Cut The Cravings

Cravings, we all have them.  In normal situations, its the desire for a treat or a favorite food.  In extreme situations, its uncontrollable eating patterns, food and drug addictions.  The things we crave and become addicted to are endless and so are the treatments.

Yet very few focus on triggers in brain chemistry that influence them.

It’s probably hard to imagine that our cravings are rooted in something as basic as good nutrition.  Yet when we don’t start our day with a balanced meal, we miss the single most important event in our day.  Breakfast sets up our brain for success or failure and it’s about time we start paying attention to “feeding our head”.

Cravings Will Kill A Diet

And are often just due to missing a few key nutrients that feed the neurotransmitters dopamine and acetycholine.  A good herbal tonic does just that – feeding the brain specific nutrients that affect dopamine and acetylcholine to help it “power up” and balance brain chemistry.  Look into the basic functions of these two brain chemicals and its easy to see why they can determine the success or failure of any diet program.

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter in charge of basic motor function, emotional response, and the experience of pleasure.  In fact drug addiction has its root in how a substance effects dopamine and enhances the pleasure response.  Dopamine also controls the cravings for sweets.

Feeding The Brain Is The Key

Excessive consumption of sugar is often rooted in long term dopamine deficiency as it temporarily stimulates dopamine without the nutrition to actually balance it.

Tyrosine, an amino acid commonly found in protein, directly feeds dopamine. That’s why eating protein often controls cravings for sweets. Protein deficiency can lead to excessive sugar consumption to satisfy your cravings for dopamine. The longer the deficiency the shorter the satisfaction.  Therefore, you need it in larger amounts and more often.

Sound like an addiction?

Acetylcholine is in charge of comprehension, attention span, intelligence and memory.  It also controls your cravings for fatty foods.  Since the main nutrient that feeds acetylcholine is choline which is found in eggs and other fatty foods, when the brain is deficient, these are the foods we crave.  The problem is we reach for fatty foods with little or no nutritional content that don’t satisfy our brain’s need for choline.  Therefore, we continue to consume more, unaware of our subconscious search for brain balancing nutrients.

Take the average person with a host of nutritional deficiencies that decides to go on a diet.  Calories are restricted, meals skipped, and a few pounds are lost.  After a few days the willpower wanes and they fall prey to the intense cravings for sugar and fatty foods.

A Balanced Diet Will Change All Of That

If you directly feed dopamine you will feel alert and in control.  The nutritional needs of your brain are met eliminating your need for sugar.  The nutritional needs for choline are met, eliminating the intense cravings for fat.  Because it directly feeds acetycholine, you’re able to pay attention and process information.

Over time you’re more alert, fully comprehending the world around you and you’re in control.

Please post your comments and let me know your thoughts.

Roger