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MyFitnessPal Community

no sugar or flour, food addiction?

brenn24179

Do you think there is food addiction? Some people say dont eat sugar or flour. That seems like a hard way to live, not ever having a cookie? They say they dont struggle. What do you think? I know I keep gaining and losing the same 5 pounds, it is still a struggle for me. I would like to not struggle but giving up sugar and four seems so hard.

Replies

threewins

deleted.

MacLowCarbing

I absolutely believe food addictions exist, it's pretty well known that processed food industries use techniques to make their products more addictive to drive up profits. We also know what carbs and sugar can do to our brain chemistry. Doesn't mean we're not ultimately responsible for what we choose to purchase and eat, but one issue doesn't rule out the other. Just like with drugs and alcohol and smoking, substances are addictive but you can't go around blaming the suppliers when you're one of the people demanding it. You have to work on your own problem.

I have serious food addictions. I learned from experience that I struggle with moderation when it comes to starchy/sugary foods. Even so-called "healhy" carbs like unsweetened oatmeal or good whole wheat breads or sweet potatoes or bananas and such --even if carefully balanced and portioned-- made it hard to stop eating, could jumpstarted unbearable cravings that would last for days on end and cause depression and anxiety, or could trigger binging.

Not to mention, a carb was a carb when it came to my blood sugar and inflammation-- I got sugar spikes after any meals with carbs, and inflammation caused issues, no matter what kind of carbs or how carefully balanced they were with protein.

Abstinence has been the best thing for me. Not saying everyone needs to resort to it, everyone has to find their own sweet spot. But the more I eliminated carbs from my diet, the better it got. I stopped eating anything with any kind of added sugar, I keep artificial sweeteners as a rare, limited treat, and I gave up all grains, starchy veggies, high-carb fruits, high-carb legumes and high-carb dairy, etc. I kept lowering carbs until I was under 20 grams per day. When I stopped being afraid of fat, all the pieces finally fell into place and I found my sweet spot.

I'm doing better than ever with my food addictions, I rarely get cravings anymore and even if so they are mild and manageable. And it's not just my mental health that has improved-- my blood pressure is better than when I was 20, my triglycerides are down, healthy cholesterol is up, diabetes is nearly reversed, I'm off 90% of the meds I used to take and expect to wean off the rest by the end of the year. And my auto-immune disease and hip arthritis and stuff don't flare up nearly as much as they used to, or nearly as badly when they do.

I know some consider it restrictive; for me it is freedom. I don't recommend it as a fix all diet for everyone, but I am convinced that most people who want to lose weight or who struggle with various health issues should give elimination diets a try, or play with their macro percentages for a while to see if they find their own sweet spot.

DFW_Tom

MacLowCarbing wrote: »

I absolutely believe food addictions exist, it's pretty well known that processed food industries use techniques to make their products more addictive to drive up profits. We also know what carbs and sugar can do to our brain chemistry. Doesn't mean we're not ultimately responsible for what we choose to purchase and eat, but one issue doesn't rule out the other. Just like with drugs and alcohol and smoking, substances are addictive but you can't go around blaming the suppliers when you're one of the people demanding it. You have to work on your own problem.

I have serious food addictions. I learned from experience that I struggle with moderation when it comes to starchy/sugary foods. Even so-called "healhy" carbs like unsweetened oatmeal or good whole wheat breads or sweet potatoes or bananas and such --even if carefully balanced and portioned-- made it hard to stop eating, could jumpstarted unbearable cravings that would last for days on end and cause depression and anxiety, or could trigger binging.

Not to mention, a carb was a carb when it came to my blood sugar and inflammation-- I got sugar spikes after any meals with carbs, and inflammation caused issues, no matter what kind of carbs or how carefully balanced they were with protein.

