Obesity and Addiction

July 24, 2014

Obesity and Addiction – Scientific findings

Obesity and Addiction. What happen when you follow on good diet and proper physical activities. Good health and comfort

It is common knowledge in the minds of many people that obesity is caused by overeating and laziness but is this really the true picture? Could some kinds of foods be addictive like substances like cocaine or nicotine? At least these have been the feelings of people in respect of these tow health conditions however new studies are proving differently that some foods rich in fat and sugar leads to changes in the brain in the same way as does with drug addiction. And because of these revelations the perception of what may be driving overeating is changing and this is what we want to discuss in this article.

It is becoming relatively difficult for many people to avoid consuming certain foods. For instance they clear the whole content of a mug of ice cream rather than just having a scoop or two practicing this even when it is not necessary like when they are no starving. Actually in the past overeating and obesity were regarded as failures of self-control or willpower and the professionals were recommending that overweight people eat less and do more exercise to lose some excess weight however new findings suggest that it may not be that simple. Researchers are finding that high-fat and high-sugar foods can trigger lasting brain changes which are likely to make it difficult to resist overeating. There is all indications that those changes resemble what happens in the brain when an individual is addicted to drugs like nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine.

The implications of this research are considerable. More than 33 percent of adults and 17 percent of children and teenagers in the United States for example are obese and about 300,000 people are said to be losing their lives annually because of obesity-related diseases making it the nation’s second-leading cause of preventable death. Economically this is estimated to be costing the authorities a hooping $147 billion as annual medical cost of treating obesity related diseases.

Obesity and Addiction – Hormone Leptin

When studying how food changes the brain structures and functions, scientists are finding more about the neurobiological factors associated with the obesity epidemic. This ongoing research is enabling scientists to:

Understand how food affects the brain’s reward system.

Develop more effective therapies for preventing and treating obesity.

One of the central players in the regulation of appetite is the hormone leptin. Produced in the body’s fat cells, leptin lets the brain know when there is enough energy stored in those cells. It informs the brain when to stop eating, at least for a while. Some evidence suggests the brains of obese individuals are less sensitive to the hormone and in extremely rare cases of obesity those in which the body produces no leptin because of a genetic mutation overeating was cut and weight was lost after leptin injections.

Scientists found out that leptin acted in the hypothalamus, a brain structure involved in the regulation and control of hunger. More recently, they discovered leptin also influences appetite by acting in a midbrain region known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This section of the brain contains dopamine neurons, which play a key role in the brain’s reward system the source of the feeling of pleasure we get when consuming some kind foods and in the development of drug addictions.

Obesity and Addiction – Junk Food Diets

While carrying out studies using rats it was established that junk food diets produced addictive-like behavior as well as dopamine-related changes in the brain. In one study, rats were divided into three groups.

One group was fed regular rat food.
A second group was given access to fatty or sugary foods, such as sausage, bacon, cheesecake and frosting, for one hour a day.
A third group was allowed to munch on the junk food whenever they wanted.

The second group quickly started binge eating the junk food, consuming most of their daily calories during the one hour they had access to the junk food.

The third group not only gorged on the junk food, they also became obese. The researchers identified one possible reason why. Dopamine receptors in the reward circuitry of the obese rats had become desensitized, potentially compelling the animals to eat increasing amounts of the food to get the same level of pleasure from it. A similar effect on dopamine receptors is associated with drug addiction, and may explain why addicts crave increasing amounts of a drug.

But overeating wasn’t the only addictive-like behavior observed among the obese rats. The rats also showed compulsive-like intake of food. To test for this, all the rats were trained before the study to anticipate and try to escape a small electric shock to their feet when a light came on. But after the rats became obese, they stopped taking evasive action. When the light appeared, they kept eating. This behavior disregarding the threat of punishment also occurs among rats that have extended access to cocaine and is thought to reflect the development of compulsive-like consumption.

