The "forgotten" sin of delicacy. Now about separate "personal" drafts. Passion salty, spicy or spicy

Natalia Inina- Lecturer, Faculty of Psychology, Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Orthodox Institute of St. John the Theologian, Russian Orthodox University.

In 2005 she graduated with honors from the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov at the Department of Personality Psychology. Author of the courses "Psychology of Personality", "Psychology of Religion", "Psychology of Faith", " Psychological counseling" and etc. Reads a course of lectures on practical psychology at advanced training courses for clerics in Moscow at the Moscow Orthodox Theological Academy. Developed and hosted the author's program "Fulcrum" on the Spas TV channel (2007-2009). Author of several publications in scientific and popular publications. Sphere of interests - psychology of personality, psychology of religion, psychology of development, psychology of creativity.

Food as a marker of relationship with oneself

Natalia Vladimirovna, probably, there are no people who would not like to eat delicious food. Does this mean that each of us is subject to gluttony?

Not at all. Food is God's blessing and a natural human need. And the passion of gluttony arises only when concern for nutrition, for one's body becomes the center of life. For example, if a person carefully considers what he will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, mentally plays the details of the menu in his imagination, constantly goes shopping in search of some special products and seasonings, and this takes up the lion's share of his time, then he it is worth thinking seriously about gluttony, about why this passion seizes it. And if we eat to strengthen our body, replenish our strength, then this is completely normal process unrelated to gluttony.

Very often, the attitude to food is a kind of marker of my relationship with myself, with other people, with the world, as well as relationships with the body in general - an indicator of psychological health, how a person is in a harmonious state. Disorders eating behavior in this sense, they often reflect the internal mental problems of a person.

Take the well-known diseases - anorexia (when a person eats almost nothing and at the same time seems to be too fat) and bulimia (when a person eats everything indiscriminately and then experiences a state close to poisoning, as well as a terrifying feeling of guilt and self-loathing) .

In my practice, there was a case when a young girl’s anorexia was not at all a desire to look like slender models from the covers of glossy magazines, but a colossal distrust of the world and fear of people. Her mother was an extremely powerful and controlling woman. She constantly watched what she read, what she wore and with whom her daughter was friends. The girl reacted in a destructive way - she simply stopped eating (by the time the therapy began, she ate only seeds and candies). Obviously not healthy attitude to food was just a way to isolate oneself from the world, and the real reason The suffering of the girl was the most difficult state of mind, tension, anxiety, distrust of people and fear of life.

Another client of mine, who suffered from bulimia, in this way solved the problem of deep dissatisfaction with herself and the simultaneous desire to be in the center of events. She was a powerful and temperamental woman, manipulated all her loved ones, and she had a lot of them: parents, brother, sisters, husband, two children. And she tried to control everyone, demanded that everyone report to her, but at the same time she constantly complained about her loved ones, who, according to her, could not cope without her.

Unfortunately, desire to rule and govern is common. In fact, behind this desire may be hidden deep fear and anxiety that give rise to such overbearing controlling behavior.

Another distortion of the normal relationship to food is excessive obsession with one's health. Now, for example, a healthy lifestyle is in vogue. They talk a lot about him, write, hold various seminars, make programs that help to lose weight, supporters healthy lifestyle lives unite in clubs and support groups. And it all comes down to how much protein, fat, carbohydrates a person consumes, how it affects his physical well-being, his sugar level.

Taking care of one's health is natural, but if it is not about treating a serious illness, but about prevention, then it is unlikely that a person can take more than 10-15 percent of his time from all his worries. For example, I have very nice colleagues who, taking care of themselves, bring a box of buckwheat porridge with them to work and don’t go to the canteen at lunchtime, but eat their porridge, but the rest of the time they don’t even remember this box, but busy with business. Wonderful!

And if a person passionate about a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, there are serious unresolved internal problems, he gets hung up on this topic, begins to calculate calories, build schedules for every day and hour - he devotes himself to a healthy lifestyle. Everything is turned upside down: not a healthy lifestyle for a person, but a person for a healthy lifestyle, not the body serves me, but I serve the body. And this is precisely what pushes us to the passion of gluttony.

How can one find a way out of such states?

