Happy Presidents’ Day Everyone! Just because it’s a holiday, doesn’t mean your body gets one – so make sure you get fitness in – take a walk, do some yoga, mobility whatever it is. You can even find a ton of good videos to follow via youtube to get some ideas.  If there’s a will, there’s a way.

I am going to lay it all out here and say I have lost focus with my eating and it’s frustrating me because I want to be on the right patch but seem to lack the will power needed to skip the desserts that have come my way lately. I’m not completely off the grid — still being gluten free but a small snack or taste here of sugary greatness has been my weakness lately.  I feel like crap afterwards and it affects my sleep. So, why do I do it?

The other day Mark Sisson talked about akrasia – weakness of will; acting in a way contrary to what you know is right. We all know eating crap food is bad for us — so why do we do it?

I particularly related to what he said about wheat and sugar. As soon as I have something with sugar, I want more sugar.  Just something to think about as you take a look at your own triggers….

3. You’re addicted to wheat.

Wheat contains opioid peptides that may be able to activate opioid receptors in our bodies. You know what else activates opioid receptors? Opium, morphine, and heroin. (I’ve never tried any of them, but I hear they can inspire some real devotion from their users. See: Trainspotters, Requiem for a Dream.) I know that may sound glib, and I’ll be the first to admit that research into this is still very preliminary. You won’t find any ironclad evidence on PubMed that wheat is addictive. But the thinking goes that rather than hitting you like a ton of bricks and rendering you speechless from the sublime triggering of your opioid receptors, wheat addiction manifests as a stubborn lingering thing.

Evidence does exist, however limited. One older paper (PDF) that identifies multiple opioid peptides in wheat gluten, suggests that they are capable of binding to brain opioid receptors via a “plausible biomechanical mechanism,” and deems them of “physiological significance.” Dr. Emily Deans, of Evolutionary Psychiatry, has actually used naltrexone – a drug that blocks opiate receptors – to curb wheat cravings in celiac patients who are trying to kick the “habit.”

Wheat plays a huge role in the diets of industrialized nations. If you’re reading this, you probably grew up eating it. You may still be eating it from time to time – and that may be at least partly responsible for your urge to eat that slice of bread.

4. You’re addicted to sugar.

Similarly to wheat, sugar has addictive properties. A review of the rat studies shows that rodents will become quite addicted to sugar rather quickly, at times even choosing it over pharmaceutical-grade cocaine. There’s evidence that the addictive properties affect humans, too. As with wheat, naltrexone has been shown to reduce the rewarding properties of sugar in people. When you block the opiate receptors in the brain, sugar simply isn’t as rewarding and you’re not driven to consume as much of it. 

Sugar appears to be addictive in both rats and humans. You, being a human, could very well be drawn to make bad decisions about sweets because you are addicted to them.

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8-reasons-why-you-act-against-your-own-better-judgment/#ixzz1mvhKuSgb