Pizza, Voted the Most Addictive Food

Yup, you heard it here first. Pizza, with its starchy crust, sugary marinara sauce, cheese (voted addicting in itself), and probably some fatty (not good kind), salty meats on top, is the most addictive food. I guess that accounts for the over 20,000 different businesses to get pizza across the United States. Yes, that is different businesses, not places. For places, the number is far more. In Lincoln alone, we have a few Dominos, a few Pizza Huts, etc.

So, pizza is addictive. What does that say about the people that eat it? It says nothing. It shows nothing deeper than duh. See, pizza is this universal lubricant here in the states. A food that can be thrown out as an option with as many topping alterations as there are people in the room. Nothing is too holy to be altered on a pie. Pizza is addictive, so by eating it, no matter the kind or quality, you are doing exactly what was meant to be done - eating food that is highly stimulating and then coming back for more.

For some people it might be the toppings, some the crust, for me it is in the sauce. Which doesn't make too much sense, considering I have lowered my sweet tolerance over the past couple years. I find myself cringing at syrup or large amounts of concentrated sugar. Pizza sauce is different somehow. The amount of tomato and spice must offset the sugar because It is really a NECESSARY component to a good pizza.

So, being that addiction is such a thrown-around topic, I figure why not allow the audience to taste a slice of the addicted life. That's right, if you're hungry and you know it, raise your hands, or better yet, toss those boxes after one slice. Yes, have a slice, a small one, get the taste, then, eat no more. For many, this task is next to impossible. For some, they can walk away no problem. There is also a third group that will struggle but have adapted skills to prevent the overconsumption of this bready, saucy, cheesy goodness. I am in this third group, however I used to belong to the first.

If you have a bite or a slice and are asked to walk away and find yourself craving more or unable to focus on anything else, then you my friend may be able to taste what a drug addict feels like. Maybe the thought alone of getting some pizza in your belly is enough to trigger a binge (episodes of uncontrollable eating).

The catch is to test yourself, you've got to have some, indulge the senses, spark the brain, and then feel what that craving is like. Is it worse? Is it overwhelming? If so, and you find yourself bowing out of the test early, then I highly suggest you take a look at yourself and your eating patterns. Ultimately, if you crave to the point of consumption whether you eating it, or it eating your entire thought process, then a typical elimination diet to get a handle on eating patterns is not going to help. That is, if you are actively trying to change. Yes, getting rid of crappy foods or eliminating pizza will help because we are lowering stimulation, however it will not give you a long-term solution. Instead, I recommend counseling, use of learned skills, and mindfulness exercises to assist you in dealing with this overwhelming chemical reaction.

Look at him, just making drugs!

An imbalanced brain, an addicted mind, your response to dopamine is more so than a "normal person." Dopamine release as a result to a bite of pizza occurs and therefore all the things you consciously wanted; more control, to be thinner, eat healthier, all goes out the window. The part of the brain releasing the dopamine (nucleus accumbens) isn't communicating properly with the frontal lobe which holds all of your rational self. Is all the nucleus accumbens is concerned with is the next 10 seconds of your life and therefore will win, thus consuming the pizza. After all, the part of you that wants to get better and gain control over eating patterns is too far in the future for a brain that lives in the here and now.

Furthermore, every time you reengage that addiction, it strengthens your bond with that food or item. For drugs this can be obvious, but for an increasing amount of people, food, especially stimulating food, is increasing in demand.

It's time for you to take a look at how your brain works. Avoid diets and learn some skills and ways to assist when the cravings begin. A diet or supplement will not solve your problem. Quite frankly, your problem will never be "solved." Chemical release within the brain isn't good or bad it just is. It is healthier to know what your brain is doing and treat it the right way versus what others tell you will help.

* (Some people will tell you living in balance is the way to go, but balance for certain foods might not be a thing for you. If that upsets you and you find it unfair, that's fine. Someday down the road when you feel so powerless to the foods causing harm, you are going to want to know this.)

The book Potatoes not Prozac was written by a specialist about addiction and eating patterns.

Also, In the September 2017 edition of National Geographic, there is an entire article about addiction and the brain to reinforce discussion.