Dr. Fuhrman’s blog Disease Proof has a post about food addiction positing the good doctor’s maxim that in order to lose one’s taste for sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, one must completely abstain from those types of standard American diet (SAD) foods. The article says,
“You have to put in the time of abstinence up front to get the results. If you’re always jumping back and forth due to toxic cravings, you won’t build the strength and sensitivity in the taste buds that make natural foods so delicious.”
I agree completely. I do have a wee quibble, however. Total abstinence is incredibly difficult. We live in a society that is not geared towards eating for health. SAD food abounds at every restaurant and grocery store. We are bombarded with messages in the mass media that glorify SAD food. You just don’t see commercials extolling the virtues of bok choy, sorry. Living in opposition to our surroundings requires much conscious effort. And as I’ve said before, willpower is not enough. It takes time to move beyond willpower into the unconscious habitual action.
It’s true that jumping back and forth won’t give your taste buds new sensitivity nor will it help you overcome heavy duty cravings. I don’t think it helps us yo-yo’ers to keep telling us that though. We know what we’re supposed to be doing. How about some tips for making it through the difficulties?
I think there is some benefit to increasing the amount of veggies and fruit in your diet even if you don’t refrain from the addictive stuff. Yes, you will continue to suffer through the addiction. But – and it’s a big but — the nutrition you get from the healthy food doesn’t disappear because you binged on Nutter-Butters.
In my experience, my desire for unhealthy stuff does decrease as I increase the proportion of green leafies in my diet. I think we should recognize that and encourage people to keep up the good work. Telling folks they won’t build the strength to overcome their taste buds unless they are totally abstinent is only going to discourage people. Yes it’s true. But it’s hard enough to make good choices while living within the dominate culture. How about recognizing the benefit of doing every little bit you can? Every small step does make a difference. The encouragement is way better for motivation than implied admonishment.
That said, I’m about to take a vow of ETL strictness for Lent. I’ve been doing the yo-yo thing since Christmas time. It’s time to re-commit. It was too easy to fall back into comforting myself with pastries and salty fried things during my most recent bout of stress with a capital “S.” I know the first three days are going to be hard. Please wish me well and say a prayer for my family: they will bear the brunt of my crankiness as I come-down from Mt.Sugar.
