“The guide to a freer, healthier and happier life”. (ELLE) Addicted to our screens, to the Internet, compulsive players, emotionally dependent, hooked on tobacco, on alcohol, on food, on sex … We are all, to very varying degrees, dependent on something which may cause problems if it gets out of control. Could you be affected? The answer is in this book! It will help you to keep or – if…
Between publicity, lobbying, news, fashion and scientific reality, it’s often hard to choose the right path when it comes to food. Gluten is a case in point; at present, anything and everything is being said about it. Here’s why it’s essential to give it serious thought. GM crops and gluten We now know how GMOs, or genetically-modified organisms, can be harmful not only to our health but also to the…
Is there anybody who hasn’t pounced on a bar of chocolate or a cake when they’ve been under stress or something sad has happened? Our emotions often get the upper hand, creating a feeling of hunger that has nothing to do with our body’s real needs. So, what’s the best way to stop “emotional eating”? Identify your emotions As is often the case, the first step towards avoiding a vicious…
There’s too much sugar in our lives! This “feel good” food, at high doses, is a real toxin for the body. However, reducing consumption is much easier than it might seem. Why not try a little detox? Too much! It’s too much! Sugar is practically an addiction in our society. People in France, for example, currently consume 20-30 kg (45-65 pounds) per year per person, compared with a little over…
Jennifer Yerhot is in recovery. She’s been addicted to alcohol, painkillers, sugar, diet coke and online shopping, but now she’s clean and life is good. Born into a family of addicts, all now recovering, there was always a chance that Jennifer would have issues. She freely acknowledges her tendency towards addiction, but for too long she tried to deal with it alone. After her jaw was broken by a swinging…
Do you madly crave cheese? Does the thought of a cheese platter make you salivate? Do you compulsively eat a whole slab of cheese at one sitting and then feel guilty afterwards? Well, you might call yourself a cheese lover, but some scientists claim you’re a cheese addict, hooked on what they refer to as ‘dairy crack’. “That’s ridiculous!” I hear you say. “How can cheese be addictive?” Well, according…
Eating too much or too little – bulimia and anorexia, two extreme pathologies in our relationship with food, affect primarily adolescent girls and young women. A combination of factors lies at the origin of eating disorders, and the psychological aspect is the most important of these. The example of anorexia illustrates the point. Like all illnesses of a psychological nature, anorexia is difficult to pin down or treat. However, since…
The medical term bulimia was borrowed as recently as 1979 from an older French word meaning “an unstoppable desire to consume”, which is why in France, at least, people will sometimes say jokingly “Hey, you’re bulimic today!” or talk about “bulimia of reading”. However the medical problem of bulimia, characterised by eating huge amounts of food, is no joke. It would be a mistake not to take it seriously,…
Behind many instances of memory loss lie addictions, whether to psychoactive substances, or to technology, or a food-related addiction. All forms of dependence, whether physical or emotional, have an effect on our mental state. Each addiction has its own effect, and some are lot nastier than others… Addiction to psychoactive substances As we said in our article about psychoactive substances, drug addiction has undesirable effects and is particularly harmful to…
Do you have an insatiable sweet tooth? Do you find yourself peering through the windows of bakeries at trays of cakes and buns, and snacking on chocolate bars between meals? Are you salivating even as you read these sentences? Well, you’re not alone. A craving for sweet treats is becoming an increasing problem through the western world. According to the respected market researchers Euromonitor International, in the United States the…