| p>Many people think that over-eating is behaviorally | | | | level, you feel relaxed and at peace with the world |
| conditioned ... in other words, you don't have the | | | | and yourself. When your levels are too low, you are |
| willpower to say no to food. But in many cases food | | | | no longer relaxed and have very little willpower to say |
| cravings actually have a biological, physiological basis ... | | | | no to the increased level of high GI refined |
| Yes, You CAN overcome food cravings! And take | | | | carbohydrate cravings and impulsive eating patterns. |
| back control of your life and health, and lose weight in | | | | How Do Lifestyle Choices Affect Serotonin Levels? |
| the process! | | | | There are some factors that affect serotonin levels |
| DID YOU KNOW? ... | | | | that we have no control over like hereditary factors |
| - That food cravings are not usually behaviorally | | | | and the fact that women have naturally lower levels |
| conditioned (that is, you have no willpower to say no to | | | | of serotonin than men (and interestingly, women |
| food), but that food cravings have a biological, | | | | dieters have problems with lowered serotonin levels, |
| physiological basis? | | | | but not men dieters! And of course, more women also |
| - That you can overcome food cravings? | | | | have eating disorders than men.) |
| - That having low serotonin levels triggers intense food | | | | Low serotonin levels are known to trigger food |
| cravings? | | | | cravings and obsessive behaviours regarding eating. |
| - That increasing your serotonin levels stops food | | | | What a lot of people do not know is that our poor |
| cravings, leaving you feeling calm, relaxed, happy and | | | | diets and unhealthy eating patterns, especially dieting, |
| motivated to eating a healthy nutritious diet? | | | | plays a critical role in lowering serotonin levels and |
| - That some low-fat diet food actually causes you to | | | | triggering a vicious cycle of weight gain and yo-yo |
| gain weight? | | | | dieting. |
| - That stress can trigger food cravings and cause | | | | Eating highly processed foods upsets the delicate |
| weight gain? | | | | balance of insulin and glucagon and over time, insulin |
| - That eating refined carbohydrate sweets can trigger | | | | resistance will develop. When this happens, high levels |
| food cravings and cause weight gain? | | | | of insulin and blood glucose will also interfere with the |
| - That overcoming food cravings is not about | | | | body's ability to produce serotonin. (Another good |
| willpower? | | | | reason to eliminate high GI carbohydrates from your |
| - That there are certain vitamins and supplements that | | | | diet and eat more low GI carbohydrates.) |
| can decrease or eliminate food cravings? | | | | The list of things that cause a low serotonin level is |
| Are you sick and tired of continuously dieting and | | | | rather long including (but not limited to)... |
| fighting food cravings, and losing the battle? | | | | - Low blood sugar levels caused by insulin resistance, |
| Let's take a look at one factor that most people know | | | | diabetes and sugar intolerance |
| nothing about, yet which has devastating | | | | - High blood sugar and insulin levels |
| consequences when you have an imbalance ... | | | | - Eating too much high GI carbohydrates |
| serotonin. | | | | - Chronic stress triggering adrenal exhaustion |
| What is serotonin? | | | | - Alcoholism and drug addiction |
| Serotonin is called a neurotransmitter or messenger of | | | | - Hormone imbalances like Estrogen and Progesterone |
| the brain. Serotonin is the "feel good" neurotransmitter | | | | - Impaired Thyroid Function |
| of the brain. Serotonin is responsible for us feeling | | | | - Impaired Liver Function |
| happy, relaxed, calm, motivated, and at peace with our | | | | - Yeast or Candida infections |
| lives and our role in the world. | | | | - Leaky gut syndrome and food intolerances |
| Low serotonin levels cause intense refined | | | | - Eating refined carbohydrates |
| carbohydrate cravings that are very difficult to ignore. | | | | - Eating a diet high in trans-fats and junk food causing |
| In particular, these food cravings trigger impulse eating | | | | Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency |
| that is difficult to control with willpower alone. | | | | - Eating large meals |
| Exercising willpower and determination becomes | | | | - Dieting, eating disorders, restricting calories, skipping |
| difficult because your emotions make you feel "What's | | | | meals and going too long without eating. |
| the use, even if I lose weight I'll only gain it back | | | | - Inadequate intake of protein and healthy essential |
| anyway. I'll always be fat." You give up because you | | | | fatty acids caused by low fat diets |
| feel you are fighting a losing battle. Basically, low | | | | All these trigger a lowering of our serotonin level, which |
| serotonin levels attack your ability to "just say no". It is | | | | in turn triggers depression. And of course, the more |
| quite common for obesity to trigger low levels of | | | | depressed we feel, the harder it is to stay motivated |
| serotonin, which in turn triggers a vicious cycle of food | | | | to eat in a healthy nutritious way. As a matter of fact, |
| cravings and weight gain. | | | | more often then not, people will use food as a |
| For a short time after eating high GI refined | | | | "comfort" to make them feel better in the hopes of |
| carbohydrate sweets, you increase serotonin levels, | | | | alleviating their depression in some small way. Usually |
| your mood elevates, you feel good and your | | | | the depression and low serotonin levels will trigger |
| self-esteem and confidence increases. When your | | | | carbohydrate cravings in the hope that eating more |
| serotonin levels are low and you feel depressed it is | | | | carbohydrates will raise the serotonin levels. |
| very easy to be lured and tempted into chasing this | | | | Unfortunately, this usually backfires because highly |
| "feel good" mood and your ability to "just say no" gives | | | | processed carbohydrate junk food will actually |
| way to finding excuses to justify giving in to the | | | | depress your serotonin level in the long run. |
| cravings. | | | | So, now the good news! Yes, there is an easy way to |
| But as time goes on, it takes more and more sugar, or | | | | increase Serotonin Levels and stop food cravings... |
| refined carbohydrates to get the same "feel good" | | | | There are many different ways to increase Serotonin |
| result. This is when eating becomes compulsive, | | | | Levels, but the most effective seem to be with a |
| always chasing that next high. | | | | healthy, nutritious diet, exercise, meditation and |
| That is why eating highly processed, high GI | | | | supplementation. |
| carbohydrates triggers food cravings and food | | | | So as you can see, losing weight is a lot more |
| obsessions in the long run. It is much better to eat a | | | | complicated than just restricting calories. And eliminating |
| constant supply of low GI carbohydrates and protein | | | | food cravings is a major component of a successful |
| at each meal and snack in order to keep your | | | | weight loss regime. So why not learn how to stop |
| serotonin level elevated naturally. | | | | food cravings ... and take back control of your life! |
| When your serotonin level in the brain is at an ideal | | | | |