THE HOLIDAYS DESPITE MY ADDICTION TO FOOD!

HOLY MOLY, I MADE IT THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS DESPITE MY ADDICTION TO FOOD!

 

We’ve all heard about it and we’ve all thought even on the smallest, most minute level that we could be addicted to food.  I mean how many times, even a joking or light hearted way have you said “I’m addicted to chocolate” or “Ben & Jerry’s is so addictive!”, but what I thought was a legit addiction is still under investigation.  People still argue that there’s no such thing as a food addiction, that it is just a myth.  This is something I’ve been reading up on and well… after you read this tell me what you think?

The current debate that is being investigated is between behavioral addiction and chemical addiction.  Are the cravings and the need to over eat caused by the surroundings we’re in or the emotional stimulation some of us have been raised to experience or are we truly physically addicted to the chemistry of food or the chemicals that have been infused into many of the foods we consume?

I can only base my findings on two things… the stuff I read and my own personal gastronomical indulgences… in other words… my own face stuffing, over indulging, find me in a back alley with an empty bucket of Kentucky Fried in my arms and bare, naked chicken bones at my feet.  I firmly believe that I have a food addiction and I have an emotional response addiction to food… I have all this crap somewhere locked up in me and it continues to trip me up when I’m not looking.

So, let’s give you a little of the “hard to swallow”, but is the truth, family history on one side of my life.  My father’s side of the family isn’t the dominant side of our growing up experience, but this we do know.  My Grandfather, my father’s father, Tom Cavanaugh the 1^st... (Yes, I’m really “The 3^rd” it’s actually on my birth certificate) so T.C. the 1^st was an alcoholic, not something I’m proud of, but it explains a long line a social disorders and eating disorders in the family.  Why do I mention it, because it trickles down into my father’s life on many levels, but what we notice now is what probably caused my father’s food addiction.  See, T.C. the 2^nd was NOT an alcoholic.  He never had a drink on a regular basis, never really drank in the house or in front of us and I can only remember two instances where I saw him a little, tipsy, you know in the happy way, once after a wedding and once on a holiday, but nothing detrimental to my growing up… basically I can say the man didn’t drink and that was because he wanted a better family life for us and himself than what he grew up in, but the need for alcohol manifested in my Dad in another way… SUGAR-HOLIC!

My Dad was bad when it came to sweets.  You could bring home a cheesecake at 3:00 in the afternoon and by the next morning, 7:00am the entire cheesecake would be gone.  The stuff would call his name in the middle of the night and as my Mom would say “He’d enjoy every morsel, but he would eat every last bite and really enjoy it.”  We figured this was linked to the need for sugar that comes with being hooked on alcohol, something he hardly touched by choice, but we think it’s how the addiction manifested.

Now I personally… was never a big sweet eater… CARB ADDICT TO THE MAX!  I could overdose on bread or French fries!  The problem I have is also based in the chemistry of my body, the Doctor and the Nutritionists I have worked with over the years (different ones) have all agree that I was “Insulin Sensitive” and that my body would respond in ways that a diabetics does without being diabetic.  It basically comes from the other side of the family; my Mom’s side has a strong, long history of diabetes.  Ingesting carbs brings my metabolism to a grinding halt and injects that little bit of a rush that some Nutritionists have compared to the same rush a junkie gets when injecting heroin.  There’s a bit of euphoria that kicks in when I eat carbs, is it mental or physical?  I can’t tell, but I know that it happens and I also know that when I come down off them and never eat them, I feel a lot better, but those evil devils do call my name.

So now let’s also add on what I call the “Italian Mother Syndrome” and that’s what I call the fact that everything we do is either rewarded or celebrated with food.  My whole life, someone has always been trying to feed me and I never objected.  There was always someone offering food as a “welcome to the house” or as a console when things went wrong and when things went right… everything is celebrated with a meal or around the kitchen table with wine and good food.  There’s nothing wrong with it, but the volume of it, the amounts of culinary cuisine are mind altering and truthfully, until I went to college and met other Sicilian-American families, I thought we were the only ones that ate like this, but well… how can I explain this…  It’s January 6^th in 2013 and we have survived another holiday season that kicks off with Thanksgiving, slows down for a month and then lays on a smack down starting on Christmas Eve and doesn’t stop until the morning of January 3^rd of the New Year.

The Christmas Eve Meal or the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
It is an Italian Christmas celebration. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. However, some Italian-American families have been known to celebrate with nine, eleven or thirteen different seafood dishes. This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. It is unclear when the term "Feast of the Seven Fishes" was popularized.

The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstinence – in this case, refraining from the consumption of meat or milk products – on Wednesdays, Fridays and (in the Latin Church) Saturdays, as well as during Lent and on the eve of specific holy days. As no meat or butter could be used on such days, observant Catholics would instead eat fish, typically fried in oil.

