Food Addictions Essay

Food nourishes us and helps to create our bodies. However, certain substances that we eat as â€Å"food† can cause dysfunction within us and ultimately contribute to the destruction of our bodies. Although every seven years each cell in the body is completely new, we may still crave junk foods that seem to call to us with their sweet, salty, greasy temptations. It can be difficult to ignore theses naughty longings and make healthy choices about the good, more balanced nutrition that our bodies need. Why is it that we so easily give in to cravings for these sweet, savory, spicy junk foods—and soon after eating them, want more? This can be a challenging question, but is worth investigating. Along with the question of why do we like them so much is what can we do about it? The food group I am addicted to eating, yet later regret is sweets. In this paper I will discuss my cravings and how I can address them. The desire for sweets is unstoppable therefor my cravings never seem satisfied. Sweet foods and desserts saturate my taste buds with creamy, sugary, dainty, delicious, and overwhelming flavor. It could be the simple beauty and enticement of streusel cinnamon coating the top of fluffy donuts, muffins, and cakes which initiates the desire. Or it may be the hundreds of delicious, complicated layers that make up pastries, from tasty fruit-filled turnovers to chocolate ganache-filled croissants. My mouth waters over the thought of sensual custards, such as rich creme brulee. The delight of breaking the rigid layer of crystallized sugar with a spoon is like unwrapping a gift and reveals the silky smooth lavender vanilla bottom. Such tantalizing actions enrich the sensory consumption experience. The heady aroma and succulent taste only heighten the pleasure. Although my body feels expansive and â€Å"high† with the sugar and the rush of dopamine, I know that sugar has more negative, long-lasting physical and mental effects on my body than the temporary good feelings released from the sugar. When eating expansive foods, like ones that contain high doses of sugar, I almost experience a euphoric feeling. At the very least, an instant temporary satisfaction is a guaranteed. However, when taste buds are overwhelmed with intense sugary flavors, after the first few bites, they are unable to detect much else. Too much sugar actually desensitizes your taste buds. This is one of many costs of instant sugar gratification. Sweets interest me since they are something I don’t like to live without. Research tells us that sugar can be quite harmful in unnecessary amounts, yet it is my greatest addiction and driver of my desires. Due to this glaring contradiction, this addiction teaches me about myself, my cravings and temptations, my healthiness and my unhealthiness. Even after learning of the negative consequences of over-indulging in this habit, it is still often hard for me to moderate my behavior and make healthier food choices. This is what life is about: learning about yourself and the world around you, learning about your strengths and weaknesses, identifying the things you need to sacrifice for a better life and the importance of â€Å"quality over quantity† and â€Å"delayed gratification†. If I can overcome my cravings, by changing processed sugar for natural sweeteners, it will be my greatest accomplishment. For if I can change my own life and eating habits, I believe I can truly help other people in this world. Though sugars effects on my moods, body, and mind are revolutionary to me, unhealthy cravings are now a major focus in my culinary career. I plan to help educate people on health and wellness, how good nutrition can enrich lives.