Overeating and The Brain

The brain tells us when we are hungry. Specialists think of the stomach as our second brain because our intestinal track actually produces more neurotransmitters or chemicals that work on our brains than the brain does it’s self. So, the body is really one system. Think of your brain as the super computer that is running every thing and it is all inter-connected.

But does the brain tell us to overeat? Sometimes it does, if people have damage to certain parts of the brain, they can have faulty signals. The prefrontal cortex comprises 30% of the human brain and acts as the supervisor of the brain. The prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until age 25. When it is weak or damaged, it is like the supervisor in your head is taking a break. So when your inner child is having a tantrum, wanting that 3rd piece of cheesecake, there is less control over the situation. If your prefrontal cortex is not working right, nothing in your life is going to be right. So head injuries can affect overeating as well as low blood sugar. If you don’t eat breakfast and provide your brain with the proper nutrients it requires to operate well, you are going to make bad decisions about food the rest of the day. If you don’t sleep well, you will have lower blood flow to the brain, so sleep is equally important.

In the studies that have been done by specialists, including Dr. Daniel Annen, being healthy is critical to thinking right. In fact, as a body’s weight goes up the actual size of our brain goes down, so judgment changes and reasoning goes down. Also, if you’ve had a brain injury, overeating goes up. If you’ve been eating badly for a long time, you become addicted to the bad foods like fat, sugar and salt. When you put them in certain combinations, they actually work on the heroin or morphine receptors in the brain.

Dr. Julian Bales, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University Health Science Center, is on the front line of an experimental approach for the treatment of obesity. The approach targets the brain and not the stomach.

Deep brain stimulation is the insertion of electrodes deep in the brain’s hypothalamus, the part that controls our appetites. Neurosurgeons have spearheaded a FDA approved study to see if this could possibly have a benefit for patients with morbid obesity, the most severe form. It works by placing electrodes on both sides of the brain into the hypothalamus, one into the part that is the satiety center which makes you feel full and the other side is the appetite center where the drive for eating is located.

These electrodes have contacts on them that go through these areas, with a pacemaker type generator inserted under the skin. From the pacemaker, they are able to change the settings, and affect the appetite drive those patients have.

In the first series they did, they have learned that the procedure can be done safely, with no side affects and they can affect the urge to eat! They believe it will be well tolerated. They do not have all the results yet, and are now trying to fine tune the settings to see if they can get the weight loss desired by the doctors and patients.

Make the Decision for Good Health



Suzy had trouble deciding what exercise she should do to start her weight loss program. She claimed she really didn’t like to exercise. She wavered at the grocery store when picking out the foods she would buy for herself and her family. “Will they complain and give me trouble if I don’t buy the usual junk foods?” she thought to herself.

Was Suzy feeling fear of the unknown or just plain indecision. The answer is, she was feeling both. Fear of experiencing backlash from her family, fear of failure (“Am I a joke trying to make these changes?”) and fear that the pain of perceived deprivation would be too great to endure.

Suzy had not yet made the “definitive decision” to change her and her family’s lifestyle for better health.

Make the Decision to:

• Buy and eat only wholesome, healthy foods in modest quantities.
• Find a way to get active, mixing what you like to do with what you can do and commit to doing it daily or as often as possible.
• Learn as much as possible about the most healthy way to live your life. "Knowledge is Power!"

After you have "Made the Decision," everything else will fall into place.

Fanaticism for Health

While in the kitchen with my husband, he stated he wasn’t very hungry and didn’t want to eat much. I announced with my finger in the air, “Eat less and live longer! That’s a great slogan,” I realized. “I’ll write that down and use it in my Blog and Website!” But my husband said, “You better watch out. You don’t want to scare people away with your fanaticism.”

That made me stop to take notice. I’m not talking about becoming anorexic. I’m talking about:

When you eat less you carry less excess body fat which is a contributor to disease.
When you eat less, studies have shown an increase in life expectancy.
Becoming a fanatic about such an important topic as nutrition and health is a good thing, not bad. The outcome is much better than with the opposite, apathy.

