Dr. John Day, Cardiologist

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How To Overcome the 5 Most Addictive Foods

Do you struggle saying no to pizza, chocolate, chips, cookies, ice cream, or french fries?  If so, you are not alone.  We are all in this same boat together.  This article will help you to overcome your food addictions and finally shed those extra pounds!

Are You a Food Addict?

Did you see the recent media coverage asking if you are a food addict?  Can foods really be addictive?

There is a growing body of scientific data that foods are every bit addictive as cocaine or alcohol.  An addiction is defined as something we feel compelled to do even though it will bring us harm.

While food may not seem as “dangerous” as an illegal drug, addictive foods can bring also untold suffering on people and families.  For example, having your knees hurt with every step you take from carrying extra weight around, undergoing open heart surgery,  having chemotherapy for a preventable cancer, or depriving your children/grandchildren of your nurturing guidance by dying prematurely are all real consequences of food addictions. By this definition, some foods can definitely count as an addiction.

The Most Addictive Foods: Scientific Study

Researchers are increasingly becoming aware of what makes foods so addictive.  Indeed, researchers have now been able to identify which foods have the highest addictive properties.

In this recently completed provocative study of 504 individuals by Dr. Erica M. Schulte and colleagues from the University of Michigan, they were able to scientifically rank the most addictive foods.  Interestingly, the most addictive foods share the same properties as illegal drugs in that there is a high dose of a processed drug delivered very rapidly to the body.

The 5 Most Addictive Foods

Based on the criteria established by Schulte and colleagues from the University of Michigan, here are the most addictive foods with their accompanying score:

1. Pizza: 4.01

2. (Tied) Chocolate and Chips: 3.73

3. Cookie 3.71

4. Ice Cream 3.68

5. French Fries: 3.60

As I reviewed this list of the top 5 most addictive foods, I must confess that I have struggled with all of these foods myself.  From previous blogs I have publicly confessed that I still struggle with pizza from my hospital’s cafeteria.

Pizza really is a drug for me and I have to treat my hospital’s cafeteria like an alcoholic must treat a bar.  To stay “sober” I cannot even step foot into my hospital’s cafeteria or I will feel compelled to buy the slice of the veggie pizza despite knowing as a cardiologist what this processed food is doing to my body.

What Makes a Food Addictive?

As part of this study from Schulte and colleagues they identified exactly what makes a food addictive.  Interestingly, their research showed that foods in their natural forms do not cause addictions.

For example, grapes or poppy seeds do not cause addictions.  However, when grapes are processed into wine or poppy seeds are processed into opiates, with a rapid delivery of the drug to the body, is when they become addictive.

The same is true for foods.  Wheat kernels, sugar beets or sugar canes, tomatoes, and milk are not addictive.  However, when you refine the wheat into white flour, the sugar beets/cane into processed sugar, etc. these foods become highly addictive in the form of pizza.

Have you ever heard of someone being addicted to chewing on cocoa leaves?  However, if you process the cocoa leaves and then add in some milk and sugar you then have a highly addictive food product called milk chocolate.

The 4 Reasons Why Food Becomes Addictive

Based on the research from Schulte and colleagues, these are the 4 food properties they identified which causes foods to become a drug:

1. Processed Foods

2. Added Sugar

3. Added Fats

4. Refined Carbohydrates (like white flour)

From this list it appears that the way to avoid the “food drugs” is to simply eat foods in their natural states.  Indeed, from the research done by Schulte and colleagues there were no addictive properties from fruits, vegetables, beans, brown rice, etc.

How To Overcome the 5 Most Addictive Foods

Now that we know what makes food a drug and which “food drugs” are most likely to get us “hooked” how can we resist these addictions and stay thin?  Let me give you the 5 strategies I have found most helpful for me and my patients.

