food triggers ➯ scientific insight into your cravings, over eating, and binge eating disorder (a thread!!) ₊˚.༄

disclaimer: this is based off books i read about food cravings by certified addictions counselors and doctors! It is not my intention to “fix” BED, as i suffer with it myself and know it’s a complex disorder. i am simply hoping to give insight.

i’d also like to add that ive been recovering from BED for 6 months and have lost 50+ lbs from simply learning as much as i can ab this disorder and applying it to my every day life. i still have mini relapses which is normal but im able to pick myself up where i left off!

1: binge eating is similar to substance abuse in the sense that both are heavily addictive and happen when chemical reactions take over the brain. there are two food hormones: ghrelin and leptin. ghrelin makes you hungry and leptin makes you full. remember this for later!

2: ur ghrelin hormones rise when ur body thinks you need food, + ur leptin hormones rise when you’ve had enough food and feel satisfied. frequent binge eating is most likely due to these hormones not working properly, + so you never feel full at the proper time.

3: bc binge eaters experience low levels of leptin (the “full” hormone) they continue to persist in overeating, which causes the brain to become unresponsive to leptin. this makes is 10x harder to feel full and stop eating after a regular sized portion.

4: bingeing is not just a matter of “laziness” or “no willpower”, it’s a literal cognitive disadvantage that is similar to other life shattering addictions. bingeing CAN be conquered & overcome, but u will need to extend a lot of patience and kindness to urself. it is possible!

5: binge eating is not just cognitive, but it is also emotional. BED is often a result of unmanaged anxiety, depression, or a trauma response. there are scientific studies that prove the correlation between low self esteem and frequent over-eating to manage those emotions.

6: the key to eventually overcoming ur BED is knowing if your problem is cognitive wiring (not enough leptin hormones), strictly emotional, or a combo of both. (remember, emotional can lead to cognitive problems bc consistent overeating leads to decreased levels of leptin)

7: some symptoms of food addiction— high tolerance, strong withdrawal syndrome, cravings for irregular foods, eating food in larger amounts or over long periods of time, giving up social activities for food use, cant stop eating despite knowing they’re physically full.

8: for those that suffer with emotional eating, the best way to manage your BED is to confront these emotions with no buffer. finding ways to communicate and express your emotions in other ways than eating can create new neural pathways in your brain, effectively combating BED.

9: engaging with your emotions can be done through meditating, positive self talk, journaling, mindful eating, and more. this is WAY easier said than done, and will require a lot of consistency to create a new habit. however, if done properly, it can halt years of BED patterns.

cont’d: consistently eating well sized portions anywhere from 2-6 months can stimulate your brain to naturally produce more leptin! there are also foods that naturally produce it: berries, vegetables, whole greens, lean meat, poultry, fish, healthy oils, unsweetened drinks, etc.

10: for those who strictly have a hormone imbalance, there is medication that can be used to make you feel more full. but for most of us, binge eating is primarily emotional, which means the only real way to tackle BED is to confront your own self.

fun facts: there are studies that show that having a belief in something can help boost the recovery journey for most BED patients. having a religion / strong belief can spark self care, compassion, and sense of purpose in those w BED derived from trauma and low self esteem.

cont’d: most recovered BED patients say that their biggest realization was that “food can never fill your soul.” dr rhona epstein wrote about it saying “what you need and want most is not in a fridge or a grocery shelf. it’s love, belonging, security, success,

fulfilling relationships, and meaning.” other BED patients also mention how journaling helped them separate their hunger into two sections: mood and food. taking time to be present in your body will help you realize if you’re TRULY hungry or feeling like reactively eating.

cont’d: figuring out your triggers boosts the likelyhood of preventing a binge! taking the time to go over times in the past where you went on a huge binge and figuring out what triggered you can help you identify it and prevent a different outcome.

once again, way easier said than done. it requires patience, practice, and consistency. however, the biology and data doesn’t lie. if ur committed to the journey of self love and healing, you CAN live a life where BED doesn’t run it.

END OF THREAD :) thanks sm for reading, i hope it gives you a better understanding BED. i am no expert so just take what resonates and if you have access to a medical professional please feel free to double check with them!

i will be making a thread on how to practice mindful eating, meditating, journaling and more so follow me besties!!