Abstinence has been the best thing for me. Not saying everyone needs to resort to it, everyone has to find their own sweet spot. But the more I eliminated carbs from my diet, the better it got. I stopped eating anything with any kind of added sugar, I keep artificial sweeteners as a rare, limited treat, and I gave up all grains, starchy veggies, high-carb fruits, high-carb legumes and high-carb dairy, etc. I kept lowering carbs until I was under 20 grams per day. When I stopped being afraid of fat, all the pieces finally fell into place and I found my sweet spot.

I'm doing better than ever with my food addictions, I rarely get cravings anymore and even if so they are mild and manageable. And it's not just my mental health that has improved-- my blood pressure is better than when I was 20, my triglycerides are down, healthy cholesterol is up, diabetes is nearly reversed, I'm off 90% of the meds I used to take and expect to wean off the rest by the end of the year. And my auto-immune disease and hip arthritis and stuff don't flare up nearly as much as they used to, or nearly as badly when they do.

I know some consider it restrictive; for me it is freedom. I don't recommend it as a fix all diet for everyone, but I am convinced that most people who want to lose weight or who struggle with various health issues should give elimination diets a try, or play with their macro percentages for a while to see if they find their own sweet spot.

This is an excellent comment ending with sage advise. Thank you. Your experience very closely mirrors my own when it comes to what consuming the usual carbohydrate amounts and types of carbohydrates recommended by almost all official dietary guidelines did to my health over the years. No one should expect the herd mentality of the medical profession to go against these guidelines - despite the harm it causes to the health of some of their patients. For 25 years my PCP and cardiologist lectured me that the way to lose weight was to eat less calories and to burn off more through exercise (C.I.C.O.). In my experience, that just isn't possible as long as my insulin resistance reacts to "normal" amounts of carbs like an addictive substance.

Corina1143

ninerbuff wrote: »

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

mbcla23 wrote: »

I do believe it has to be related to the chemicals in the brain somehow. I’ve always been underweight and never craved food. Then when I had problems with my hormones I got cravings. The Dr put me on the birth control pill consecutively so I never get my period-don’t have cravings any more. Then about 5 years ago, I had a nerve injury in my knee and they gave me nerve medication-it caused me to crave sweets and foods I never I eat-I gained 20lbs in 2 months. So I went off of it-cravings went away and I instantly lost the weight and went back to normal. I think that’s why all these drugs like Ozempic work-it changes the foods you crave and your amount of hunger. So for the average person - the level of the hormones you have regulating your hunger such as leptin, etc can affect your weight. Drugs and hormones can affect this. People who psychologically eat -I am not sure what gets triggered there. That is a little more in depth.

Chemical reaction is what drives the body. From hormones you generate normally, to chemicals taken. Lol, I had a client who kept telling me he just didn't feel hungry and why he's probably not gaining weight or muscle even though the workout program we were doing was set for that. So I told him to smoke weed. He was shocked. But he did try it and voila! Not only did he sleep better, but he was able to gain 30lbs easily cause marijuana made him hungry.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Hadn't thought about this before, but I wonder if the legalization of marijuana in so many states will exacerbate the obesity problem in the U.S.

Hmmm good question. But according to this, the top 10 states aren't the most obese out of all the US.

https://247wallst.com/special-report/2021/04/30/this-state-smokes-the-most-pot-ranking-use-by-state/10/

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Very interesting study. For many reasons. For one thing, the number of smokers for all states, legal or not was closer than I would have guessed.
Oklahoma is one of the recent states to legalize. I wonder how much difference there is in the number of smokers before and after legalization. There certainly is a LOT more in the news about crime concerning growers and sellers.
It seems like every time I see an article about health, our state is a little less healthy and a little more obese.

elisa123gal

I think almost all of us have trigger foods that easily derail us from our health transformation. so.. we cut them out. That's not an addiction in my opinion. I don't have a huge love of cookies.. or flour goods. So, maybe some cut those out as an easy way to stay within their calorie goals.
But,, I read posts from desperate people on mfp.. who can't help but eat bags of candy, or raid the fridge in the middle of the night.. or go from fast food restaurant to fast food restaurant eating burgers and fries. So, yes. i think food addiction is a real thing for some.

loulee997

brenn24179 wrote: »

Do you think there is food addiction? Some people say dont eat sugar or flour. That seems like a hard way to live, not ever having a cookie? They say they dont struggle. What do you think? I know I keep gaining and losing the same 5 pounds, it is still a struggle for me. I would like to not struggle but giving up sugar and four seems so hard.

