Eating releases dopamine, which makes us feel better. See
this article on nutritionwonderland.com -- scroll down to the part that's headlined "Dopamine and Eating Behaviors".
Eating, especially sugary foods, also releases the kinds of endorphins which act as natural painkillers. But another kind of endorphin (dynorphin) also works as an appetite stimulant -- it makes us feel hungry. From
Franzlefort medical articles:
Quote:
As it turns out, the very act of eating sugar stimulates the opiate-releasing process even further. Not only does sugar make the body release more endorphins, it also enhances the ability of the receptor to bind with the substance-like oiling a lock to make a key work better. Thus, eating sweet foods does indeed relieve stress, producing feelings of relaxation and contentment by enhancing the amount of natural painkillers floating around inside the body.
You might have spotted the flaw in this otherwise tidy little system. Here's the problem: When a person is under stress, the body releases endorphins that stimulate the appetite for sweet foods. The person then eats a candy bar. The sugar in turn stimulates further secretion of endorphins, triggering greater appetite and leading to more consumption of sweets. Where does the cycle end?
As you might have suspected, it may not end. Theory has it that some people with bulimia might be caught up in the vicious cycle represented by the opiate-receptor feedback loop.
|
It may be possible that stimulating natural pain relief -- dopamine, endorphins -- through eating could eventually become a problem: the reward-pleasure-craving-for-more cycle could lead to overeating. That's bad for health, and especially for neuropathy sufferers due to the effect of glucose metabolism on nerve degeneration.
(I think that's so. Someone correct me if I'm mistaken.)
There are other behaviors which can release dopamine and endorphins, though. Exercise is a prime example -- get that bike! -- but listening to soothing music for half an hour (as kvan1917 wrote above), being in sunlight, letting yourself experience strong emotions (think about how you feel after one of those laugh-'til-you-cry episodes), and cuddling with someone (including a dog or cat) can also release naturally analgesic chemicals.
There's some evidence that being in a natural setting also helps. From
Athleta.net:
Quote:
Studies have shown that being in a natural, outdoor environment is one of the very best things you can do for your health:
Levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our mood, rises when we are outside. One study found that regular outdoor runners were less anxious and depressed than people who ran indoors on a treadmill, and had higher levels of post-exercise endorphins, the feel-good brain chemicals associated with “runner’s high.”
Exposure to nature reduces pain and illness and speeds recovery time. A study of post-operative patients, those who had rooms with a view of natural surroundings needed less pain medication and spent fewer days in the hospital than those who faced a brick wall.
|
It's not bad to use snacking to alleviate the pain, and there's
definitely scientific evidence showing why that works. But I might suggest that one diversify one's methods of stimulating natural relief.