Do you ever feel like your good intentions to lead a healthy lifestyle by nourishing yourself with healthy foods are in conflict with the actual actions that you end up taking?
If so, you are not alone!
Many people frequently engage in self-sabotage. When it comes to food, the opportunities are so plentiful that it can happen on a daily basis. This can be very frustrating and may even make you feel like giving up on your efforts to become the best and healthiest you can be.
But don’t throw in the towel just yet!
There is scientific research and useful insights that may help explain these common dilemmas. Since knowledge is power, you will be better equipped to proactively catch these pitfalls and steer yourself forward in a more empowered and healthy direction.
If this sounds appealing, know that it’s highly possible. Even just by reading this information, you are redefining your perspective and influencing positive brain changes.
As I like to say: When you change your brain, you change your results!
Could a thought actually be that powerful?
Your thoughts are not random, weightless, formless occurrences. Rather they are significant neurological events which elicit bio-chemical responses throughout your entire system.
Due to this, your thinking habits can support or hinder your efforts and goals, for better or for worse, depending on the nature of your thoughts.
Many folks are not aware of this, and they are not taking advantage of the opportunity to ‘train their brain’ effectively.
And when your brain is left to its own devices, or you are not mindful of being in the driver’s seat, some pretty predictable and self sabotaging things can happen…
One area this greatly shows up is in our eating habits and food choices.
Here are 5 ways you may fall off the “good intentions” wagon and end up in the “gutter” of unhealthy actions:
- NOT BEING PREPARED – If you leave home without taking the time to either eat a proper meal or pack some healthy snacks to take along with you, then you are likely to opt out for whatever is readily available. You would justify it because ‘you have no other choice’. In actuality, that may be the case or not. Either way, your brain will make unhealthy and random choices, because going around hungry is not an option for the powerful, survival oriented part of your brain.
- STRESS – States of stress and anxiety weaken your ability to make good choices, and then it becomes harder to resist temptations. This is because your self-control functions become impaired under stress. When you are relaxed and alert, the higher order thinking of your frontal lobes is able to engage in hindsight perspectives and consider consequences.
- SOCIAL SITUATIONS – Thanks to mirror neurons, seeing someone eat or do something that looks fun or appealing, can trigger your own interest to engage in the same action or choice, even if it isn’t healthy. Additionally, eating food is a way to connect socially. So it can be tricky to say no, especially when you are a guest and something special has been prepared for you. Most of all, your brain is a social organ, and you are wired to be part of community. Since your survival depends on community, it can be easy to override healthier choices due to these subliminal social pressures.
- FREEBIES! – At festivals and parties, and even workplace staff rooms, there is typically a lot of free food available. Usually the choices are limited and it’s not all that healthy. Research shows you are more likely to engage in eating an unhealthy option if you don’t need to buy it yourself. You think there is less risk if you don’t like it and acquiring something for free makes you feel like you’ve ‘gained’ something special, which creates a nice hit of feel good endorphins.
- NUMB BUM – As a fairly sedentary society, people can spend hours sitting stationary, working away on computer screens without even realising it. This leads to poor posture and lack of circulation which can make you feel tired and lethargic – like you need another cup of coffee or a sugar fix to stimulate and re-energize you. But wait! What you really need is to get up, go outside, breathe some fresh air, and move around! Brain activation strategies found on my Brain Fitness Cards are full of many quick and effective options as well.
BONUS TIP: Your tank is probably running low! Most people are lacking in the essential micro nutrients that convert the daily foods they eat into useful forms of energy. One of the most important and easiest ways to fuel up is by taking an ounce of plant-derived colloidal minerals each day. You’ll notice amazing results as your energy increases and your cravings reduce. More info here…
Thanks to the vehicle of self-awareness, you can begin to make new choices that will create new brain pathways; steering you away from defeating habits and link you with success!
To your new choices,
Jill