Since the real problem of a person in such a situation lies not in food as such, but in his state of mind, in a deep loss of connection with himself, with his life, very often in dislike of himself and fear of life, it makes sense not to fixate on the problem of food, but to solve deeper existential problems related to life, feelings, goals, meanings, experiences, to the difficulties that stand in the way. Then gradually the topic of food ceases to be significant - food begins to take the place that it should, and it should simply serve our body.

A good psychotherapist can help with this. This does not mean that he replaces the priest. The psychotherapist does not struggle with passions - he has a different task, a different language, a different terminology. It is designed to help a person clear "psychological blockages" so that they do not interfere spiritual development personality.

Spiritual efforts, the spiritual ascent of a person must be supported mental health. It happens that people for years in confession list the same sins that cannot be overcome by an effort of will, self-discipline or the inclusion of common sense. Of course, in this case, you need to understand the reasons, and it often happens that these reasons are just in the plane of psychology: for example, it can be anxiety, fear, lack of contact with oneself. Until we provide the conditions under which a person begins to become aware of himself, to hear himself, to be attentive to himself (in which the psychotherapist helps), it is useless to work with all the multitude of problems.

Passion Trigger

- Why was the passion of gluttony considered the first of the eight passions by the holy fathers?

The first does not mean the most important (the most important, as we remember, is pride). Gluttony is a kind of door for passions. When we open it, other passions enter the soul.

Let us remember that the first temptation of Christ, when he fasted in the desert for forty days, was connected with food. The devil offered Christ to turn stones into bread and eat them, satisfying his hunger, and we remember that Christ answers: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Moreover, the first temptation in Paradise was also associated with the eating of food. Sin entered man, into his nature, when Adam ate an apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is in the center of paradise. What is "evil" and what is "good" is determined by God, and a person accepts this knowledge given to him by the Lord in humility and obedience. It is not about submission, it is about trust, because only in mutual trust is true obedience possible. The obedience of Adam, who does not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, is an act of trust and love for God, for his Creator.

However, if a person violates the unity of chastity, trust and love that permeated the relationship between the first man and his Creator before the fall, doubt arises in his soul, a crafty juggling takes place, in which the Forbidden fruit turns into a coveted blessing. The deception will be revealed, but it will be too late. The whole life of fallen humanity is an attempt to return to God, to overcome this terrible gap.

What happens immediately after the fall? Naturally, it turns out that there is no longed-for good that was so expected, a person fails, and this gives rise to fear, anxiety and flight. We can say that at this moment begins that very psychology - the psychology of fallen man - with which we, as psychologists, have to deal.

There is a fear of the future, doubts in oneself, in one's abilities, distrust of others, an attempt to replace faith with power, an attempt to replace love with wealth, and so on and so forth. Passion prevailed over man only because he did not resist lust, was not completely faithful to his Creator.

Food is the simplest, the most obvious, the most natural thing that is always in front of us. By itself, food, eating food is not yet a passion, but it can become one if we lose touch with God, lose fidelity to Him, succumb to false desires, mirages that promise us pleasure, but always lie. That is why the holy fathers say that gluttony is a trigger that triggers all other passions.

- And how does this trigger mechanism work?

- Take for example the passion inherent in many - vanity, arrogance. How is it related to gluttony? The child asks: “I want this crispy crust” or “I want this very fried chicken leg ...”. In general, a piece is tastier and more. Everyone knows the picture! Such a self-centered desire: the best is for me. In childhood, it is innocent, but often, having matured, a person treats himself, his beloved, the same way - me, me, me.

If gluttony has taken possession of us, if this first door into the human soul is open, then other passions will also enter - both stinginess, and love of money, and despondency. I would not dare to assert this with certainty (although I, as a psychologist, understand this), if I had not read this from many holy fathers of the Church. Yes and with psychological point this is absolutely true, because subordinating oneself to passion will inevitably lead to the loss of oneself, and therefore to anxiety that will make a person save money, save, even if this is not necessary, not share with others because of fear of tomorrow, to lack of faith, to fear of life, pushing into depression, despondency.

In general, I am convinced that behind any passion there is a deep fear, distrust, anxiety, a desire to stock up on something or to insure something else, and globally it is a loss of connection with existence, the ability to love and trust not only God and people, but also yourself. yourself.

What does a healthy relationship with food look like in everyday life?

- I would say that healthy example relationship to food can be called a monastic meal: in monasteries they usually eat simple food in small portions, get up from the table quickly.

