Hi Growing Friend,

We're back with a full issue and fresh topic this month! I hope you enjoyed the special edition Sourdough newsletter last week. We had amazing feedback and even shared my starter with several readers! If you want to jump on the sourdough train, just let me know—I'd love to share with you too.

This month, we're diving into the chemicals in our food and the shocking truth behind how addictive they actually are. I'm excited to share this with you, but also honestly mortified at how truly harmful our food system has become. Let's get into it!

My Journey: When I Couldn't Stop Craving Junk

When I first started cleaning up my diet and cutting out processed foods, I found it REALLY hard to resist stopping at Wendy's for a meal with a Frosty, or binge-eating my favorite snack of all time—Cheez-Its—or grabbing a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. The list went on and on.

I heard something on a podcast years ago that changed everything. They were discussing the relationship between your brain and food, and how simply paying attention to what you eat and how it makes you feel can be a game-changer for weight loss and health.

Here's what it looked like: When someone ate a chicken salad with olive oil vinaigrette, they'd actively notice how they felt afterward—full, satisfied, not bloated. They started connecting these positive feelings with their food choices.

After eating fast food like McDonald's, they noticed feeling bloated, uncomfortable, and still hungry shortly after eating. Yes, we might already "know" this, but we rarely make it a point to actively listen to what our bodies are telling us after different foods.

The 3-Day Rule That Changed Everything

The podcast also mentioned something about cravings: if you have a craving, wait 3 days. If you still want it after 3 days, then indulge.

I started doing this, and sometimes after 3 days I was still driving to Dairy Queen for that Blizzard! But other times, I'd completely forget about the craving after a day or two. Eventually, I stopped having cravings altogether.

In fact, I can't tell you the last time I craved junk food. Now my cravings are for real food—fresh strawberries, a crisp salad, or a sandwich loaded with fresh toppings.

You might be thinking, "Who craves a salad?!" I would have laughed at myself a few years ago too. But here's the thing: we have incredible power over ourselves when we start paying attention to our bodies and creating that internal dialogue.

The Science Behind Your Cravings

So what's actually causing these intense cravings? I've talked to so many people who say they literally CANNOT stop the coffee creamer, the Cheez-Its, the chronic snacking on chips and processed foods. They WANT to lose weight and eat healthier, but they genuinely feel like they can't stop.

Here's why:

First, I believe we've become completely disconnected from our bodies. Start paying attention to what you're eating. Say it to yourself: "I'm eating grilled chicken with vegetables." After eating, notice: "I'm feeling full and content."

But beyond the mental aspect, our food is loaded with chemicals specifically designed to keep us wanting more.

The "Bliss Point" - How Food Companies Hook You

Did you know the food industry employs scientists to create "bliss point" combinations that get consumers to keep coming back for more? The bliss point is the perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that makes products almost irresistible.

Food scientists conduct extensive testing to find the exact ratios that trigger the strongest pleasure response in your brain. Too little sugar and food seems bland. Too much and it becomes overwhelming. The bliss point hits that sweet spot where your brain releases the most dopamine, making you crave more.

Here's the science:

• Your taste buds and brain reward system respond most strongly to specific concentration levels

• These combinations activate multiple pleasure pathways simultaneously

• The response is so strong it overrides your normal "I'm full" signals

• Each ingredient amplifies the others' effects

Real-world examples:

• Oreos: The cookie-to-cream ratio is precisely calculated

• Coca-Cola: Contains exactly 39 grams of sugar per can—not random

• Doritos: Salt, fat, and flavor enhancers in exact proportions

• McDonald's fries: Salt content and oil type specifically chosen

This concept was popularized by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Moss in his book "Salt Sugar Fat." Companies like Nestlé, General Mills, and PepsiCo employ entire teams of food scientists, chemists, and even neuroscientists to find these optimal formulations.

Why this matters: Once companies find a product's bliss point, they create foods that are genuinely hard to stop eating. It's not a lack of willpower—it's sophisticated food engineering designed to override your natural appetite controls.

This is why a bag of chips or sleeve of cookies can disappear so easily, while you'd never overeat the same amount of plain potatoes or wheat.

Give Yourself Some Grace (And Take Action)

Take a minute to process this, because when I learned about it, I was appalled!

This is why when I mention Trix cereal, you can literally taste it in your mouth right now.

So what do we do? We start by understanding WHY it's so hard to quit processed foods. I see so many people blame themselves, feeling like they have no self-control or that it's their fault they can't stop eating certain foods.

But I'm here to tell you: these foods are literally chemically engineered by scientists to make it as difficult as humanly possible to stop eating them. They're affecting your brain chemistry to create these cravings.

Once we understand the "why" behind something, we're much better equipped to take action.

What Now?

I don't want to overload and overwhelm you with action items and challenges in this newsletter—this was already a lot of information to process! I think the first step is simply understanding what's creating these cravings and giving yourself some grace.

Take a minute to let this sink in. When I first learned about the bliss point and food engineering, I was genuinely appalled. But it also felt incredibly freeing to understand that my struggles with certain foods weren't a personal failing—they were the result of deliberate scientific manipulation.

This was a long one, but I hope it helps you process what's really happening and be a little kinder to yourself the next time you're wondering why you can't stop eating that bag of chips!

Next issue, we'll dive into:

• Actionable steps you can start taking immediately

• Our monthly challenge to put this knowledge into practice

• Answers to your questions (so don't forget to send them in!)

Rooted in wellness & rising together,
Erica