Crippled by Cravings

Why am I driven to eat junk food?

By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness

Q: I normally eat healthy foods but sometimes I’m hit by cravings. I end up succumbing to the candy and fattening foods that I know I shouldn’t have. Why is this and what can I do about it?

A: We’re driven to eat by more than just hunger pangs. And for many people, it’s hard to resist the lure of fast food, sweets and snacks.

Some people attribute cravings for certain foods such as meat, for example, to the body’s instinctual need for certain nutrients, like protein, that it is lacking. This has not been proven, and it seems unlikely that urges for what people most commonly crave—foods like potato chips, french fries, sodas and candy—are signs that the body is low in saturated fat, salt, sugar and artificial flavorings and preservatives!

The psychological stimulus to eat can be powerful enough to override your pure physical needs. If you’re with a group of friends having dinner, for example, it’s easy to eat more than you might alone because of the social aspects of sharing a meal. And who, when they are already full, hasn’t made room for “a little more” when a tantalizing dessert arrives.

Although food has not been proven to be addictive in the same way as cigarettes, there do seem to be strong impulses to desire certain processed foods. Can you imagine craving a red bell pepper in the same way that you might yearn for a Coke, a donut or ice cream?

Sweets and fats may be especially tempting because humans have innate preferences for them (and some people may have stronger genetic predispositions than others.) An attraction to these highly palatable foods makes sense in terms of survival because these foods tend to have more energy (calories.) Of course, in an environment where food is abundant, this tendency can lead to overeating. Some people worry that snack food manufacturers capitalize on this weakness and purposefully develop foods to be addictive by researching and concocting products with specific ratios of fat, salt and sugar that are hard to resist. (Millions of dollars spent on advertising also trigger your lust for these foods.)

There is also evidence that some people perceive certain foods to be a reward, which may increase a craving for those foods. Brain scans have shown that some obese people experience greater activity in specific areas of the brain that are related to reward and addiction.

Whether this is purely biologically driven or something learned is unclear.

But a fondness for foods can develop from events associated with them. A child whose family had pleasurable Sunday morning breakfasts with pancakes and donuts may grow up and associate these items with the warm, feel-good sensations they may arouse. Someone who is an emotional eater and seeks food for comfort when upset may be evoking a similar response.

Women often report an increase in pre-menstrual cravings. During the week or so before your period, estrogen levels drop and the body uses a few hundred extra calories, which may result in more snacking. Women who experience the PMS-related blues may also be drawn to high-carb treats that boost brain serotonin levels that can improve mood.

Of course, a highly likely explanation for cravings is that you simply need more energy. If you’re not fueling your body in regular intervals, you may be driven by a need to eat more calories (and the most easily available and easily digestible items are going to be especially tempting). To keep these spontaneous calorie infusions in check, avoid skipping breakfast, and eat something every three or four hours. Snacking on nuts is a good way to stave off cravings since they are not only nutritious, but also very filling.

When you do experience cravings, rather than fight them and deny yourself (a psychological scenario that can make you want the food even more), go for a healthy snack first, as a filler, and then, if you still feel the need, eat some of the craved food.

Eating more foods high in protein such as animal foods, dairy, nuts, grains and beans, as well as fewer processed carbs and more high-fiber foods such as veggies, fruit, nuts and beans may help keep you better satiated so that you’re less prone to carnal indulgences.

And don’t worry. Even if you do eat more than you’d like on occasion, as long as you are physically active and eating nutritious meals most of the time, you shouldn’t gain weight, since fluctuations in energy intake over the course of the month will all balance out.

Music as medicine

QUALITIES OF LIFE: HEALTH

Therapy is clinically valid for the living and the dying

By Nancy Maes | Special to the Tribune

March 9, 2008

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When we’re stressed and our minds are racing, our attention becomes scattered, maybe causing us to toss and turn at night. The electric circuitry of our brains mirrors the anxiety with jumpy, jittery beta waves. But when we feel relaxed, the pattern calms down, and alpha waves take over. Now science has learned how to manipulate the process through music.

