Everywhere we turn there are unhealthy foods tempting us. If you’re like me it can be a struggle to pass up these foods.

What is going on?

You may be stuck in the dietary pleasure trap!

This is a foreign concept to most of us. However, Dr. Doug Lisle and Dr. Alan Goldhamer co-authored the book “The Pleasure Trap” on this very subject.

Understanding Junk Food Cravings

The condensed version goes something like this…

Our earliest ancestors had to struggle to find food. They also had to conserve energy. This meant expending as little energy as possible in obtaining food.

This was an efficient survival mechanism for the time, but with convenience stores and fast food restaurants confronting us every time we turn around, things have changed dramatically.

It is no longer a struggle to find food.

Expending less energy in today’s society makes us fat!

Eating whole natural foods takes a little more effort than picking up a candy bar. The candy bar is loaded with calories, fat and sugar, with barely any energy expended to obtain it. A salad requires energy for preparation and is probably a lot less satisfying than an Almond Joy!

This is the pleasure trap!

We are trapped by seeking foods that are pleasurable to us instead of seeking out foods that are good for us.

What can we do?

When we are born we (hopefully) start out with healthy foods. As we grow up we are exposed to more and more processed, unnatural foods.

Our tastebuds change and peas and carrots don’t seem very appealing anymore.

Whole foods give your stomach a stretch which makes you feel full.

Fiber-less, sugar laden, fat- filled foods don’t.

The result?

You feel hungry and eat even more! You can see what a vicious cycle it is. So the question is, how can we go back to being satisfied with whole plant-based foods?

Eating Well Begins With…

First of all, having this knowledge may be helpful, but probably not helpful enough to make a huge change.

It takes about 3 weeks to alter your taste buds and maybe even longer depending upon how dependent you are on the foods you are consuming.

A good step is to get everything out of your house that is a temptation for you.

Two approaches which are effective: refrain from eating all day or do a juice fast for a couple of days to clear your palate. You will be amazed how delicious a carrot is!

Try it. It really works.

These are opportunities for a clean start.

My inspiration for this article came from smelling green beans steaming while I was finishing up a juice fast. Needless to say, those were the best green beans I ever ate!

Would you like to learn more?

You can send me an email (listed below), or you can leave a comment for me here and I’ll get right back to you.

Reference:

1. The Pleasure Trap