How to Break Free of the Fast Food Habit
I know lots of people who get hooked on fast food and they are totally addicted. And fat, sugar, salt, MSG, and casein which is in cheese even vegan cheese and artificial chemicals in fast food… are very addictive.
So how do you go about breaking the fast food habit?
First of all there is a reward system going on in our brain… fast food creates dopamine in the brain thus there is the feeling of pleasure.
This is not unlike any other addiction where pleasure is attained, the same areas of the brain light up when the right chemicals or response comes along.
There will be withdrawals just like with any kind of drug addiction like heroin. The more you are hooked on fast food the more withdrawal symptoms of headaches, fatigue, and more will come about.
Many times we start craving food, and start looking for anything that we can find that will give us a good “Fix”.
Here are the steps to breaking the habit of fast food.
First of all you need help doing this… find some friends that will help you stay on the path of eating healthy. Call people before you break down and have a fix of fast food… friends can help a lot. Maybe you don’t have friends… that may also need to be changed, we all need good friends to support us.
There are even groups that get together to support one another like “Overeaters Anonymous” which have regular weekly meetings near you… you can google them and find a group near you.
Second you have to decide that you have an addiction to fast food and accept that. Otherwise nothing is going to change, acceptance is one of the keys to moving on and eating healthy.
Take a look at what foods you crave, and at what times you have your cravings. Lots of people crave fast food in the evening when they have anxiety and nervous tension.
Empty your house of all the junk food, yes that means getting rid of all the stuff that you love and keep around the house to munch on.
Make a commitment, make this commitment in black and white, write it down, sign it, and have friends look at it and say they will support you on this journey.
Start meditating, meditation is great for getting rid of anxiety, tension, and stress. And those 3 things are the usual culprits that keep people in the vicious cycle of fast food. Go to www.tm.org and find a transcendental meditation teacher near you… it will change your life.
Or take a FREE Vipassana 10 Day Meditation Retreat, also the food and lodging is FREE. Go to Here http://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory#003 to find a retreat near you. These retreats are put on by people who have gone through the course and know how powerful it is… and they want to share that experience. And while you are learning to meditate something will break free that will change your life in the middle of that retreat… it’s amazing. And they serve healthy vegetarian meals so you are already on the road to ending the fast food habit.
Go to a hypnotherapist, this is one of the best ways to break free of the fast food habit. They can instill good habits into your subconscious and help you break free from the addiction. They can also help instill will power into your life so you can make it through the day without fast food and feel good about yourself.
Have healthy alternatives to fast food around like fruit and veggies. And yes you have to learn to like veggies. This is your life we are talking about and fast food will kill you in the end. Take a look at the movies “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” you can google it and find it free to watch on-line. Or watch the movie “Super-Size Me” you can also google that movie on-line to watch for free.
If you need to find an eating coach near you, or a dietician that works one-on-one with a person to break free from the fast food experience do so… it’s worth it.
Join an exercise group and start walking, swimming, or bike riding, any of these will help you to move forward in your life.
Also a good personal trainer is worth his weight in gold. A personal trainer can also help you with tips on eating and move you towards a healthier lifestyle.
Find friends who want to be healthy. If you stick with the old friends who are fast food freaks they will always push you back into the same old habits. They don’t want to change and unconsciously they don’t like seeing other people change because it makes them feel bad. So you have to find some new friends with healthy habits that will boost up your feelings of power inside… and help you to reach your goals.
Counseling is always a good way to go. Find a good coach or counselor that will work with you and help you get you change your mindset. Sometimes we have issues that we have to work on… issues from the past that need to be looked so we can achieve our goals.
Join a healthy eating cooking group near you. There are more and more of these groups cropping up everywhere because we have so many people who are overweight.
Take a healthy eating cooking classes, I have taken some of these at culinary academies and they are great. The classes are put on by great chefs that help you cut your calories and love what you are eating… because all the food tastes great.
Join an on-line support group, sometimes these support groups work for people. But it’s much better to get out and meet in person with support groups… cocooning at home is not the answer, we need to be around people to feel good.
Do something fun every day, if life is the same old stuff everyday then it gets boring. Have a night out once a week with friends… and go somewhere where they serve healthy food.
Learn to carry snacks of carrot and celery sticks with you everywhere. It will make a difference, and you need to eat something every 2 hours. That way you don’t have your blood sugar drop and all of a sudden you need a fast food fix.
Take your lunch to work, it costs less… and you can pack healthy food.
Start my Whole Foods/Plant Based Diet and Lifestyle… it will change your life forever and break you free from all the chemicals and terrible things in your diet.
Create a food journal and write down everything you eat every day… and then look back over it at the end of the day. And be determined to do better or just feel good that you stuck to your plan.
Find spiritual support… this is important. Those that have spiritual support and have a group of people to turn to when times get ruff, feel better about themselves and about life in general.
Everything will work out great…
Feel free to contact me, I would love to help.
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About the Author
Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist and Spiritual Teacher for over 25 years, helping people to recover and feel healthy. You can also find Dr. Haider on FB under Dr. Paul Haider, Healing Herbs, and at www.paulhaider.com – feel free to contact him any time.
