KFC/Chemical High

I'm going to surmise it's the msg. Msg is very addictive to the body. Largely it is salty and salt is a preservative. The fact that you like the chicken skin vs the actual meat makes me think you are actual craving the fat and salt.

I recently figured out that what I thought was a sugar craving was actually a fat and sweet craving. To combat that I found a recipe that filled that need but that I could use as either a meal or a snack just based on how much I serve myself. I happened upon avacado chocolate pudding. I hate avacados but in that pudding i can eat them. If I eat a full serving it ends up being a meal that will hold me full and satisfied for 6hrs at least. So my suggestion would be to find something that you like that has both salt and fat that will satisfy that craving apart from kfc. Msg is pretty addictive so I'm of the opinion you have to avoid it completely or your body will continue to crave it.

We eat a whole foods diet so by its nature is msg free. While I absolutely think that is nutritionally best for everyone, you need to eat in a way that is sustainable for you. So if you want to make changes then I would recommend one at a time. If you're happy with that and decide you want to change more later, you can. But you don't want to derail yourself by trying too many things at once. Most people would find it overwhelming.

So if you just start by cutting msg you'll need to know all of its names. I'll leave you to look most of them up for yourself but to start you off it goes not only by monosodium glutamate but also "natural flavorings" and a lot of other names. What they call it on a package (at least in the US) has to do with how much is in the item. Foods with larger quantities of it have to call it msg. Somewhere there is a list that describes those amounts for the US. I can't remember if it's the fda website or some other nutrition site but a good search should bring it up for you.

You'll get a ton of opinions on msg so I'll just suggest you research it for yourself and decide if removing it from your diet is right for you. A lot of people gave health issues go away from removing it. It's high on the nasty for your health list among alties.

It's a craving. Like in most high carb/fat/salt and/or sugary foods people crave, it releases an absurd amount of dopamine within the brain causing you to feel extreme pleasure whilst eating it. Like an orgasm through food. Anyway, although KFC isn't exactly just "potatoes & chicken" it's fine if eaten every once in a while. Same with all mainstream fast food joints. How you eat *most of the time is what'll govern your overall health. I'm speaking from experience. And avoiding processed food totally is all good but if eating processed food isn't actually causing you to be sick or causing a chronic addiction I would suggest to simply eat it "sparingly" instead. Focus on whole foods and you'll actually lose interest in processed food naturally. I say this because trying to live up to not eating processed food at all in this day and age is almost impossible. It can be done though but I don't think you need to subject yourself to wasting that much will power. In summary, taper down the KFC and get your dopamine release from home cooked meals. You'll gradually wean off the KFC. And as for general processed food; structure your diet around whole foods and you won't even think about breads, pasta etc and when you do it'll be sparingly. *Note for any one who can't read between the lines. I'm not saying pasta or bread is bad.

MSG is neither addictive nor deadly.

In the US, MSG must be listed as monosodium glutamate on the label if it is added, however, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the regulatory body tasked with enforcing regulations pertaining to foods and drugs in the US, does not require foods in which it naturally exists (cheese, tomato, certain vegetable proteins, soy, etc.) to be labelled as containing it. It cannot be labelled as simply a spice.

http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm328728.htm

Review of multiple studies conducted failed to find conclusive evidence of MSG causes headaches, even at relatively large doses.

http://thejournalofheadacheandpain.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s10194-016-0639-4

magicpickles wrote: »

@Red_Pill

What kind of foods can you get a dopamine release from at home cooked meals?

Basically anything that you really like.

magicpickles wrote: »

Ok, I don't know for sure if MSG is deadly or addictive, but that is not the point of this thread. What I want to know is, what is it about the KFC that creates such a big craving in me that causes me to refuse any other food until I get my fix, or not be able to stop thinking about it, and what chemical is it releasing in my brain that is causing enjoyment? is it something I can recreate without food, or are their other foods that I will want more than KFC that happen to be healthy?

Simple. Ready....what you described is simply a habit. The habit cycle includes: 1. a stimulus or "trigger" e.g., hunger, 2. a routine behavior e.g., crave chicken, and 3. a reward e.g., tasty food.

According to one author, changing up your routine makes it easier to change your habit. He gives the example of being on vacation making it easier to quit smoking. So, look into when/where you are setting yourself up to crave KFC and see if you can alter the circumstances - have more to eat earlier in the day so you are full at those times, choose a different route so you are far away from KFC, etc. And of course, find something that tastes good that is not KFC to eat instead of it.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192599/habits-how-they-form-and-how-to-break-them

Good luck with all your health and fitness goals!
-s