I was told about a meal on Mount Athos. The time allotted for the meal is only enough to have time to eat what is served to the table. There is no way to talk to a neighbor or savor food. They quickly refreshed themselves and dispersed - each returned to his obedience. This is a normal attitude towards food: it strengthens the body, and does not subjugate a person to itself.

“But in monasteries on holidays there is plentiful and tasty food on the tables…

- True, but the festive meal is never about food. This is a joint existence in which we rejoice with each other. If this is breaking the fast, we rejoice in God, we eat food with gratitude, with love, reverently. At the same time, we see each other, we feel the joy of the other. And then the meal becomes a joy, a continuation of the Last Supper.

The same can be said about the tradition of hospitality and hospitality. Hospitality is a virtue because I treat the guest. I don’t bake pies for myself, but I try for a guest, I’m ready to give him the last piece. And that's when food turns from a curse into a boon.

However, when people gather at a common table not to see each other, enjoy the meeting, chat, but only to eat delicious food, enjoy culinary delights, then what happens next? Either quarrels, conflicts, fights, or indecent fantasies, flirting, fornication, it really depends on the degree of depravity. Man falls into his flesh, into lust, into instincts.

You can overcome lust only with faith and will, make a decision, show self-discipline, understand what consequences this will lead to if you do not stop yourself. To perform this act, to say “stop” to yourself, of course, does not help the body, but the mind.

"Anesthesia" of sex addiction

- Is fornication a passion of the same nature as gluttony, does it have a similar mechanism of development?

There is a difference, it is mainly in the consequences of passion. The glutton harms only himself. Gluttony is a relationship with oneself. And by fornication they harm not only themselves, but also others.

But let's take a closer look at the passion of fornication. Very often one problem actually has completely different roots. For example, parents complain about bad behavior child, but it turns out that they themselves do not allow him to take a step. A person complains about an unfair attitude towards himself, but it turns out that he himself treats others without due attention. And behind the passion of fornication, when practical work begins, other grounds, violations, and problems are often also found.

If we talk about sexual addiction, then it also has existential spiritual components, such as a deep unconscious fear of death, a repressed feeling of inner emptiness, deep loneliness. But there may be problems of a different kind - childhood trauma, sexual abuse experienced at a young age, destructive, pathological relationships in parental family. As a result, a person “throws” into sexual addiction in search of “anesthesia”, quasi-consolation, but, of course, he does not find any consolation, but falls into addiction deeper and deeper, losing healthy life guidelines.

The passion of fornication is a more fundamental problem than just sexual addiction, and it is to a great extent connected with the spiritual sphere of the individual. If we turn to etymology, then "fornication" and "wandering" are the same root words, and they are close in meaning. This is a kind of departure, sometimes a search, but a false goal. A person wanders in search of something, his soul is restless, looking, but looking not where something valuable, important lies.

This also applies to other passions. The task of passion is to captivate the whole person, all his levels: both bodily and spiritual, but above all - the spiritual level, because it determines the relationship of a person with God. Therefore, the fight against passion is not just a fight against a prodigal thought, which is usually what the philistine idea of ​​an ascetic usually boils down to. This is a struggle for a person, for the development of his personality, in the Christian sense - for his salvation.

Therefore, the task of a psychologist is not just to provide a means of confrontation, but to direct a person in the direction of disclosure. best properties his soul, in the direction of self-acceptance, so that as a result of this self-disclosure, the prodigal thought was also defeated.

AT adolescence a person has a hormonal explosion. How to help a teenager overcome prodigal desires? Is it worth discussing these sensitive topics frankly with him?

Yes, in adolescence a child in short term experiencing what physiologists call a "hormonal storm". The body is being rebuilt, the appearance is changing, new problems arise, often overwhelming the maturing child. He finds himself, according to Tolstoy, in the "desert of adolescence", when the former supports in the form of a family and school are being shaken, and new ones have not yet been formed, and at the same time he finds himself in a zone of dangers associated, among other things, with the sexual sphere.

But for outward signs As I said, there may be other problems. The main one is the gap internal conflict between “I want” and “must”, that is, between desires and reason. Behind this global discrepancy there is self-doubt, and fear, and loneliness, and many other typical teenage problems.

