The Craving Mind – BionicOldGuy

I’ve talked about the mental aspects of healthy eating in the past. I’ve been a bit off my junk food lately, so when I had my annual medical checkup at the Doc (« wellness visit, » in Medicare parlance), my weight had gone up a bit. I will see her for a follow up in August so this is a good opportunity to be stricter for 3 months.

I had an interesting conversation with a Gemini about things like mindful eating and what to do when the voice of temptation whispers sweetly in my ear. I shared the chat here. I asked for suggested reading and Gemini told me about the book « The Craving Mind » by Dr. Jude Brewer. Good advice, it was a great and fascinating book. It’s not about eating specifically, it’s about appetite in general, but the neuroscience of different desires has a lot of overlap.

Dr. Brewer improved his own mental health and happiness by diligently practicing mindfulness and meditation in medical school. This led him to choose psychiatry as his medical specialty. He has treated patients and conducted research using mindfulness techniques and cutting edge technologies such as fmri since his graduation and this book describes his experience.

One interesting theme is that B.F. Skinner’s old behavioral psychology ideas about rewards and learning still apply when it comes to hunger. This reward system comes from a more primitive part of our brain that we share with many species, including, as Dr. Brewer points out, and not too flatteringly for humans, the sea slug.

Traditional ideas about mindfulness have useful therapeutic applications in this area. The most exciting finding to me is the connection between hunger and an area of ​​the brain known as the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). There is a strong correlation between PCC activity and the default mode network. Things like hunger and compulsive behaviors light up the DMN, while relaxing activities that loosen our tight grip on ourselves tend to calm it down. It’s easier to monitor PCC changes in real time, so Dr. Brewer uses it a lot in his work.

In addition to his research, Dr. Brewer has worked with patients with severe addictions such as smoking and substance abuse, as well as eating disorders. So he has a good track record of what works. The bottom line is that mindfulness helps break the cycle of addition. In addition, tapping into your longing thoughts is powerful. So when the little voice whispers « Ah, what harm can another slice of pizza do, » if instead of giving in to it, I can gain insight by trying to notice what’s happening in my body right now. This is actually a practical application of Buddhist insight meditation.

Between the book (and some free resources from Dr. Jud’s website) and chat with Gemini I have some good tips to try. So far so good, I’ve been able to cut down on junk food for seven days now.

Posted by BionicOldGuy

I’m a mechanical engineer, born 1953, PhD, Stanford, 1980. I’ve been active in mechanical CAE for decades. I also have a lifelong interest in outdoor activities and fitness. I had both hips replaced and a heart valve replaced due to a genetic condition. This blog chronicles my adventures in staying active despite these bumps in the road. View all posts by BionicOldGuy

Published
May 25, 2026May 24, 2026