By Kay Leaman, Health Architect
When we think of ending cravings, we usually begin with telling ourselves, “I’m going to stop eating.” However, as most of us know, the willpower to eat it is many times stronger than our will power to not eat it. Let’s be real. As soon as we make this decision, someone offers us a doughnut or a sumptuous homemade goodie.
In order to conquer our cravings, I’d like to look at it from a different point of view. So, what habits can we work on that can help us in conquering our cravings?
Here’s a quote: “Life changes in mere moments. It all comes down to the decisions you make in the little moments of each day. Yeses and nos. But here’s the catch: It’s the hours and days after those decisions that dictate the direction you’ll head. So, what split-second decisions can you make each day over the next 28 days to make healthy changes that will last a lifetime?”
Decide to go to bed on time. Set an alarm if you need to be reminded. Sleep is critical to improve our health. While we sleep, our bodies are busy repairing, healing and performing many other functions. Getting enough sleep can help us make healthier decisions. As a side note, if you eat within 2-3 hours before going to bed, your body has to focus on digestion which interferes with the other tasks it needs to be doing.
Decide to make exercise a habit. If you’d like to exercise, but just can’t seem to work in 30 minutes a day, then it’s time to think out of the box. Break it up into short segments. Find exercises you can do at your desk like leg lifts, stretches, etc. Take a quick break and walk up and down a flight of stairs, etc.
Decide to take time for yourself. Tell your family you’re taking 10. Find a quiet place, take some deep breaths, close your eyes, clear your mind, read a few pages, relax. De-stressing works wonders.
Decide to eat to live, not live to eat. This is a powerful statement. We associate food with fellowship, entertainment and comfort. Food is fuel. How well will your car run if you add the wrong fuel to the tank? How well will your body run if you do the same?
Decide that your health is a priority. This one decision can change what shows up in our grocery cart. It will inform our choices on how we spend our personal time, how we look at the goodies in the break room. It also changes how we look at ourselves in the mirror.
If we set our minds on taking these decisions to heart, we can make a huge difference in our health, energy and mindset.
Here’s to health!
HealthyDay HealthyLife, Inc.
succeed.hdhl@gmail.com
