How to Stop Binge Eating
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Have you ever felt out of control when you are eating? Do you sometimes wonder if you are addicted to sugar or carbs? Do you spend a lot of time thinking or obsessing about food? Do you ever feel distressed after eating too much, only to repeat the overeating patterns again and again?
If you answered yes to these questions, then you may have something called binge eating disorder, also known as BED. And if you answered yes to these questions, then you are likely suffering from feelings of guilt, shame and feel like you are holding onto an embarrassing secret that you can’t share with friends or family.
The good news is…binge eating disorder IS curable. And you aren’t alone. The other good news is, it’s not your lack of will power that is to blame. It’s a case of biochemistry.
Food Addiction:
The foods we eat today are very different from the foods our grandparents and great grandparents ate. Americans eat many processed foods that are not only full of sugar and refined carbohydrates, but the food industry has also added flavor enhancers and additives to our foods that makes food not only taste amazing, but makes food addictive and inhibits our ability to feel full.
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavor enhancer that is in many of our foods and not necessarily labeled as monosodium glutamate. Check out this MSG Reference Guide to see all the ways that monosodium glutamate sneaks into our foods:
So…what makes MSG so bad?? MSG is a toxic substance at even the lowest doses that tricks the brain into thinking that food tastes better than it really does. MSG also increases fat stores, induces liver damage (non-alcoholic fatty liver), and makes us resistant to insulin and leptin, the hormones that regulate our blood glucose levels and suppress our appetite (makes you feel full). If you like the science behind it, read this study here.
Just for kicks, I thought it might be interesting to look at a few products on the market, targeted at those wanting to lose weight (the most vulnerable to insulin and leptin resistance). Try to find how many ingredients from the MSG reference list are included here:
First up…Herbal Life Shake (I counted 5 sources):
Herbalife Nutrition: soy protein isolate, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, xantham gum, and sucralose
Next up…Optifast Shake (I counted 5. Granted one of those was corn syrup and not a MSG source, but there is also plenty of scientific evidence showing corn syrup’s detrimental effect on insulin and leptin as well):
Optifast VLDL Shake: calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, corn syrup, aspartame and acesulfame potassium
And last up…Weight Watchers. I counted 5 here again, including the corn syrups. GoodNESS!
Weight Watchers Snacksmore MiniBars: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soy protein isolate, high maltose corn syrup, carageenan
This is a tad bit disconcerting, I must say! But before I get all unraveled over this, let’s move on.
Sugar
Sugar, also known as sucrose, is fairly well known as being addictive, especially for those more predisposed to food addiction. And why wouldn’t it be? It tastes so GOOOOOD, it lights up the pleasure centers of our brains, and it often is mixed with fat to make those baked goods taste even more yummy. But it’s not just sucrose that’s a problem. It is also other forms of concentrated sugars or foods that convert quickly into sugar after digestion. This includes those lovely syrups we see (and mentioned above briefly), like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, glucose syrup, fructose syrup, I could go on. These will all raise our blood sugars rapidly and cause us to crash as well. Then we need another fix to bring it back up. It’s the roller coaster of sugar cravings, consumption and withdrawal. Even in studies looking at brain scans after consuming high doses of sugar vs those using heroin, the pleasure centers of the brain (frontal lobe) lit up just the same. Even in lab studies, rats that were addicted to cocaine (I know, it is cruel, but focus on what it reveals) chose sugar over cocaine 94% of the time. Sugar addiction is NO JOKE!!
Gluten & Dairy
I find the addiction to gluten (found in breads, baked goods, pasta, pizza, etc.) and dairy (milk and milk products including cheese and ice cream) to be the most fascinating. The science behind it is incredible and makes sense. When the proteins in gluten and dairy break down into smaller particles in the gut (they need to be small enough to be digested and absorbed), they form peptides. Gluten creates a peptide called gluteomorphin and dairy forms a peptide called casomorphin. Look closely at these words, specifically the last part of them. What do you see? -morphin. Just like morphine. These peptides have opioid like properties and attach to the opioid receptors in our brains, just like heroin and morphine would. They act like drugs. And that may explain why we keep going back for more. Especially if we have a genetic predisposition to addiction.