After Russian researchers discovered that music can prompt the brain to produce those beneficial alpha waves, Dr. Galina Mindlin, a neuro-psychiatrist who teaches at Columbia University in New York City, introduced music therapy for the brain to the United States.

About a year ago, osteopathic Dr. David Moore started using the treatment for patients in his Chicago practice who were suffering from insomnia and anxiety. He takes an electroencephalogram of the wave patterns of their sensory motor strip and frontal lobe while they are relaxed. The test results then are used to create therapeutic music, but not just any generic soundtrack.

“Each person has their own unique EEG pattern that is as individual as their fingerprints, so the Russian scientists created an algorithm to create music for each individual,” Moore explained.

Patients receive a recording of their one-of-a-kind composition, which is similar to classical piano music, and use headphones to listen to it. One musical message calms the brain so it’s easy for patients to concentrate; another melody slows the brain down even more so they can drift off to sleep.

“Ancient peoples knew about the healing power of music, but we’ve lost our intuitive sense, and we’re searching to reconnnect with it,” Moore said. He has followed up with about 60 of the 110 patients he has treated with “brain music therapy,” as it’s called, and 85 percent of them reported that they have improved.

The Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter, based in Glenview, offers a different kind of music therapy for terminally ill patients. Therapist Pat Harthun, who sings and plays guitar, said, “The music helps patients express their feelings in a way that is much less threatening than talk therapy, and it can also help with physical aspects such as reducing their pain, lowering their heart rate and blood pressure, and helping them to breathe more easily and relax.”

Peace in the final hours

When a patient has only a day or two left to live, a music-thanatologist (from the Greek word for death) who plays a harp and sings or hums melodies can ease the final hours.

“It’s not a concert, and we’re not playing Bach,” explained music-thanatologist Margaret Pasquesi. “We weave together musical elements in response to a patient’s moment-to-moment changes with the purpose of alleviating physical, emotional and spiritual suffering, so the music is very individualized as the patient’s respiration rate or agitation changes.”

Katherine Rose knows firsthand about the power of music therapy and music-thanatology. Last August when her husband, Jay, vice chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Illinois Masonic Hospital, was dying from cancer, the couple turned to the Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter.

Converting a skeptic

“Jay was a bit skeptical about the alternative approach, but he was open to it,” Rose recalled.

One of the CareCenter’s music therapists, Deb Dempsey, went to the Roses’ Chicago home. She asked Jay, who was 69, if there were any particular songs he wanted her to sing, and he suggested folk music from the ’60s.

“Her songs kindled memories and triggered an incredible emotional release,” Katherine recalled. “We could laugh, we could smile and we could cry.”

For Dempsey’s second visit, she learned to sing Jay’s favorite song, “My Funny Valentine,” and she played it again at the very end of her third visit when it was obvious that Jay had only days to live.

So in late September, as Jay’s life slipped away, music-thanatologist Tony Pederson played the harp for the music vigil at the Roses’ home, where friends and family gathered.

“Tony explained to Jay that he was there to help him on his final journey,” Kate said. “The role of the music was stunning. You could watch Jay calm down and his breathing change, and we knew that we were witnessing something incredible and profoundly beautiful. It was an exquisite spiritual experience.”

Research shows that caring for an animal can improve your mental and physical well-being—with a few caveats.

By Karen Springen | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Jan 11, 2008 | Updated: 12:15  p.m. ET Jan 11, 2008

by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) shows that more than 57 percent of U.S. households own one or more animals. But can having pets actually provide health benefits? Yes, say experts, as long as you’re not allergic to animals or terrified of them. “Pet ownership is good for your health both physically and psychologically,” says Connecticut psychologist Herbert Nieburg, author of “Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children” (HarperCollins).

