How to Beat Food Addiction by Understanding the Mental Health Connection, with Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson
Dec 11, 2023
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Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, cognitive scientist specializing in mental health and weight loss, discusses beating food addiction and reversing leptin resistance. They explore the addictive nature of food, dopamine's role in cravings, and the connection between mental health and food. The podcast also touches on the physiology of addiction, the debate whether it's a disease or adaptation, and promoting Dr. Thompson's new book and fitness app.
Brightline Eating offers a structured approach to address food addiction and create healthy eating habits through establishing clear boundaries and planning meals in advance.
Food addiction involves both substance and behavioral addiction, triggered by processed foods rich in sugar and flour, and can be addressed by eliminating addictive foods and addressing leptin resistance.
Adopting Brightline Eating may lead to temporary withdrawal symptoms and behavioral challenges, but the program provides support and strategies to navigate these challenges and resume effectively.
Deep dives
Brightline Eating: Overview and Program Structure
Brightline Eating is an online program that offers a structured approach to address food addiction and create healthy eating habits. The program helps individuals establish clear boundaries, known as Brightlines, to eliminate addictive substances like sugar and flour from their diet. It focuses on creating automaticity and removing decision-making around food by planning meals in advance. The program also emphasizes the importance of social support, self-compassion, and quick recovery in case of relapse.
Understanding Food Addiction and the Brain
Food addiction involves both substance and behavioral addiction. The consumption of processed foods rich in sugar and flour triggers dopamine release and leads to overpowering cravings. The program addresses this by creating a Brightline to eliminate addictive foods. Additionally, insatiable hunger caused by leptin resistance results in the continuous desire to eat, even when physically full. Brightline Eating helps individuals regain control over their eating habits by addressing both the chemical and behavioral aspects of food addiction.
Dealing with Withdrawal and Overcoming Challenges
While adopting Brightline Eating, individuals may experience withdrawal symptoms and behavioral challenges, such as increased cravings and fluctuating energy levels. These symptoms are temporary and fade over time. The program provides support and strategies to navigate these challenges, including a detox period, resilience-building techniques, and clear meal planning to reduce decision fatigue. In case of slip-ups, there are structured methods to resume the program effectively by seeking social support, practicing self-compassion, and learning from relapses.
Leptin resistance and the obesity pandemic
Leptin, a hormone released by fat cells, plays a crucial role in regulating appetite and metabolism. However, leptin resistance, caused by high baseline insulin levels, high triglycerides, and high inflammation, can disrupt the brain's ability to see and respond to leptin signals properly. This can lead to a constant sense of hunger, even when the body has consumed sufficient food, contributing to the obesity pandemic.
The willpower gap and its impact on food choices
The anterior singular cortex, responsible for regulating willpower and resistance to temptation, can become depleted and less effective after just 15 minutes of use. When the willpower gap occurs, individuals may struggle to resist the urge to eat unhealthy foods, particularly when faced with stress or fatigue. This can lead to feelings of shame and self-blame, despite underlying physiological factors driving the cravings.
Today’s guest is Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, a New York Times bestselling author and cognitive scientist specializing in the connection between mental health and weight loss. In this episode, Dr. Thompson outlines how to beat food addiction - the only addiction that is both a substance AND behavioral addiction - overcome psychological eating, and reverse leptin resistance for lasting weight loss.
Guest Links:
Her new book, ON THIS BRIGHT DAY: A Year of Reflections for Lasting Food Freedom