Not so much an addiction but some people are more sensitive to sugar/carbs/flour. I could care less about sugar. I might have a cookie, but I don't want a 2nd one. My problem is potato chips. I have a horrible time moderating chips or foods I really love like pizza.

I didn't stop eating them. What I did was limit the amount I had access to--and that has helped.

Instead of buying the cheaper family bag of chips (which I will eat all by myself), I instead only buy a single bag of individual chips at a gas station. I can eat them in the car, but when they are gone, they are gone. They aren't hanging around the house calling my name.

I've done something similar to pizza. If I want delivery pizza, I only get it if there are a bunch of people. The amount of people limits how much of it I can have.

I also buy a non-frozen pizza --cut it into individual pieces and freeze it. I can bake 1 or 2 slices as needed. I enjoy them, but I'm too lazy to go back and bake more. I also sometimes buy a Boboli thin pizza crust (prebaked). I cut the crust into individual pieces. Add Kroger pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, and mozzarella. I can bake a quarter, half, or all of it. I cut the crust and seal it in an air tight container. I pull out the crust when want pizza and add my toppings. If I'm careful, it's about 175 calories a slice.

So I still have pizza and chips--I am just more careful on how much I have access to.

Does that help any?

Sett2023

What I've seen in myself and in many others is addiction to "ease".
Yes, if I have around a six croissants box I'll eat all of them, but only because that's more easy/quick than, let me say, peel an orange.
So, as Loulee above, I don't renounce to any food, but I 1) made more difficult to reach some things (for instance, I no longer have croissants boxes at home, but I still have a croissant almost every day. Only, I have it at a cafè, so it's one per day and stop. Ditto for pizza: no more frozen pizzas here, or I'll finish also four in a meal: now, if I want pizza, or I bake it - rarely - or order it/go out for it, so it's one evening per week, not 4 in a day); 2) and, in the same time, I made more easy reach other kinds of food: I was used to meal prepping also before, but now I really stuff my (two) giant freezers with all my usual healthy/low calories things (I cook a lot of vegetables in a lot of tasty ways, from patties to loaves to stews to gratin etc, and ditto for poultry and fish), so it is very easy and quick to have on the fly healthy/low calories food instead of high calories ones, even when job is "time-stealing" or, simply, I'm tired/bored.

magicfoodfluff

Just curious what are your thoughts on people who have ADHD?

Adventurista

magicfoodfluff wrote: »

Just curious what are your thoughts on people who have ADHD?

@magicfoodfluff
Why do you ask? Is it a recognized symptom/issue for people with ADHD?

My initial thought was food addiction, as any use addiction, is complex for the person, may have genetic and learned behavior components, physical and emotional dependence components, and may occur in all age/gender/cultural groups.

The nature of some use dependencies, such as cigarettes or alcohol/drugs, may start as a social/fun use, and deepen to an emotional/physical dependence... for anyone who progresses into an addiction level problem...

including people who also suffer adhd. Is there an issue or concern beyond that?

shirleyshr

Tough one. The abstainers that say it doesn't affect them and they don't feel deprived are doing great. I'm like that with alcohol after quitting over three years ago but sweet stuff and i'm doomed. If its in the house I will eat it, all of it. I went whole food plant based a year ago and still make dessert. These typically won't contain any oil, flour or refined sugar but I still overeat them. Is that addiction, I don't think so otherwise i'd make dessert everyday.

Adventurista

shirleyshr wrote: »

Tough one. The abstainers that say it doesn't affect them and they don't feel deprived are doing great. I'm like that with alcohol after quitting over three years ago but sweet stuff and i'm doomed. If its in the house I will eat it, all of it. I went whole food plant based a year ago and still make dessert. These typically won't contain any oil, flour or refined sugar but I still overeat them. Is that addiction, I don't think so otherwise i'd make dessert everyday.

