Addictive foods? How to stop the addiction and nip the belly fat!

By Bella Bellies Owner Annie Martens

Addicted to foods that thicken your belly?

Are you down with the term hyperpalatables? Maybe not the term, but possibly your brain is addicted to it’s meaning. Hyperpalatables are sugary, starchy, fatty and salty foods. Personally speaking? My brain instantly thinks of our local chocolatier and his caramel, pretzel, salted chocolate candy bars. Can these yummy, scrumptious foods have similar affects that cocaine, crack and heroine produce in the brain? Is our adorable, local, small town candy store a haven for addicts?  

According to recent research the answer is yes, **but** only when it exceeds moderation and is incorporated into your daily lifestyle.  

How do hyperpalatables do this? These foods trigger a release of dopamine in the brain thereby creating an urge to re-seek the substance that triggers this response. Also, these hyperpalatables, change the chemistry of the brain so when we even consider the substance we begin to salivate.  In certain men and women, these urges hijack the chemistry of the brain yielding an addiction where  80-90% of the primal hind-brain will have a response to hyperpalatables **before** consumption.

Okay, so I understand what this means for our brains, but what about our belly? Turns out most of these foods are stored over the belly and thicken a layer of the belly referred to as the omentum. This thickened layer of belly has a hormonal affect, shifting primarily the hormones that regulate dopamine intake, in turn we need more and more intake of hyperpalatables. However, there is another catch. The more we consume these foods the lower the release of dopamine, creating a fix in the body to seek more and more. This happens simultaneously to the omentum growing and the urge to eat these foods may consume a person. –Yikes!

As a personal trainer, this is so very interesting to me, because I can (and I am sure many of you out there as well) attest to the fact that some individuals are addicted to foods. It is not only frustrating for the personal trainer, but can be devastating for the client. Yep, there were days when I just wanted to shake  **some** of my clients and tell them to moderate their foods, but I knew this sadly would not work. For whatever reason, genetics, upbringing, food allergies…they were going to have one hell of a trip.

Some of the worst hyperpalatives I, personally, have seen in my 10+ years of training? –fast food meals, diet coke, salty & sweet snacks and candy bars.

Your diet is the foundation to your health, it is the fuel which creates the basic molecular compounds that keep us alive and whole-- but they can also be a poison. 

So how do we take back our brains?

Here are a few tips that have worked with some of my clients over the years.

1)      Reduce stress and the resulted need for relief or feel good hormones

2)      Detox with water, divide your body weight in half and drink that amount in ounces

3)      Slowly wean yourself off the substance by 1/8^th a week

4)      Don’t be afraid to seek support such as a compassionate personal trainer (not all understand the science, so do some research in advance)

5)      Once you are able to moderate your food **don’t go back, it’s a slippery slope

6)      Ensure everyone in your living environment is aware of what you are doing and does not bring the addictive food home.

7)      Ensure you consume healthy omega fats, as this will help reduce cravings (Vines 2012)

8)     When you have the urge to eat compulsively-exercise! Exercise helps build dopamines in the body and can be a healthy addiction.

For more information; Check out Pamela Peeke’s MD, MPH Research and her Yale Addiction Food Scale.