The meal may include seven, eight, or even nine specific fishes that are considered traditional. The most famous dish Southern Italians are known for is baccalà (salted cod fish). The custom of celebrating with a simple fish such as baccalà is attributed to the greatly impoverished regions of Southern Italy. Fried smelts, calamari and other types of seafood have been incorporated into the Christmas Eve dinner over the years.

There are many hypotheses for what the number "7" represents. Seven is the most repeated number in the Bible and appears over 700 times.

One popular theory is the number represents completion, as shown in Genesis 2:2: "By the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." During the feast of the seven fishes, participants celebrate the completion of God's promise of the Messiah through baby Jesus. Other theories include: that the number represents the seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church; and that seven is a number representing perfection; the traditional Biblical number for divinity is three, and for Earth is four, and the combination of these numbers, seven, represents God on Earth, or Jesus Christ.

The most common theory and folklore are because of the Seven Hills of Rome that surround the city.

The meal's components may include some combination of anchovies, whiting, lobster, sardines, dried salt cod, smelts, eels, squid, octopus, shrimp, mussels and clams.^[1] The menu may also include pastas, vegetables, baked or fried kale patties, baked goods and homemade wine. This tradition remains very popular to this day.

So that’s the basis of a Christmas Eve Meal.  It’s really just a warm up round to the real Championship Bout takes place on Christmas Day. Here’s the menu…

Antipasto – A HUGE assortment of cheeses, salami, Italian ham, olives, pickled vegetables all served cold and a variety of hot appetizers, plus tons of different breads.

A pasta dish which is almost always some kind of heavy dish like Lasagna, Ravioli or Manicotti with 3 meats that were cooked in the sauce, meatballs, sausage and bragioli.  The pasta dishes are all made with ricotta cheese and the serving size is a bowl or plate full… that’s enough to weigh down and sink a submarine!  Again all this accompanied with a whole lotta bread!

*** BREAK *** Small break to take in a breath and get some fresh air cause here comes round 2!

The Traditional American meal…  A Whole Turkey or a whole Ham (In my Mom’s on Easter it was 3 meats a Turkey, A Ham and Lamb) all served with traditional side dishes, corn, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, a green vegetable and whipped or puree turnips and… a salad!  Why a salad?  Just to keep it healthy I guess and do not forget… MORE BREAD!

*** BREAK *** Another small break for air and to check blood pressures before the start of the finale’ or Round 3!

Fresh Fruit and nuts plus Anise or Fennel… a huge variety of apples, oranges and anything else that was in season, plus roasted nuts still in the shell that came with silver, heavy nut crackers so you can get the nuts and mess up the tablecloth with piles of shells.  The Anise or Fennel is a celery like vegetable that has a slight licorice taste… all foods in this round are to aid the digestion and the Anise to relax or settle the stomach 

AND FINALLY… Dessert… a buffet of Pies, Cakes and Pastry… plus homemade COOKIES!  Let’s just start with the cookies… some women I know and are related to are known to make 20-30 different varieties of cookies and in the volume of 100 to 8,000 individual cookies… I am not joking or exaggerating about the numbers my one friend makes 7000 cookies each Christmas and then boxes and ships a huge amount of them all over the United States.

There are always Pumpkin and Apple Pies, Cheesecake and then the Italian Pasties… which vary in shape and size pending on where they are purchased and there is always the age old debate on which bakery the best pastries come from… no one ever really agrees on which bakery is the best… my preference is Gencarelli’s in Bloomfield, my Grandfather preferred La Conca Dora in Union, but my Aunt Norma to this day explains “Catherine’s Bakery in Newark made the best Cannolis ever.”   Either way two pieces of pastry with a piece of pie and a cup of coffee combined with fat content of the crèmes and custard fillings are enough to lay out a U.S. Marine for 3 days.

This entire carnage starts about 1:00pm on Christmas Day and doesn’t end until 10pm that night.  Now here’s the amazing part… all holiday dinners were variations of this meal… Thanksgiving Day the American portion was turkey only.  Easter in most houses was a ham only, but not in my Mom’s house.

 

So for the longest time I would look at this entire spread of food and see and feel one thing… “COMFORT”

Not the same for other friends of mine…

A woman I’m close with sees just the listing of this meal and it “REPULSES” her!  A guy friend, an exercise guru of mine would look at it and feel “NAUSEA”.

Growing up… I use to think we were the only ones who ate like this, but it wasn’t until I was in a Fraternity in College where 90% of the brothers were Sicilian that I found out, all of their families at the same way!!!  So from that moment on I didn’t feel insane and it made it all feel that much more normal.

