Pleasure, How Does it Enhance Your Metabolism?

Too many of us seem to have the misunderstanding that pleasure is something we should not take too seriously when it comes to food. That too much pleasure from food cannot be a good thing.

However science knows that pleasure is truly a psycho physiologic requirement of our human body. Science knows that pleasure is actually hardwired into our genes.

In fact, the oldest and most fundamental part of our brain demands pleasure.

All living organisms are programmed to seek pleasure and avoid pain at the most primitive level of their nervous system.

Pleasure Chemistry

It is very important that you take advantage of the metabolic power of pleasure with food, because pleasure chemistry helps drive:

• Your digestion
• Your assimilation
• Your natural appetite regulation
• Your daily calorie burning capacity

So in other words when you allow yourself to receive pleasure from food, you can literally “turn on” your own metabolism!

Endorphins

Endorphins are associated with pleasure because they make you feel good.

They are produced throughout the body but mostly in your brain and in your digestive system.

Did you kow that the simple act of eating can actually raise your levels of endorphins when you allow yourself to receive pleasure from your food?

Endorphins can also stimulate your fat mobilization. So in other words, the same chemical that makes you feel good actually burns your body fat!

The more you release endorphins in your digestive tract, the more blood and oxygen will be delivered to these areas.

When this happens you will naturally receive increased digestive power and assimilation, and you will become more efficient at burning those calories!

Appetite Regulation

Pleasure happens to be crucial to your appetite regulation. This is simply a biological fact.

If you are not paying attention while you are eating, or to what you are eating, then your brain will simply ask you to eat more or even to binge eat in order that it does receive the pleasure it is craving.

Remember my last blog on the CPDR?

Stress and Eating

What is even worse is being in a stressed state while eating. Because then the excess cortisol in your system will actually desensitize you to pleasure. This causes you to eat more food in order to obtain the actual pleasure you are looking for.

Having excess cortisol in your body’s system keeps your body in a “fight or flight” situation. During a true fight or flight state your body and your brain are only focused on survival, they are not worried about eating, digesting or assimilating a meal at this time.

Allow Yourself to Receive Pleasure From Food!

Yes, you read correctly! It is very important that you allow yourself to completely enjoy your food and allow yourself to receive the pleasure that food offers you.

Now of course this does not mean that you can eat lots of the kind of food that is not nourishing for your body and expect it to be burned away calorically.

It simply means that when you give your body the food it requires in order to be healthy, and allow yourself to enjoy that food, you will naturally inspire the chemistry of pleasure which is essentially designed to fuel your metabolism.

How to Make Your Health Prosper

Of course you can have those treats or that ice cream, you just don’t need to eat more of that ice cream. Begin to understand that your brain and your nervous system will register more pleasure when you simply slow down and enjoy your food.

Just make sure you don’t feel guilty about eating those treats or that ice cream. Allow yourself to thoroughly enjoy each and every bite!

Slow Down and Breathe

These are the two most important characteristics of allowing yourself to become more present while eating.

• Allow yourself to breathe
• Relax into eating your meal
• De-stress
• Pay more attention to what is on your plate
• Pay more attention to how you are eating

Once you accomplish this then your body will naturally experience the pleasure it seeks from food and you will have the greatest release of your own personal feel-good chemistry.

So I challenge you to begin to slow down and pay attention to your food and allow yourself to receive the pleasure from food you so rightly deserve!

I would love to help you transform your relationship with food, body and health and empower you to achieve a balanced life of health, purpose and vitality!

Your Nourishing Nutritionist,

Lynne Bowsher

Nourishment for body, mind and spirit