What is it like to be free from food addiction?
Felicia was recently interviewed on Disease Proof. [click here to read her interview] She’s lost over 160 lbs in less than a year, and she’s still losing! I asked her if she’d be willing to share what her life is like now that she's free from food addiction, and she wrote the following. May it inspire you with renewed hope and encouragement in your journey to live in the best health that’s possible!
What is it like to be free from food addiction?
by Felicia Ricks
The definition of addiction according to the dictionary is “a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance.”
I never thought of food as a habit forming substance, but I always thought of it as a necessary requirement for the body to survive. It wasn’t until I heard Dr. Fuhrman talk about toxic hunger that I came to the realization that I had a food addiction and had a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance.
When I initially started on Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian program, I experienced toxic hunger and I didn’t feel very well for several days. I asked myself, “Is this how drug addicts feel when they’re going through detoxification? This doesn’t feel good at all!” Although, I was experiencing some withdrawal symptoms I was determined to break the vicious cycle of food addiction by not eating the foods that caused the addiction. After enduring the “not so good days” I noticed that I wasn’t jittery, the headaches were non-existent and I didn’t feel the desire to put a Snickers bar in my mouth. I knew I was on the road to recovery.
.jpg)
Being free from my food addiction was an answered prayer because one of my prayers was to be self-controlled in my eating habits. However for many, many, years I was never able to consistently maintain self-control. It wasn’t until I totally committed to eating the foods that were originally intended for our bodies to absorb and digest such as, green vegetables, berries, onions, mushrooms, beans, seeds/nuts (GBOMBS) and COMPLETELY eliminated the refined, sugary, processed and synthetic foods and drinks, that I began to feel spiritually and physically liberated. I feel as though I am no longer bound and enslaved by the self-inflicted chains of food addiction and I am no longer defiling my body. I also feel as though a weight, figuratively and literally has been lifted from me and now I can honestly and unequivocally say that, “I am free indeed!”
Thank you Dr. Fuhrman for spreading the message and informing people about the benefits of healthy nutrition. Also for holding fast to the statement by Hippocrates, “Food shall be your medicine and your medicine shall be your food.”
“It will take strength. It will take effort. But the pleasure and rewards that you will get from a healthy life will be priceless.”
-Dr. Fuhrman
image credit: flickr by Marin Cathrae
Unfortunately, pushy in-laws and overbearing relatives and friends were a topic of discussion for many in overcoming obstacles during the upcoming holidays.
I was obese for nearly twenty years, and by the time I was in my late 40's I had experienced heart disease, hypertension, pre-diabetes, hopelessness and depression, achy joints, lower back pain, “brain fog,” and loss of energy from chronic malnutrition and carrying around the extra weight.
Almost ten months later the majority of 100 lbs was shed, and today I no longer have heart disease, pre-diabetes, hypertension, achy joints, lower back pain, organic depression, brain fog, or chronic lethargy. I documented the entire journey; including pictures, medical stats and how I was feeling from month to month. To view it click .jpg)
