I am brand new to the raw food lifestyle. I was a substance abuser for a couple years before getting clean 3 years ago. I then struggled with drinking and smoking. I gave that up and then I started struggling with a food addiction. The thing is I would crave food in the same way I would crave drugs. Is it possible that I am addicted to food and the only remedy would be to cut out all foods that are addictive? I have plenty of other reasons why I want to do it but it could be necessary for me. I am not overweight but I know if I continue in the way I have been then I will eventually gain weight. I appreciate all the suggestions and advice.
Love,
Jenna

I believe food can and is addictive to some, i come from a similar past as yourself Jenna and would use food in a similar manner.

What kind of foods are you finding addictive?

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

i find ice cream, pastas, and breads are the worst for me. Are you eating raw now?

Hi Jenna,
I absolutely understand where you are coming from. I find a lot of foods addictive myself and it is worse because I am an emotional eater, I use food as an emotional crutch. I am sorry I don't have a solution as I am struggling right now myself, but I am starting to think the same way, that I need to cut out everything addictive. anyway, you are definitely not alone
Nicole

Thank you for that! It's nice to know I'm not alone

Moonglow,

Casein and gluten, the proteins in dairy and starches, respectively, have been found to activate the same brain receptors as certain psychotropic drugs. This isn't your imagination! Be mindful and be focused on what foods add to health rather than detracting from it, and you will slowly do away with your previous pitfalls

Moonglow311 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i find ice cream, pastas, and breads are the worst
> for me. Are you eating raw now?

I eat high raw but not fully, i also eat cooked vegan meals. I find 100% raw doesn't work for my goals as a serious bodybuilder. I eat very clean usually though when cooked.

I hear you on the bread, i found it very hard to give it up. I would get very depressed without it and it wasn't like it was giving me any nutrition i wasn't getting elsewhere.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

Yes... food can be addictive a book I think everyone should read is The End To Overeating in America... it's sort of sickening the way these food scientist create food in a way that we become addicted to it... all simply to sell more product with the risk of the health of the consumer.

But then there is also the emotional addiction of food. Using food via overeating under eating... etc... as a crutch to deal with the emotional issues you might not want to deal with... trying to avoid something or trying to fill a void... how ever you may be dealing with it... Nicole said it best... "you are not alone"

Food is the most widely accepted drug of choice... so often it is encouraged to eat more ... doughnuts and muffins on the tables at work ... mass quantities of heavy foods at holidays, parties and family functions... people sitting around comparing binges.. "oh man I ate way to much... oh me too" etc etc... and if you eat healthy some how you are "weird" ... i don't know if that's entirely true but it is how i feel about it some times...

I have been dealing with a food addiction too and have found that getting support from other people that are going through the same thing has really helped me... Check out OA.org... it deals with the wide variety of eating issues... but on the emotional and spiritual side of it... or at least it encourages you to do this.

feel free to PM if you want to talk more about it.

love laugh and dream

This is such a huge issue for me. I have struggled for so many years with eating foods that clearly are not good for me. I've craved carbohydrates especially- bread, pasta, chips...oh and the list goes on.

I've been vegetarian for 20+ years, and had always thought that my diet was pretty good compared to how most people ate.. but still it was puzzling to me why I never really felt like I was at my optimum. I had brain fog so badly, among other things. For a long time, I thought I must just be allergic to food in general, because most every time I ate, I got so foggy.

But now... now for health reasons, I have decided to eat only raw. And I feel really good! The fog is lifting... haha! So, this is day 5 of 100% raw, and I'm really not sure how it's going to go on from here. I definitely don't want to go back to the way I used to eat. Those powerful cravings are so hard to deal with, and I know I will spiral downward into the abyss of food addiction if I go back now.

So I'm just going to keep cleaning out, detoxing, building my health- and then see what happens. Maybe there is cooked food that is non-addictive and good for me, and maybe not. Honestly, I really don't know. But I do know that right now, it is so much more important to me that I feel good and clear, than that i have a big bowl of yummy tasting pasta with some delicious bread on the side- because once that stuff gets past the taste buds, it's all downhill after that .

Yes, this is an issue for me as well. I totally hear you on the "brain fog". I also experience this with almost anything cooked that I eat. It is so easy for me to slip back into unhealthy foods if I eat just 1 mouthful it opens the doors and away I go down that road again

I'm not sure if there are any cooked foods that are non-addictive and healthy for me to eat. I am at a point where I am really questioning everything. Except that I know I feel good when I am raw and mostly crappy when I am not...lol. I had a raw day yesterday and slipped today again though. Congrats marsh on 5 days!!

