Beth Seriously, it’s soo hard to stop eating a bag of chips when you’re halfway through. It takes a herculean effort, then chances are you go back and grab another handful in a few min anyways (guilty!). I’m here to tell you that this isn’t your fault, you can’t beat yourself up for not ‘trying hard enough.’ Here’s the reality, highly processed food is scientifically designed to be over-consumed (yes you read that right.) Let me say it again, modern-day highly processed food is designed to be addictive and over-consumed. The good news is, you can break the cycle, banish cravings and take charge of your health.
Why we can’t rely on willpower alone to create a healthy lifestyle.
Firstly: Research shows that willpower is like a muscle, a muscle that gets tired the harder it works (FASCINATING right?) So, if you’re thinking of white-knuckling it when you’re surrounded by temptation it will only get you so far.
Secondly: Modern-day processed food is designed to be overconsumed. It’s specifically formulated to light up the pleasure centers in your brain and take over your brain chemistry leading you to always wanting more.
So, this means that using willpower alone to make a shift in your lifestyle, when we know that processed food is designed to make you over eat, it’s like trying to swim upstream.
The good news is, IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT!
It’s not about trying harder or blaming a lack of willpower to resist another mouthful of sugar-laden processed food. In reality, you’re fighting against science, where the chemicals in these highly processed foods actually override your natural signals of fullness. This then leads to you continuing to eat even when you aren’t hungry.
The good news is, you can break the cycle of ‘wanting more’ and banish the cravings. There’re steps you can take today, that help reset your cravings and rebalances your body.
It’s time to TAKE CHARGE and banish those cravings
Now that you’re aware of this you need to take charge of your health. Next, we are going to chat about the steps you can start taking today, that create new habits and work to banish those cravings.
Step 1: First and foremost, DON’T put highly processed food in your shopping cart. This is because if it’s in the house you WILL eat it… and ALL of it. The truth is, when food is designed to make you overeat, the words ‘in moderation’ no longer apply.
Step 2: It’s important to start your day with a well-balanced nutritious meal. This is significant as a balanced breakfast increases the chances that you will continue the winning streak and keep up the positive food choices throughout the day.
Ideally, you’re looking to start your day with a healthy breakfast made up of protein (eggs, nuts, and seeds), healthy fats (nut butter, flaxseed and avocado), fiber (berries and chia seeds) this will keep you nourished and fuelled for the morning.
For more about this checkout Healthy Breakfast Tips to Stop Mindless Snacking
Next,
Step 3: In with the good. Yes, you guessed it. Focus on eating whole, fresh, real food such as:
- Getting quality protein from nuts, legumes, fish, lean poultry.
- Healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, olives, seeds, and avocado.
- Good carbs: beans, veggies, whole grains, and fruit.
Step 4: The importance of a good night’s sleep is becoming more and more apparent. Research is showing us that a good night’s sleep can reduce cravings for sugar (YES, you read that right!). This alone should motivate you to prioritize getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
Step 5: Lastly, you need to move that body! It’s said that movement, when done regularly, helps regulate your appetite. It’s also a key player in helping manage stress levels. With this in mind, find some form of movement that gets you excited like walking, pilates, cycling, dancing in your living room. It can be literally anything, as long as it gets you moving.
You got this!
Now that you have a game plan, it’s time to put it into action and bring your body back into balance. You got this! Moving forward, when you choose to eat highly processed food, you do so knowing that they’re designed to be over-consumed and you now choose to eat it with informed consent.
Start seeing food as nourishment!
Prioritise moving your body each day.
Make sure you take the time to rest and heal.
References
Gearhardt A, Grilo M, DiLeone R, Brownell K, and Potenza M. 2011. Can Food be Addictive? Public Health and Policy Implications. Found at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171738/
Gordon E, Ariel-Donges A, Bauman V, Merlo L. 2018. What Is the Evidence for “Food Addiction?” A Systematic Revie. Found at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946262/
Dorling J, Broom D, Burns S, Clayton D, Deighton K, James L, King J, Miyashita M, Thackray A, Batterham R, and Stensel D. 2018. Acute and Chronic Effects of Exercise on Appetite, Energy Intake, and Appetite-Related Hormones: The Modulating Effect of Adiposity, Sex, and Habitual Physical Activity. Found at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164815/
