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    Brain Chemistry, Sugar Cravings and Binge Eating

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    Angee Smith
    This document discusses how deficiencies in neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA, and serotonin can lead to sugar cravings and binge eating behaviors. It provides recommendations to support optimal brain chemistry, such as keeping blood sugar balanced, eating protein, getting adequate sleep, and supplementing with nutrients. Emotional factors like stress, anger, and unresolved emotions from the past can also contribute to cravings. Journaling, yoga, meditation, and other therapies can help address underlying emotional issues driving overeating behaviors. The document promotes a flexible, intuitive approach to eating in response to hunger and fullness cues rather than strict dietary rules.

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    Brain Chemistry, Sugar Cravings and Binge Eating

    Uploaded by

    Angee Smith
    90 views7 pages
    This document discusses how deficiencies in neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA, and serotonin can lead to sugar cravings and binge eating behaviors. It provides recommendations to support optimal brain chemistry, such as keeping blood sugar balanced, eating protein, getting adequate sleep, and supplementing with nutrients. Emotional factors like stress, anger, and unresolved emotions from the past can also contribute to cravings. Journaling, yoga, meditation, and other therapies can help address underlying emotional issues driving overeating behaviors. The document promotes a flexible, intuitive approach to eating in response to hunger and fullness cues rather than strict dietary rules.

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    This document discusses how deficiencies in neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA, and serotonin can lead to sugar cravings and binge eating behaviors. It provides recommendations to support optimal brain chemistry, such as keeping blood sugar balanced, eating protein, getting adequate sleep, and supplementing with nutrients. Emotional factors like stress, anger, and unresolved emotions from the past can also contribute to cravings. Journaling, yoga, meditation, and other therapies can help address underlying emotional issues driving overeating behaviors. The document promotes a flexible, intuitive approach to eating in response to hunger and fullness cues rather than strict dietary rules.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    90 views7 pages

    Brain Chemistry, Sugar Cravings and Binge Eating

    Uploaded by

    Angee Smith
    This document discusses how deficiencies in neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA, and serotonin can lead to sugar cravings and binge eating behaviors. It provides recommendations to support optimal brain chemistry, such as keeping blood sugar balanced, eating protein, getting adequate sleep, and supplementing with nutrients. Emotional factors like stress, anger, and unresolved emotions from the past can also contribute to cravings. Journaling, yoga, meditation, and other therapies can help address underlying emotional issues driving overeating behaviors. The document promotes a flexible, intuitive approach to eating in response to hunger and fullness cues rather than strict dietary rules.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 7

    Brain Chemistry, Sugar Cravings and Binge Eating

    Physical

    Dopamine

    Deficiency - Loss of energy, fatigue, blood sugar instability, carbohydrate cravings,


    diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity, slow metabolism, depression, worthlessness,
    pleasure-seeking behavior, stress intolerance, substance abuse, sugar cravings, social
    isolation, lack or follow thru, procrastination.

    GABA

    Deficiency - GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which keeps all
    the other biochemicals in check. GABA controls the brain rhythm so that you function
    mentally and physically at a steady pace. When your rhythm is thrown off by GABA
    deficiency, you may begin to feel anxious, nervous or irritable. carbohydrate cravings,
    decreased libido, excessive sleepiness, insomnia, protein cravings, problems adjusting
    to stress, anxiety, depression, worthlessness, emotional immaturity, OCD, phobias,
    rage, restlessness, high anxiety, impulsive errors (jumping the gun, erratic driving).

    Serotonin

    Deficiency - Carbohydrate cravings, drug or alcohol addiction, hypersensitivity,


    excessive sleep, insomnia, salt cravings, weight gain, codependent, depersonalization,
    depression, impulsiveness, lack of pleasure, social isolation, OCD, paranoia,
    perfectionism, rage, self absorption.

    How Are Neurotransmitters Depleted?

