Comfort Foods, Rewards, and Their Alternatives

In the late 50s, the classic experiments by Dr. Olds shook the world. He implanted electrodes into certain regions of rat brains and taught the rats how to press lever to stimulate these regions with weak electric currents. Rats stopped doing anything but pressing the lever till their death from complete starvation. The Positive Reward theory was born. It turned out that anything pleasurable in life did related to these "Centers of Pleasure" -- sex, alcohol, drugs of abuse -- all that mankind has invented in its hedonic journey, were but attempts to stimulate these brain regions. When stimulated, these brain centers cause the release of our body's own morphine-like chemicals, endorphins.

We know that eating will produce a pleasant sensation so often we eat even though all we need is comfort. The truth is, exercise, sauna, cold shower, massage, pleasant odors, and mental efforts - "workoholism "is real! - all increase Endorphin level while only eating, especially when your body does not need it, will cause extra pounds of fat to collect in your body's store.

The tricky thing with endorphins is that there are pairs of releasers resembling a thesaurus' antonyms: exercise does the same os its antonym sleep, pleasure goes together with pain, etc. The eating-fasting pair also exists. Many people reported elation when they skipped breakfasts. Religeous fasters experience euforia.

"Severe food restriction produces endorphin activity, which is reinforcing. Feeding interrupts the endorphin activity and, thus, produces withdrawal. Not-eating, therefore, is rewarding." (Appetite 19:1-13; 1992).

TIPS:

1. Ask yourself "What is it I really need? A glass of water? A walk? A hug?"

2. Try periodic fasts. After resuming eating, your taste buds will be satisfied with lesser taste intensity thus reducing the taste influence on the body weight set point.

3. Try other rewards. Buying fresh flowers can be a better answer than a bowl of Rocky Road. Exercise, go to sauna, take a cold shower, invest in a massage device, buy a vail of perfume, or enjoy reading a book.