Yet in other research, scientists discovered another similarity with drug addiction. When rats previously fed on junk food were suddenly switched back to a healthier diet, they avoided anxiety-inducing situations just as they do when going through withdrawal from cocaine and other addictive drugs.

Obesity and Addiction – Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)

Tests showed these rats had five times the normal amount of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA in their brains during this denial period. CRF helps regulate fear, anxiety, and stress. Once the rats were put back on a junk food diet, they no longer avoided stressful situations, and their CRF levels returned to normal. They also began to overeat even more than before — a finding that may suggest why people who go on and off diets tend to find it increasingly difficult to lose weight.

Through other intriguing research, scientists discovered that a junk food diet can alter the production of dopamine and other genes in the brain’s reward system — even after the diet is abandoned for a healthier one. Studies also found these brain changes can be passed on from pregnant mice to their offspring, making the mice pups more vulnerable to both obesity and addictive-like behaviors in adulthood. Such findings may help explain why overcoming obesity is much more complicated than RESISTING to junk food and may point to possible interventions to help people struggling to make positive behavioral change and doctor Akoury can be of help to you in ensuring these desired changes for a better life a head of you.

Obesity and Addiction – Scientific findings

Best Addiction Treatment

July 23, 2014

Best Addiction Treatment – Food Addiction

Best addiction treatment. Food addiction is real and the earliest we acknowledge this the better for recovery

It is common knowledge that on a daily basis we have to eat to get the energy we need for the day’s activities. The fact that we eat periodically may not look like being addicted to food but before I get to solutions of food addiction, I want to help you understand how food becomes addictive. How do you begin your day? Probably when you wake up you purpose to do your work and eat responsibly and healthy food and you start with one healthy breakfast at home and on your way you navigate through mouthwatering bakery goodies which are tempting and you finally make it to work ready for the day’s assignment only to be received by your stressful boss laying on your table a new project deadline that is practically impossible. Minutes later yourself holding meat pie in your hand consuming down sugary anesthetics and desiring for more. By the time you leave our moment of eating and the truth of what you’ve done begins to sink in, the subsequent feelings of shame and guilt fuel your stress levels more and you’re already plotting your next food fix then you wonder. Why do I keep yielding to these cravings? Where’s my self-control and willpower? My friend this is just your brain being addicted to food.

The feeling of denial will follow and encourage yourself that you are not and that you only love sweet food once in a while but the bottom line is that food addiction is factual and realistic. It affects so many people and this is what the food processors ride on when producing their products for the market. Production of addictive food is a marketing tool for these organizations and that is why their ingredients is a perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory to ensure you keep reaching for more. The moment you find yourself losing your willpower and desiring for more and more then you are not just in love with these food stuff but you are now addicted to them and that is what we want to address. To start us off let’s look at some of the ways of beating food addiction:

Best Addiction Treatment – Take the test

Taking the test would mean that you make a self-evaluation of your relationship with food with an aim of ascertaining whether you’re eating habit is a healthy one. Experts are in agreement that the many overweight or obese have some level of food addiction even though anyone of any age bracket or size can have this issue of food addiction.

Best Addiction Treatment – Know your staples from your treats

Our brains are rigged to seek out the delicious reward of natural carbs like berries from a bush or veggies from the ground. We savor healthy fats from avocados, olive oil, and fish and lean meats. Our brains drive us to forage around to find these foods so that we have quick energy (from carbs) and long-lasting fuel (from fat). These natural whole foods have sustained us since the dawn of time. Our brains were acclimated to the taste of these rewards. Every now and again, we’d savor a treat that contained more natural sugar (grapes) or fat (dairy or meat). This mix of staples and treats became our natural balance of healthy nutrients. Flash-forward, and now we have manufacturers creating hyper-palatable foods full of sugar, fat, and salt. And because they are ubiquitous, cheap, and easily accessible, fewer people cook. Grab and go is now the way to go.

