EGGcelent Meatloaf!

I find if very interesting that 25% of the alcoholic patients in a particular treatment center in MN have gone through weight loss surgery.

Alcohol and sugar addiction go hand in hand. I have a heavy heart for those with food addictions because, unlike alcohol, food is unavoidable. We need it for survival. Many people claim that you can't be addicted to sugar, but research has proven that when people binge on carbs (i.e. sugar molecules hooked together in a long chain) and then restrict, the body creates an endogenous opioid. It is released in the body much like the chemicals released when people are doing other drugs. PET and CAT scans of food addicts look just about  identical to that of drug addicts and alcoholics. What I find really interesting is that "carb-addicts" carry the same D2 dopamine receptor (a gene that identifies addiction); which proves that biochemically, food addiction is just like addiction to other narcotics. A lot of my clients who are in Overeaters Anonymous tell me that they started consuming carbs and sugar just as if it were alcohol. Click HERE for reference. 

The problem is that we see alcoholics as having a problem, but desiring carbs and sugar is seen as "normal" and is just a part of the typical American diet. This reminds me of one of my clients who lived in England for 10 years. Her boss came to her and had an intervention with her, claiming that she had a food addiction and the company paid for her to go to treatment. She told me how in England, they saw her problem and how it effected her work, but now that she is in the U.S., she is seen as normal.

I want you to know that there are ways to help your brain chemistry! You do NOT have to suffer from a food addiction or alcohol addiction. Alcohol turns into sugar so alcoholics are naturally drawn to sugar once they quite alcohol. Sugar (and alcohol) blocks serotonin receptors. Leading to more cravings for carbs and alcohol. Do you know where serotonin comes from? Not the brain...it is the intestinal tract. So how can we fix these terrible life-consuming cravings for sugar/alcohol?

I first recommend something called Bifido bacteria. This is a probiotic that you can find in food sources such as kim chi and other naturally fermented veggies. But since we don't eat enough of these foods, I suggest a supplement to increase serotonin. Click HERE to find the one I take daily (my kids also take THIS one). 70% of our immune system is in our gut. This is the best thing for anyone who is depressed or dealing with cravings should take.

Another helpful nutrient needed to cut those alcohol and sugar cravings is l-glutamine. L-glutamine is an amino acid found in protein. Human studies that date back to 1957 prove that this amino acid can reduce cravings and the anxiety that accompanies alcohol withdrawal. Click HERE to find a quality l-glutamine supplement. Other things like Milk Thistle help to cleanse the liver (which governs our moods and how we lose weight... low moods = more cravings).

If you need more help with your food or alcohol addiction, I would be honored to help with a consult. You don't deserve to suffer through this alone!


A client mentioned she saw this recipe by Nigella Lawson from the Food Network. I made a few changes...I decreased the onion, and I swapped the breadcrumbs for 1/2 mushrooms and 1/2 Parmesan cheese. Mushrooms and Parmesan are known to have "umami." Umami is the Japanese word for savory. Using certain foods with Umami enhances flavor greatly!

"HEALTHIFIED" MEATLOAF
4 eggs
1 onion, chopped
1 TBS butter
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 pounds grass fed ground beef
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
20 slices nitrate free bacon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and then boil 3 of the eggs for 7 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

Peel and chop the onions, and heat the butter in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Cook the onions gently sprinkled with the salt, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden. Remove to a bowl to cool.

Put the raw egg, ground beef, chopped mushrooms and Parmesan cheese into a bowl, and when the onion mixture is not hot to the touch, add to the bowl and work everything together with your hands.

Divide the mixture into 2, and in the pan, make the bottom half of the meatloaf by patting half the beef mixture into a bread-pan (or you could make individual meatloafs in large muffin tins with one hardboiled egg in each meatloaf muffin). Peel and place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.

Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and pat into a solid loaf shape. Cover the meatloaf with slices of bacon, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf to avoid its curling up as it cooks.

Bake for 1 hour, until the juices run clear and once it's out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This recipe was inspired by Nigella Lawson.


NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 4 ounce serving)
Traditional Meatloaf = 535 calories, 33g fat, 29g protein, 16.2g carbs, 1.4g fiber, (14.8g effective carbs)
?Healthified? Meatloaf = 528 calories, 33.6g fat, 49.7g protein, 3.3g carbs, trace fiber (3.3g effective carbs)


Serve with Blue Cheese Mashed "Faux"tatoes.

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