FOOD RELATED DISORDERS

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Alfred Stafford
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1 FOOD RELATED DISORDERS dis-or-der [dis-awr-der] noun a disturbance in physical or mental health or functions; malady or dysfunction. Chapter Eight 74

Better Mood Food A combination of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and essential fatty acids, all found in foods, stimulate the production of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and beta endorphine

2 Better Mood Food A combination of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and essential fatty acids, all found in foods, stimulate the production of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and beta endorphine brain messengers that boost self esteem, connectedness to others, and emotional stability. These neurotransmitters are important ingredients not just for healthy bodies but also for high functioning minds and positive emotions. You can increase the neurotransmitter serotonin in your body by eating complex carbohydrates like whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, barley and whole grain bread and pasta), beans (kidney, garbanzos, lima and many others) and root vegetables (potatoes, yams, carrots and turnips). At the same time it is important to have proteins that are found in meat, dairy products, nuts, and seeds because they contain tryptophan, a building block of serotonin (protein is also beneficial in other parts of the body). Green, yellow, red, and leafy vegetables are also important, not because they contain tryptophan, but because they contain the B vitamins and minerals that help the brain turn tryptophan into serotonin. You can increase the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in your body by eating meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken) seafood (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), dairy products (cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk), eggs, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds, protein powders, and green, yellow, red and leafy vegetables. 75 xx

Food and Body Chemistry Now that scientists can study the brain in more detail, we are learning more about how food interacts with the body, like how exercise and food stimulates different parts of

Sometimes the foods people choose to eat (or not eat) have more to do with how they feel than with hunger. At the same time, the foods we eat influence how we feel. It s a cycle.

3 Food and Body Chemistry Now that scientists can study the brain in more detail, we are learning more about how food interacts with the body, like how exercise and food stimulates different parts of the brain. The food you eat affects not just your body, but also your brain chemistry. Your brain chemistry is connected to your emotions. Sometimes the foods people choose to eat (or not eat) have more to do with how they feel than with hunger. At the same time, the foods we eat influence how we feel. It s a cycle. When upset, anxious or stressed, a person might crave certain foods usually high in sugar and starch that make them feel better in the short term, but in the long term makes them feel worse. Sugar for example, is something that a person might crave when they are feeling low. When we are low on beta-endorphins, we often crave sugar. Eating sugar releases a flow of beta-endorphins and makes us feel better in the short run. Once these chemicals are released, however, the body uses them up even more quickly and the high created by the sugar turns into a low that in turn causes another craving for more sugar. It, too, is a cycle. So how do you eat to create a balance of chemicals in your brain and body that makes you feel good in the long term? The first thing is to remember to eat breakfast. Without it you are beginning your day depleted. You fast while you sleep, so that s when you need fuel for your brain and your body. Grains, fruits, and proteins are good breakfast foods. Cereals that are full of sugar are not helpful in beginning your day. They can trigger the low and high moods of a sugar cycle instead of providing you with a long-term source of energy

Food Allergies If a person has a food allergy, that means that the immune system gets confused and thinks that a certain food is harmful to the body.

4 Food Allergies If a person has a food allergy, that means that the immune system gets confused and thinks that a certain food is harmful to the body. Symptoms usually appear within minutes to two hours after the person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. You can tell that you have a food allergy by the way your body reacts to the food. An allergic reaction to food could be a tingling sensation in the mouth, a swelling of the tongue and the throat, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and even death. Although a person can be allergic to any food, there are eight foods that account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions: milk, egg, peanut, tree nut (e.g. walnuts, almonds and cashews), fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. There is no cure for food allergies; you just have to avoid eating those foods. That can be complicated when eating processed foods, because allergy-causing foods are often added, even if in small amounts, to many processed foods. That means you have to learn to read labels to be sure that the food is safe to eat (see Chapter 3). Some people have food intolerance, which is different than an allergy. An allergy involves the immune system, and food intolerance means that your body may find it hard to digest the food. Symptoms of food intolerance can include gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. xx 80

Eating Disorders Experts agree that eating disorders are not about food or weight. They are symptoms of something deeper that s happening inside.

5 Eating Disorders Experts agree that eating disorders are not about food or weight. They are symptoms of something deeper that s happening inside. People who suffer from anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating usually feel alone and consumed by their eating disorder. Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia is a psychiatric illness characterized by extreme low body weight and body image distortion, with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia are known to control body weight commonly through the means of voluntary starvation, purging, excessive exercise or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretic drugs. Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia is characterized by recurrent binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors referred to as purging. The most common form practiced by 75 percent of people with bulimia is self-induced vomiting. Fasting, the use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics and over exercising are also common. Compulsive Overeating Also sometimes called food addiction, compulsive overeating is characterized by a compulsive relationship to food that is addressed by professionals with either a behaviormodification or a food-addiction model. An individual suffering from compulsive overeating disorder engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binging, during which they may feel frenzied or out of control, often consuming food past the point of being comfortably full. Eating disorders can affect us all. Sometimes a friend needs support, or might even have questions, so it s good to know what an eating disorder is and how a person can heal from one. Complete recovery ery is not only possible, there are many organizations and websites that can help. If you or someone you love has an eating disorder, review the resources on this page. 81

Lesson 3 Managing Food Allergies

Lesson 3 Managing Food Allergies Lesson at a Glance Time Allowed (1 hour) 5 minutes Introduction to Managing Food Allergies 15 minutes Objective 1: Creating a Food Allergy Policy Topic Activity Materials