1. Eat the 5 Most Addictive Foods in their “Unprocessed” Forms

Since foods in their natural states carry no addictive potential, the key is to eat these “food drugs” in their natural or unprocessed states.  Here are my examples:

Healthy Pizza

To overcome the number 1 food drug, simply commit to only eating pizza if you make it yourself.  Pizza can be very healthy and nutritious if done right.

For your pizza dough, try using  my wife’s real bread recipe as your pizza dough.  Make your own pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh garlic.  Put fresh vegetables and organic cheese on top of the pizza.  Don’t even think of adding sugar to this pizza!

Healthy Chocolate and Healthy Chips

Yes, chocolate can be very healthy if it is very dark and without all of the sugar.  Here is a link to my article on the top 10 health benefits of dark chocolate.

Chips, like chocolate, can be very healthy as well.  For example, you can make delicious kale chips by using fresh kale, olive oil, and salt and baking them in your oven.  If you love potato chips then try this same approach using sweet potatoes.

You can also use a food dryer and simply dry thin slices of other fruits and vegetables. Our children especially love the dried banana chips Jane makes.

Healthy Cookies

Cookies can be made to be very healthy and delicious without the risk of getting hooked.  Here is Jane’s chocolate chip cookie recipe our children love.

Healthy Ice Cream

Ice cream can also be very healthy as well.  For example, here is a recipe for home made coconut milk ice cream.  I would consider using real honey (raw honey that is if you don’t have an food allergy or really young children), real maple syrup, or real stevia as the sweetener.

Healthy French Fries

Yes, french fries can be healthy.  Just thinly slice up a sweet potato, put a little olive oil or salt on it, and bake.  An incredibly healthy treat!

2. Attack the Root Causes of Our Food Addictions

If we are honest with ourselves there is a real reason for our food addictions.  In other words, we may be using food simply to “medicate” ourselves.

If we can get at the root causes then these foods will be less likely to get us hooked.  To read more on this fascinating subject, please see Jane’s blog How to Overcome Emotional Eating.

3. Stay Away from the “Bar”

As a recovering alcoholic must stay away from the bar, we too must stay away from our own “bars.”  As mentioned above, my “bar” is my hospital’s cafeteria where there is always a fresh and hot slice of veggie pizza calling my name.

The “bar” could also be our own homes.  As a recovering alcoholic would not keep alcohol stashed in the house the same is true for those of us who are recovering food addicts.  Always maintain a junk food free home.  You can’t control the food drugs others bring to work or for social events but you can control what comes into your home.

This recommendation can be tricky as we cannot let our fear of eating unhealthy foods keep us from interacting with others.  Indeed, studies have shown that social isolation may be as dangerous to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!

In my case, I have found that if I always pack a lunch to the hospital then I can stay away from the hospital cafeteria.  I can then eat my lunch with my team of nurses, technicians, office staff, and other physicians in our break room far away from the temptations of the hospital cafeteria.  This way I can get the benefits of both nutritious food and social interaction.

4. Take Care of Yourself

It seems like a “no brainer” but by simply taking care of yourself you will have added willpower and less of a desire to eat addictive foods.  Get enough sleep at night and some sun during the day, do something to manage stress and unwind each day, exercise daily, and by spending time with friends and family you will recharge your willpower batteries.  For some added ideas, please read my article 10 Ways to Break Your Sugar Addiction.

5. Eat Real Food First

The last strategy is to always eat real food first.  If you focus on filling up with real food first then hopefully you will lose the desire for the addictive junk.  To learn more, read our article on The Real Food First Diet.

Closing Thoughts

Food addictions are every bit as real as drug or alcohol addictions.  I have found that most of my patients who struggle with weight issues also struggle with food addictions.  The problem is that by trying to satisfy our addictions we never feel better but only worse in the end.

The first step for an alcoholic to recover is to recognize that they have a problem.  The same is true for food addictions.  Don’t wait until your health hits rock bottom before making changes.

Do you also struggle with food addictions?  What has worked for you in overcoming food addictions?