The task of both the psychologist and the parents is to help in the passage of this period. We still must not forget negative impact mass culture who turned vices into virtues. Therefore, parents need to be on the alert, try to become friends with their children and help them to pass over the abyss, not to fall into it.

I believe that there are no taboo topics in a conversation between parents and children - another matter how, with what intonation, what language speak. Let me remind you of the words of Marshak, who, when asked how to write books for children, answered: “Just like for adults, only much better!”.

Parents should take care, firstly, of building trust between them and the child, and secondly, of their readiness to talk with the child on any topic, including topics of loved ones, intimate relationships. It's no secret that many parents spend on communicating with their children. minimal amount time, and often reduce this communication to shouts, demands, reproaches.

I got one case. A young man of about sixteen came to me. In a conversation, he admitted: “I feel terrible, because I am the only virgin in our class!”. I learned that he could not talk about this with anyone in the family, because it was not customary to talk heart to heart there. And the guy was tormented by this question, he felt insecure, lonely, believed that he was an outcast. It was these things that worried him, not sexual experiences. He believed that if he was not like everyone else, then he was worse.

I told him: “I am very grateful to you that you decided to talk to me about this. I cannot require you to remain chaste. I can only say that I think about it, based on my life and professional experience. Of course, you are free to follow the example of your friends (by the way, it’s not a fact that they all lost their virginity, this may be bravado). But I know that if you do it just to keep up with your friends, then you will remember this first experience for the rest of your life as something very far from that beautiful thing that is called love. But when you meet a girl you fall in love with, and your love will be mutual, and you decide to get married, because you cannot live a single day without each other, then your intimacy will be part of that great love that will fill your hearts and bring you Both are truly happy!”

It so happened that a few years later we met again, and it turned out that he then managed to refrain from temptations. He really met his love, and they got married. I didn’t ask if my predictions came true, but looking at him, I understood that I was in front of a happy young man, loving and beloved.

Summarizing my thought, I would say that everything needs a measure and common sense. Any extreme is always bad. In my opinion, speaking with teenagers about sex freely and “in an adult way” is inadequacy, since this topic is also delicate for an adult, and a teenager is extremely vulnerable, his feelings are aggravated and vulnerable. Such conversations require respect, caution, sensitivity. But it's also wrong not to speak at all. This, as a rule, is associated with parental unwillingness to take on the burden of responsibility, to spend their mental strength.

Eros is the first step, and fornication is the first obstacle

Many unbelievers intuitively understand the sinfulness of theft or, for example, adultery, but the Church's attitude to sexual relations outside of marriage is incomprehensible. Why is fornication a sin?

I would expand this question: how to explain to a non-church person that sin destroys integrity? Does this apply only to prodigal passion? What about the purpose and meaning of life? And how to explain to a non-church person what salvation or immortality of the soul is? Between these concepts and secular consciousness there is an abyss, which, as it is said in the Gospel, it is impossible for a person to pass, - everything is possible only for God. Christ came to take us across this abyss, and each of us, to the extent of imitation of Christ, can help another to do this.

But in my opinion, it is impossible to give a general universal answer to a particular and each time unique question. For this, there is such a science - psychology, to help find a specific answer to this question, and again, not in itself general form, but in a concrete form.

Indeed, in a secular society, it is believed that there is nothing dangerous in fornication, that it is a kind of “relaxation”, “stress relief” and generally “good for health” (by the way, urologists or gynecologists often talk about this when consulting their patients). What can you say? If we draw some analogy, then according to this logic, there is nothing wrong with regular drinking - it is stress relief, relaxation, prevention of atherosclerosis.

Arguments of this kind may seem convincing until we turn to the statistics of deaths, broken families, degradation and mental illness of millions of our compatriots who follow this path. Returning to our topic - for the euphoria from random connections there can be dependence, subordination of everything inner peace a person of this obsessive passion, and this will inevitably lead to the waste of oneself, the loss of integrity, and in the end - the complete degradation of the personality as God's plan.

Man lives in two worlds. On the one hand, on a horizontal plane, and in this respect we are talking about a psychology that may not be directly related to spiritual issues, that is, about motives, needs, social roles, emotions, affects, etc. But there is also a vertical dimension. It was this dimension that the eminent psychologist Viktor Frankl spoke of as the spiritual space of a person, in which he really becomes himself in the full sense of the word. This is the space of the personality, the space of moral choices, high deeds, the experience of overcoming one's egocentric desires.