Okay, moving on from the Addiction is REAL aspect (I hope everyone is grasping this by now), let’s look at a few other underlying biochemical causes of binge eating:
Dieting/Restrictive Eating:
I have seen this time and time again, so I want to touch on it briefly. If you are undernourished…you will eventually binge. If you are underfed, you will binge. If you go too long without eating during the day (think too busy to eat during the day and finally come home to dinner and BAM) you will binge. That is it. It is plain and simple. Unless there is something else going on biologically in your body, you were created to SURVIVE. And survival means, you must EAT. And it means you must eat ENOUGH to sustain the metabolic functions that keep you alive. You can only “white knuckle” a diet or restricted eating for so long before you break down and raid the refrigerator or the pantry. And I hate to break it to you, but you will go for the highest calorie foods and eat until you are so full you feel ill. Why is this? Because your brain controls your body and your brain is screaming…LIVE! And to live means to choose the foods that will give you the most calories in the shortest period of time. That is usually the sweets or sweets combined with fats. I still have yet to hear anyone tell me they binge on non-starchy vegetables.
So, before you beat yourself up for binge eating every afternoon or night…start with this one thing:
Make sure you are nourished during the day. Are you eating breakfast? Or at least eating within a few hours of waking up? Are you eating every 4-5 hours during the day and including healthy proteins, carbohydrates and fats at each meal and snack? If you aren’t doing these things, then start doing them and this may be the ticket to stop the binge eating. You will find you are more stable, energetic and satisfied during the day and not starving in the evening (I’m not going to go into intermittent fasting or keto diets right now, that’s for another time). You cannot fight the biology of the body with sheer will power. Your body will win. You were created to survive.
Neurotransmitters
You may have heard of serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and adrenaline to name a few. These are all neurotransmitters that everyone has. These neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body and they help regulate mood, energy, sleep, and they also can affect hormones, appetite, as well as metabolic function. Check out the image below that helps to see what some of the neurotransmitters are responsible for:
When things are going smoothly and neurotransmitters are balanced, we have the right amount of energy, our mood is up, we can focus and think clearly, sleep well, reproduce, run from tigers, you name it. Everything works as it should. However, this is rarely the case these days. And especially in those with binge eating disorder. But there are ways to work on increasing and/or rebalancing neurotransmitters.
Serotonin
The neurotransmitter, serotonin, contributes to feelings of happiness and well-being. It also helps us to get a good night’s sleep and helps with digestion. Sometimes, when serotonin is low, a prescription medication is prescribed. And this is a great option for some. We may also want to look at natural ways to increase serotonin when possible.
One way to increase serotonin is to increase tryptophan in the diet. Tryptophan is an amino acid and a precursor to serotonin (meaning it helps to make serotonin). Tryptophan is found in chicken, eggs, fish, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and turkey. If you aren’t eating a lot of these foods, then an amino acid supplement which includes l-tryptophan is likely in order (and may be anyways). Tryptophan will increase serotonin in the brain. When tryptophan is low, mood goes down and depression can set in.
Another way to increase serotonin is with 5-Hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP. 5-HTP is an amino acid that your body naturally produces and, similarly to tryptophan, is another precursor to serotonin. 5-HTP is extracted from the seeds of a plant and readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and freely converts to serotonin. 5-HTP is often used as a natural anti-depressant. Keep in mind if you are already on any serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression, you want to have your prescribing doctor monitor your supplementation with 5-HTP. And if you are not on an anti-depressant, but are struggling with depression or depressed mood, you could definitely try 5-HTP. Safe doses are from 50mg to 200mg. Always start low and go slow.
On a side note, in order for these conversions from proteins to neurotransmitters to take place, vitamins and minerals are required during production. The main vitamins and minerals used in serotonin synthesis are vitamin D, folate, vitamin B6, zinc and magnesium. So if you are deficient in any of these, REPLETE! (I love using that word).