Best Addiction Treatment – Rein in your reward center

When hyper-palatable race with natural foods your brain’s reward center, which secretes the pleasure chemical dopamine, gets hijacked. Insulin levels increases and drive you to desire for more and more. Suddenly, that bowl of fresh berries can’t compete with the über rewards of a Pop-Tart or a chocolate-coated breakfast bar. Occasional treat like birthday dessert, also leads to a dopamine rush, but then your brain settles down to more normal levels of dopamine. But when you can get your hands on hyper-palatable foods daily seven days a week and you start the day with that sugary, fatty, salty pastry and Grande sugary coffee drink, you end up with an endless appetite for more.

Best Addiction Treatment – Recognize the False Fix

After constant exposure and consumption of these hyper-palatables and let us call them False Fixes in The Hunger Fix, your brain essentially changes. The brain cannot stand this level of hyper-stimulation. It then reduces the number of dopamine receptors so that you no longer experience it as overstimulation and that is what is good about it however the bad news is that by doing this, your typical serving of food is no longer as rewarding. You find yourself not feeling as pleased and satisfied. The end result of this is that you end up with second and third and fourth portions, packing on weight along the way.

Besides this your reward center is being hijacked that is the brain’s CEO which is the prefrontal cortex (tap your forehead and that’s where the PFC is located), is becoming spoiled and impaired. The PFC can no longer help you rein in impulses or stay focused and vigilant which is why when one is in fully in addictive mode, moderation is a moot point.

Best Addiction Treatment – Know your enemy (False fix food)

Make a list all of your False Fix foods that you know will lead you to feel out of control and overeat. As you prepare to detox, look around you and take stock of all persons, places, and things that trigger your food addiction. This isn’t just about substituting False Fix foods for Healthy Fixes it’s also about scrutinizing your entire lifestyle so that you can make fresh healthier choices to support your recovery. It is important to note that you will not be able to change everything in one go and so you will gradually start with small but powerful steps to ensure sustainability of long-term success.

While doing all these you must appreciate that food addiction is real and the faster you make this acknowledgement the better because it is only when you do so is when you will have the ability to reverse the damage and reclaim your healthy, natural relationship with food. Remember I did not promise you that the journey will be easy and therefore careful selection of professionals to help you overcome will be necessary. For instance at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care ware addiction treatment is focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE will be very ideal for all your addiction related problems.

Best Addiction Treatment – Food Addiction

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached

July 22, 2014

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Drug Addiction

Moderate drinking is key to controlling addiction and a voiding life-threatening diseases resulting from alcohol addiction.

Drinking alcohol is one major cause of addiction and one which is proving difficult to quit despite knowledge of the consequences associated with it. In our desire to get rid of addiction from our societies we will be discussing moderate drinking as a step in the right direction toward achieving our objective. There is a very thin line between moderate drinking and how much should be taken within a given period of time. People who have been drinking for some time whether addicts or not will attest to the fact that they have had or witnessed some embarrassing situations in their lives while under the influence of alcohol instances like having humiliated themselves at their work stations or in a party somewhere, having hangover that ruined their plans, being met on the wrong side of the law while driving when they shouldn’t have and many other circumstances. When reality down on them the next day when the effect of their intoxication is settling they are always full of regrets and wishing to cut down on their drinking.

These are real life situations we are often faced with on a daily basis and while we are appreciating that not everyone is keen to cutting alcohol out of their lives, nor do they need to categorized alcohol users with some history of addiction or mental illness like various diseases of the liver or pancreas, or who are pregnant or taking certain medications shouldn’t drink at all, however as for others, there is an elusive middle ground called moderation which brings us to the big question what is “moderate drinking” and how can it be accomplished? As big as the question is so is the boldness in certain decisions you may consider taking to get your drinking under control as illustrated here in.

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Avoid the Pre-Party

Various studies has established that “pre-drinking” before a party or social event, is normally characterized with cheap alcohol which is taken hurriedly and in large quantities, almost doubles total alcohol consumption as well as negative outcomes such as hangovers, blackouts and unprotected sex. This practice is particularly common among adolescents and young adults who not legally allowed taking alcohol let alone buying alcohol drinks or being in such places where alcoholic beverages are sold. Nonetheless most alcohol consumers are known not to be stationery in one given join. This habit of changing drinking locations during the night out is a powerful ingredient of increased quantity of alcohol consumption and it works well in defeating the intentions of moderate drinking.

