Dopamine & Gorging: Why One Chocolate is Never Enough

One piece of chocolate or one potato chip never seems enough, right?  Even if we think one yummy thing will be enough, it never seems to be so.

Addiction to Dopamine is a thing.  So is our propensity to gorge.  It's not really your fault.  It's an instinctive, survival thing in all animals from roundworms to humans. I can't speak to roundworms, I can say that our weird, conflicting 3 layers of human brain definitely creates existential issues for us humans. And, so we spend a lot of time distracting and soothing ourselves with food, social media, games, and sex.

But it IS our human challenge in this modern context of over-abundance and existential-worry to deal with our instinctive tendencies so we don't die from disease of opulence--AKA too much of even a good thing can kill you.  Not to mention what is is doing to our beloved earth. And, sadly, Sour Patch Kids is intensely more dopamine activating than a blueberry.  It is our opportunity to live in more peace and tranquility with ourselves and the planet.

What shall we do?  How do we wean ourselves of our addictive cravings and unhealthy distractions?

All mammals and even roundworms have the neurotransmitter dopamine because it is a matter of survival to remember where the good food is next year!  And then we gorge because we have an that knows we could starve and have long periods of NO food!  :(

I was an anthropology major way back and interested in how and why we are as we are. Daoist wisdom is also a super interesting window into these questions.

Here we are, modern human, with some very ancient, instinctual areas of the brain still very much in operation as we try to navigate in a world where you can get cannabis, 32 oz cappuccinos and sodas, candy, alcohol from every land, and burritos or Pad Thai at any moment of the day.  Oh and video games, and a constantly pinging, mobile device alerting us to moment-by-moment world upheaval in the midst of meaningless personal details of celebrities we don't even know. And let's not forget sex, one of the biggest dopamine addictions there is.

Most religions and many indigenous traditions, including Daoism, has precepts about desire.  Some of these traditions try to guilt us into just NOT imbibing the bad stuff.  That could work, but for many we just do it anyway and then feel subconsciously guilty. Or conversely become self-righteously uptight and totally abstain.  But that too can cause a sort of psychic "stagnation" and tightness that creates it's own version of ill-health.

What is the way through our cravings and addictions? 

We must become indifferent. Desire itself is a psychic energy drain, and, and the things we are consuming are generally inflammatory or depleting in some way.

Somehow even just a wee bit of the the thing is never enough. 

Here are some practice for weaning ourselves of our addictive cravings:

1. Find meaning! A lot of what we do is distraction from our discomfort in this world.  Read Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.  Or Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia.  Maybe your meaning is is family.  Maybe it is photographing sunsets, teaching something, or making pasta like your grandma.  Maybe it is gardening.  As long is it is filled with compassion and not hate-based, it is your passion.  It doesn't mean you have to be a Christ or Buddha.  Some of the most spiritual people live simple but profound lives.

2. Make sure you are hydrated - Have a glass of warm water 1st thing in the morning - ---plenty of soups and porridges and herbal teas. Have a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon or lime upon waking before any tea or coffee.  Then start to have less of the amount of coffee you have. Or switch to an herbal tea.  Get into buying super fragrant, yummy teas.  I really enjoy rose tea and can share it with my grandson. Sometimes we are dehydrated not hungry!!!

3. Eat regularly so your spleen function (the one that wants sweets) feels satisfied.  We tend to want sweets more intensely if we wait too long and are desperate for food. If you are feeling urges for sweets, ensure you are  getting enough fats in your diet, butter, olive oils, and responsibly-lovingly raised sources of meat and fish.  Eat nicely roasted butternut squash or sweet potato with some butter.

4. Discipline yourself to eat only until you are 7/10ths full!  This is ancient Chinese Medicine and Blue Zone wisdom!  But our society proportions food in outlandish amounts and pushes us over the limit at every turn.  So share meals, and share the "bad" stuff so you just have a couple of yummy bites and not the whole thing.

5. Learn to come out of the Yang state into more stillness every day (meditation practices, Qigong, Yoga).  We live in an every increasingly "yang" state: big cities, noisy traffic and bars and TV. Most of our activities are high intensity. A quiet, Yin, state of stillness is uncomfortable so you will need to cultivate that quality. Get out in nature as much as possible.  Every day for a little walk and then also SIT for 5-10-20 minutes and just be.  The more you do this, the more you will notice  your own inner state.

6. Only eat such that your "tummy hums."  When you eat, you should feel warm and satisfied. There shouldn't be bloating, burping and gas.  No Heart burn.  No sudden need for the Loo.  Eat warm, cooked foods and lots of soups and stews. Notice how a brain zing from a sip of soda is not the same as how your stomach feels when the soda it hits. Notice how your tummy feels after eating, social media binging, drinking too much etc.  Notice how if you eat too many Skittles or Chocolate you feel a little bit sick, even while your brain is screaming MORE!  If you have something sweet, or alcohol, have just a bit then have some water and go for a walk, do something. The More you learn to come into a calm state of being, the more you will notice how what you do and consume impacts how you feel.  PAY ATTENTION and abide by it. Stop eating or doing the thing.

7. Find more natural ways for engaging the dopamine system: pick apples or blueberries, go bird watching, and star gazing. Learn to identify plants and animals. Go Moon gazing, hiking, and walking.  Build something. Do art. Engage your creativity and play an instrument. Sing together, cook together, play board games and Charades with your friends.

I'm in practice with you!

Cheers

Jan

Next series, Sept 7th, 10am EST: How to Support our Defensive Qi, AKA immune system: https://www.janbullacupuncture.com/event-details-registration/3-week-immune-boost-qigong-sat-sept-7-14-21-9am-est