    • Mental stress and anger


    • Doing too many things and keeping busy all day long
    • Pain - emotional and physical
    • Low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, not enough calories, skipping meals
    • Alcohol, drugs
    • Lack of sleep
    • Over-exercising
    • Lack of sunshine
    • Artificial sweeteners
    • Sugar
    Nutrition recommendations to support
    optimal brain chemistry:
    1. Keep blood sugar balanced - consider taking alpha lipoic acid, chromium and/or
    cinnamon.
    2. Eat a nutritious, high protein breakfast every day - have smaller meals throughout the
    day, avoid refined carbohydrates and simple sugars.
    3. Plan ahead. Bring protein snacks with you.
    4. Eliminate artificial sugars.
    5. Explore hidden food allergies.
    6. Get adequate sleep.
    7. Get direct sunlight or use a light box.
    8. Supplement with fish oil.
    9. Other supplements to consider: Vitamin D, L-Glutamine, 5HTP or SAMe, Inositol,
    Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, B-Complex (especially folic acid), GABA, Melatonin.

    If your sugar cravings and insatiable sweet tooth continually sabotage your


    weight loss try this.

    10. “People who ate chocolate the most frequently, despite eating more calories and
    exercising no differently from those who ate the least chocolate, tended to have lower
    B.M.I.’s. There was a difference of roughly five to seven pounds between subjects
    who ate five servings of chocolate a week and those who ate none.” ~Dr. Golomb

    Note: a serving equals 1-2 squares of 70% (or higher) dark chocolate, or 1-2 teaspoons
    of unsweetened cocoa powder.

    “We make our craving control cocoa drink by mixing 1 tablespoon of unsweetened
    cocoa powder in hot water (pour water on top of cocoa slowly while stirring to avoid
    clumping). You can also add any non-calorie sweetener (our favorites are stevia, xylitol
    and erythritol) as well as cinnamon, cayenne and/or other spices to taste.  To get the
    best benefit of cocoa it should be taken alone and not mixed into foods, protein powders
    or milk.” – Jade Teta Naturopathic Doctor

    Resources:
    The Edge Effect Eric Braverman M.D.
    The Amen Solution: The Brain Healthy Way To Get Thinner, Smarter, and Happier
    Daniel Amen M.D.
    The End of Overeating: Taking Control of The Insatiable American Appetite - David
    Kessler M.D.
    UC Berkley Video - Food Addiction http://vimeo.com/27022110#
    Healthy Discoveries Blog Post: Eat Dark Chocolate: Stop Your Cravings -
    www.healthydiscoveries.com
    Emotions

    Emotional (Often Unconscious) Reasons For Binging


    Stuffing
    Protecting
    Grounding

    What are you hungry for?


    What are you craving?
    What’s eating you?
    What are you feeding that’s not
    feeding you in return?
    Resources

    Journal Therapy
    Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal For Recovering From Trauma & Emotional Upheaval
    James Pennebaker PhD

    Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within
    Janet Conner

    With Pen In Hand: The Healing Power of Writing


    Henriette Anne Klauser PhD

    Body Work/Energy Therapies

    Yoga
    Yoga for Stress Reduction DVD - Hala Khouri
    Overcoming Yoga Through Trauma: Reclaiming Your Body - David Emerson

    EFT (emotional freedom technique)

    Bach Flower Remedies- Healthy Discoveries.com (search Bach Flowers for emotional
    health)

    Meditation
    Good Bye Worries CD and Sleep Solutions by Roberta Shapiro

    Cognitive Behavior Therapy

    Other:
    Institute For The Psychology Of Eating - Boulder, CO

    The Gift of Our Compulsions: A Revolutionary Approach to Self-Acceptance and Healing


    Mary O’Malley

    Eating In The Light Of The Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship With
    Food Through Myths, Metaphors & Storytelling
    Anita Johnston PhD.
    Normal Eating

    Normal eating is being able to eat when you are hungry and continue
    eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and
    eat it and truly get enough of it – not just eating because you think you
    should.

    Normal eating is being able to use some moderate constraint in your food
    selection to get the right food, but not being so restrictive that you miss out
    on pleasurable foods.

    Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you


    are happy, sad or bored, or just because it feels good!

    Normal eating is three meals a day, most of the time, but it can also be
    choosing to munch along. It is leaving some cookies on the plate because
    you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now
    because they taste so wonderful and are fresh.

    Normal eating is over eating at times; feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. It


    is also under eating at times and wishing you had more.

    Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.

    Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place
    as only one important area of your life.

    In short normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your emotions,


    your schedule, your hunger, and your proximity to food.

    How to Get Your Kids To eat: But Not Too Much - Ellyn Satter
    Jolene Park B.A., C.N., Founder
    [email protected]
    720-971-0776
    www.healthydiscoveries.com

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