ABSOLUTELY IT IS AN ADDICTION

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I was recently going through some old posts
that I had saved from this board and I found
a few on this topic:

Re: What has sabotaged and what helped me on raw -- warning: crazed rantings
Author: Steve
Date: 12-07-03 23:45

It's interesting to me that the talk is about food.
Food. Food. Food. Food.

But real the problem is never the food. That's the
excuse we use. The issue here is one's obsessions.
And in my mind, there's no such thing as a "healthy
obsession.” So I think the cause of these obsessions
is the main thing to focus on; not the food.

Having dealt with extreme eating disorders in my
own life and in my work, my opinion is that real the
problem is within our minds. And with our resistance
to that which is healthy. Why do we resist the healthy?
What is it within ourselves that drives us to do the opposite
of healthy?

When you deal with that issue, when you understand the
emotions that drive you to do that which you say you do
not want to do, then you'll have more control over not
just your eating habits, but the other aspects of your
life as well.

I know that means you'll have to stop pointing outward and
start pointing it inward. And that's not always a pleasant
thing. But the payoff for self-discovery is enormous; and
well worth any temporary discomfort.

Go Raw!

And this one from the same thread:

Author: Steve
Date: 12-08-03 13:01

Michelle,

Of course this is a live food site. I understand that,
believe me. I'm just as passionate about raw food
as anyone on this entire planet. (Anyone that knows
me can vouch for that.)

However, I think my point is about obsessions. And
those aren't healthy. Nor are they defensible. There
is no such thing as a healthy obsession.

For the mindset of "passion"' is entirely different than that
of obsession. (And I'm not sure most people understand
the dramatic and radical difference between the two.)
One is mentally healthy and the other is not.

I do agree with your point about redirecting your energies.
I'd say what people need to do to be healthier and happier
(and don't we all want that?) is to remove the cause of
their problems and replace those thoughts/obsessions,
feelings, and actions with more profound, positive, and
healthy thoughts and actions. And dramatic things
happen, corresponding to one's efforts.

And while this is a board about living foods, it's also a
board about trying to live a certain lifestyle; and that
entails the thought processes that go into that lifestyle.
What eat is often just a manifestation of what's going
inside of ourselves. There is no escaping that. We
are (in essence) what we eat.

Go raw!

And these as well:

Re: Raw OAers or Compulsive Eaters?
Author: Steve
Date: 07-22-03 20:27

I found myself smack dab in the middle of a serious
eating disorder when started to try to be perfect with
raw foods and tried to use food as a means to be
perfect.

I incessantly obsessed about eating. Morning, noon,
and night. When I was 100% raw, I was a good boy.
When I was less than 100%, I was a bad boy.

It was pretty sick. Even when I was 100%, which could
go one for months and months at a time, I would eat
enormous quantities of food; merely to stuff my emotions
and anxieties. And, the slightest slip-up with raw would
start me backsliding with huge quantities of cooked
foods for months on end. Much to my chagrin.

Even though at my darkest moments and rock-bottomness
I was still at least 80% raw, but my problem was about
perfection and trying to be perfect. Oh sure, I wanted
to be healthy, but that was secondary to the drive for
perfection.

That's really the issue that needs to be addressed by
many raw fooders, who turn one cooked episode into
a reason to start bingeing.

Raw fooders go through what many go through in the
process to trying to live healthier: they find internal
resistance to healthy change. And that is feedback that
should not be ignored. If one begins to uncover the
reasons for that resistance, and why one needs to
engage in unhealthy acts, a process of maturity
begins to take place.

It is possible to overcome these problems. I know.
And it's worth the effort to explore your inner world
and find out what's really going on. When you do,
and you take responsibility for your actions and
motivations, you'll likely find you no longer have a
problem with food.

I think you'll begin to understand that food isn't really
"addictive" at all. The real source of your problem is
the obsession(s) in your mind. When you learn to
get that under control, you'll be on your way to
psychological freedom!

And that's a beautiful thing.


Re: disgusted with myself
Author: Steve
Date: 07-31-03 20:52

It's easy to be disgusted with yourself when you're
trying to be perfect. I think you'll succeed most
every time.

I also think that what we call "will power" is really
somewhat of a misnomer. Because when you have
the "will" to do something it's easy! Hence, you really
don't need "will power" when something is easy.

