Chapter 19 Can I Compartmentalise?

This myth is primarily spread by users attempting to stop on the willpower method, who perform mental gymnastics and begin a Jekyll-and-Hyde routine: "Junk food is for my indulgent side and healthy eating is for my health-conscious side." Nothing is further from the truth — the neural pathways, DeltaFosB and neurological changes are going to overrun the healthy eating habits, making them less appealing. Mr Hyde is definitely going to overrule Dr Jekyll's instructions.

If you eat junk food, you're training yourself for instant gratification, or requiring the option of switching to something more stimulating at the slightest drop in dopamine levels. Or, the continual search for just the right flavor combination for maximum effect. Additionally, you might be eating mindlessly in front of the TV or snacking in bed nightly, eventually desiring those cues more than proper meals. Healthy food goes against nearly every aspect of processed food's engineered appeal, so it stands no chance when compared. The eating habits created when you're young are powerful and long-lasting, so breaking down those junk food neural pathways and rewiring or creating new ones takes longer. However, that's not to say it's any more difficult.

Every time you indulge in junk food you're reinforcing the pathway, keeping the nerves fresh and ready to fire. When passing by a fast-food restaurant, the smell of the fryer floats into your nostrils and the sale is already made. Likewise, the neural pathways in your brain are ready for you to get sucked in and are active twenty-four hours a day. Each cue or trigger lights up your reward circuit with the promise of pleasure — only it isn't real nourishment. Nevertheless, nerve cells solidify these associations with reward by sprouting new branches to strengthen the connections. The more you eat junk food, the stronger the nerve connections become. The end result is that you might ultimately need to eat mindlessly, needing to switch between sweet and salty flavors, needing junk food to feel comfortable, or needing to find the perfect combination to feel satisfied.

As with any substance or behavioral drug, the body builds tolerance and the food ceases to relieve the withdrawal pangs completely. As soon as the junk food eater finishes a meal, they want another one, and quickly, the permanent hunger remaining unsatisfied. The natural inclination is escalation, to get the dopamine rush. However, most users are prevented from doing this for either or both of the following reasons.

Money: They can't afford to keep buying expensive processed foods.

Health: There's only so much the body can take, either the sugar crashes or digestive issues. Plus, the body actually triggers hormones to signal fullness. It has to, that's just the way the body works.

Once the little monster leaves your body, the awful feeling of insecurity ends. Your confidence returns, along with a marvellous feeling of self-respect, obtaining the assurance to take control of your life and using it as a springboard to tackle other problems. This is one of the many great advantages of breaking free from any addiction.

The compartmentalisation myth is one of many tricks that the little monster plays with your mind. These tricks make it harder to stop — due to the impossible satisfaction of the permanent hunger — causing many users to turn to alcohol, shopping, or even harder drugs to satisfy the void.

Humans are comparing animals, both to ourselves and others. Eating junk food with others is unsatisfying, as you both judge each other's choices against the ideal. Do you want a professional chef's feast in your kitchen, even if it's just on TV? No home-cooked meal can match the engineered appeal of processed foods where each product is scientifically formulated, tested, and marketed by professionals and immediately available twenty-four hours a day.