Moderate Drinking – Record keeping

The human brain and especially that of an alcohol consumer is likely to forget almost everything while drinking bringing in the need of taking notes and keeping records. This is a practice which has worked in other areas like in weight lose journal which is very helpful to people concern in sticking to their diet. Research has established that a drinking diary can help people get honest about their alcohol intake and identify problem areas. Counting drinks is very key irrespective of how you do it, whether on paper, a smartphone or with the help of a sober friend, this will help you remember the nasty truths of your drinking which you’d prefer addressing and hopefully avoid in the future.

With the records you will be able to identify your patterns and make a decision on an ideal number of drinks per day and per week and test your ability to stay within those limits. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans they describes moderate drinking as up to one drink each day for women and two drinks each day for men and a standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

Always Have a Drink in Hand – as Long as it’s Non-Alcoholic

A number of challenging scenarios may arise when you’re socializing at a party, club or other event. Swapping alcoholic drinks for a non-alcoholic variety has two major benefits: If you’re drinking water, juice or soda, you’re likely not drinking as much booze. Also, with some type of beverage in hand, your choice to drink less (or not at all) will likely go unnoticed by friends who want a drinking companion.

Moderate Drinking – Slow Down

When out drinking whether alone or in company of friends it is worth noting that drinking too much too fast will defeat any efforts to moderate your drinking. It’s advisable to take time and only pace yourself by sipping rather than guzzling also do not participate in drinking games and purpose to be taking one drink per hour and if possible take even less than a drink in an hour and in between drinks take food and non-alcoholic drinks doing this helps you commit to moderate drinking.

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Mind Your Drinking Cues.

If you track your drinking patterns long enough, you may discover certain trends. Maybe you always overdo it when a particular friend or family member is around or at a specific time of day such as when you get home from work. Or perhaps the nostalgia of a certain bar or club makes you vulnerable to bingeing, or you turn to alcohol every time you feel sad or angry. These patterns will clearly show you your triggers and with this information you may choose which people, places and things to avoid and find other activities to replace them.

Finally drinking in moderation has both risks and benefits, but drinking too much poses a clear threat to your health and well-being. Heavy drinking can cause:

Stroke
High blood pressure
Accidental injuries
Cirrhosis of the liver
Certain cancers among other problems

If you find yourself routinely drinking more than you planned, unable to quit or uninterested in anything but drinking, your problem may go beyond occasional overindulgence and cross into alcohol abuse or addiction. In this case, attempts at moderation will perpetuate a frustrating cycle until you seek appropriate treatment and support usually from addiction professionals like doctor Dalal Akoury who founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center an institution where care is given professionally to all addicts in the most natural way while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Moderate Drinking and the consequences attached: Drug Addiction

The nature and stages of Drug use

July 22, 2014

The nature and stages of drug use – Drug Addiction

Whatever the reason may be this young children must not suffer because of your choice to use drugs

The problem of substance abuse and drug addiction is such a big issue of concern to all the stakeholders. Everybody is looking at this problem will wonder as to where is the point of disconnect because it appears that all that needs to be done is not being done either by the authorities or the individual addicts. For instance who doesn’t know the consequences of drug use! Yet we are still seeing the number of people being addicted to drugs increasing. I believe that you are equally wondering what it is, that we are missing. We will be looking at certain factors relating to the nature of drug use in this article to unlock the riddle behind this great concern.

