Addictive Foods and their Harmful Consequences
We are going a little dark and doom and gloom in today’s blog post. Don’t worry! There’s always a positive side to even the darkest of subjects!
Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. These products include exercise stimulant drinks (they come in cans and look like cola), fizzy aerated drinks, tobacco, betel nut, betel leaf, strong coffee, strong tea, ma huang (an ephedrine-like compound consumed in china), and alcohol.
Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products, I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.
There’s no one who doesn’t know that products like these, consumed in excess, can severely harm our bodies. Yet, we still find them hard to resist. The need to eat stimulant food is a simple human weakness that has existed for ages: humans (and many animals) have always indulged in foods that give a sort of emotional high. In clinical terms, this means rapid heart beat, a little sweating, dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye, a warm flush on the face, and a sense of greater sensitivity, concentration and perception.
These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours, and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again, to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle.
The physiology of addictions is as follows:
When you eat an addictive food, it stimulates the hormone like substances found at the end of your nerves, which triggers an avalanche of similar stimulatory substances and you experience a high. As the substances near the nerves are depleted, you get into the low phase, which leads you to crave that food again. This yo-yo phase of nerve stimulation and depletion leads to a pattern of addiction.
Consuming addictive foods is one of the oldest unhealthy food practices and, despite a revolution in health consciousness; it shows no signs of dying out.
Below are some side effects of certain addictive foods.
- Alcohol Addiction: Erosion of stomach and intestinal lining, liver damage, nutritional deficiency.
- Tobacco: Erosion of gum and tongue can lead to cancer of the buccal mucosa.
- Betel nut and chewing tobacco: Leads to the discoloration of teeth, erosion of the lining of the mouth, and cancer of the mouth and upper tract. It also leads to heart problems among people who already have a weak heart.
- Ma huang: It contains ephedrine and leads to heart problems.
- Soda Pop and Energy Drinks: High doses of caffeine.
- Caffeine and xanthine: Found in tea, coffee. These become harmful only in very high doses; don’t consume more than five cups a day.
Another issues is with mixed drug reactions: People who consume medications for the heart, hypertension and asthma have to be very careful about the interactions of the drugs with stimulant foods, as mixing the two can be fatal. After years of experience, all doctors know how difficult it is to break the food addictions of their patients. So like them, I can only advise a good compromise. If you can’t break the addiction, then at least you should practice moderation. When you are ready to break the addictions, reach out to us. We can help!
- For more information on who we are and what we do at Natural Health Improvement Center of South Jersey and Natural Health Improvement Center of Des Moines, browse the rest of our website. We offer Root Cause Nutrition, Nutritional Coaching, Nutrition Response Testing, Functional Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Flower Essence Therapy, and Homeopathy. We also offer detox services including an infrared sauna, and PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field therapy mat, and foot bath (DSM office). We are on the front lines of wellness for you! Health starts here!
Be Well & Thrive!
With Love & In Health,
Sarah Outlaw, MH, MSACN
Appreciated to our caliban locality and yes onus in compensation you that created such frosty. Jaimie Nahum Beltran
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog? My website is in the very same area of interest as yours and my users would genuinely benefit from some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this ok with you. Regards!| Mercedes Vidovik Godard
I did not realize you have the exact same problem in your part of the world as we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. It really is an horrific prospect and the more people there are to get the word out the better. Lissa Ethelred Frohne
I finished this game today and i can say this shit is hard as fuck and my reward is a blue haired succubus no spoiers Stormy Chaim Amathiste
A person essentially assist to make critically articles I would state. That is the first time I frequented your web page and thus far? I surprised with the research you made to create this particular put up amazing. Magnificent job!| Karrie James Detta
I?d have to consult you here. Which is not something I typically do! I delight in reading a message that will make individuals believe. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment! Jerrylee Shamus Helban
Hi! I simply want to give you a huge thumbs up for your excellent info you have got here on this post. I am coming back to your site for more soon. Lauretta Chariot Hortensa
I am grateful to hear it was helpful, Deb. Thank you for letting me know. Grethel Meier Vlada
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular article! It is the little changes that produce the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing! Harriette Winn Fenwick
First mover advantage stealth crowdsource angel investor backing accelerator seed round startup client freemium burn rate supply chain infrastructure success. Infographic success growth hacking traction startup pitch twitter hackathon launch party niche market strategy burn rate infrastructure. Reeva Ruddy Demetria
Just wish to say your article is as surprising. The clarity in your post is just excellent and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work. Doti Prentice Kilk
It is great to be able to have a currency with the security of TRADER without having to pay taxes. Yetty Willy Oralie
I?m not sure where you are getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for fantastic info I was looking for this info for my mission. Lela Cyrus Tamqrah
Hi colleagues, its impressive piece of writing about educationand completely defined, keep it up all the time. Estrella Ellis Mohsen
I was able to find good info from your blog articles. Susana Ian Runkel
Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet. Duis sagittis ipsum. Bili Cross Calypso
wonderful points altogether, you simply received a new reader. Delila Eadmund Bohaty
I believe that is one of the so much vital information for me. Latia Gardiner Hendrick
You completed a few nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found the majority of persons will consent with your blog. Florette Theo Louella
You made some good points there. I looked on the web for more information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website. Alanah Leonerd Shepherd
Major thanks for the blog post. Much thanks again. Keep writing. Jenelle Lezley Zilla
There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also. Irena Wilhelm Adkins
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there. Angelina Bradly Elman
It took me too long to realize how unhealthy I have been. Always better late than never, right? Michel Alastair Hilarius
Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am inspired! Min Oliviero Jamil
Hi excellent blog! Does running a blog like this require a great deal of work? I have no expertise in coding but I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near future. Anyhow, if you have any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share. I know this is off topic but I simply needed to ask. Appreciate it!| Addi Chevy Clauddetta