Bold is mine.

Addictions begin earlier than recognized and can include long or short periods between use. Can begin with social use, move between the fun social time and personal physical or emotional or habitual use, increasing in frequency, duration and intensity. At some point, crosses into harmful consequences for the person and a compulsive inability to stop. End stage addiction is the worst, and in casual discussions and thought about addiction, i think people think of end stage(s).

That being said... chemical/substance and behaviorial addictions can be addressed by total physical abstinence.

Not so with food. Must eat food daily and find a way to eat physically, emotionally and habitually that is not harmful, and sustain that without falling back into harmful eating.

The foods that are used are ubiquitous, so even if a person is avoiding, for ex, added sugars... the person may be sustaining the physical or emotional/habitual dependance with other foods...

The nature of food addiction is still being hotly debated, and some still do not recognize the terminology nor the need to find a terminolgy of a significant problem which people can agree on that can be used then to help people. It reminds me of the times before alcohol and drug use and cigarettes were identified and characterized as a complex medical physical and behavioral condition that people suffer and need help with.

The consequences of end stage food addiction are deadly. Major symptom is obesity and the occurrence of co-morbid diseases.

For me, food addiction mirrors cigarette/nicotine/vaping addiction; both in chemical ways and in emotional and habitual dependence.

ldrag07444

brenn24179 wrote: »

Do you think there is food addiction? Some people say dont eat sugar or flour. That seems like a hard way to live, not ever having a cookie? They say they dont struggle. What do you think? I know I keep gaining and losing the same 5 pounds, it is still a struggle for me. I would like to not struggle but giving up sugar and four seems so hard.

Absolutely there is. Most in my family can eat one or two cookies and stop. I can eat an entire bag. I've given up sugar for over 6 years. Much healthier. I do admit, I do use some sugar free items.

chiquitabananna1

I am seeing a lot of talk here about moderation which is certainly a component for losing or at the least maintaining weight. But for me I had two equally important tasks ahead of me, losing weight and lowering my ldl cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which have gotten progressively worse with each annual blood test and have caused heart disease in my family history. Since 8/23 I have lost 54 lbs, with a goal of 20 more to go. But am having trouble with my other goal. So I'm educating myself and revamping my recipes to eliminate or at least drastically reduce 1) saturated fats, replacing them with poly and mono unsaturated fats, 2) replacing simple carbs with complex carbs (I make my own sourdough french bread ((with no sodium)) and have replaced the white flour with 100% whole grain, and my pasta recipes now use whole grain pasta instead of white). 3) Increasing fiber. I make all my own foods many from scratch, i.e., salad dressings, breads/pastries, sauces, tortillas, which helps to eliminate salt, cholesterol, simple sugars. I find increasing spices & herbs and citrus help to reduce sodium, I mean have you ever put salt on a taco or burrito? Using nonfat greek yogurt for creamy based salad dressings instead of mayo. A great desert I invented (because I love maple syrup) is 1/2C nonfat greek yogurt, 1 ounce raw, unsalted walnuts, 1tbls maple syrup. Like butter pecan ice cream if you freeze it. Yes it has calories but they easily fit into goals. But the benefits of the yogurt and more so the walnuts, helps me reach my fiber. Lastly, treadmilling every day. Treadmilling is my penance for a lifetime of ignorant eating. Now I know if I want to eat and be healthy, I have to get on the treadmill. Simply put, humans are just not designed to overeat, or eat so much processed food, and be idle. Hoping to see better blood test results next month. Good Luck to y'all.

Fursian

@chiquitabananna1 Much success to you, I really hope the changes help! I'd be interested in reading your results next month, if you don't mind posting back with an update, of course.

One of my sisters got concerning HbA1c results back just recently and was told to make changes, which has given me the kick that I needed, as I am on the high end of what is considered normal and only a couple of numbers away from hers.

