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| Chilhood obesity in America |
So often we're told to make
"small changes," but when would there ever be the need to really go cold
turkey? Some people do (they toss out all the junk food or quit
smoking) and have success. Think someone could talk about when exactly
this can be a good thing?
For
many people, their mindset when consuming certain foods can be
addictive in nature. They try and try again to lose “those stubborn 30
pounds,” however they don’t change their trigger foods. Then in times of
stress, they return to enjoy the sweet and gooey brownies, but without
their normal mental armor reminding them to enjoy brownies “in
moderation.”
How does one cope: should they throw out the idea of ever eating a brownie again, or know it’s a lifetime battle?
Currently,
70 percent of the population is overweight and/or obese. When going
cold turkey with trigger foods, we need to have back-up plans in place.
We need to understand the reasons behind nutrition and learn the
addictive powers of junk food. According to the Food and Drug
Administration, junk food actually leads to neuro-chemical addiction. Sugar is as addictive as cocaine.
It’s science! In order to help overcome food addictions we need to
further educate ourselves on the importance of eating a balanced, high
fiber diet that helps shift cravings.
Learn how your own body responds to trigger foods to change your mindset and response. If stressed, have a back up plan.
1. Immediately lace up and go for a run/walk. Make a healthy swap and shift your attention—activity instead of stress eating through a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
2. Throw away the leftover bites and know tomorrow is a new day. Pat your back that you didn’t call Betty Crocker over.
3. Call, not text, but call a friend to talk. Set up exercise dates for the week ahead. Mapping out fitness dates in advance helps after any stressful eating period.
4. Make sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep. Eat a protein-rich breakfast, and eliminate added sugars to help your mind be sharp to make healthy choices too.
5. Take five big breaths, remind yourself each day is new, and you are a good person.
A bit cliché, but food doesn’t own who you are and how you live. You
do! Buckle up buttercup and believe you can live healthy, active and
happy.
More often than not,
the all or nothing mentality sets people up for failure. It is due to
the feeling of guilt and shame when the trigger food is consumed. People
need to live, learn how to work with food in all settings, and retrain
their mindset with trigger foods. To help ease food guilt, partake in conscious eating or mindful eating. Slowing down to listen to one’s body signals for fullness, fatigue and energy.
According
to Jean Kristeller, Ph.D., cofounder of The Center for Mindful Eating,
we need to learn along with our body about “taste satiety.” It varies
with different foods, but some people lose their awareness of how foods
even taste to please their taste buds, and that triggers
overconsumption. Slow down to taste each bite, taking five big breaths
between.
