Cure Your Food Addictions

Experts share how to rehab your health from four common triggers


Just because you keep your nose clean doesn't mean you aren't using. Chances are that each and every day—and maybe even right now—your brain's dopamine and opioid systems are hijacked and want a fix. The drug of choice for most of us: food.

The first step to recovery is admitting your have a problem and identifying the foods that set your eating into overdrive. So look for the saboteurs that play games with your taste buds, and then follow our prescriptions for addiction-free eating.


The world's most commonly used and abused psychoactive drug, caffeine gets into your brain, blocks the receptors that let you know you're tired, and at the same time creates more of those I'm-so-sleepy signals in an attempt to level you out. This jumpstarts a vicious cycle that leads to increased caffeine dependence—and rough withdrawal when you miss even a single hit. In fact, in 2013, caffeine withdrawal was added to the official disorder list of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Your Rx: Unless you have a padded room handy, don't go cold turkey. Simply cut down on a dose each day—whether it be a cup of coffee or shot of 5-Hour Energy—says food addiction expert Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., and author of The Hunger Fix. And focus on nixing your afternoon cups of caffeine first. The move will improve your sleep, which will in turn help you feel more energized—so you won't need the caffeine to begin with.


Whether you're hooked on cookies, pasta, or prefer to face-plant in your sugar bowl, your addiction comes down to the carb-dopamine connection. The mood-boosting neurotransmitter comes from an amino acid called tryptophan—no, it's not just in turkey—that is only able to enter the brain after the digestion of carbohydrates, according to research from Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., former MIT research scientist and coauthor of The Serotonin Power Diet.

Problem is, when you reach for refined carbs—as do most carb- and sugar- addicts—your serotonin spike is followed by a surge of insulin and a sugar crash, triggering your brain to make a go for round two.

Your Rx: Swap refined carbs with whole grains and natural sweeteners. Fiber steadies your body's absorption of sugar, resulting in a longer-lasting mood boost that won't take your belt up a notch. Meanwhile, natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup—even though they are high in sugar—contain the naturally occurring kind that your body is made to handle, suggests neuroscientist and food addiction expert Nicole M. Avena, Ph.D., author of Why Diets Fail.

For a serotonin spike that will last all afternoon, eat about 30 grams of both fast- and slow-digesting carbs—like an apple with oatmeal—sans fat or protein, as both can block the production of serotonin.


Unless you've been living under a rock or vending machine, you know soda is horrible for you to regularly gulp. So why do some keep sipping? Addiction. And that goes for diet versions, too. Case in point: When French researchers made rats addicted to cocaine and then gave them a choice between a cocaine fix or a hit of saccharine—a common diet drink sweetener—most went for the latter.

Your Rx: If you opt for caffeinated sodas, the first step is to skip to caffeine-free. Whether it's diet or regular, you are going to need to hone in on the flavor and slowly start subbing the sweet stuff out with a similar-tasting alternative like tea or flavored water, says Peeke.

And remember that sports drinks are not suitable alternatives. "Please leave these for the 30-mile bike ride, a long run, or at least one hour of very intense exercise," Peeke says. "Otherwise, you're just getting more refined sugar and some electrolytes." Not to mention a whole new addiction.


We're certainly fine with you munching on the occasional greasy burger or bowl of smooth ice cream as long as it's a cheat-day choice. But if it's an everyday habit—watch out. Research from the University of Montreal shows that constantly chowing down on rich foods that are high in saturated and trans fat—like fried and cream-laden foods—spark chemical reactions in the brain similarly to illicit drugs, leading to post-high "come-downs" that leave fat-lovers going back for more—and scoring progressively worse moods. (And worse bodies in the long run.)

Your Rx: Determine what kind of fatty foods—creamy, salty, crunchy—you gravitate toward and stock your desk drawer with similar—albeit healthy—fats, says Avena. Think: almond butter, olive oil-sprinkled kale chips, or vegetables and hummus instead of that "small" bag of potato chips stashed in your office.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
More From Nutrition