Digestion
Neurotransmitters are made from the breakdown of proteins into amino acids. If you aren’t a vegetarian (or if you are one and are making sure to get a variety of plant-based proteins) then why would neurotransmitters be low in the body? Well, if you are nutrient deprived, it could account for the deficiencies. But there are other reasons as well. Poor digestion can inhibit the ability to break down proteins into amino acids and ultimately neurotransmitters. How do we improve digestion:
Antacids Overuse & Abuse
Antacids do exactly that…work against stomach acid production. It is a bandaid approach and can cause bigger problems in the long run. If you have problems with reflux or acid indigestion, it is likely diet or lifestyle related (and you can talk to me about that later). So work towards getting off of antacids, whether prescription or over the counter. When you do not have enough stomach acid, you cannot digest food properly, nor break it down into the peptides that create neurotransmitters. As we get older, we also produce less stomach acid naturally. Sometimes, you may need to add a natural hydrochloric acid, such as betaine HCL & pepsin to break down foods properly. Enough said on this front. Moving along…
Stress
Okay, I get it. Easier said than done. But, keep in mind…chronic stress (whether it is physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual) will compromise your digestion. This is because when you are stressed, digestion goes to the bottom of the priority list. Your body senses all stress as a physical threat and blood flow goes to the parts of the body that need it most…your muscles, hearts and lungs so that you can run for your life! Which…you probably aren’t doing. More than likely you are sitting at your computer stressing about how you are going to deal with your kids going to school virtually while you try to work. Aggh. But in all seriousness, if stress is affecting you, address it. And soon.
Digestive Enzymes
As we get older, we stop producing digestive enzymes like we did as kids, teenagers and young adults. That’s why stomach problems, if we have them, tend to get worse as we age. Also, if someone has had their gall bladder removed, this can also affect their ability to digest or break down fat. Lastly, digestive enzymes help break down gluten and dairy, which are difficult for most people to digest. Sometimes, a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme, which includes betaine HCL & pepsin can be added and can help improve digestion tremendously.
Medications
Sometimes prescription medications are warranted. There are medications out there that can be useful with binge eating disorder. Talk to your doctor if you are interested in learning about options. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to end binge eating disorder and find peace with food.
HERE IS The Plan:
Stop dieting. Start eating regular meals. DO NOT SKIP meals or go too long between meals.
Avoid sugar. Or at least limit sugar in your diet (and sugar derivatives).
Avoid MSG. Read labels and avoid/limit foods that contain MSG.
Avoid gluten & dairy. At least avoid them if you feel that you are out of control with them.
Get your macronutrients. Make sure you are getting plenty of healthy protein, carbohydrates and fats during the day.
Consider an amino acid supplement. If you are vegan, vegetarian or not getting a variety of protein in your diet, consider an amino acid supplement.
Consider supplementing with 5-HTP. If you struggle with depression, depressed mood or difficulty sleeping, consider 5-HTP (if you are taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, talk to your prescribing doctor before adding a supplement with 5-HTP).
Stop taking antacids. If you are taking prescription or OTC antacids, work on changing your diet to reduce indigestion or reflux. Bridge off of antacids with aloe vera juice (I like George’s 100% distilled aloe vera juice). If you are older, or have a history of digestive issues, you may want to consider taking a hydrochloric acid supplement such as betaine HCL with pepsin.
Manage your stress. If stress and anxiety is taking over, get into therapy, do breathing exercises, get regular physical activity, pray, meditate, get rid of toxic people in your life, create boundaries, whatever it is you need to do…do it!
Consider digestive enzymes. If you have any digestive issues, or if you have had gall bladder surgery or any bariatric surgeries, consider taking a broad spectrum digestive enzyme supplement. You can get a digestive enzyme supplement that also contains betaine HCL.
Consider lab testing. You may want to discuss with your doctor lab tests to rule out any nutrient deficiencies including Vitamins D, B12 and B6 as well as an iron and lipid panel to ensure there are no deficiencies that may be causing mood, energy, sleep disturbances or that may be contributing to binge eating behaviors.
The Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Protocol, which includes the three supplements listed above, is available here.
