I am convinced that our biggest health problem in America lies in what we put in our mouths.

This problem is compounded by false information and the love of immediate gratification.

One of the most interesting issues I deal with in people is helping them understand hunger and their need for food...not just their desire for certain (mostly unhealthy) foods.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a champion of nutrient dense eating and one of my favorite mentors. He says it like it is.

Enjoy his article on Toxic Hunger and allow your mind to be challenged as to your own ways with food.

Dr. Fuhrman's Article:

Most people never experience the healthy sensation of feeling hungry. Most of us keep eating to avoid hunger! But actually, feeling hungry is healthy. It directs your body to consume the amount of
calories it requires for optimal health and ideal bodyweight.

Hunger, in the true sense of the word, indicates to us that it is time to eat again.

Instead of TRUE hunger, people experience TOXIC hunger--detoxification or withdrawal symptoms that they mistakenly consider hunger.

What is Toxic Hunger?
Toxic hunger is the group of symptoms a person experiences as our body mobilizes toxic wastes for elimination.

When our diet is low in nutrients, we build up intra-cellular waste products. So when digestion stops, our body goes through a period of "cleaning." Meaning our tissues release toxic substances into
circulation for removal. Our cells can harbor toxic products that will
eventually make us sick.

These uncomfortable "detox symptoms" occur after a meal is digested and the digestive track is empty. We start to feel shaky, head-achy, weak, get abdominal cramps or spasms, which we believe are hunger
symptoms because they are relieved by eating.

What is Real Hunger?
Consider that real hunger is not often experienced in our modern, overfed population. Most people no longer even remember or are aware
what hunger even feels like. Most people are surprised to find that
true hunger is felt in the throat and not in the head or stomach.
Removing toxic hunger and getting back in touch with true hunger makes
eating more pleasurable and we are able to maintain our ideal weight
without dieting.

Continually eating to alleviate these withdrawal symptoms is one of the most important contributors to our population's overweight condition. We eat the wrong foods and just a few hours later we feel
ill and we are driven to eat again to relieve the discomfort--typically
the wrong foods again.

An Alternative to Hunger
Now, you do not want to go hungry and deny yourself food to achieve an ideal weight. However, there is another answer. When we eat a high
nutrient diet, rich in colorful vegetables and fruits, you will better
meet the nutrient needs of our body--thus reducing or eliminating the
withdrawal symptoms, that I call toxic hunger.

These super foods eliminate toxic hunger and overeating:
• Berries: blackberries, strawberries, blueberries
• Seeds: flax, sesame, sunflower
• Green Leafy Vegetables: kale, bok choy, spinach
• Colorful Raw Foods: tomatoes, carrots, peppers
• Steamed Greens: broccoli, string beans, asparagus

High-nutrient eating enables us to deal better with all types of stress, but in the case of hunger. Eating more high-nutrient foods will enable you to avoid "stress hunger" and not have the cravings and drive
to overeat.