People Need Absolution ~ Not Reprimand!

So this proclivity to eat more bad stuff than good stuff is something we've come by honestly.

Does it feel like your brain is on autopilot as you repeatedly dip into that dwindling pile of salty, greasy potato chips? Researchers in California and Italy report that when rats were treated to fatty food, chemicals in their gut were released that made them feel "high". The conclusion is that certain foods set off strong chemical reactions in the body and the brain.

Don'tcha think?

Advertisers appear to have been onto that for awhile. Americans are addicted to that stuff, so they overeat.

Dr. David Kessler presents a lengthy argument to that effect in his book, "The End of Overeating." He lays out our path to addiction via a food industry built on sugar, fat and salt, that later expanded its financial horizons with the ability to chemically engineer just about any taste. Thus, because those chemicals accumulate as toxins in the body, we became chemically addicted. 

So what role does good 'ol will power play in all of this? Probably in the decision whether or not to buy, but not when it's already sitting in a bowl in front of you. In that situation, most often you can be well on your way through several helpings before you realize it ~ unless, of course, you've taken time to notice what you're really hungry for.

If we're feeding cravings, we'll still be hungry ~ for whatever it is we're hungry for ~ nutrition, conversation, love, job satisfaction, less stress  ~ any of those, and more.

We seek to be nurtured, physically and emotionally. But the fatty food choices aren't going to satisfy that. That's not reason for guilt.  The key is to notice and be aware.

Once that awareness is there ~ the choices are much easier.