Are You a Food Addict?
The term ‘food addiction’ is very commonly used these days. So many people are diagnosing themselves as food addicts. People often proclaim with a sense of scientific and professional certainty, “I’m a food addict,” and indeed plenty of experts have jumped on the bandwagon and written books or created programs to manage food addiction in the recovery and 12- step universe (which I love, by the way). There’s even a special program that’s been around for a long time to help people with food ‘addictions,’ but there’s a hidden side to all this that we’re going to bring into the light today.
Yes, of course, we all want to have a healthy, happy relationship with food. We want to enjoy our body. We want to feel light. We want to feel free. We want a relationship with food that truly works. So in the spirit of that fundamental and beautiful desire that all human beings all share, let’s get right down to business. When it comes to food addiction — more specifically the answer to the question, “Am I a food addict?” — no, you are not a food addict. You’ve never been one, and neither you nor anyone else in the known universe will ever be one. So allow me to explain and bring you on board with what I believe is a smarter, wiser, and more effective way to understand this thing. People are calling food an addiction, but here is the simple and irrefutable science: We cannot be addicted to that which is essential to life.
Many people can have a ‘soft’ addiction or attachment to various gluten containing foods such as breads, pastas, and more. These contain gluteomorphins, which are chemicals that are classified as opioid peptides that can have a mild opiate-like effect. Similarly, many dairy products and various cheeses contain casomorphins. Once again, these are natural opiate-like chemicals that can make us feel good, but all these food substances that I’ve just mentioned have a far milder impact on our neurochemistry then do the common addictive drugs that we all know about that can wreak havoc on society and drive us to overdose and even cause instant death.
So I trust you can see the distinctions that I’m emphasizing here. The notion that we can be addicted to food in general is simply unscientific. It’s illogical. It’s ill-advised, and it’s unexamined. I believe it’s a very destructive belief that causes some very intense, personal suffering to a lot of people.
If you think you’re a food addict, or you’re a coach or a helping professional who works with eating challenges, here are two helpful tips for moving past food addiction and finding greater freedom and joy with food.
Tip #1: Reframe food addiction. Meaning, let go of the term ‘food addict’ completely. Don’t speak or think about it. Instead, find supportive thoughts that allow you to create a new and positive relationship with food. Such as, “I’m learning how to nourish myself — not just with food, but in all areas of my life. I’m learning how to have a happy and satisfying relationship with food.” Can you see the difference in that way of using our inner language? Be gentle with yourself and know that creating new thought patterns takes time. Simply allow yourself to notice when you’re having thoughts about being a food addict, remind yourself that it’s truly impossible to be addicted to that which gives you life, and find the positive thoughts that will allow you to move into a new relationship with food.
Tip #2: Recognize that the concept of food addiction is a toxic nutritional belief. Remind yourself every day, “I am making friends with food. Food is not my enemy. Food is my best friend.” You can think of this almost like a mantra. The more you think about food as a friend, the more you’ll unwind this toxic nutritional belief and begin to shift your physiology. In doing so, you’ll train yourself to relax into being a human being who was born to eat and celebrate.
I hope you found this helpful.
