Skip to content

Diet

Healthy Eating Through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Published on February 27, 2017 by Dr. Myra Reed

Do you love that slice of cake every night after dinner? Those morning muffins? How about those cookies and seemingly harmless pieces of candy you mindlessly enjoy throughout the day? If you’re regularly drawn to sweets, try going without them for a few days and see what happens. Are you having headaches, irritability, cravings, and symptoms that could only be described as withdrawal? Do you find yourself so uncomfortable that you’re drawn right back to those sugar-laden foods? It could be you’re trapped in what is called a cycle of sugar addiction.

Why We Crave

Food craving, particularly for sweets, is more involved than not being able to resist a second slice of chocolate cake. Researchers have discovered that ‘intense sweetness’ (from sugar or artificial sweetener) creates a biochemical change in the brain that is a lot like the response to addictive substances. Sugar actually alters the dopamine network – part of the brain’s ‘pleasure response.’ Other factors that play a role in the food we crave include stress, family habits, where we eat and whom we eat with, and time of day.

Curing the Cravings

Our thoughts affect how we feel, and how we feel affects our actions and the choices we make. If you’re struggling with food choices and having a hard time managing sugar intake, consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Working with a psychotherapist trained in CBT, you’ll learn to identify and change thoughts that influence emotions. You’ll develop insight into how even the smallest choices allow a behavior to persist and what is getting in the way of changing your patterns.

In a CBT session, clients use educational exercises, talk therapy, and simulations to change behavior. Sessions usually involve intense work over several weeks to arrive at effective solutions. If you’re struggling with cravings, depression, anxiety or addition, give CBT a chance. It could make all the difference in your way of life.


December 10, 2021

Plant-Based Diet: How Do I Start?

The What, Why & How of Plant-based Nutrition, for Everyone Here’s something that might surprise you: not all plant-based diets require elimination of meat. From ...

April 14, 2019

FODMAP Diet for IBS

Digestive Distress Diet Digestive complaints are among the most common health concerns. If you’re experiencing distress, Dr. Myra Reed will evaluate the foods and substances you are eating to identify where a reaction exists. There are many ways to conduct a dietary analysis, including food diary, food allergy testing, muscle testing, and elimination diets. The ...

July 17, 2017

Fabulous Fungi? The Nutritional Benefits of Mushrooms

Throughout history mushrooms have been regarded as magical and mysterious… a delicacy, and deadly. Foragers put their lives on the line when hunting fungi for medicinal and culinary use. Even today, foraging for wild mushrooms should be done with an expert mycologist by your side! Fortunately, at most local grocery stores you will find a ...

June 21, 2017

The ADHD – Diet Connection

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): an abnormal defect of moral control in otherwise high functioning children. Two generations ago that was the definition and the belief. Today, we know better, and we know more, lots more. What is ADHD? Today, ADHD is viewed as a multifaceted condition triggered by varying behavioral, biological and environmental factors, including certain ...

June 12, 2017

Food Allergens: Testing How the Body Responds

Food allergies occur when the body has an adverse or abnormal response to a food. An allergic reaction can be immediate and life threatening, such as with peanuts. Or it can be delayed, taking three to five days to show up, causing hay fever-like symptoms, digestive distress, eczema or other skin irritation, or changes in ...

May 29, 2017

Health Benefits of Filtered Water

Most people know very little about the quality of the water they use. Even those of us who recognize the potential health risks in tap water often choose cost-effectiveness and convenience over superior quality. Searching for information about your local water quality and how to improve it can make you feel like you’re in chemistry ...

close