One good look at US society and one will see that there is an epidemic of obesity in the United Sates as a whole. The reason for this is easy to see: people spending too much time sitting in front of their computers, eating out at fast food restaurants, children and adults gobbling up huge amounts of soft drinks and a number of other reasons involving eating unhealthy foods in large amounts. But the real reason why many people in the US are having weight issues is that they are struggling with their subconscious and losing.
It’s hard not to eat unhealthy foods since these are the ones that taste the most delicious. Trying to eat a bowl of ice cream is hugely enjoyable than eating a plate of raw spinach, although one can argue that there are societies in other parts of the world (although rare) where eating spinach is like consuming your most favorite slice of pizza.
The United States population is blessed to have access to practically any type of food in the world. We desire to have meals that are pleasurable to us and the benefits these meals bring may be secondary in our minds when we chose what food to eat. Oftentimes we get home at night feeling hungry but the type of hunger most overweight people experience is one that seemingly dictates their entire life.
We may not have any issues in figuring out how to get fed, the real problem is determining what to get fed – this usually means selecting foods that we like to eat. Food is so interrelated to our mood and emotion and so it is almost inseparable to them. Food helps invigorate our mood and emotion that it helps release pleasurable chemicals in our body called endorphins making us calm and pleasant.
Our spirit is affected by food and it may be so strong at times it becomes an addiction. But in this type of addiction there is no going cold turkey since going cold turkey with food involves ending eating which is ridiculous – doing so will not bode well to our survival.
A food addict would have a hard time controlling his/her addiction than a drug addict would. Visual stimuli would abound in TV, magazines and most especially outside the home. Whether one likes it or not, whenever the TV set is on, one will hear and see restaurant ads showcasing mouth-watering delicacies or see delectable concoctions fabricated by chefs and their guests on cooking channels. These are factors you have to deal with while trying to change your eating habits to lose weight. Eating foods that you like is essentially and foremost a way to make you happy. Everyone can survive on grains, vegetables and few amounts of protein. A food addict wants food because it makes him/her happy and “happy foods” are more often than not essentially filled with sugar and fat.
The Role of Acupuncture in Weight Loss
As mentioned a while ago, endorphins are the body’s own natural chemicals that make one feel so good. These chemicals are the reasons why drugs and sex are enjoyable. What acupuncture does is also to release those chemicals in our body. For some reason, fats and sugar in foods make us feel better especially if we’re depressed, anxious or feel troubled. They help release endorphins in the body to make us feel better. So if you eat because you are stressed out, your tendency is to binge. To help you control your food cravings, consider getting acupuncture where not only will you be able to control your food urges, your body will also feel so relaxed and your mind utterly clamed. Acupuncture is the best way to relieve stress and one pleasant way to shed off those unwanted pounds.
Tammi A. Jones is a licensed acupuncturist in Palm Harbor, FL, practicing acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and Western medical pathology. She is also the founder of Synoma Wellness Centre.
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