This is just the major holidays all celebrations in our family were centered around major meals and in turn I believe now that the feelings of happiness I get when I’m around a large abundance of these foods stem directly from these happiest of all holidays!  I sometimes still can’t wait to get home to the east coast to take in a pasta dish and some appetizers that I can only get there and it’s a completely joyful event even if I’m eating it alone.

So should it be like that and is it the surroundings, the environment of the holiday meal, combined with those elements  that create the addiction and the feel good rush or is there more to it?  A long time now, people have said there are food additives, chemicals to preserve the food and make them taste better that cause food addiction, but the more I research the more I cannot find clear cut proof.  There are however the usual suspects found in fast foods.

Sugar, Fat and Salt

Many anti-obesity advocates believe that fast food is addictive due to the immense amount of sugar, fat and salt each serving of food contains, Shiriki Kumanyika says in "Handbook of Obesity Prevention." Although these ingredients are pretty standard in cooking, in fast food they often come highly processed, such as high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. High-fructose corn syrup, for example, can encourage rapid weight gain, particularly around the stomach, and may contribute to metabolic syndrome, according to Princeton University. Partially hydrogenated oil produces trans-fat, which is indigestible by the body and leads to increased bad cholesterol, while actively lowering good cholesterol.

Casein

Casein is often referred to as the "nicotine of fast food." Although this compound naturally occurs in milk, the fast food version is a refined and concentrated form created by adding calcium hydrogenphsophate to concentrated milk solids, Da-Wen Sun writes in "Handbook of Frozen Food Processing and Packaging." Casein gets its nickname from its opiate-like effect on the brain caused by a specific protein breakdown sequence that makes it highly addictive, Pamela Compart and Dana Laake write in "The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook." Common fast food items that contain casein are French fries, buns, milk shakes and other baked goods, including desserts.

Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavoring agent present in a variety of fast food items, not just Chinese food. This food additive is generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration, but reports of headache, flushing, chest pain, nausea and weakness have been reported, MayoClinic.com says. MSG may also interfere with appetite suppression and cause you to feel hunger even after you've eaten a large amount of food, the book "Nutrition for the Older Adult" says.

Although eating fast food sparingly is unlikely to cause addiction, persistent consumption may indicate an underlying issue. Fast food contains highly detrimental ingredients that are harmful to your health, whether they are addictive or not. Fast food can quickly lead to health complications such as obesity, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, hypertension and arterial hardening.

So that’s what they say are the additives in fast food, but let’s take a look at some of the babies in the nutritional labels of America’s common foods….

WONDER BREAD

Wheat flour

Take note, that this in no way signifies 100% whole wheat. Most all bread is made from wheat.

WaterOk, this one is generally pretty harmless.

High fructose corn syrup (or sugar)

We all know the controversy surrounding HFCS, and regardless of where you stand, it is still a processed sugar added to the product that causes your body to store fat. Added sugar is a culprit for weight gain in our diets. It causes an insulin response that triggers our fat storage to go into action. It can also affect the immune system and cause diabetes.

Yeast

Dried yeast is another rather benign ingredient that is used to make bread rise. Organic yeast would be void of pesticides; this product does not use organic yeast.

Soybean oil

While not necessarily hydrogenated, therefore, not high in trans-fats, both of these oils are high in types of fats that are bad for our bodies.

Barley malt

Barley is actually a very healthy whole grain. Malted barley flour is barley that has been dried and ground into flour.

Wheat gluten

Wheat gluten is high in protein and in general isn’t an artificial substance to be worried about. One of the concerns though, about gluten, is that many people are sensitive to it and may not realize it. There are also ties to autism, rheumatoid arthritis and other medical conditions.

Salt

Sodium is a huge issue in our diets and should be avoided, but a small amount is ok. This bread contains 100 mg of sodium per slice. The recommended maximum sodium intake from the FDA for an average healthy adult is 1500 mg per day.

Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring element used to add calcium to food products. 2 slices of Wonder Bread have 30% of the RDA of calcium.

Sodium stearoyl lactylate

Sodium stearoyl lactylate is an emulsifier often used in baking to disperse fats and soften bread. It is generally plant based but requires processing and is likely made from GMO origins. If animal based it could contain antibiotics, hormones and pesticides.

Vitamin D3

Many processed foods have added vitamins because, frankly, they have no true nutritional value so the manufacturers add them in. It is not the same as getting the vitamins from the actual source and gives you a false sense of the product’s value.

Vinegar

Vinegar acts as a preservative and in general is considered safe for use in foods.

Mono- and diglycerides

Mono- and diglycerides are emulsifiers that are essentially used to prolong shelf-life. They likely contain trans fats but are not required to be reported on labels as such, so if a product contains mono- and diglycerides yet claims to have 0% trans fats, it is entirely possible it does contain trans fats. Trans-fats have been shown to significantly raise bad cholesterol levels and on top of that, it also lowers good cholesterol.

