Are you Stuck in a vicious cycle of overeating because you can't fight the cravings?
Are you addicted to certain foods to the point where get withdrawal symptoms when you don't eat them?
Then Toxic Hunger is probably to blame.
And your food CHOICES are triggering it.
Processed foods are actually “designed” by food manufacturers to cause food cravings and addictions, and they trigger Toxic Hunger.
By processed foods, I mean almost all packaged foods. Almost all processed Packaged foods contain ingredients that cause us to binge eat, in the form of refined sugar, artificial flavors, natural flavors, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, MSG, oils, trans fats and too much refined salt.
All of these ingredients are there to keep us coming back for more.
PROCESSED FOODS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BLAME FOR YOUR CRAVINGS
Processed foods like white and brown sugar (just white sugar covered in mollases for coloring) , corn syrup, refined flour, MSG and artificial sweeteners all went through a refining process. The process includes removal of all the fiber and nutrients. All thats left is food that is completely devoid of all nutrients. yes they give us empty calories and a guick energy boost, but with a hefty price- these “foods” spike blood sugar and insulin release which not only puts us at risk of diabetes but also causes us to overeat. Insulin promotes fat storage in the body.
People get stuck in this state, sometimes for years on end, with no idea how to stop the vicious cycle of overeating or binging on processed foods. Over time, this can have a major impact on health, leading to diabetes, obesity, digestive illness, and even cancer.
Notice how we typically dont binge on vegetables and fruits. Thats because when we consume foods that are full of natural fiber (not added) and nutrients , when our stomach reaches a fiber threshold, it sends a signal to our brain to stop eating. But when the foods we eat dont contain natural fiber, like most processed foods, the signal never reaches our brain and we will just keep eating.
A whole food wholegrain diet high in fiber and nutrients not only improves health, but also decreases food cravings and overeating behavior.
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN MISREAD AS “HUNGER”, WHEN IN REALITY IT'S JUST THE BODY ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR ITSELF FROM THE LAST MEAL.
So what is toxic hunger?
Toxic Hunger isn't real hunger. Toxic hunger symptoms can happen even soon after we've eaten or can cause us to overeat. Also referred to as “cravings”, often the hunger pains won't subside until we've eaten the foods we crave.
It's known that certain ingredients trigger these cravings. Refined Sugars, corn syrup, MSG (monosodium glutamate), Artificial sweeteners, and refined flours all cause toxic cravings.
Foods that cause toxic cravings:
Refined Sugars- their intense sweetness elicits a dopamine rush that triggers cravings for more
Corn Syrup- its intense sweetness elicits a dopamine rush that triggers cravings for more
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MSG- MSG or monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer commonly used in many processed foods that causes major food addictions. Often disguised under other names like “natural flavors”, maltodextrin, calcium caseinate, hydrolized protein, yeast extract, gelatin, malt, or soy protein.
MSG pushes your pancreas into pouring out more insulin — a hormonal cascade that makes you feel hungrier. It has been linked to diabetes and obesity.
Dairy- Some dairy, specifically cheese and ice cream, trigger addictions and cravings. Milk contains a protein called casein. Cheese and ice cream contain casein in much higher concentrations than milk. Once digested, casein breaks down into casomorphin. Casomorphin attaches to opiate receptors in the brain.
Processed foods made with refined flour, sugar and preservatives, are low in nutrients and fiber, triggering inflammation after we consume them. Eating Meat and chicken strains the digestive system. They also trigger inflammation in the body, especially if they're fried, grilled, or cooked in unhealthy oils which causes them to be high AGEs (Fried foods produce compounds in the body called advanced glycation end products, also known as AGEs.)
So, when we finish a meal consisting of unhealthy foods, and inflammation begins to set in, the body will attempt to get rid of the toxic compounds.
When digestion ends, the body also attempts to get rid of cellular waste as part of its everyday maintenance.
Since it will also have to get rid of the toxic waste produced by the last meal as well, the body will go into serious detoxification mode, triggering WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS.
THESE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN MISREAD AS “HUNGER”, WHEN IN REALITY IT'S JUST THE BODY ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR ITSELF FROM THE LAST MEAL.
This sort of hunger is called toxic hunger, because it prompts us to overeat the same foods to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms that caused the problem to begin with. When we eat these foods again at our next meal, we will feel a temporary relief from the withdrawal symptoms, because the body will stop detoxifying in order to digest the next meal. And thus a vicious cycle of toxic hunger and overating is created.
symptoms of toxic hunger
- feeling of emptiness in the stomach
- stomach rumbling
- dizziness
- headache
- fatigue
- irritability
symptoms of real hunger
- Throat discomfort
- increased salivation
- upper chest discomfort
7 Steps to Stop the Toxic cravings
A classic example of this is coffee addiction. When a coffee addict stops drinking coffee, even for just a few hours, they will begin to experience a withdrawal headache, or even shakes. Once he has consumed coffee again, his symptoms will fade, because the body will pause the detoxification process.
When we incorporate healthy high nutrient foods into our diet, then toxic hunger will stop. And the vicious cycle of overeating and binge eating will stop.
