I read this article last week, and couldn't wait to share it with you. We talk in "Lose Weight" about how brain chemicals affect eating habits. Here's yet another study on the subject:
Binge eaters' dopamine levels spike at sight, smell of food
In short, researchers observed that there were changes in the brain levels of dopamine -- that "gotta have it!" hormone -- when binge eaters saw or smelled food. In non-binge eaters, there were no such changes.
If binge eating is a challenge for you, creating an environment in which you never see or smell food would be extremely limiting. Instead, you need a plan. If you haven't already begun working on a list of activities that you enjoy -- activities that lead to a release of the "whew, I got it!" hormone serotonin -- now's the time! What can you do instead of eating that really, truly, deeply nurtures you? Remember, it has to be something signficant. You're working against dopamine and your own brain chemistry.
If you're not a binge eater, take note: The researchers also observed a similar response in non-binge eaters after depriving them of food for 16 hours. In other words, if you eat supper at 7 PM, then skip breakfast and eat lunch at noon, you've gone a full 17 hours without eating...and set up your brain chemistry to encourage binge eating. Just another reason to make sure you eat a healthy breakfast!
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