Quick post!

So, right after I posted that last update, I read an article by Mark Sisson. It was about why we crave comfort foods (re: carbs). Like I mentioned in my first post, I believe I am truly addicted to carbs. I really do not have an addictive personality but, over the last few weeks, I have been trying to evaluate why I struggle with staying on diet when I am generally such a disciplined person. I have been delving into some books related to drug and alcohol addictions and it got me thinking about my addiction to food.

Mark Sisson's article is fascinating.
Excerpt:

"Fat and carbohydrates figure in prominently with the most cited comfort foods. Carbs can temporarily boost serotonin levels, which can leave us constantly running back for another neurochemical fix. Our favorite – fat – figures into the picture as well (although more favorably). Research shows, for example, that even when sensory experience is extracted, food (in this case, fat) soothes. When a group of study subjects viewed a sad movie or listened to sad music, subjects who received an injection of saturated fat were less affected emotionally (and showed less activity in brain regions associated with negative thoughts) than those who received saline shots."

The bolded parts are amazing and scary to me. This really explains why it's so difficult for me to stay on track. During the week of the Boston bombings, I ate like absolute shit. I was just stressed and it was really hard for me to focus on eating healthy. Anyway, I will have to do some more reading about the effects of sugar on the brain. Hope this interested you as much as it did me!