A running collection of our favorite resources.
How Sugar Affects the Brain
When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine-an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more.
Grain Brain
Renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, blows the lid off a topic that’s been buried in medical literature for far too long: carbs are destroying your brain. And not just unhealthy carbs, but even healthy ones like whole grains can cause dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, and much more.
Beating the Odds against SUGAR, PROCESSED FOOD, OBESITY, and DISEASE
Robert Lustig’s 90-minute YouTube video “Sugar: The Bitter Truth”, has been viewed more than three million times. In this book he documents the science and the politics that has led to the pandemic of chronic disease over the last 30 years.
Addicted to … Food?
A study of 12 men found that glycemic load—distinct from calories or sweetness—can alter brain function and promote overeating “These findings suggest that limiting high-glycemic index carbohydrates like white bread and potatoes could help obese individuals reduce cravings and control the urge to overeat,” says Ludwig.
Is the Obesity Crisis Hiding a Bigger Problem?
Both a surgeon and a self-experimenter, Peter Attia hopes to ease the diabetes epidemic by challenging what we think we know and improving the scientific rigor in nutrition and obesity research.
Rats Binge on Sugary Drinks
Tests show that rats will binge on sugary drinks. When the drinks were removed, they got anxious and went through withdrawal.They behaved like addicts because the sugar had hooked them like a drug. A group of concerned parents in Howard County urge you not to do this to your kids,...
Food and Addiction Conference on Eating and Dependence
World experts in the fields of addiction, nutrition, obesity and policy assessed the current science of food addiction. The participants examined the connection of food to chemical, physiological, and psychological dependence. It represented the first time that leading researchers, clinicians and policymakers gathered to discuss food addiction.
“Binge Eaters’ Dopamine Levels Spike at Sight, Smell of Food”
A brain imaging study reveals a subtle difference between ordinary obese subjects and those who compulsively overeat, or binge: In binge eaters but not ordinary obese subjects, the mere sight or smell of favorite foods triggers a spike in dopamine a brain chemical linked to reward and motivation.
“New Food-Addiction Link Found”
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that the mere display of food where food-deprived subjects are allowed to smell and taste their favorite foods, without actually eating them, causes a significant elevation in brain dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward.
“Mastering Leptin”
Byron J. Richards, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist, is the first to explain the meaning of over 15,000 studies on the hormone leptin and its link to solving obesity. With 25 years’ experience, Richards is a pioneer in clinical nutrition and has an extensive understanding of nutritional bio-chemistry.
“The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program”
Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., is also the best-selling author of “Potatoes Not Prozac,” “Your Last Diet,” “Little Sugar Addicts” and “Your Body Speaks.” She is a cultural visionary, understanding the essence of addiction in a compassionate and revolutionary way.
“Wheat Belly”
Cardiologist William Davis exposes the truth about modern-day wheat, deconstructing its historical role in the human diet. Wheat has been genetically altered to provide processed-food manufacturers the greatest yield at the lowest cost. Wheat causes blood sugar to spike more rapidly than eating pure table sugar and has addictive properties.
“Fast Food Nation”
In 2001, “Fast Food Nation” was published to critical acclaim and became an international bestseller. Eric Schlosser’s expose revealed how the fast food industry has altered the landscape of America, widened the gap between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and transformed food production throughout the world.
“The Diet Cure”
Julia Ross is a psychotherapist and director of Recovery Systems, a clinic in California that treats mood, eating and addiction problems with nutrient therapy and biochemical rebalancing. She has developed an eight-step program to rebalance body chemistry and end food cravings, weight gain and mood swings–naturally.
“Food Politics”
“In her widely acclaimed book, Nestle explains why the wealthiest nation in the world is eating itself to death. Based on meticulous research, Nestle’s book exposes how the naked self-interest of the American corporate food industry compromises nutrition policy, as well as our government’s regulation of food safety.” San Francisco...
“How to Rewire Your Brain to End Food Cravings”
In this article, Dr. Hyman shares three steps to help you counteract those primitive parts of your brain that have you chasing high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods. But before you can update your brain’s biological software, you need to understand why it developed in the first place.
“The Anatomy of a Food Addiction”
Anne Katherine, M.A., was ahead of her time when she wrote this book almost 20 years ago. She explains the chemical reactions in the brain that work in conjunction with lifelong emotional conflicts to make certain foods–particularly sugar and refined carbohydrates–so comforting that they are almost like a drug.