As to the question of this thread, it all certainly seems similar to addiction. Freeing myself from alcohol last year made me see firsthand just how similar things seem. Maybe the paths and mechanisms aren't said to be exact, but what does it matter when you're acting the same?

chiquitabananna1

Thanks Fursian and I will come back with results end of November. As for lowering your glycemic index, if I'm understanding correctly what you mean by HbA1c, it means complex carbs should be your only carbs. Also increasing fiber. Most complex carbs have fiber, part of what makes them complex, the fiber in them help to slow the process sugar would make in your body without them. I'm not very well versed in diabetes because I'm not affected that way, but in lowering my triglycerides I came across that info. I generally read the articles from what we would consider reliable sources such as the Mayo Clinic, Harvard, Cornell etc articles/studies and those at the NIH. So I hope I'm getting what I need to know from them. One thing I came to understand is that the goals MFP gives you depending upon your weight and goal are for normal people. I'm 71, heart disease runs in my family, So I have adjusted my goals beyond what MFP came up with. I kept the calories at 1200 because it works for weight loss, I kept the sodium at 1400 but never really reach that. I increased fiber from 15 to 25, if I only get to 20 that's okay. I lowered overall fat from 40 to 35 but make sure my saturated fats run around 5/day never going over 7 and make sure the mono and poly unsaturateds are at least twice to three times as much as the saturated because they help eliminate the damage potential of the saturateds. I lowered cholesterol from 185 to 100. I didn't adjust sugar because 90% of my sugar comes from complex carbs which is not damaging for me (not really sure how they affect diabetics). These are the changes I made since my last blood test as well as cutting out white flour and pasta. Really hoping to do this without cholesterol meds, but we will see if the family genes are more powerful than what I can do about it in November. I may end up surrendering to my genes and taking meds, but still hoping for now. .. .

mtaratoot

chiquitabananna1 wrote: »

treadmilling every day. Treadmilling is my penance for a lifetime of ignorant eating. Now I know if I want to eat and be healthy, I have to get on the treadmill.

Is there any way you can revise how you think of your treadmill? Instead of it being penance for past sins, could you think of it as an investment in the future you that you want to become? In a way it's like saving for retirement. A person with a decent job could spend their entire paycheck every month. When I was working, I was amazed how many people routinely bought new cars or boats or other shiny things. Some people would forego some of the extra pleasures to sock away money for the future. Then when the future arrives, there it is. Very wise. Being physically active is kind of the same - give up something you want (or don't want) to do right now because in the future you will reap benefits.

chiquitabananna1 wrote: »

As for lowering your glycemic index, if I'm understanding correctly what you mean by HbA1c, it means complex carbs should be your only carbs. Also increasing fiber.

Glycemic index is a property of foods. It measures how fast that food increases your blood sugar. You are correct that complex carbs tend to have lower glycemic indices. HbA1c is number generated by a blood test. It is a measure of your blood sugar levels over the last few months. Before the HbA1c test was available, we used a simple blood sugar test. A person had to fast for several hours before the test for it to be most valid, but it was still a measure of only one point in time. The newer test appears to be a better indicator of diabetes risk.

chiquitabananna1 wrote: »

One thing I came to understand is that the goals MFP gives you depending upon your weight and goal are for normal people.

The goals that MFP gives you are first guesses based on a few parameters. You are wise to step back and develop your own set of personalized goals. A person can use the MFP-provided goals as a starting point to refine things farther. Also beware that some of the macro goals change as your intake changes - MFP gives a protein goal based as a percentage of food eaten. It may be better to figure out a good numeric goal and try to hit that, on average, every day. Even if you set your protein as grams, MFP will increase it if your daily calorie goal increases from exercise. As far as fiber, you can actually consume too much. I don't think that's very common for people who don't use supplements. Consume both soluble and insoluble fiber, and read up about resistant starch.

See you back here for an update some time in the near future!