Weight Loss Begins in the Mind

Losing weight is more about how the dieter thinks about food than food itself. Lasting weight loss success involves planning and the right mindset.

Terminating a life long pattern of turning to food for feelings other than hunger is vital for any weight loss plan (lifestyle change) to work. Filling emotional needs with emotional solutions and using food for physical nourishment only, is key to any effective weight loss plan. Seeking comfort, security, love or solace in appropriate ways allows the dieter to manage their food intake intelligently and effectively.

Tips for Successful Weight Loss
The successful dieter plans for success well before starting a weight loss plan. Just as a star student prepares for finals, the dieter who prepares for success before beginning will reap a higher level of achievement. A mind that has been prepared for change is better able to work with that change. Choose a weight loss start date of less than 30 days (not to be confused with procrastination) to begin both physical and mental preparation.

• Eliminate all foods from the household cupboards that are not on the healthy eating list. (A local homeless shelter will make good use of them.) Begin stocking only foods compatible with healthy eating.
• Learn to read food labels and consider purchasing whole, unprocessed foods instead (found mostly on the outside isles of the grocery store.)
• Since water is a staple for every effective weight loss program, plan for a way to have it nearby at all times. You will need to use this water as a replacement if you are a pop drinker.
• Monitor thoughts for negativity or victim mentality. Such thoughts will sabotage success. Take note of the urges to "make yourself feel better by eating" and acknowledge what emotions you are feeling at that time.
• Begin thinking of nurturing things that are not food related that you can do to "make yourself feel better." Some examples may be, walking, riding your bike, talking with a friend, reading, listening to music, etc. Make a list of these things and start implementing these alternatives.
• Pamper the body, mind and spirit with personally meaningful non-food activities or things. Don't forget meditation or prayer. Affirmations also can help you to "change your mind."

You will undoubtedly experience discomfort during this process. Just remember that these steps you are taking will eventually become new habits and the discomfort will subside with practice and time. Just like the cigarette smoker who stops smoking. Eventually, the pain and discomfort subsides as life goes on, only leaner and healthier. 

78 Reasons to Avoid Sugar

78 Reasons to Avoid Sugar

Straight from the writings of Dr. Victor Frank, founder/creator of Total Body Modification, here are 78 reasons to avoid sugar.

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
5. Sugar can adversely affect children's school grades.
6. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
8. Sugar can cause kidney damage.
9. Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol.
10. Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol.
11. Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
12. Sugar may cause copper deficiency.
13. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
14. Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and rectum.
15. Sugar can cause colon cancer with an increased risk in women.
16. Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.
17. Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
18. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
19. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.
20. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
21. Sugar can produce acidic stomach.
22. Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
23. Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
24. Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and gray hair.
25. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
26. Sugar can produce tooth decay.
27. Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
28. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
29. Sugar can case a raw, inflamed intestinal tract in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
30. Sugar can cause arthritis.
31. Sugar can cause asthma.
32. Sugar can cause candidiasis (yeast infection).
33. Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.
34. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
35. Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.
36. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
37. Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
38. Sugar can indirectly cause hemorrhoids.
39. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
40. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraception users.
41. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
42. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
43. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
44. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
45. Sugar leads to a decreased glucose tolerance.
46. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
47. Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
48. Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
49. Sugar can change the structure of protein causing interference with protein absorption.
50. Sugar causes food allergies.
51. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
52. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
53. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
54. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
55. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
56. Sugar can cause cataracts.
57. Sugar can cause emphysema.
58. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
59. Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
60. Sugar lowers the enzymes' abilities to function.
61. Sugar can cause the loss of tissue elasticity and function.
62. Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
66. Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
67. Sugar can cause constipation.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can cause hypertension.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
72. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
73. Sugar can cause depression.
74. Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low-sugar diets.
75. Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
76. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
77. Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness, which increases risk of blood clots.
78. Sugar can increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
Health is always moving on a continuum between sickness/disease and wellness. The only time health stands still is when the heart no longer beats. Which way are you moving?

eatingforfatloss.com
Chaim Alexander,
Holistic Wellness Coach