I hear you ask "why is this so, Dr. Bentham?", well I'm glad you asked. It turns out that the act of nursing causes both mother and baby to release endorphins. If you want to know what endorphins do, they are our body's natural version of morphine, codeine, heroine, and oxycontin. These drugs are known to ease pain and infamously for their addictive properties. The reason they work is because they mimic our natural endorphins, only much more intensely.
As an aside, the reason these can become addictive is that when prescribed for physical pain, they also ease emotional pain. As with any other drug, when withdrawn, people experience the opposite effect as the drug - ie pain. So even after the physical pain is gone, when the drug wears off, the emotional pain floods back stronger than before, and the addiction cycle begins.
As I work with patients who are in the process of re-shaping themselves (read lose weight), it can be helpful to talk about why we feel compelled to eat. Dopamine is a part of it, and so are the endorphins we get from certain foods. Fortunately there are other ways to give the body its' fix of endorphins. For example, a good run will do the same thing.
Until next time,
Bryn
Good stuff Bryn...I've been running 30-45km per week for a few months now. Last week I had family in town and running didn't happen. I found by the evening I really lacked energy, felt somewhat depressed at times, and snacked to feel better. I guess my body has really gotten used to the running endorphines. What would you recommend for off weeks like this or for the winter when I run less?
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of running! Are you training for something, or is it just for kicks?
ReplyDeleteRunning is one of many forms of exercise, and they pretty much all do the trick. Doing some sort of vigorous exercise has so many other benefits that I'd recommend keeping on some sort of plan through the winter, just find something that works for you. One of my other personal favourite exercise benefits is the stress relief component.. that may merit another blog entry in its' own right. It likely that your body is now accustomed to a pretty regular shot of endorphins on a daily basis, and an abrupt stop becomes that much more noticeable, which is probably what you're experiencing.
Other health promoting things that promote endorphins include having a good laugh, sex, and acupuncture. Eating fatty foods is another less productive way that does the same thing.. but I think that's what you're trying to avoid!
So I say find ways to keep some moderate activity - it doesn't require a 5+ K run.
Warmly,
B
I'm training for the Victoria Half Marathon. I've run a couple already, but I'm hoping to smash my personal best. Thanks for the reply.
ReplyDelete