Adventurista

So, people caught in the throes of addictions get into wild start stop swings, and with food (stipulating for a minute that people develop a dependence on some type or amounts of food) can fall into a dangerous binge and restrict or purge pattern which can include using excess exercise.

Important not to use purging actions for recovery from fasts, cleanses, exercise, insulin, diruetics, etc. If this is happening, it is serious and important to break that binge/restrict-purge dynamic.

chiquitabananna1 wrote: »

. Lastly, treadmilling every day. Treadmilling is my penance for a lifetime of ignorant eating. Now I know if I want to eat and be healthy, I have to get on the treadmill. Simply put, humans are just not designed to overeat, or eat so much processed food, and be idle. Hoping to see better blood test results next month. Good Luck to y'all.

@chiquitabananna1 - if you don't like treadmilling, then don't. Find exercise/movement that you enjoy abd include it to help your body be healthy.... not as a punishment for eating food, ever.

Hope you do see improved health results as you explore healthy ways to eat and exercise, that you also enjoy.

chiquitabananna1

Adventurista Never said I didn't like treadmilling. Penance is an act of self-mortification or devotion performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing. Self-morification is voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing. Choosing the treadmill was the easiest penance. I suppose I stretched it's meaning to fit but really, it's something I don't mind setting aside 1 hour a day for, I can do it in the privacy of my own home, in an air conditioned environment, any time day or nite. Also enjoying the challenge of creating or recreating my recipes to be more heart healthy and finding them very tasty at the same time. Really surprising myself with some of my recipes lately. Overall, I'm feeling very accomplished and rewarded by this whole experience. Just hoping for better numbers on the next blood test and if anyone here sees that I may have missed something to get that pesky ldl cholesterol down please feel free to tell me what you think (or know).

chiquitabananna1

mtaratoot, don't find it necessary to revise how I think about my treadmill, I don't mind the penance. I know I stretched the meaning and say it somewhat jokingly, but it's the truth. There are things in life we do because we enjoy them and other things we do because we know we must do them in order to achieve our goals; enjoyment is the result of our accomplishments through our labors. I want to lose the weight and I want to get healthy. I don't want to take magic pills or potions that do take off the weight but the minute you stop the weight rebounds in full or triplicate even. There's work in the process that must be done for long term results; 1) educating one's self on nutrition, 2) learning to prepare one's own food, 3) unless you're a farmer or contractor, etc and use a lot of energy during your working hours, there's only one other way to work off excess calories and tone muscles, and that's to exercise. So far the results I can see are very rewarding, just hoping for better ldl cholesterol numbers.

mtaratoot

@chiquitabananna1

It's good you don't want magic pills or potions because they don't exist. It's good that you want to improve your health. It's good that you want to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

I sincerely think it's bad to think of how we eat, what we eat, and how we are active as any kind of penance. Food is fuel. Ideally it also brings enjoyment. Developing a good habit that includes walking on a treadmill can support good health, especially if coming from being relatively inactive. I don't know what your mass is, but it might serve you well to estimate how many calories you're burning on the treadmill. It may be fewer than you think. Getting your body working, your pulse up a bit, and your lungs moving air can support an increase in overall fitness. It might help reduce your LDL. It might improve cardiovascular fitness. It might encourage you to move more in other aspects of life. Exercise is a great way to improve fitness!

But do be aware that in order to decrease your mass, you must focus on diet. Fitness improvements happen in the gym. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Making good food choices and eating the right amount supports a healthy weight. It can also help with A1c and improving lipid profiles.

Being fit is not penance. Eating right is not penance. Both should be joyful and should be rewards unto themselves. When you make fitness improvements, if just plain feels good! Then you can do more, then you feel even better. Good feedback loop!

Fursian

@chiquitabananna1 Yeah, it’s been a whirlwind trying to read up on all of this stuff. It’s a good thing that I enjoy reading, I’m going to need it, lol. It’s been eye opening, trying to educate myself on carbohydrates, the different types of fiber, free sugars, and even having to look up what healthy balanced meals look like because I couldn’t visualise them.