In other words, everything in man time runs the struggle between the ordinary and the sublime, the egocentric and the altruistic, between comfort and personal effort, is ultimately the clash of the profane and the sacred in the human soul.

The task of a psychologist is not to act as an adviser, let alone a judge, but to create conditions so that a person can rise above himself, above his ego, grow spiritually.

This is where the psychology begins! If a person does not realize his true intention, then he cannot assess from a spiritual, moral point of view whether this is evil or good. He will find various self-justifications, he will confuse himself to such an extent that he will begin to pass off good for evil and vice versa, that is, he will lose touch with the spiritual reality of his being.

With regard to methods of dealing with prodigal passion, that is, means "against", and there are means "for". As a rule, the means "against", such as, for example, oaths, prohibitions, are much weaker than the means "for" - ideals, goals, values. The highest is love, which puts everything in its place.

“Love will teach everything,” Archpriest Boris Nichiporov liked to say, answering the fashionable question in the nineties about sexual compatibility. Love is understood in several aspects - eros (unanimity), philos (unanimity) and agape (unanimity). These three hypostases form one whole!

But in fornication, eros separates and begins to play a destructive role and, perhaps even worse, it takes on the role of headship in love. Eros, oddly enough, in this case castrates love, instead of supplementing it, more precisely, manifesting its fullness through itself. Not to mention the fact that eros, being autocratic, reduces the other person to a simple remedy, tools, "partner".

To quote Viktor Frankl: “Love is the only way understand the other person in the deepest essence of his personality. No one can understand the essence of another person before he fell in love with him. Eros is the first step on the path to the fullness of love, and fornication is the first obstacle.

addicted to food

Overeating differs from other addictions in that it is relatively subtle, not very conspicuous. This is because it is easily confused with normal, necessary reception food. Smokers by at least can clearly say what they are trying to give up. Overeating people find it difficult to tell where the line between normal eating and overeating lies.

Some people try to define a destructive passion for food by listing foods and foods that they tend to consume in excess, such as starchy foods and sweets. They preach the rejection of them, using this criterion to determine the boundary between the norm and pathological addiction.

If you wish to completely abstain from certain foods for religious or health reasons, you can do so. However I personally do not call for total renunciation of all types of food as a solution for all of us.

We still haven't defined a bad eating habit. The images that come to mind are tragic and vivid. Midnight trip to the kitchen... We scoop sweet, creamy food with full spoons into full condition prostration, eating like crazy... It's overeating because you're low spirits or you're angry... It's snacking or eating at a terrific rate... It's chocolate or giving yourself second and third helpings... It's eating while standing up or in front of the TV.

Remember, however, that all bad habits have one thing in common—they are not essential to normal life. Normal nutrition Although it can and should also taste exceptionally good, it is a meal to keep you alive and in good health.

My definition of addiction to food is pretty radical. It includes everything that our body does not need to maintain perfect health. Some people eat more food than their body needs at lunch, some people overeat during snacks or at any meal time.

If the quantity exceeds your requirement, it is - bad habit. Excess fat on your sides is a good signal, it will let you know that you are overeating. However, this is not the only signal. Many people are able to stay perfectly lean by consuming food that they absolutely do not need and on which they are addicted.

Addiction to food has two sides. On the one hand, it is about the amount of food eaten, you can overeat, even if you choose very fresh and healthy food. On the other hand, we are talking about quality, you eat food of dubious or poor quality, which does not have any nutritional value or even harmful to health.

I'm not suggesting that you completely give up overeating, or that you forever renounce something that you passionately love. However, I believe that you will be able to keep your passion within reason, and before you develop the ability to take responsibility for your food, you must first understand what in question. Our goal in the beginning is to recognize when we are about to overeat and then develop the ability to overeat less and less.

SARAH'S TESTIMONY

It would be hard for me to admit to myself the number of hours I spent thinking about food, counting calories, resisting the urge to eat chocolate, eating to feel less upset, feeling guilty, weighing, eating out of boredom, running around the shops looking for clothes that would make me look "not so fat" to complaining that life has treated me unfairly.

Now I am free to truly live, make friends, work, develop my interests, love my family members without having to wander in a thick fog of food addiction. By the way, I also lost weight and now wear more small size clothes.

