failures of diet and behavioral modification programs. Chronic hyperinsulinemia upsets metabolic balances and favors anabolic metabolism; fosters carbohydrate cravings; promotes insulin resistance which further promotes anabolic metabolism; and insulin resistance in turn exacerbates chronic hyperinsulinemia. This vicious cycle maintains excess weight and defeats diet and behavioral modification attempts to treat obesity. An eating program focused on reduction of chronic hyperinsulinemia coupled with appropriate exercise and behavior modification can successfully and permanently bring down cravings, hunger and body weight. ( but he has not done it)