Thankfully I was already exercising and even got into lifting weights and callisthenics, which I’m hearing helps. Like you I use a treadmill, and really appreciate that I can just do this at home as I’m not a gym goer.

One thing that I did read that I’m hoping might be of some use to you, if you haven’t already read on your travels, is about beta glucans, that is found in oatbran. Supposedly can help lower cholesterol. Though, in the oatbran box I found (here in the UK), the box is said to also contain biotin, which can apparently throw off the results of a blood test, so good to keep in mind and not have a few days before having tests just to be on the safe side. They could just be referring, overall, to people that take biotin in excess, through supplements, but better to be safe.

Congratulations on losing 54 lbs, btw, that’s fantastic! That, along with all the changes you’ve made can only help.

Here’s to us, anyway. May we beat our genes.

chiquitabananna1

@Fursian, great reply. I want to know more about the oatbran and I wonder if the beta glucans can be found in old fashioned oats. I make my own granola squares with oats/nuts/dried fruits. I'll see what I can find out about that. Also, I take Biotin gummies for hair/nails, it's the only vitamin I take and now you say it can throw off the results of a blood test, so now I'm wondering if it's made my ldl and triglycerides higher. I never mentioned taking the biotin to my Dr., just didn't think about it but I just did some quick research and found that I should not take it at least 72 hrs before my blood test. After 14 months of dieting, exercising, bookkeeping of every morsel and gram of food and I was about ready to surrender to a cholesterol medication, I'm hoping eliminating biotin (and oats if necessary, will have to find out more about that) might bring my numbers more in line. Thank you for the valuable information. Also, I was remiss in not congratulating you on your freedom from alcohol accomplishment. I know very well just what a hard thing that can be for some. Yes, here's to beating the system (our internal systems).

Fursian

Thank you, @chiquitabananna1!

From what I’m reading, old fashioned oats do contain beta glucans as well. They say some of the food sources are oats, barley, sorghum, rye, maize, triticale, wheat, durum wheat, rice, mushrooms and seaweed.

I tried to find out whether biotin can affect cholesterol test results specifically, but wasn’t finding anything direct and concrete to link to. If it can significantly affect lab results though, probably best giving it a few days beforehand. I’m not sure how much is contained in your gummies, but it’s possible it could have an impact. Worth mentioning the next time you go, for sure.

chiquitabananna1

@Fursian, great! Just got done preparing a barley, beef & veggie soup, gallon size, lol! This is what I found on biotin "In summary, while biotin may not directly alter LDL cholesterol levels, it can potentially interfere with laboratory tests, including those measuring LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, through its impact on immunoassays. Accurate test results rely on proper communication between patients and healthcare practitioners regarding biotin supplementation." I will definitely stop taking biotin (Harvard Health has a scary warning about it too). And, put the granola bars and barley soup in the freezer till after my next test. It's certainly worth knowing this and seeing if it will affect my levels. Here's the link to Harvard's warning: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/biotin-may-throw-off-lab-test-results. And, here's the link to the barley info: https://search.brave.com/search?q=can+biotin+alter+blood+test+results+for+levels+of+ldl+cholesterol+and+triglycerides&source=web&summary=1&summary_og=7299cc765ba5bfac7bbf96. Again, thanks so much.

Adventurista

Interesting morning tv show 2023 story on survey results and the 'debate' around food addiction. Article also includes a little morning tv discussion video snippet.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cant-say-no-sweets-snacks-sign-food-addiction-rcna67881

Siren2024

ninerbuff wrote: »

Personally I don't believe there's food addiction. How can you be addicited to something you need TO LIVE? Unlike alcohol, gambling, drugs, etc., food is a necessity. I have yet to see someone sell their body, steal from loved ones, or blow their paycheck on sugar and flour. This is NOT to say there aren't eating disorders. But those differ from actual addiction where more than just therapy is needed.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Oooh I dunno , ld pretty much do anything for a bar of Cadburys chocolate some days 😜