Sure, pets provide companionship and unconditional love. But research has shown that they can also help reduce stress and blood pressure in owners, increase longevity in those who’ve had heart attacks, and even relax and improve the appetites of Alzheimer’s patients. “Any disease condition that has a stress-related component to it, we believe pets could ameliorate stress and moderate the situation,” says biologist Erika Friedmann, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “It’s providing a focus of attention that’s outside of someone’s self. They’re actually letting you focus on them rather than focusing inward on yourself all the time.”Many four-legged pets, especially dogs, can also get owners off the couch. “They’re there to greet you when you come home at the end of the day, and they’re ready for some play and attention,” says veterinarian Scott Line, associate editor of the “Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health.” “They need to exercise, so it propels people out the door.” These walks also force pet owners to socialize instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, which can help improve their mood. “It gives people a routine, a thing to do. You have to get up and take care of the dog. You can’t lie in bed all day,” says Friedmann.

Those walks can also help owners stick to a regular exercise routine and slim down. Rebecca Johnson, director of the Research Center for Human Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine, has been studying 18-to-87-year-olds in the “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound” program in Columbia, Mo., in which participants take shelter dogs for a walk each Saturday morning. “They lost weight, they felt great, and they were doing something wonderful,” Johnson says.

Pets can help prevent loneliness, too. Indeed, the AVMA survey found that nearly half of respondents considered their pets to be companions; only about 2 percent considered them to be property. “The human-animal bond is becoming increasingly strong in our society,” says veterinarian and veterinary surgeon Kimberly May of the AVMA. In fact, Alan Beck, director of the Center for Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, found in a study that 97 percent of people talk to their pets. “The other 3 percent lied,” he quips.

Families with allergies can still get a pet if they can commit to allergy shots. But those shots typically need to be taken every week for about half a year and then every two to four weeks after that. They require a significant time commitment and should be discussed with an allergist, says Dr. Mitchell Lester, an executive committee member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’s allergy and immunology section. Families may choose furless and featherless pets instead, like turtles, iguanas, fish and snakes. Though, of course, it’s tough to “cuddle up with a snake in front of a TV,” says Lester.

Another option for kids with allergies who want a pet? Bring home a stuffed animal instead. A study in the January issue of the AAP journal Pediatrics found that a “Huggy-Puppy” doll actually eased the stress and improved outcomes for 2-to-7-year-old children in Israel who were exposed to violence during the Israeli-Lebanon war in 2006. (And stuffed pets won’t make a mess on your floor!)

If you opt for a live animal, make sure to do plenty of research before you bring one home, and choose one whose personality, size and requirements fit your needs, abilities and living situation. And don’t think adding more pets will bring more health benefits. Beck says that for many people one or two is plenty—more animals do not mean more health (often, just more responsibilities). Finally, as many benefits as pets bring, it’s important not to become too dependent on those animal companions, cautions psychologist Alan Entin, past president of the American Psychological Association’s division of family psychology. Though they make great companions, in the end pets are still no substitute for human friends and family.