- When you eat and you are more or less sure that the hunger is not physical, wait a little, no matter how long, before sinking your teeth into a piece of food. Chances are, you actually feel like eating. This is an example of what it feels like to have a desire to eat that comes from an addiction to food. Observe this desire as you experience it, even if only for a few seconds. Celebrate the uniqueness and originality of your personal experience, do not try to fit it into the framework of what you imagined it to be.

- Start to notice in your mind and on paper your desire to eat when you are not hungry and your excuses for overeating. It can be difficult at first because you are self-judgmental and because your mind will try to hide your addictions from you. Addiction always relies on lies, and when you notice how you lie to yourself in your excuses, it will be difficult for you to continue to overeat. That's the whole point. The more you try, the better you will get.

Try not to judge yourself too harshly. Most people are addicted to something, like coffee. Instead of blaming yourself, congratulate yourself that you are working on the issue, and be glad for all the foods and dishes that you do not have an all-consuming passion for!

- As you work on yourself, you may worry about your future. What will my life become? What will skits, family feasts and holidays turn into? Will I be able to control myself? Can I continue to rely on the method where other methods have failed?

Are you more afraid of success than of impending failure?

Be careful, because this kind of anxiety, while normal and understandable, can easily turn into a plan for failure: "I'll never get used to this, so why bother?"

The way to deal with this kind of thinking is to simply focus on the present moment. Remember, the future has not arrived, it exists only in your imagination. The more you focus on the present moment, on what is happening here and now, the easier it will be for you to maintain a positive mood and high motivation for change.

You don't have to believe in this approach, it will work anyway. Either way, you won't know until you try.

Still dependent on irresistible cravings to flour and sweet? Often this craving for food is an insurmountable obstacle to slimness.

One type of food craving is justified by psychological reasons, another may be physiological or biochemical in origin, the third may be caused by an imbalance of hormonal or chemical substances in the brain or nervous system.

However, this is relatively new area research, which means there are many unknown facts about chemicals and their effect on food cravings. Nowadays, scientists are discovering more and more new chemical and hormonal substances, but there are still many mysteries in this area, for example, how various chemical impulses affect food intake and our body as a whole.

Biochemistry of nutrition - a very complex and complex process, so it will take a lot of research before humanity will be able to solve the problem of passion for food once and for all.
So, let's look at some of the reasons that affect the development of our irresistible food cravings:

Serotonin

With a decrease in serotonin levels, most people self-medicate, so to speak, by eating foods rich in carbohydrates: sugar, sweets, cakes, chocolate. This uncontrolled craving for carbohydrate-rich foods inevitably leads to weight gain. Trying to make up for the lack of serotonin in this way, we simply begin to gain weight.

Interaction between alcohol and serotonin

Serotonin and frequent mood swings

Dr. Wartman from the Massachusetts Technical University came close to studying this issue. He has published numerous papers on the relationship between low serotonin levels and affective disorders, such as: seasonal depression, carbohydrate "thirst", premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Well-known research scientists Wellins and Rissanen (1994) also suggest that such phenomena as depression, anorexia, bulimia and binge eating (constant uncontrolled overeating) are directly related to low levels of serotonin, which, in turn, is associated with appetite. In depression and bulimia, low levels of serotonin in the brain lead to excessive food intake, especially foods rich in highly refined carbohydrates (sugar, White bread, buns, rice, pasta). In anorexia, low levels of serotonin cause the patient to be constantly dissatisfied with food.

Food cravings and PMS syndrome

A group of leading South African researchers led by Professor Buffenstein (1995) concluded that cyclic fluctuations in women's meals depend on menstrual cycle, that is, a decrease in the amount of food absorbed occurs at the time of ovulation, and the "peak of gluttony" - immediately after ovulation. Scientists believe that these changes in food intake are the result of changes in the functioning of the ovaries and contribute to excessive energy consumption and weight gain.

The publications of Professor Moeller (1992) from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology in Denmark show that serotonin is involved in the regulation of mood and impulsive behavior, as well as hunger. According to Moeller's research, serotonin also regulates diet.

Medical treatment

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Don't be scared! In fact, these are conventional antidepressants, which increase the level of serotonin in the brain, and also try to make this level of serotonin stable. These drugs improve mood, reduce the level of nervousness, anxiety, emotional stress.