The nature of drug use

For us to have a better understanding why people use drugs it will be necessary that we look at some three identical factors explaining the nature of drug use. These factors include:

The individuals personality
The type of drug you take
The context of your drug use

These factors are related and can’t be disconnected. They influence your reasons for using a drug and the effects it will have on you. We need to understand that there are different levels of drug use with different types of problems. Users may move between the different levels of drug use, for example one may have started using drugs heavily but along the way stops and begins to recover from the effects of drugs use. But then again in the process of recovery they may relapse and return to the same old habit of drug use. It is important noting that it is not automatic that when using drugs then this behavior will definitely lead to drug abuse, this is not always the case because drug use is totally different from drug abuse. Now let us look at some of the stages of drug use as follows:

Experimental use

In the holy book the author begins with these words “in the beginning God …” and so in everything we do there must be the starting point. The same with drugs one must have started from somewhere. Normally young people will try using drugs for the first time as an experiment and this is what we call the experimental stage. In the desire of wanting to feel accepted and belong to certain category of friends they try drugs to have the feelings their friend have. This stage greatly depends on various factors like the accessibility of the drug, the kind of friends you keep and often the current trend or fashion. Because one is testing the feelings you may continue using drugs or may stop along the way once your curiosity is satisfied. However this type of drug use is very risky for young people because many of them are not aware of the dangerous effects of indulgence into drugs.

Recreational drug use

This is another stage of drugs use where users indulges into drugs for marry making and having fun periodically like weekly and especially during the weekends doing this regularly makes it becomes part of your social life. Users of this stage often feel that they are in full control over their drug use and so even if they consume more they do not feel that this can lead them into being addicted to the drugs they use. This type of drug use only applies to certain drugs and contexts, for example ecstasy and dance culture. Most people who take recreational drugs see it as a ‘normal’ activity in their social circle.

Dependent drug use

Drugs has way of containing their users, you may think that you are on top of everything but this may not be so using drugs over period of time heavily you may not be able to control your usage. When you reach this point where you can’t control we call this dependence or addiction which may either be physical or psychological. Where physical dependence means that your body systems craves for drugs and psychological dependence is when you feel that you cannot cope without the drug you are using. It is important to know that this level of drug use usually happens on your own or in a small group. As well as making you sick, it often causes emotional, psychological and social problems.

Abstainers

These are those individuals who have chosen not to use any kind of drugs completely or if they ever used then they have stopped and have not only used them for a very long time but does not ever want to use drugs again.

These are therefore some of the stages of drug use and having discussed them we are now left wondering actually why do people use drugs?

Why people take drugs

There are many reasons why people take drugs and here are some of the factor which can influence them:

Risk taking – people are drawn to risk taking differently. They may use drugs to fit in with their social group or to help them cope, for a sense of release or individual transformation, or for the thrill.
Predisposition – it may be because of your genetic or psychological characteristics meaning you are more likely to take drugs.
Experimentation – some people try drugs for the first time as an experiment and out of curiosity or because their friends are doing it. They want to explore to see how it affects them and talk about their experiences with their friends afterwards.

Gender and age – the age you are when you first try drugs can influence how you will go on to use them. For example, the younger you are when you start drinking alcohol, the more likely you are to try hard drugs later on. Young men are more likely to experiment with drugs than women. However, heavy drug use can cause more damage to young women.
Peer group – this can cause one into drugs in two different ways like the group of people you relate with can pressure you into taking drugs or you may choose to hung out with people who are into the same things as they are.
Availability – the easier it is to get drugs, the more likely you are to use them. This will also influence the type of drugs you use.
Family, social and environmental factors – people who live in a ‘deprived’ state, where the risk factors are high and the protective factors low, have a higher risk of using drugs. In terms of family, the important factor is how happy and stable your family life is, rather than whether you have two parents or not.

Finally dear reader drugs are not good for your health or anyone for that matter doctor Akoury the chief executive of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center founded this facility to help people with addiction related problem, if you are one she will be of great help and care for you in the most natural way to have your life back. Call on her and get the best because she will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

The nature and stages of drug use – Drug Addiction

Minors and College Drinking

July 21, 2014

Minors and College Drinking – Drug Addiction

We have a duty to protect our young people from living wasteful life in alcohol and drug addiction by pooling together for a better society.

