GOOD
Health
An Underlying Cause of Food Obsessions BY LISA KILGOUR, rhn
Do you have a food that you dream about? That you actively avoid because you tend to dive headfirst into an entire bag/box/container and eat the whole thing?
I
f so, I have a question for you…how often have you restricted this food? Have you been on a diet (or several diets) that’s deemed it as “bad”?
Some research has come out over the last few years that’s found a link between restricting food and food obsessions. They’ve found that restricting food makes you feel obsessed with it. It was probably a diet (or 10) that has made you want that food so badly—it’s not a weakness on your part. You might be thinking “But Lisa! I shouldn’t be eating potato chips/chocolate/candy all the time! They are bad foods!!”. Well, yes and no. Yes, some foods have more nutrients than others. And there are foods that will trigger inflammation and other problems in the body.
Your body knows this too and has no problem avoiding these foods. But your brain… well, that’s another story. Your brain doesn’t like the concept of no. Telling your brain “No!” to a food uses willpower. Willpower is a muscle that takes energy and eventually it gets tired. And so, on a quiet night after a very long day, that quiet voice who likes to rebel against all “no”s in your life introduces an idea…an idea that you’re just too tired to say no to again. Let’s eat some of that favourite food of yours, you deserve it! (Your brain is very good at telling you exactly what you need to hear to get its way.)
The longer you’ve said no to a food, the stronger your reaction when you’re tired. If you’ve said no for a day or two, maybe two cookies will satisfy your craving. But, if you’ve been saying no for months (or years), well the whole bag might barely satisfy you. And this food obsession might continue for days or even weeks. I’d like to offer you a different way of looking at food, one that lets your body find balance and uses little to no willpower. This is it: eat the food you’re obsessed with. And eat as much as you’d like.
THE LONGER YOU’VE SAID NO TO A FOOD, THE STRONGER YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU’RE TIRED.
LISA KILGOUR, rhn is one of Nature’s Fare Markets’ nutritionists and sought-after speaker and educator who helps people heal from diverse and complex health issues. She has spoken at TEDxKelowna and is the author of Undieting: Freedom from the Bewildering World of Fad Diets. Check out the nutritionist schedule on page three and book your free appointment today at naturesfare.com. Learn more: lisakilgour.com
9 | November/December 2021
