2014-08-06

There are many addictions in this world. Some have it in the form of alcohol, others in substances. Some others in food.

Food addiction has become a widespread challenge. Food addiction is characterized by the compulsive overeating of food beyond your dietary requirements. This is a serious problem and therefore should be addressed.

In the featured interview, Dr. Mark Hyman discusses his new book, The 10-Day Detox Diet, a New York Times bestseller, which focuses on detoxing from sugar and eliminating food addictions.

From Toxic Mess to Optimal Health—A Doctor’s Personal Journey

Although he’d been very fascinated in health, nutrition, and exercise for quite long, he enrolled into medical school, where he was spellbound by the typical medical system. Dr. Hyman went on to work in an emergency room (ER) for a few years after being a family doctor for many years in a small town in Idaho.

His health started falling off the charts from stress and overwork. He got worse when he had mercury poisoning in China caused by burning coals that emitted mercury in the air.

His doctor recommended he take Prozac but he refused it. Instead he probed into research, trying to find the answer why his body was weakening. This was when he found the work of Jeffrey Bland, known as the father of functional medicine. Functional medicine is really an epitome. It treats doesn’t treat the symptom of the disease, but the root cause of it.

Dr. Hyman then worked at the Canyon Ranch1 Resort for nearly a decade, and set up their functional medicine program. Nearly 10 years ago, he left Canyon Ranch and started his own practice, the UltraWellness Center2 in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Treating Food Addiction Through Functional Medicine

Insulin and leptin resistance initiates and encourages fat storage in your body by promoting hunger and slowing down your metabolism.

Just like cocaine or heroin, sugars, salt, and trans fats are addictive in nature. They give you the sensation of pleasure and make you want to have more.

The food industry making foods composed of these takes advantage by skyjacking your taste buds, your brain chemistry, and your metabolism. Consuming these foods makes the brain hooked to rousing the release of its own opioids.

Added sugars (processed fructose in particular) and refined flour are the two primary drivers of food addiction. Dr. Hyman places monosodium glutamate (MSG) in third place. MSG is hidden in many processed foods under a wide variety of names. It’s a flavor enhancer, but it’s also highly addictive, and helps drive up your insulin.

Food-Based Medicine for Weight Loss and Healing

Whatever disease it is you are trying to overcome, you have to concentrate on the basics of diet. Many indications will disappear without any other special medication. Dr. Hyman’s detox diet rotates around substituting processed foods with real foods for 10 days. This includes eating high or at least good quality meats, fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds. If you change what you eat, in an instant your body will change not on the outside that fast but on the inside first. And in time, you won’t even recognize it happening.

Intermittent Fasting—One of the Best Ways to Eliminate Sugar Cravings

Taking Dr. Hyman’s approach one step further, I recommend applying an intermittent fasting program. This is one of the most efficient ways I know of to eradicate sugar hungers and cast undesirable weight, as it actually hastens the body’s ability to reset and start burning fat stored in the body instead of sugar as its primary fuel. That moment when your body doesn’t make use of sugar as primary fuel, the sugar cravings disappear instantly.

There are many different variations of intermittent fasting. If you are like 85 percent of the population and have insulin resistance, my personal recommendation is to fast every day by simply scheduling your eating into a narrower window of approximately eight hours every day. For example, you could restrict your eating to the hours of 11am and 7pm. Essentially, you’re just skipping breakfast and making lunch your first meal of the day instead. This equates to a daily fasting of 16 hours—twice the minimum required to deplete your glycogen stores and start shifting into fat burning mode.

This method is less difficult than fasting for a full 24 hours or more, twice a week. If you are already at your desired body weight and don’t have high blood sugar, pressure and cholesterol levels, you can be less stiff with your fasting.

However, it is probably best to resume some type of scheduled eating regimen once in a while, to make sure you don’t slip back into old habits.

High Intensity Exercise Boosts Your Metabolism

Like myself, Dr. Hyman incorporates high intensity interval training (HIIT) in his fitness program, which has repeatedly been shown to be one of the most effective and efficient ways to exercise—especially if you want to lose weight. Studies show that with HIIT, you can spend less time exercising and get more benefits, lose more weight, and burn more calories while you sleep, and achieve a greater level of fitness.

Getting Smart About Where You Eat

It’s one thing to change your diet when you’re eating at home. It’s another to maintain the same standards when you’re invited out for dinner, or going to an event. Dr. Hyman offers the following suggestions to stay in control and not be “forced” into a situation where you have no option but to eat processed foods:

CleanPlates.com5 can help you find sustainable, organic, non-GMO restaurants. They also offer a smartphone app

Zagat6 is another healthy restaurant guide you can use

If you’re going to an event, either eat before you go, and/or bring some healthy snacks. Dr. Hyman typically stuffs nut butters and other healthy items in his suit jacket

When traveling, be sure to bring some “emergency” foods. Dr. Hyman has a blog post titled “Don’t Ever Be in a Food Emergency Again,” which offers suggestions for what to put in your emergency food pack7

Taking Healthy Eating to Your Community

Dr. Hyman works with Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, and has helped them create The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life. The plan includes a cookbook, The Daniel Plan cookbook, a healthy eating guide, and a 40-day long video curriculum. The program is designed to be given to religious leaders, and provides them with the tools to help their congregation achieve better health. In his 10-Day Detox Diet book, Dr. Hyman also offers strategies you can put to use to build similar structures in your own community.

With these tips I truly hope you would find it beneficial as I have. In 10 days, see and feel yourself changing into a better you that others will see and be inspired with.

Please read the rest of the article at Mercola.com

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