The Order of Health

Firstborn, middle child, or youngest? Here’s what your family ranking reveals about your medical destiny. By Sarah Robbins, Prevention More on this in Health & Fitness Health “Rules” You Should Break How to Make Changes That Last We Lost 14 Inches of Belly Fat Your oldest child is running for class president; the baby is running away from home. Birth order theories of personality make great cocktail party fodder. Just don’t try them on the psychologist standing near the hors d’oeuvres table — experts have been arguing for years about whether family position can account for kids’ personality differences, and there’s no resolution in sight. But your oldest child has allergies? Your youngest broke yet another bone? Now you’re talking. Surprise: There’s increasing evidence that your place in the family lineup can have an impact on your physical health — sometimes small, but in some cases substantial. Of course, there’s nothing you (or your spouse or kids) can do to change your birth order. But you can make sure to enjoy the benefits that come with it — and steer clear of the risks. Here, a birth order-based cheat sheet to help you and your loved ones beat your odds of allergies, asthma, accidents, and more. Firstborn The Good News: A study in Science magazine showed that firstborns score an average of 3 points higher on IQ tests than their younger siblings. And being brainy goes along with better health, found a study from the University of Glasgow that suggests children who scored higher on IQ tests were less likely to develop coronary heart disease and some cancers. Watch For: Allergies and asthma: In a review of over 50 studies, researchers found that oldest kids are more likely to suffer from allergies, hay fever, eczema, and even asthma. The reason might be that firstborns are overprotected: Many are exposed to few bacteria or viruses until they start school, while younger siblings battle the bugs older sibs bring home — and therefore may develop stronger immune systems. Check to see if “colds” are actually allergies: If someone is constantly congested or sneezy, remember that allergies are the real culprit in about half of chronic sinus infections. “An allergy’s most prominent symptom is an itchy nose — not a runny nose,” says Amal Assa’ad, MD, a professor of allergy and immunology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “And allergies don’t come with fevers, aches, or chills.” Testicular cancer: A study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that firstborn men have a greater risk of testicular cancer. The eldest is typically exposed to higher estrogen levels in the womb than later-born sibs — which may up his risk of disease. Keep an eye out: This relatively rare cancer can strike men as young as in their teens but is curable if found at an early stage. If your husband’s family has a history of this disease, the American Cancer Society suggests monthly self-exams, after a warm bath or shower. Middle Child The Good News: Your risk of gum disease is 5% lower, probably because your immune system got an early workout from the germs your older brother or sister brought home and is better able to dispatch oral bacteria. Watch For: Depression: “Middle children tend to have lower self-esteem than first- or last-borns, perhaps because parents are busy with the other kids,” says Frank J. Sulloway, PhD, author of Born to Rebel. A University of Wisconsin study found that parents spent less money and nearly 10% less time caring for them, compared with older or younger kids. And a University of Pennsylvania study found middle kids reported significantly more depressive symptoms. Make sure second-born isn’t second-class:“Kids who think they don’t get enough attention may feel down or defeated, so tack on extra time for the middle,” says Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD, a psychologist at the Child and Family Institute of the St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals in New York City. “If you’re running to the supermarket, ask your middle child to come along.” Chronic fatigue syndrome:Preliminary research from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey suggests that middle kids are slightly more likely to suffer from CFS than their younger or older siblings. Know the signs: If you feel exhausted for 6 months, and rest doesn’t help, you may have CFS; for children and adolescents, it’s 3 months. “Remember, healthy kids don’t make excuses so they can skip trips to theme parks or sleepovers,” says Donnica Moore, MD, president of the Sapphire Women’s Health Group in Far Hills, NJ. Minimize your risk:Experts say CFS may be triggered by an infection — so good hygiene, staying current with vaccines, and healthy eating may offer you protection. Youngest The Good News: Your risk of allergies is lower, thanks to those hand-me-down germs. Another benefit of being the baby: In Italian research, young adults who grew up with older siblings were 10% less likely to develop Hodgkin’s disease than only children. Watch For: Accidentsand preventable diseases: A 2005 study of childhood accidents at a Jerusalem ER found that kids with three or more siblings were 50% more likely to be injured than those from smaller families. When parents are spread thin and supervision gets lax, other important protections can fall by the wayside, too: A study of London-born children found their odds of being vaccinated decreased 20% for each additional child in the family. Be vigilant:Vaccinate your kids — and talk with your doctor about whether you should roll up your own sleeve. You may benefit from shots that weren’t available when you were younger and may need boosters for others. Risky behavior:Youngest kids go through puberty 3 months earlier on average than their older siblings, according to one analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. “Early puberty can cause an increase in risk taking,” says lead author Joseph Rodgers, PhD, of the University of Oklahoma. Youngest children start having sex about 2 months earlier than their older brothers and sisters; they’re also more likely to smoke cigarettes. Communicate: “Dabbling in risky behavior is part of being a teen,” says Hartstein. “So ask questions — and don’t shy away from any they may ask. Peer pressure is real, but parents have a huge protective influence, too.”

