feeding. It gives you that rush of anticipation
before you’ve even taken your first bite.
(You’re daydreaming at work and start
thinking about your favorite cookie from the
downtown bakery. You’re visualizing the
taste, the smell, the texture. You start to get
excited and happy at the thought of picking up
cookies on the way home. You want those
cookies. That’s dopamine talking.)
On the way home, you stop at the bakery,
pick up a dozen cookies, and take your first
bite before you’ve even pulled out of the
parking lot. (Of course, because that cookie is
supernormally stimulating, but lacking in
nutrients that satiate, you don’t stop at just
one.) Immediately, the brain releases opioids
(endorphins—the body’s own “feel good”
compounds), which also have a rewarding
effect. The release of opioids brings pleasure
and emotional relief, releases stress, and
generally makes you feel good.
Over time and with continued