Just like drugs and alcohol are addictive, food can be too. Eating refined carbs like white flour and sugar as well as added fat give you a rush of blood sugar in your system which will trigger the reward center of your brain, making you want more to feel that rush. A PLOS One study showed us what the most addictive foods were that were highly processed, have less fiber to slow down digestion, and more sugar and fat per bite as well as how to stop eating them.

Pizza can make someone want to eat a whole pie by themselves. To make pizza healthier, eat pizza with whole fresh ingredients and light on the cheese. The crust should also be less processed such as having pizza with cauliflower crust. Milk chocolate has a lot of fat in it so you should eat dark chocolate instead. If you have eaten a lot of milk chocolate, you may feel that dark chocolate tastes bitter in comparison but you will realize it tastes good as well that milk chocolate may taste too sweet after. People eat chips by the bagful but they are highly processed, salty, and airy. Chips tend not to fill you up which makes you take handfuls so find chips with a lower salt quality.

Because of how creamy and sweet ice cream is, people have a tendency to eat an entire carton of it. It is best to buy single serving sizes such as Haagen Dazs and Edy’s ice cream or go to an ice cream shop where you can get a small or kid sized cup. Restaurants and fast food restaurants have no problem piling up your plate on fries which is soaked in grease and oil. It is best to eat minimal processing fries with less added fat. If you make sweet potato fries, bake them instead of fry them as it is only 153 calories.

Having a burger is already unhealthy and unsaturated. Adding cheese, mayonnaise, and other sauces to the burger add more calories. The healthiest way to eat a burger is with no bun and the patty as it is. Having too much red meat in your diet can increase your chances of kidney failure, colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, diverticulitis, and others. By staying away from these foods or finding healthier alternatives, you will stop making unhealthy habits and make better choices.

Located in downtown Midland, The Springboard Center’s mission is to offer programs and services to treat alcohol and drug addiction treatment using an evidence based curriculum, 12 step programs, diet, nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual development for a long recovery. For more information, please call us at 432-620-0255 as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.