Why? Because high nutrient foods help the body to detoxify easily. These foods also lower inflammation
Since the body won't have to waste energy on clearing out the toxic compounds from the last meal we just ate, it will have more energy to expend upon clearing out metabolic waste that's part of its everyday work, ultimately leading us to better health.
Below is a list of the best foods to eat to overcome food addictions and overeating, ultimately leading to weight loss, improved diabetes symptoms and better health:
1. BREAD HIGH IN NUTRIENTS & FIBER
Bread was a staple for thousands of years. Societies often survived on bread alone. Proper bread should make us feel full (without having to eat to eat too much) and satisfied. Proper bread has the potential to provide up to 70% of our daily nutrient requirement.
Fiber adds bulk to food and slows down transit through the digestive tract. Fiber from real food (not supplements or added fiber) makes us feel full.
One of the highest sources of insoluble fiber is actually wheat bran found in wholegrain bread. (However, be sure to consume wheat bran in the form of wholegrain bread not as a supplement. )
For the best source of the best wholegrain bread made with ancient grains click below:
Our Kamut Sourdough Bread is wholegrain ancient grain, loaded with fiber and probiotics. This bread is filling. Two slices per meal is more than enough. I start off my day with this bread in the morning and it sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Click below to learn more
2) VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
Vegetables and fruits are high in nutrients and fiber, helping us feel full and giving our body the nutrients needed for detoxification. Eat as many vegetables as you can, raw and cooked, just avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes.
Opt for organic fruits and berries if possible.
And drink freshly squeezed green juices, which are loaded with nutrients.
3) WATER DOES A BODY GOOD
Sometime thirst is mistaken for hunger. Drinking enough water throughout the day will keep us hydrated, preventing this problem.
4) EAT A PROPER BREAKFAST: MORNING BREAD
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If we dont eat a healthy breakfast and choose coffee and a donut, we'll be setting ourselves up for failure and it will trigger toxic hunger symptoms.
The Talmud extols the virtues of eating what's called Pat Shacharit, or Morning Bread in English. The Talmud explains that there are 83 diseases that start in the digestive system and spread to the rest of the body. These 83 ailments all have the same root cause and are cured by eating bread in the morning.
The bread should be sprinkled with salt and accompanied with water to drink.
Upon arising I drink 1-2 cups of water and then I proceed to drink green tea (with cistus) and then I eat 1-2 slices of bread not necessarily immediately - I often wait 1-2 hours. But whatever works for you.
5) HERBS THAT HELP CLEANSE OUT THE COLON
When trying to combat toxic hunger and food cravings Its important to cleanse out the colon to start with a clean slate. Bad bacteria and yeast in the gut fuel our toxic hunger symptoms. Yeast like candida live off of sugars and processed foods.
When we cleanse the colon periodically, we are removing toxins, bad bacteria, and yeast.
The make up of the bacteria in our colon controls and regulates our digestive hormones and tells us when to feel hungry or full. You are less likely to have cravings when you are feeling satiated. But A decline in the diversity and types of good bacteria in our gut is associated with hunger.
At Joseph's Organic Bakery our Weight Loss Pro (featured below) contains key herbs that cleanse out toxins from the gut and promote weight loss.
6) Intermittent Fasting
Close the kitchen after 7 pm- 8pm. Your last meal should be finished no later than 8pm and breakfast should not be earlier than 8am. Try to fast for at least 12 hours per day. This helps the body to detoxify and reboot the gut, enabling us to adopt a healthier diet.
Bad bacteria and yeast (candida) in the gut feed on sugars and refined flours. When we fast, the bad bacteria and yeast starve and our sugar cravings will subside, especially when combined with a whole food diet.
7) Detox to lose weight
Did you know that fat cells do much more than store fat? Did you know that our bodies purposely create and hold onto fat cells? And not just to store fat, but to store toxins.
FAT CELLS NOT ONLY STORE FAT, BUT THEY ALSO STORE TOXINS.
Normally the kidneys, liver and colon are able to effectively remove toxins from the body, but, if the liver and colon are clogged up, then they cant do their job effectively, and the toxins will be stored in fat cells as a temporary solution. However, if the person doesn't detox, the toxins have nowhere to go and fat cells will continue to store them.
For this reason, No matter how much some people work out at the gym, their bodies will hold on to their fat cells.
Discover our Detoxifying tea pack, here at Joseph's Organic Bakery
The two amazing teas included in this pack, Detoxifying Longjing Tea and Cistus Tea, work together to jump start the rejuvenation and detoxification process in the body.
Joseph's Organic Bakery
Joseph's Organic Bakery was born with the desire to make a difference: our mission is to create the healthiest bread possible. We bake like a thousand years ago using only 3 ingredients: flour, water, and sea salt.
We use a special preparation process to ensure optimal vitamins minerals and fiber in every loaf. Then We ferment the bread to create a probiotic rich sourdough.
We are the only Ancient Grain, Wholegrain bakery in the United States. Our Ancient grain Sourdough Breads are made with Kamut, Einkorn, or Spelt. All of our breads are baked with wholegrain flour. We never use white flour ever!
Click below to learn more about our Ancient Grain bread at Joseph's Organic Bakery.