So the key here, if you ask me, is that you develop
"the will" necessary to want to be healthier; as
opposed to being perfect. (I'd give up on that
fantasy as quickly as possible.) And you do that
by becoming mentally healthier; which will
cause you to think about yourself in a different
way; affecting your relationship with yourself -
and ultimately your relationship with food.

I think you're finding that your obsessions with
foods are affecting your eating choices. And
that's a very common thing. We don't even
think about these obsessions (usually) until
we try to do something healthier, and then
we begin to see how they can run our lives
in detrimental ways.

So, at least you're at a point that you admit
to having them. The more you become aware
of what you're doing and why, the sooner
you'll tackle this issue. Another important
thing is to accept where you are right now.
You may not like what you are in some cases,
but it's important not to run and hide from how
you experience reality. With self-awareness
and self-acceptance comes a greater likelihood
for positive change - in any context.

I also concur with what has been said above:
finding foods you really enjoy. This may take
a while, as do the other things.

Be patient. Healthier living is a process, not
an overnight success story.


And this one from the same thread:

Author: Steve
Date: 07-31-03 12:28

I think it's fun to dream about effortless happiness,
but I concur with the above sentiments regarding
getting at the root cause of the problem; and why
you/others have a resistance toward healthy living.

I too once thought cooked foods were "addictive."
Eventually I came to the realization that the problem
wasn't with food, but rather with my relationship with
food; which traced back to my relationship with myself -
and the underlying emotions that caused my to sabotage
myself.

Work on yourself and I think you'll find the solution lies
within you.


Re: desperate and addicted..!!
Author: Steve
Date: 05-23-03 14:25

Having been there, I can tell you that my
obsession was not with food. Though I
blamed the food: if only it wasn't so "addictive."
Blah, blah, blah.

Curlygirl, no one was making me stuff down
pound after pound after pound of starchy
junk. Yet each mouthful was a deliberate,
willful act of defiance. I think this drive to eat
that which is detrimental to your well-being
(physically AND esp. emotionally) is the real
issue you need to confront: why do you need
to do it?

Your lust for this "food" is merely, as I
see it, a symptom of what's going on
inside of you. What emotions are you
not allowing yourself to experience,
and instead you quash them with
the transitory sense of pleasure/control
you get from eating?

Interestingly, many raw fooders are only
able to be raw if they're 100%. Why?
Because one slip-up sends them down
an uncontrollable path of bingeing and
gorging. (I've been there myself, believe
me.)

Maybe the worst is knowing that eating
habits are totally within your control, and
yet you can't stop the out-of-control
indulgence. Why not?

Because that indulgence is emotional in
nature. And these issues don't just go
away without some meaningful confrontation
on your part. I think it's important to know
that.

The truth really will set you free!


I even wrote some poems loosely based on my "addiction"
struggles with food:

The Slave

Just to look at me, you would never know
I'm handcuffed and shackled from head to toe
Though not a slave in the strictest sense of the word
I'm trapped by repressed emotions like a jailbird

Imprisoned behind the steel bars of my mind
As a crash dummy to feelings that keep me blind
Sure, I may be a brilliant, but I'm not wise
When choosing to run my life counterclockwise

No doubt, I could think clearly if I wanted to
But then I'd have to feel deeply in order to
Be the type of person I'm on this Earth to be
Rather than an alien to myself, emotionally

Disconnected from pent-up anger, fear, and shame
Looking outside myself for the whipping boys of blame
Each time my bottled-up emotions rear their ugly head
In a multitude of bridge-burning ways that people dread

Using my hopes and wishes as substitutes for what's True
Choosing selfishness instead of an emotional coup
As a prisoner of war to the turbulence within me
Never knowing when, or what, will bleed out uncontrollably

And even though my thoughts make perfect sense to me
The impact of wrecking-ball feelings is unhealthy
Distorting and disfiguring my view of Reality
Feeling strangled outside my comfort zone of safety

Remaining a slave until I know what's inside
And quit pretending I have nothing to hide
By looking in the eye at the Truth deep within me
That I can only be as Free as I choose to be


Take this Pill?

