One day at dinner someone asked me a very interesting question: Why do people crave things like donuts and sweets and not cancer-fighting, cancer-fighting foods like spinach and broccoli?
I just said that it is an amazing question and that I have asked myself it many times. In fact, I also went on to say that even though I’m a coach, I have a lot of the same struggles with food that most people do. It has always puzzled me why I crave sweets and not a bowl of spinach and broccoli. I mean, how can foods like broccoli, spinach, carrots, etc., which provide nutrients that are vital to our well-being, not make us addicted like junk food does? I just have to walk through the Crispy Crème donuts and start to fantasize about how delicious those little suckers will be.
In the last few months I have come across some ideas as to why many are addicted or crave junk food. Hopefully this information will at least motivate you to keep these foods out of your home. Outside your home, you will be tempted by many opportunities to eat these lifeless and addictive foods.
World famous health and nutrition expert Paul Chek http://www.ChekInstitute.com calls it “you can’t eat just one syndrome.” First, he explains in his “You Are What You Eat” audio series that junk food or no food is foods that:
1. Offer little or no nutrition.
2. Force the body to use its own nutritional reserves to assimilate and digest food.
It is surprising that you are eating to nourish yourself with food, but with non-food you are actually running out of more nutrients, creating a need for more nutrition.
These same nonfoods also cause you to overeat and possibly become addicted to these foods.
The reason is that when food enters your mouth, your brain can feel if there is actually any food (vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, etc.) present in these foods. If there isn’t, the brain simply tells you to keep eating until you find the nutrition. The problem with donuts, cookies, and that soda is that there will never be nutrition in that meal. So what happens is you just eat the whole box or drink 20 oz of that soda. This creates a big problem with your blood sugar level because you have just ingested a large amount of worthless sugar that spikes your blood sugar level and forces your pancreas to secrete a huge amount of insulin to make your level of blood sugar drops again. Your blood sugar then plummets to very low levels and you feel horrible and guess what? Hungry again! And what better way to increase your energy level than with junk food, loaded with sugar, without nutrients and without value!
Can you see what I mean here? These nonfoods actually cause an addictive cycle similar to hard drugs and alcohol! In fact, Paul Chek even talked about how scientists discovered that the addictive mechanisms of sugar and hard drugs are actually very similar.
You get high and feel great and then collapse and feel worse than ever and crave the same substances that got you high in the first place. This to me is amazing and very scary. Over time, what also happens with hard drugs and alcohol is that you need more to achieve the same effect. Now look at what is happening to you: you are eating a food that elevates you, robs you of valuable nutrition, makes you sick, makes you fat, and also makes you want more.
The same reason you crave food is not the same reason you don’t crave spinach and broccoli. One could easily drink 20 oz. Of soda, but try spinach juice and you’re likely to throw up. The reason for this is because with the brain it will feel the enormous amount of nutrition coming in and it will say that it is enough. We naturally eat until we are satiated and it doesn’t happen with nonfoods, but it happens easily with real foods.
With real food you eat, feel good, don’t bloat, don’t get stoned, don’t crash, don’t overeat, and just feed.
So how do you protect yourself?
First let me say that we started at a huge disadvantage. Since we start eating these junk foods and not foods at such a young age, when we don’t know any better, the cycle can be hard to break. Junk food is also heavily marketed to young children. Remember that children will become the adults who eat these foods, so what better time to reach them than when they are young. I myself grew up on powdered iced tea, sodas, crackers, pasteurized milk (which is not a food either), and many other sweets. I also ate some real food like rice, vegetables, avocados, and meat, but I’ve always had too much access to nonfoods.
The first thing is not to keep any food that is not at home:
This is especially important for your children because I think it is easier for them to become addicted. Believe me and we all know this, but once you get out, you will be bombarded with temptations to feast on things that aren’t food.
I have examined many of my clients’ kitchens and none of them have passed my inspection. Many don’t even go through a second time (that’s how powerful these nonfoods are). I mean, if a scientist can compare sugar to hard drugs, shouldn’t that open his eyes?
Use a juicer and juice a few days a week – Most people don’t get enough vegetables in their diet, and juicing is one of the easiest ways to do this. My favorite juice drink is spinach, kale, cucumber, and green apples (although I would have liked to crave it)
Keep healthy snacks around the house like quality fruits, cheese, and yogurt. It is more expensive, but your health is not worth it. I mean it really saddens me when someone can drive to McDonalds in a $ 50,000 car. They should have a $ 20,000 car and eat better quality food.
Take the test to find out what types of foods you are suitable for: We are all unique in that we require different amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats, and taking the test can help us determine which types we are suitable for. Below are resources to help you determine what type it is.
Eat real food – Take the time to prepare quality meals at dinner time. Beef, chicken, turkey, and eggs are excellent sources of protein. Brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, salads, and vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates. Don’t forget to include high-quality fats and oils in your diet, as well as butter, coconut oil, cod liver oil, and olive oil.
If possible, try to buy organic meat and vegetables. They are more expensive but offer more nutrition than commercial foods.
Empower yourself: you just read this article because it could possibly help you. Keep doing it! Read the resources I have provided with this article so that you can continue to learn for yourself. You have the power to be better. Never forget it!
Here are some great resources that can further enhance your knowledge of these topics:
You Are What You Eat, By Paul Chek – This audio series will provide you with invaluable information on how to eat for optimal health. I can honestly say that the easy to understand information on this product can change your life!
http://www.chekinstitute.com/
http://www.Mercola.com/: The most comprehensive health website I have come across.
The best part it is free!
