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Eating Disorders Rescue with Alpha Nutrition
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Topics from
the Book of
by Stephen Gislason MD
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Solving compulsive and addictive eating or drinking involves four steps:
We think of trigger foods as the "bad guys"; these foods and drinks cause symptoms and at the same time trigger cravings and compulsive eating or drinking. The term "addictive food allergy" was suggested to describe the connection between compulsive eating and illness. You have to stop eating these foods to re-gain control and to recover from any illness they cause. In the worse case, these foods are addictive and if you eat them again your cravings are triggered and you lose control. If we apply insights into this addiction process, we can arrive at some effective strategies to cope with cravings and compulsive eating. Life is not always a neat, rational affair. Any effort to control eating and drinking behaviors pushes against many powerful forces that resist change. Some of these forces are internal body workings. Other forces are external circumstances, habits, customs, and addictions. Irrational elements enter into the equation and way-lay the best laid plans. Among our patients, there is a consensus that eating-control is difficult to achieve, even when wrong food choices involve serious illness. The consensus is also that some foods trigger compulsive eating, uncontrollable by ordinary acts of consciousness. Symptoms Must Be ResolvedSymptoms are an expression of dysfunction and must be resolved early in the stages of diet revision. We are convinced that food allergy is an important problem both in causing illness but also in causing the appetite control system to malfunction. Even people who are relatively well and deny symptoms will realize that they have food-related symptoms after they experience the clearing effect of phase 1 and then react to foods as they "fall off the wagon". Motivation-SupportMany schemes have been used to motivate people to change their diet. We have reviewed every idea in the business. The sad part of the story is that so many people have been deceived by promises of easy changes that can never be kept. So many have responded to perky advisors who use bright, cheerful optimism to motivate their paying clients, only to crash again. The "hype" lasts a short time. Old habits, and the pre-programmed tendencies of appetite control system are enduring. There is, in other words, a dark side to the story of binge-eating. If you use optimistic promises as a form of denial, your efforts tend to fail and you may fall back into denial and despair. You become unconscious again. Solid optimism comes from using the right techniques, and getting the right results. Realistic motivation begins with the assumption that it is not easy to change even when the change is beneficial. You do need help. You need the right information. You need to understand how you got to the state you need to change. You need a map to guide you to the next state you wish to occupy. You need the right tools. When difficulties arise, you need problem-solving methods and you need to persevere. All worthwhile endeavors require commitment, dedication, and perseverance. The Alpha Nutrition Program provides instruction in proper diet revision therapy. Often the best method of leaving a compulsive eating pattern is to take a food holiday which involves a involves a period of reduced food intake or fasting. Alpha ENF can be used as a completely absorbed, fully nourishing food-replacement. Alpha ENF can be used to supply nutrients that may be in short supply - such as amino acids, B vitamins, vitamins D and B12 and minerals such a calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Often, after withdrawal, good nutrition is difficult to achieve. Alpha ENF to the rescue! The amino acid content of Alpha ENF will supplement or replace dietary protein. Alpha ENF can be added to fruit and vegetable juices to make complete meals of simple beverages and can be added to soups, or puddings after they have been cooked to increase their nutritive value. We believe that successful abstinence from trigger foods requires a new diet with high nutrient density. It is desirable to develop normalizing habits such as having Alpha ENF in fruit juice at critical times in the day when previously the wrong foods were consumed and binges began. The critical points in the day are the low times - late afternoon and in the evening when cravings peak; the body is looking for something. By ingesting a complete set of nutrients, hunger subsides, stability returns and coping strategies such as going to OA meetings, exercise, recreation, family and fun time continue to work. |
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