By now if you have been with us on this link you must be aware that alcohol is widely available and aggressively marketed throughout society across the globe. It is the most frequently used and abused drug among youth in the United States and the world over compared to tobacco and other illicit drugs and although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people as young as aged 12 to 20 consume about 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States for example. The available statistics is worrying notwithstanding the consequences of early use of alcohol. We are experiencing lots of problems with minors drinking and records indicate that about 5000 young people below age 21 die as a result of underage drinking including some 1600 homicides, 1900 from motor vehicle accidents and other like suicide, burns and many others.

According to NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) an estimated 600000 college students are accidentally injured while under the influence of alcohol, 700000 are assaulted by their drunk colleagues and a further 100000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault and date rape. Yet over 11,000 teens in the United States try using alcohol for the first time every day and more than four million drink alcohols in any given month. When I said that the statistic is worrying I believe you now understand the magnitude.

Minors and College Drinking – Why do young people drink alcohol

Parents are a worried lot if these statistics are anything to go by. The question I beg you to answer is “is your child enclosed in the bracket of these finding?” like their seniors young people also drink for various reasons however it is very difficult comprehending the feelings behind their reasons. For instance:

Some young people often drink to forget about the family problems or issues with school performance.
Loneliness, low self–esteem, depression, anxiety disorder and other mental health issues lead many young people to drink alcohol
Young people turn to alcohol to deal with the pressures of everyday social situations
Young people may drink for a sense of belonging or to fit in when moving to a new school or town
Young people may drink to gain confidence or lose inhibitions
Young people are more likely to start experimenting with alcohol if they have parents who drink and if they do not get parental guidance about alcohol consumption.

Minors and College Drinking – What are the Risks

Irrespective of how they get into drinking the risks are dare once they start drinking they will be subjected to various health and safety risk like:

Young people who drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex.
They are more likely to be involved in a fight, commit violent crimes, fail at school, use other drugs, and experience verbal, physical, or sexual violence.
Those who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcoholism later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21

Minors and College Drinking – Preventing Underage Drinking

This is very dynamic and requires a comprehensive and collective approach by all stakeholders. Currently there are three basic approaches which have been applied and are yielding positive results in prevention of the problem:

Controlling the availability of alcohol;
Consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations; and
Changing norms and behaviors through education.

The enforcement of these three is working well in attempting to bring this problem into manageable levels.

Minors and College Drinking – Alcohol Poisoning

Many people die each year from acute alcohol intoxication known as alcohol poisoning or alcohol overdose with other thousands of others are being admitted to emergency rooms in various health facilities. Alcohol poisoning is becoming rampant in high schools and on college campuses. These are all explained by young people drinking too much and too fast.

Minors and College Drinking – Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency

Alcohol is a depressant drug, once ingested it works to slow down some of the body’s functions like heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. When the vital centers have been depressed enough by alcohol, unconsciousness occurs. The amount of alcohol that it takes to produce unconsciousness is precariously close to a lethal dose. People who endure alcohol poisoning sometimes suffer irreversible brain damage.

Many students are surprised to learn that death can occur from acute intoxication. Most think the worst that can happen is they’ll pass out and have a hang-over the next day therefore knowing the signs and symptoms of acute alcohol intoxication and the proper action to take can help you avoid a tragedy.

Minors and College Drinking – Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

Unconsciousness or semi-consciousness
Slow respirations (breaths) of eight or less per minute, or lapses between respirations of more than eight seconds.
Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin.
In the event of alcohol poisoning, these signs and symptoms will most likely be accompanied by a strong odor of alcohol.
While these are obvious signs of alcohol poisoning, the list is certainly not all inclusive.

In an attempt to bringing alcohol and drug addiction Dr. Dalal Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility in which she administer addiction treatment by offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to addicts the world over. Doctor Akoury is an expert who has been in this addiction discipline for two decades now and together with her team of experts they are also offering addiction treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. This is the place of choice for anyone suffering from addiction of any kind therefore any qualified professional can now be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

Minors and College Drinking – Drug Addiction

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