4 Tips to Overcome Processed Food Addiction
Processed foods are easily available, affordable, and, unfortunately, delicious. So, it can be easy to see why many people struggle with processed food addiction. If you are someone that may be caught in a maladaptive pattern with processed foods, these 4 tips might help you reduce your intake of processed foods and overcome these cycles:
Try and cook your meals at home
When you cook most of the food you eat at home, you can control the ingredients you end up consuming. You can reduce your intake of unhealthy fats, sugar, and salt. You can also use fresher ingredients and unprocessed produce.
Don’t skip any meals
If you eat at regular intervals throughout the day, you can keep your blood sugar levels stable, which can help reduce sugar cravings and crashes. Regular meals will also keep you full enough so that you don’t feel like snacking and eating processed food between meals.
Try some delicious natural sweets to satisfy cravings
When you’re craving something sweet, you don’t necessarily need to have sodas, cakes, and other processed sweet foods and drinks. Instead, try some delicious healthy sweets like frozen berries, fresh fruit, or nut butters.
Increase your daily physical activity
Eating processed foods can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. Instead of eating processed food to stimulate your dopamine receptors, try increasing your daily physical activity and getting some exercise into your routine. Exercise has been shown to release dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
Overcoming processed food addiction can be challenging, and it is possible you may experience relapses. If you do end up back in the cycle, try not to be too hard on yourself, and keep pushing forward with practicing healthier eating habits.
Matthew A. Webster, MA, MS, ED.D, LPC
Martin Counseling, PLLC in Katy, TX.
Dr. Matt Webster is a professional educator, nutritionist, and therapist located in the Houston, Texas area. He specializes in couples therapy, sexuality, and maladaptive eating patterns with a focus on the role of nutrition. More About Matt >>
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