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What Happens to Your Body Within an Hour of Drinking a Coke

Do you want to be healthy? Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science can’t even state all the consequences. Here’s what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke: Within the first 10 minutes, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor. Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat. Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way. After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. Sources: Nutrition Research Center October 24, 2007

Scientific Proof that Your Childhood Traumas are a MAJOR Factor in Your All Your Illnesses

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is an ongoing research project which is perhaps the largest scientific research study of its kind. Its purpose it to analyze the relationship between multiple categories of childhood trauma and health and behavioral outcomes later in life. ACE is examining the effects of: Recurrent physical abuse Recurrent emotional abuse Contact sexual abuse An alcohol and/or drug abuser in the household An incarcerated household member Someone who is chronically depressed, mentally ill, institutionalized, or suicidal Mother is treated violently One or no parents Emotional or physical neglect To learn more about the study, and to calculate your own ACE score, take a look at the link below. Sources: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study American Journal of Preventive Medicine May 1998; 14(4): 245-258

From Dr. Mercola

Herb Triggers Cancer Cell Death

A substance found in the popular Chinese herb huang qin triggers the death of tumor cells, while having virtually no effect on healthy cells. Many researchers have looked to the capability of controlled cell suicide as a means of fighting cancer. But it is a risky approach, because it involves the danger of damaging healthy tissue, too. Scientists have been searching for substances that induce cell death selectively in tumor cells. Now scientists of the German Cancer Research Centre have discovered that wogonin, a component of huang qin, causes apoptosis (cellular suicide) in cultured leukemia cells without affecting healthy blood cells. Wogonin has already been shown to reduce cancer growth in mice. Dr. Min Li-Weber of the Division of Immunogenetics has found that wogonin works by radically increasing the formation of hydrogen peroxide in tumor cells compared to healthy cells. The peroxide, in turn, produces a calcium response, which triggers the apoptosis reaction. Sources: Chinese Medicine News December 28, 2007

From Dr. Mercola:

The Healing Power of Magnets

Magnets have been used for their healing properties since ancient times, and now a new study has found that they can reduce swelling when applied immediately after an inflammatory injury. In their initial study, researchers from the University of Virginia set out to investigate the effect of magnetic therapy on microcirculation, which is blood flow through tiny blood vessels. They placed magnets of 70 milliTesla (mT) field strength, which is about 10 times the strength of the common refrigerator magnet, near rats’ blood vessels and found that they dilated constricted blood vessels, and constricted vessels that were dilated. The results suggested that the magnetic filed could relax blood vessels and increase blood flow. In the more recent study, the researchers used magnets on rats’ paws that had been treated with inflammatory agents to simulate tissue injury. The magnets significantly reduced swelling in the rats’ paws by up to 50 percent when applied immediately after the injury. Dilation of blood vessels is a major cause of swelling, and it’s thought that the magnets worked by limiting blood flow. Muscle bruising and joint sprains are the most common injuries worldwide, and since injuries that don’t swell heal faster, the magnet therapy could have widespread applications. The researchers envisioned using magnets in place of ice packs and compression to treat injuries in high school, college, and professional sports teams, as well as among retirement communities. Sources: Science Daily January 3, 2008 American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology November 2, 2007

From Dr. Mercolas Newsletter:

Editors for Scientific American believe recent studies suggest that fluoride raises the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland, and in general “scientific attitudes” about fluoridation may be shifting.

“Fluoride, the most consumed drug in the USA, is deliberately added to 2/3 of public water supplies theoretically to reduce tooth decay, but with no scientifically-valid evidence proving safety or effectiveness,” says lawyer Paul Beeber, president of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.

Meanwhile, according to environmental reporter and director of New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program Dan Fagin, “There is no universally accepted optimal level for daily intake of fluoride.”

After analyzing hundreds of fluoride studies, researchers found that fluoride:

• Alters endocrine function, especially in the thyroid
• Causes dental fluorosis in young children
• May lower IQ
• May increase the risk of bone fractures

Because scientific evidence suggests that water fluoridation is ineffective and dangerous to health, over 1,200 professional are now urging Congress to stop water fluoridation.

Sources:

• Reuters January 2, 2008