“Molecules of Emotion”
By explaining the biomolecular basis for our emotions and describing these new scientific developments in a clear and accessible way, Candice Pert, PhD, empowers us to understand ourselves, our feelings and the connection between our minds and bodies–”bodyminds”–in ways we could never possibly have imagined before.
“Food Addiction: The Body Knows”
Kay Sheppard, M.A., is a pioneer in food addiction treatment. She has defined food addiction, identified trigger foods, and spoken widely about the consequences of food addiction. A recovering food addict herself, she is an internationally known consultant, trainer and therapist who has designed effective primary and relapse-prevention programs.
“Food Addiction: Could it Explain Why 70 Percent of America is Fat?”
Dr. Hyman explains food addiction: The “just say no” approach to drug addiction hasn’t fared very well. It won’t work for our industrial food addiction either. Tell a cocaine or heroin addict or an alcoholic to “just say no” after that first snort, shot or drink. It’s not that simple.
The 2009 Obesity and Food Addiction Summit
This 2009 summit showcased the latest scientific evidence for food addiction and featured scientists, researchers, healthcare clinicians and public policy professionals. Their combined research, experience and knowledge provided greater awareness around refined food addiction and its impact on our obesity epidemic. Their presentations can be viewed on this website.
“QUIZ: Are You Addicted to Food?”
Studies now suggest that food and drug addictions have much in common, particularly in the way that both disrupt the parts of the brain involved in pleasure and self-control. Researchers at Yale have devised a Food Addiction Scale to determine whether a person shows signs of addictive behavior toward food.
23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
In this visual lecture, Dr. Mike Evans creatively presents the importance of exercise in improving health. He quotes Hippocrates (460 BC-377 BC), the Greek physician who is often referred to as the father of medicine.”Walking is man’s best medicine.”
Stress Eating
Stress is part of our everyday lives. Dr. Elissa Epel, psychologist, describes the relationship between events of stress and how we choose to eat. These reactions have a physiological basis, but there are strategies for becoming more resilient and acquiring useful skills to control behavior.
Joan Ifland: Food Addiction
Joan Ifland, PhD, MBA, is the founder of Victory Meals, the first prepared meal service to address food addiction. She is the author of the popular book “Sugars and Flours: How They Make Us Crazy, Sick and Fat,” and the first academically published description of food addiction.
What to Teach Every Child About Food
Chef Jamie Oliver believes we need a food revolution that will create change on both the individual and government levels. He makes a case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food and is transforming the way we feed ourselves and our children through education.
Banning Sugar at School
To prevent childhood obesity, Dr. Sanders-Butler, the principal of Browns Hill elementary school, banned sugar. Removing sugar from the school resulted in the added benefits of higher test scores and fewer disciplinary problems. Dr. Sanders-Butler is a pioneer who has created a proven solution for other schools to follow.
A Personal Story of Food Addiction
Michael Prager, the author of “Fat Boy Thin Man”, tells his story of food addiction on the national news. Science reveals new insights into food craving and the brain.
60 Minutes: “Hooked”
Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, uses MRI scans of addicts’ brains to show how difficult it is to “just say no” to drugs and other addictive behaviors, including eating. The release of dopamine in the brain can fuel food addiction and obesity.
Are You Addicted to Food?
Morley Safer interviews Dr. Nora Volkow, a pioneer in the study of obesity as an addiction. She has found similarities between drug addicts and the obese and has made recommendations to the American Psychiatric Association to consider classifying obesity as a brain disorder that causes food addiction.
FED UP Movie Trailer
Everything we’ve been told about food and exercise for the past 30 years is dead wrong. FED UP is the film the food industry doesn’t want you to see. From Katie Couric, producer Laurie David, and director Stephanie Soechtig, FED UP will change the way you eat forever.
How to Cut Your Food Addiction
Dr. Mark Hyman is a leading expert in functional medicine and recognizes that food stimulates the same reward centers of the brain as drugs of abuse. He discusses ways to overcome food addiction by using food as medicine. Food addiction is not about willpower; it’s about changing your biology.
Inside a Food Addict’s Brain
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain scans show addictive reactions when a patient is given a chocolate milkshake. Based on the scientific evidence, addiction to food is now being recognized as a “real addiction” that can be more complex to kick than alcohol or drugs.
60 Minutes: “Is Sugar Toxic?”
Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on new research from some of America’s most respected institutions that find the way sugar is being consumed by Americans today is toxic. Beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, ranging from heart disease to cancer.
