Even though I was sitting on a ticking bomb at age 44—teetering on the brink of a stroke or heart attack—I was highly functioning as I navigated the land mines of junk food everywhere I turned.
And that’s the danger for many people who are trapped in addiction.
Addiction to processed food especially, can be disguised for years before the walls begin to crumble.
Two years before this picture was taken, I had a heart catheterization at age 42 and was diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD).
But that wasn’t enough to deter me.
I had to suffer in the addiction and increasing poor health for another six years before I finally committed to getting free.
Award-winning writer, Dorri Olds, wrote a beautiful piece about addiction—and how chemicals and food affect one’s mood. She showcased my book, Starved to Obesity in the article.
If you are highly functioning in the midst of food addiction; meaning you are able to get a lot done in spite of it. . .in spite of the diseases that may be developing within your body as a result, please read Starved to Obesity.
Food addiction is a progressive illness. That means it will only get worse over time, not better. . .and it can become just as powerful as an addiction to cocaine.
“An unhealthy diet conspires to unfavorably transform our DNA. Fake food alters us, both mentally and physically. It affects the way we act, and it undermines our health. None of us is immune to the destructive impact of this devastating problem. ”
However, the great news is food addiction is totally possible to recover from! You are not sentenced to a lifetime of suffering and disease. Thousands of people have escaped, including me, and so can you!
There is hope. There is freedom ahead for you to live life to the fullest!
Here’s to your freedom and good health!
Emily Boller, artist, mother, and author of Starved to Obesity, lost 100 pounds more than fifteen years ago by eating an abundance of high-nutrient, plant-rich foods. Today, she’s certified in whole plant nutrition from the Nutritarian Education Institute. She’s on a mission to combine practical, no-nonsense and cost-effective tips—with easy to understand science—in order to help anyone escape the addictive grip of the Standard American Diet. And now, she’s on a mission to bring awareness to the suffocating and potentially deadly trap of eating disorders as well.