They tell me to "Take this pill and the pain will go away"
Just where my avalanche of hurts came from they dare not say
Without their pill they tell me the darkness inside will worsen
As if putting on a mask could make me a brand-new person

I'm to take this pill and go on their magic carpet ride
So I can sleepwalk through life and see myself cockeyed
Implying that change is harder than parting the Red Sea
And I'd have to walk on water before it could happen to me

That I never suffer any discomfort is their goal
But all this pill does is hide the emptiness in my soul
As if this bagful of hurts I carry around with me
Can be bought off with their one-way ticket to dependency

I "can't help" myself is what those with their credentials tell me
"It's a disease," so out the window goes Responsibility
Free Will is only for people without problems, don't you know?
And onto the scrap heap goes the adage, "You reap what you sow"

That I could whip my inner swamp of pain is not what they say
As if wading through the muck of my mire is somehow risqué'
Yet by taking their pill, I don't learn to make a lionhearted choice
Nor how to feed my soul with empowering ways to rejoice

Yep, they dreamed up this pill as a shortcut to Mental Health
As if by waving their wand of smoke, mirrors, and stealth
They can make my sea of troubles disappear for good
And ignore the workings of that engine under my hood

Now I could be a helpless victim, like a puppet on strings
Or step up to home plate, point to the fences, and take my swings
Depending on whether or not I play their goose-stepping game
And give away my home-run power for their little pill of fame

This is the choice that lay before me with each decision I make
Whether I listen to my heart and mind, or drive into them a stake
Who I am, and what I will be, is all about Responsibility
And whether I take their pill, or take the plunge, is all up to me

Steve
[www.meetup.com]
[www.rawgosia.com]

Addiction is an addiction, food, sex, substances, etc. An addictive personality can latch onto anything desirable to an unhealthy extent.

People seek pleasure to get control over their
existence. Anything that feels good in the moment
gives us that feeling.

So what's the difference between someone who eats
to live and someone who eats to cope with the pain
of living? Well, there are healthy forms of pleasure
and unhealthy forms of pleasure. The difference is
in the motivation of the individual:

1) Is the pleasure something that promotes emotional
well-being, personal autonomy, and self-responsibility,
and is the underlying purpose of a pleasure rooted in a
productive purpose for self/others?
Or is the pleasure a means to escape from reality and
a way to avoid what's really going on in one's life; i,.e.,
is the purpose rooted in a counterproductive/destructive
motive, regardless of what people say is their purpose? (I
know my step-dad, who was a face-down-in-the-gutter drunk
for 50+ years, would say he drank because he "...is happy
and celebrating that every single day."
2)Does the pleasure maintain personal boundaries? Or does
it blur them and/or cause them to overlap (such as is the
case with dependent forms of religious beliefs, co-dependent
relationships, irresponsible dependency on "compassionate"
forms of government, and other addictive motives, etc.)?
3)Does the pleasure make you feel more in control afterwards,
and could you stop the behavior right now and never do it again
and still feel good? (Obviously, such things as eating, drinking
water, breathing air, and excreting wastes are behaviors that
must continue, ideally in healthy ways.) Or does it make you feel
less in control afterwards, and cause regret, guilt, and self-
loathing? Which subsequently leads to craving a "fix" to
regain one's sense of control.

Steve
[www.meetup.com]
[www.rawgosia.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2011 07:38PM by paragon1685.

I understand the addiction feeling. I never craved potato chips until I went raw. So I combated it by eating things with natural salt like celery, dulse, and seaweed. Also when I crave chocolate, I find figs work

My video to keep me inspired on my health quest: [www.youtube.com]

I think an addiction is really a just a symptom
of deep-rooted emotional problems involving
defensive reactions that result in a failure
to be authentic, to know oneself, to take
effective action to manage one's life, and
all the reasons that allow the addiction
to manifest and persist in the first place.

Know thyself and take responsibility for what
you know, and you will be Free.

Steve
[www.meetup.com]
[www.rawgosia.com]

Hi moonglow,
Welcome!!

I'm almost 27 years sober in AA and clean of bulimia for that long through OA and began the raw vegan journey about a month and a half ago~

I think that certain foods perpetuate more cravings...the foods you mention will rapidly raise blood sugar, then when the insulin released into the blood lowers the blood sugar back down, the cravings begin again~

I would encourage you to go to a big health food store and maybe buy some healthier versions of your loves--maybe soy ice cream, multi-grain bread, whole wheat pasta and such and see if that helps. Then, if you're feeling really courageous, see if there is a vegetarian restaurant and take yourself out to lunch or dinner there~

I love being a raw vegan especially because I don't have the angst and emotional hangovers from indulging in the less than healthy foods~

It is a win-win whatever you do to move towards healthier eating!

Have to head to a meeting now...welcome to our forum!!