Can People Really Be Addicted to Food?

Hmm, addicted to food?  Can we be addicted to something that is essential to our existance?  I read this article Can People Really Be Addicted to Food? earlier this morning and found it very interesting. 

I've commented for many years that if there is addiction of any sort in your family, then you have a greater propensity toward addictive behavior as well.  Not all addictions are obvious, but all eventually create harm or problems within our lives.  The obvious ones are the alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sex, pornography, gambling, etc.  But what about work, coffee, sodas, chocolate, electronic games, surfing the web, surfing facebook or myspace or exercise?  Is it possible to become addicted to any of them?  Look at the definition of addiction:

Addiction is an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequences. A person who is addicted is sometimes called an addict.  wordIQ.com

If your spending time doing or eating something becomes an "uncontrollable compulsion" and it begins to create problems in your life or affects those around you negatively, then you'd have to admit that it's probably an addiction.

Breaking addictions is VERY difficult.  Anyone who has ever tried can attest to that.  Many years ago I met a Psychiatrist who taught me to use a tool called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).  He said that in forty years of practicing Psychiatry, this was the most useful tool/technique that he had.  I have since used it with and taught it to many of my patients (you?).  This is a tool that you can learn to use anywhere.  Not only does it work well for addictions, but it works well for dealing with stress and a WIDE variety of other issues as well.

So, do you have an addiction?  Is it something that you never thought could possibly be an addiction?

Some thoughts on why Doctors run late and how patients can help

Thanks to Jack Forbush, D.O., for sharing this.

by Jill of All Trades, MD

A friend recently asked me in great frustration after her visit to her doctor why doctors “always run late.”

Why do doctors make their patients “dance around” the office, getting moved around to different spots in the clinic, but still having to wait and wait at each location? Instead of explaining what really goes on at the doctor’s office, I ended up emailing her a couple of links to some of my favorite blogs that have quite eloquently addressed this issue already (click below to read):

Click to read more ...

10 Things Snack Food Companies Won't Say

Do you ever wonder if what you are eating is really as healthy as you thought that it might be?  Is the food industry really being honest in their labeling?  Does the labeling really make any sense?  Hopefully the linked article will make you think, and then reconsider what you are choosing to eat. 

Someone recently told me "Don't eat it if your greatgrandmother wouldn't recognize the ingredients."  Sounds like some sound advice to me.  Below are listed the ten points, with a "tease" to get you started on #1.  Here's the article:  10 Things Snack Food Companies Won't Say

1. This is illegal in Canada
...Olestra isn’t the only banned substance that Americans are noshing on. Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, or rBGH (commonly sold under the name Posilac), a synthetic hormone injected into cows to stimulate milk production, pops up in many dairy-based snacks like ice cream. Not in the European Union or Canada, where it has been banned amid health concerns for both cows and humans, including fears that a hormone associated with cancer might be higher in people who drink milk treated with rBGH.

2. We added pulverized insects to your snack

3. Expiration date? There’s no expiration date

4. That energy bar may exhaust you

5. There are pig bones in your pudding

6. “Natural” is naturally meaningless

7. We’re spending billions to make kids fat

8. Our factories are filthy

9. Your candy bar habit is making us rich—and infuriating retailers

10. When we say “enriched,” we mean processed

Website Updates

Ok, so, I've spent my afternoon working on the site.  I finally was able to add the updated "Lifestyle Basics" handout on the Files for Download page.  I've also played around with the twitter feeds on the left and added a Follow Us link for our new Twitter feed.

What is Integrative Holistic Medicine?

I came across this definition just now.  This is what we are all about here at Well Spring Health Center.

• Integrative Medicine — the practice of medicine that reaffirms the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

• Holistic Medicine — medical care that views physical and mental and spiritual aspects of life as closely interconnected and equally important approaches to treatment.

• Integrative Holistic Medicine is the art and science of healing that addresses care of the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.

Innovations in Integrative Helath Care Education (Part II)