Calcium sulfate

Calcium sulfate is gypsum. You know the stuff they make walls out of. It can be naturally occurring or chemically created. It is used for food preservation and in bread to keep it from being too soft and sticky. You might also recognize calcium sulfate as chalk.

Monocalcium phosphate

Monocalcium phosphate is one of the main ingredients in baking powder and baking soda. It is a leavening agent and preservative.

Yeast nutrients (ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate)

Ammonium chloride is an acid forming salt also used as a soldering agent. Ammonium sulfate is used to regulate acid in bread and is used in soil fertilizers. The both work together to help the texture of the bread.

Enzymes

Enzymes act like a catalyst to trigger a reaction. They could be plant or animal based and have any number of bacterial or fungal properties.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract is the inner portion of the yeast culture after the cell walls are removed. It is used to enhance flavor, but some studies say it actually contains MSG.

Wheat starch

Wheat starch is a white powdery substance used as a thickener that comes from the wheat kernel.

Calcium dioxide

There’s not much information about calcium dioxide on the web. Calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide (which is not safe to consume) are discussed, but nothing about calcium dioxide. I would assume it’s another one of those filler type products acting also as a preservative.

Ferrous sulfate (iron)

Another nutritional item added to “fortify” the product making it seem like it is a good part of your diet because it contains vitamins and minerals. Again, when not naturally occurring the source and effectiveness should be questioned.

“B” vitamins (niacin, thiamine mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2), folic acid)

Like vitamin D3 and iron above, these vitamins are added to the product chemically to make the consumer think they are eating something healthy because it contains necessary nutrients.

Soy lecithin

Soy lecithin is an emulsifier added for texture. It is oil derived from soybeans, which are quite a controversial topic. Most of the soybean product today is genetically modified and soybeans themselves in their raw form are toxic. Soybean crops are also heavily covered in pesticides. Unless it says non-gmo (genetically modified organism) product, you should avoid soy products. This package does not specify.

Azodicarbonamide

Azodicarbonamide is a synthetic (artificial) chemical used as a flour bleaching agent. It is also used in plastic production as an additive. The UK has identified azodicarbonamide as a possible cause of asthma and use of it in food is banned in Europe and Australia.

Soy flour

Anything made from soy comes with the likelihood that it is made from GMOs. GMOs are genetically modified to withstand toxic pesticides during growing. Soy is also an endorcrine disruptor and has been blamed for reproductive and hormone issues, especially in children.

Whey

Whey is the by-product from making cheese and is very high in protein. I cannot find any real issues with whey.

Calcium propionate

Calcium propionate is an antifungal used as a preservative. It has been shown to damage stomach lining and cause ulcers and also has been shown to cause behavioral issues in children. Calcium propionate is also a possible cause of migraines.

DATEM

DATEM stands for Diacetyl tartaric and fatty acid esters of mono and diglycerides and generally is derived from oils that are likely GMO. DATEM is used as a dough conditioner.

Sorbic acid

Sorbic acid occurs naturally in plants and is used in food products as a preservative. It inhibits mold. There are no known dangers in using sorbic acid but companies like Whole Foods will not sell products with sorbic acid in it because of their stance that it does not belong in food.

The bottom line is that the bulk of these ingredients are added to affect the look, feel and shelf-life of the product. They are not nutritionally necessary nor are they needed for flavor. Research has shown that artificial and chemical ingredients in our foods can be causing damage to our bodies, and affecting our children’s health and behavior.

I have no concrete answers on where a food addiction comes from and I have an idea in my life where it is based.  I know there’s one way that I’m beating all this and it’s treating these binge eating compulsions with two methods.

1^st… eat minute amounts of what I’m craving and literally throw the rest of the serving away.  This works well for me.

2^nd… treat myself like I’m dealing with an individual battling a drug addiction.  Use a lot of self-therapy to no talk myself out of indulging and that’s been helping or substitute something healthy like fresh fruit for candy or chocolate like methadone for heroin.

Both of these are working for me and seeing a nutritionist once every 2 weeks is therapeutic when not frustrating because the scale said I might’ve gained a pound.  I hate weighing myself in doctor offices, but either way treating myself as an addict seems to be working.

Again… works for me…. might not work for you!

Thanks!

This week’s results.

I took a break from writing down all I ate this week… I hate answering to my IPHONE and wanted also to see if that’s what was keeping me in line….

Weigh in at 262 lbs!!!!

.4 lb loss… almost a half a pound lost, but more importantly….

NO WEIGHT GAIN OVER THE HOLIDAYS!!!!

MAINTAINED DESPITE COOKIES AT WORK, CHAMPAGNE ON NEW YEARS AND SOME OFF THE DIET FOOD BUT NO BINGES!

 ONWARD AND UPWARD!!!