Breaking Free of Food Triggers

June 19, 2023

We all have different experiences with food throughout our lives and we each have a different relationship with food. The way society treats people experiencing a difficult relationship with food or with excess weight is shameful. These judgements often lead to stigma. The feelings of guilt, shame and stress that result from viewing our relationship with food or our body as flawed can lead to unhelpful cycles such as over-consumption, binge-type behavior or intensely restrictive behavior.

It should be acknowledged that most people experience food triggers for a variety of reasons and that does not make us flawed. It makes us human. Emotions, past experiences, self-soothing and current circumstances are just a few of the drivers for our behaviors surrounding food.

There are two important things to know:

1. Willpower is a myth.
2. Food triggers can be managed but are unlikely to completely resolve.

Managing Food Triggers

The first step toward managing food triggers is to identify the triggers. Does a certain food cause the trigger itself or does a trigger occur at a certain time of the day? Does stress or other emotions set off a trigger or does a certain aspect of your routine, such as sitting in the same spot on the couch to watch tv?

The next step is determining how this is impacting you. Are you seeing a toll on physical health, mental health, interpersonal relationships, or decreased engagement with hobbies or physical activity that you enjoy? Does this behavior leave you feeling distressed, low energy, or causing poor sleep?

After you have determined the what and when, it is time to consider the why and how. Our brain chemistry plays a major role in our food choices. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released when we experience something pleasurable and it lights up our reward center in the brain. It is referred to as our “happy hormone” however it also helps maintain mood, regulate heart rate, manage kidney function and other important body processes.

Because we feel good when dopamine is released, it reinforces doing the behavior that caused the release in the first place. What causes a dopamine release for me will not necessarily cause a dopamine release for you. I may be more sensitive to sugary foods than you because of the outsized impact on my brain’s reward center. I also may not have enough of the hormones that give my brain feedback that I am full or satisfied.

The Food Industry

It is important to note that the trillion dollar food industry chemically designs foods for the perfect balance of salt, fat and sugar to maximize the impact of dopamine on our brain’s reward center to ensure that we will eat more and eat more often.

In animal studies, foods with high amounts of added sugar were found to be more addictive than heroin and other drugs of abuse.

While willpower is touted to manage these triggers and responses, it cannot stand up to the chemistry occurring in our body and our brain. That does not mean you lack willpower. In fact, you have likely experienced significant internal conflict before acting on the trigger. It also does not mean you are lazy. What it means is your brain chemistry is powerful and significantly manipulated by carefully altered foods.

Now that you understand what drives your food choices and behaviors, you can start to identify ways to manage it.

If you think about food or actions as all “good” or all “bad” (black and white thinking), you are putting unreasonable expectations on yourself. It is also likely that you are talking to yourself in a negative way. Both negative self-talk and black and white thinking tend to keep us in a cycle of reward and punishment which reinforces or even exaggerates our food triggers. Remind yourself that nothing is all good or all bad. Just because you want something salty and crunchy does not mean you are bad or need to find a way to punish yourself. It is also helpful to acknowledge that food is fuel supporting your daily functions at a cellular level and food choices do not define you. If a meal or snack does not go according to your plan, reflect on what can be done differently. Would it help to avoid keeping a certain food in the house? Or would it help to have a wider variety of foods, such as whole fruit or pre-prepped vegetables?

For some clients, simply sitting in a different part of the house or part of the living room disrupts the signal to eat a trigger food while winding down for the day. Perhaps taking a short walk after a stressful experience or putting together a puzzle after a meal is enough to change the signals to your brain.

For some people, tracking food may be a trigger for unhealthy behaviors, but for others it can be helpful for identifying trends. Decide what is best for you. You may also consider tracking other trends, like symptoms and other aspects of lifestyle, using an app or writing it down. Does your trigger food trigger other ailments like headaches or stomach issues? Are you getting adequate hydration and sleep? Do you take your prescription medications consistently? All this information can be helpful for identifying relatively simple solutions to improve your health and manage cravings or food triggers.

Obesity medicine experts, primary care providers and registered dietitian nutritionists can offer support such as accountability, guide lifestyle changes or discuss medications that help regulate signals to the brain. Often, having a tool like medication gives you the opportunity to engage in your health in a positive manner and heal your relationship with your body or with food.

Working with a therapist may help with behavior modification, addressing causes for triggers or working through past events in life that inform your relationship with food.

Finding what works best for you to feel your best and at peace may require some trial and error. You may find it helpful to enlist a friend or loved one for support. Avoid putting rules or conditions in place for food such as “I can never have XYZ” because that tends to increase our desire for that thing. Try not to use food as a reward. Choose lifestyle changes that are not dramatic or terribly disruptive to your current lifestyle. These modifications are not meant to be punishment, only to help you feel more in control of your choices.

Be patient with yourself. There is a lot going on in our lives and in the world around us. Show yourself grace. Remember, perfect is the enemy of good. No one expects you to do anything perfectly, and it is unreasonable to have that expectation for yourself. Managing food triggers is possible. What first step will you take?

Colleen Dawkins is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, registered dietitian & nutritionist at Big Sky Medical Wellness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Colleen Dawkins is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, registered dietitian & nutritionist as well as a certified specialist in obesity and weight management. She has a telemedicine private practice for patients in Washington and Montana at Big Sky Medical Wellness.

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