If you are suffering from depression due to overweight, consult your doctor and ask him to prescribe you a course of antidepressants that increase serotonin in the brain.

Weight loss medications
Currently, there are only a few drugs that help lose weight while simultaneously controlling serotonin levels.

One of them is Reductil, which contains subutramine, a substance that enhances the feeling of satiety. According to MDR (multiple drug resistance), this medicine is " selective inhibitor reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine "- a double-acting drug, with minimal side effects and good tolerance. It reduces weight by reducing kilojoule consumption and increasing energy expenditure.

Reductil is primarily recommended for obese patients. The duration of treatment is about 3 months, if there is no individual intolerance. If the drug does not promote weight loss, treatment should be stopped immediately.

Dietary Intervention

Concentrate on food with high content fiber, minimally processed. Eat meals from cornmeal, cereal bran, have breakfast oatmeal eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (especially sweet potato), brown brown rice.

To increase tryptophan (aromatic amino acid) levels, also eat foods that contain a large number of proteins: milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, lean meat or fish, eggs. After all, tryptophan in our body is directly converted into serotonin, which is so important for us.

Of course, unhealthy food cravings are caused by various factors and reasons. Among them are sources of psychological origin, and causes associated with violations of the biochemical balance in the body.

Whenever you experience the strongest feeling of hunger or a wild desire to eat this or that product - eat low-fat yogurt, diet bread or fresh fruits. This will not only dampen the feeling of hunger, but also prevent you from gaining excess weight.

Also try to eat foods that contain "healthy" carbohydrates, that is, high in fiber. This will provide your body with the necessary amount of carbohydrates, prevent mood swings and constant desire eat. If your passion for food is completely out of control, contact your doctor for medical treatment.

Welcome to the blog pages! The topic of our today's conversation is rather delicate. Together we will try to figure out if each of us has not just problems with the diet, but a strong, painful craving for food.

Admitting that you have discovered the symptoms of a “food addiction” is not easy. But without such sincerity, at least with oneself, the problem cannot be solved.

It is believed that at least a third of the world's population today are prone to addiction to food, which requires treatment for food addiction. We acquire fat, clog blood vessels, acquire a long list of diseases. And all because we eat not when we feel hungry, but out of habit or “from idleness”, or, consciously or not, we extract hormones of pleasure from foods.

Sometimes the sources of the problem are deeper than we think. And to overcome it, you need to understand in detail the physiological and psychological reasons this affection. We list the main ones:

• Genetic disorders that provoke a lack of dopamine - the hormone of good mood;
• Hormonal disruptions, poor production of leptin, a hormone that reduces appetite;
• Food acts on taste buds, and they transmit signals to the brain, to the pleasure center. Repetitive positive emotions form the need for them;
• Stresses that we "seize";
• Distortions in nutrition towards fast food, sweets, confectionery, which quickly become addictive, developing into a disease;
• Rigid diets, after which failures often occur obsessive thoughts about "half-eaten" delicacies.

"Dead" addictive food

Worst of all, the unnatural craving for eating large amounts of food concerns, first of all, junk food. It would be fine, we compulsively chewed carrots or did not part with a bunch of green onions. Although, here, too much is not good, but not as harmful as the immoderate absorption of hamburgers.

Nutritionists conditionally distinguish three types of food that delivers to our body the greatest harm. She, alas, is the most “attached”, it is from her that dependence is most quickly formed.

The first group of products includes "pure" sweets: sweets, ice cream, chocolate.

The second category is bakery products and biscuits, rich fast carbohydrates. It is precisely because they are quickly absorbed into the blood that a surge of satiety occurs, but very soon it ends, and the body requires another batch energy and emotional nourishment.

Dishes from products with great content fat are assigned to the third group.

There is also a fourth, which includes food "perversions" containing all of the above harmfulness. These are cakes, eclairs, hamburgers and other "delicacies", also richly flavored with flavor enhancers, firmly riveting them to the "gourmets".

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Likely Threats

The consequences of uncontrolled appetite can be various violations activities internal organs and systems up to serious illnesses, such as:

• Diabetes;
• Oncological pathologies;
• Failures in the activity of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Obesity;
• and a number of other complications.