Corina1143

Back to the original post.
Paraphrasing "doesn't a life without cookies seem sad".
I used to love cookies! But then they started putting dough conditioners in all wheat flour in the US. No more cookies, no more bread, no more wheat pasta for me, please. A choice. You have the cookies and cake. I'll have seconds of meat, potatoes, salad, veggies.
I used to drink 3 3-liter cokes a day. I ate about 800 calories of real food. When a dietitian pointed it out to me, I quit coke cold turkey. Things started tasting different. Through the years, I have eaten less and less sugar. By choice. It takes a lot less sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Now I pass right by the cookies without slowing down. I know that anytime I choose, I can have cookies. Today I choose to snack on raw broccoli. I like it!

canela767

I can have one alcoholic drink, and stop, but an alcoholic will drink until they're wasted and often cannot stop. Likewise, there are people who can eat a recommended serving of pasta, or one slice of pizza, and stop but I cannot. I'm going to eat a bowl of pasta half the size of my head, or at least half of a large pizza. Therefore, I consider it an addiction. I do great when I stick to foods I don't feel that way about. Not going to overdo it on vegetables, salad with sugar free dressing, or egg white omelets. No compulsion to. Doesn't taste THAT good, whereas pizza or pasta absolutely does taste THAT good to me. I can't touch any of my "out of control" foods if I want to lose weight.

mtaratoot

Corina1143 wrote: »

Back to the original post.
Paraphrasing "doesn't a life without cookies seem sad".
I used to love cookies! But then they started putting dough conditioners in all wheat flour in the US. No more cookies, no more bread, no more wheat pasta for me, please. A choice. You have the cookies and cake. I'll have seconds of meat, potatoes, salad, veggies.
I used to drink 3 3-liter cokes a day. I ate about 800 calories of real food. When a dietitian pointed it out to me, I quit coke cold turkey. Things started tasting different. Through the years, I have eaten less and less sugar. By choice. It takes a lot less sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Now I pass right by the cookies without slowing down. I know that anytime I choose, I can have cookies. Today I choose to snack on raw broccoli. I like it!

I buy wheat flour without conditioners or any ingredients other than wheat. I can get hard red, hard white, soft white, bread, or pastry flour that don't have anything other than wheat. Look around; you can find it. Check your local food co-op. I buy in bulk so can just buy a bit at a time and keep it in the freezer so it doesn't go rancid as fast. I use whole wheat flour, and it doesn't have a long shelf life.

pdskelly0904

I absolutely believe that food addiction is real. Our reward system in our brains is reliant on a neurotransmitter called dopamine. We can have a highly stimulating experience that will release dopamine into a part of our brain that rewards us with a good feeling and a desire to repeat the behavior to obtain another reward. We know about stimulant drugs that directly impact this region of the brain. But any highly stimulating behavior can have a similar effect on the dopamine system, like gambling, sex/porn, and eating. People who consume highly palatable foods (sweet, salty, fatty) will receive a dopamine bump. The addiction begins where over the course of time, someone receives a continuous stream of dopamine and/or a very high dosage, they develop a tolerance to the dopamine, meaning they need more dopamine more often and in larger doses to receive their anticipated reward. If their anticipation isn’t satisfied, they will crave for their stimulation to surpass their tolerance level.

The interesting thing about food is that one can find stimulation from three different senses: taste, texture, and tooth (crunchiness). To break a food addiction by lowering one’s tolerance is to replace the highly palatable foods with alternative foods with a high stimulation factor. Pickles are a good example because their sourness and crunchiness can have a similar effect as a cookie because it can modulate a craving while limiting caloric intake. A craving for pizza can be stopped with a bagel dipped in some hot sauce. This offers evidence, to those who think an onion is “spicy,” why some people love hot sauces. One’s mouth may burn, but it’s a rewarding burn.

This is NOT universal. There are other reasons for overeating beyond a need to release dopamine. This model of addiction closely aligns with other addictive behaviors.