Binge Eating Disorder: Why do We Crave Certain Foods?

Dr. Carrie Decker, Naturopathic Physician Discusses Food Cravings

EDH: Welcome to today’s #EDHchat! We are excited to have you all with us! We will be discussing Binge Eating Disorder and food cravings with our special guest, Dr. Carrie Decker.

Special thanks to @CarrieDecker_ND for helping us make this twitter chat possible! Carrie will be sharing her expertise on the topic of Binge Eating Disorder and how food cravings play a role. Thank you for joining us today Carrie!

Please tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Carrie: My name is Carrie Decker, and I am a board-certified naturopathic doctor with the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners. I graduated with honors from the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

This training, including homeopathy, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, physical manipulation, and counseling. This training also supports healing from disease and maintenance of health from a holistic perspective.

I grew up in Wisconsin and spent the early part of my adult life in central Illinois, and experienced chronic struggles as I sought recovery from an eating disorder, depression, and related complications.

Upon moving to Seattle, I had the opportunity to work with a naturopathic physician & found these conditions resolving without the need for pharmaceutical management.

From this experience, I decided to pursue the career path of naturopathic medicine so I also could help others find healing from chronic disease conditions. In my practice I see patients with a variety of concerns, with a focus on autoimmune disease, gastrointestinal dysfunction, eating disorder and addiction recovery.

Also hormone and mood imbalances, skin conditions, chronic fatigue, thyroid disorders, and women’s health. I also work with patients to naturally treat acute conditions to support the restoration of health.

EDH: What has been your experience in treating Binge Eating Disorder?

Carrie: I work with individuals who have had a diagnosis of BED, as well as the general population who also have poor food cravings, poor dietary habits that include overeating foods that lead to health complications.

This might include excess weight, digestive problems, elevated blood sugar, and a myriad of other concerns. I have also struggled with these issues historically and understand the challenges that people experience on a personal level.

EDH: What factors make an individual more susceptible to developing Binge Eating Disorder?

Carrie: As with all health conditions, there are combinations of factors including genetics and environmental influence. Twin studies have shown heritability (http://tinyurl.com/ogew82h), other candidate genes that play a role in eating behavior also have been shown (http://tinyurl.com/opwcr2n).

Our gut microbiota (the fancy term for gut flora) also is similar to that of our parents and siblings, and connections have been shown between obesity and microbiota.

Similar studies have not been performed in relation to Binge Eating Disorder. But as there is significant overlap between obesity and Binge Eating Disorder it is likely similar findings would exist.

EDH: Generally speaking, why might someone with Binge Eating Disorder crave certain foods?

Carrie: There are many reasons why people have food cravings. Some of the common things that contribute are subclinical malnourishment, imbalanced blood sugar, imbalanced gut flora, lack of sleep/fatigue.

We also associate certain foods mentally and emotionally with being safe and comforted (ie foods from childhood). Some people are addicted to stimulants that include caffeine, drugs, and sugar.

I see this commonly even with children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They crave sugar because it makes them feel more alive and have more “fun” – even 7-year-olds will tell me this.

There are many studies about the addictive properties of sugar and how it affects brain chemistry (http://tinyurl.com/pjntc9s) and an increasing amount about how the gut flora plays a role in our cravings (http://tinyurl.com/llgtzfz).

Milk protein fragments have been shown to stimulate opioid receptors, possibly eliciting mild opioid effects (http://tinyurl.com/oyloduw). In my opinion (and that of the majority of other naturopaths) processed foods and food additives are also a significant contributor.

It is hard to find a research paper to show this, but that is the response that many food companies try to elicit with the foods that they advertise. “Can’t put it down,” “once you start, you can’t stop,” and variations on these slogans are common, but such is true.

Part of the work they do in food processing labs is to make these “foods” more desirable as that positively impacts a company’s bottom line. You don’t see many companies out there advertising how satisfied you will feel after a single serving of their food, do you?

Each and every one of these things may be an issue for anyone with overwhelming food cravings that lead to binges. However, when individuals experience these things to the level of being classified as having BED, the patterns have themselves become addictive, which must be dealt with.

EDH: What are two effective forms of treatment for someone who may be struggling with binge eating disorder?

Carrie: There are many things I use to support people in recovery from binge eating practice. One of the first things I emphasize is that nutritional deficiencies and food sources can be contributors.

I recommend finding a whole foods greens powder to utilize as a supplement daily, or even multiple times a day to help meet nutritional needs and get over the “binging hurdle”.

I often recommend one that includes probiotics and does not have a significant amount of added sweeteners as eating sweet things only further promotes cravings for sugar.

Using a supplement called L-glutamine also can help to diminish cravings and supports healing of the gut and is safe for most people. A broad spectrum probiotic also may offer long term benefit to both food cravings and mental response to stress. Avoiding the purchase of processed foods by changing shopping habits to only focus on the periphery of stores will help to improve food selections.

Taking time to cook for yourself and learning how to utilize an array of vegetables or whole-food-based ingredients will improve intake of phytonutrients.

There are also supplements I use in my practice which support the reduction of the underlying challenges of anxiety or depression which often contributes to binge eating.

These supplements help to balance out day-to-day stressors that leave people in the fight-or-flight mode which may promote binges. I also use more directed therapies on an individual basis to work with the challenges my patients face.

EDH: What encouragement might you offer to the person today who is struggling with Binge Eating Disorder?

Carrie: It is never simply one thing that put a permanent end to the struggles of someone with an eating disorder. Seeing out a combination of things that address the conscious and unconscious psychological and emotional issues is important.

The can include working with a therapist, psychologist, energetic healing practitioner or other support group are all options that can be used in combination.

I’ve also found working with a naturopathic doctor who practices homeopathy to offer benefit. Getting outside in nature and community and decompressing from the food focus also plays an important role.

We greatly underestimate the ability nature has to heal like finding a place to sit or walk on the grass, listen to the sounds around us. Opening our eyes and senses to the experience can help the toxicity of addictive patterns subside.

Taking a moment to read a poem or ask someone else how they are doing also helps to take the focus off the food. It is a collection of these many moments of healing that brings us to a place that we call recovery.

EDH: Thank you, Carrie, for sharing this great insight about Binge Eating Disorder. If you or a loved one has been suffering from an eating disorder, we hope this information brings you hope. Recovery from an eating disorder is possible!

For more information about Carrie Visit www.blessedthistle.info and www.carriedecker.com.

Please stay tuned for future Twitter Chats from EDH! If you are in need of resources for an eating disorder, visit our website at Eating Disorder Hope.

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Hosted by Dr. Carrie Decker, Naturopathic Physician
September 10, 2015