Is there a similar addiction in children?

While our children are growing, we sometimes try to feed them to the maximum. Without suspecting that we are creating the ground for dependence on food in a child.

In one familiar family, parents strongly demanded that the girl must eat everything with bread, including pasta, meat and other foods that do not go well with the main product. The obedient baby did just that, and at first touched everyone with pleasant roundness. But then she grew up. At school, and then at work, communication problems arose, because, you yourself can guess what a young maiden of 60 size is called behind her eyes, how others treat her. AT best case, with sympathy. Now she is far from young, but still very lonely. Moreover, loving parents are no longer around.

Repeating the saying: “A spoon for mom, a spoon for dad”, sometimes remember this really unfortunate woman who is now desperately fighting obesity, but her hand treacherously reaches for another sandwich ...

Often the reasons for the problem are the busyness of parents, the lack of time to communicate with children, and even the lack of emotional closeness. Mom is trying to compensate for this deficit with goodies such as chips, chupa-chups, and all this is very harmful for a fragile organism and instantly gives an addictive reaction.

Making a self-diagnosis

In fact, determining whether we have a painful attraction is not difficult at all. There is a list of specific questions and statements, descriptions of situations that together make up a food addiction test.

Answer them sincerely and make a conclusion.

I hope you, my dear readers, have more negative answers. If the case is the opposite, then this is an occasion to seriously think, and at the same time read this small selection of my articles about the basics of a healthy diet.

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How to deal with the problem?

Let's say you honestly admitted to yourself: yes, there are all or most of these signs of trouble. This is half a step towards victory. Moving on, you need to decide how to get rid of this scourge.

The simplest thing is to conduct a detailed revision of your diet, highlighting its most harmful components. Think about what you can replace them with. For starters, if you can’t completely give up donuts and cakes, at least cut back. daily dose. And make it a rule to feast on them only in the morning, but not in the evening. In the article, I discussed this issue in detail. Therefore, do not be lazy and follow the link to read and know these products "by sight".

Replace sausages, sausages, dumplings and other semi-finished products and surrogates with an ordinary piece of meat - it’s healthier, fewer calories, and also tasty, finally.

What to do with your favorite sweets? Replace confectionery natural products rich in glucose: fruits (fresh and dried fruits), honey. High-quality chocolate, in small doses, is also suitable.

Porridges are very good, any dishes from vegetables and herbs, nuts, dairy products. If they are cooked and combined correctly, they will be quite appetizing, and at the same time not too "intrusive". Although, the habit of eating healthy is also developed over time, but this is already a very useful skill.

There is one more effective reception struggle with habits is their displacement, replacement by others. Above, I just said about acquiring cravings for another "drug" - healthy food. But you can also do some interesting work, for example, learn to knit, embroider, weave baskets, write articles. Or at least read interesting books. It is really addictive, makes you forget about afternoon snacks and dinners for a while.

The ideal option for overcoming a destructive passion is constant trips to the gym. Here we get "three in one" - we tone the muscles, we drive the weight, and we are distracted from snacking. Plus bonuses - excellent health and mood.

Just what the doctor ordered

But, even with heroic efforts, we are not always able to cope with the problem on our own. Do not despair. In this case, you just need to take the help of specialists. This is usually a nutritionist and psychologist who need to be told in detail about the signs of food addiction that you have noticed in yourself.

A nutritionist will certainly give specific advice on a balanced diet. Recommend to include in the menu more products, rich in fiber, such as cereals, vegetables, fruits, herbs, legumes. drink more pure water, without sweeteners and colors, without other additives and gas.

The psychologist will teach you to enjoy life without food "feeds". Most often, sessions are held in groups, it is quite possible that you will find new friends there, it will be easier to cope with the situation together.

In some cases, it joins drug treatment. But the main thing in the “re-education” algorithm is the support of loved ones. After all, it is best to completely remove provocative products from everyday life. This means that family members will also be involved in the process of weaning. And it is not easy and rather lengthy, it can be accompanied by breakdowns, including nervous ones.

Any dependence is a lack of freedom. But it can be difficult to refuse it, especially if the problem is old, “chronic”.

I sincerely wish you all Dear friends, get rid of bad habits and learn to experience joyful emotions from communicating with friends, good books, traveling and useful hobbies.

Smile, gentlemen! See you soon!