Spring is Here!

April 3, 2016 – 

Spring is near and it will soon be time to wear shorts and swimsuits. Don’t dread this beautiful time of year, instead make the decision to eat nutritious, balanced meals every day. How often do we stop to think about our eating habits? For most of us, not at all, is the honest answer. So, if you find yourself wishing you could lose a few pounds or wanting to live a bit more healthy, then it’s time to build a healthy relationship with food.

Here are a few ways to take charge of your eating habits:

1. Understand your hunger.
We underestimate the science behind the choices we make when it comes to food. Studies on the brain have confirmed its ability to influence our decisions when it comes to when and what we eat. In order to change the choices we make, we need to identify and understand the science behind them.

2. Recognize your lack of control.
Certain foods can trigger the spots in the brain that initiate cravings. Admitting that you have certain ‘triggers’ for overeating will release its control over you and prevent you from constantly going back to the same foods, the same promises, and the same guilty pleasures that didn’t serve you then and won’t serve you now.
3. Consider your medications.
Medications affect the central nervous system and can dictate your appetite. It is important to consider the types of medications you are taking and how they are interacting with each other. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about them and their potential side effects.

4. Purge your home.
Removing trigger foods from your home is the most effective way to avoid the temptation of consuming them. Reconsider what items you put on your grocery list, and commit to making your home healthier by making healthier choices. Follow my wife’s advice and ‘eat local’ or plant your own garden!

5. (and my personal favorite) Move as much as you can.
Make the decision to exercise more. Exercising on a regular basis increases the feel-good chemicals your body loves creating. Move a little more each day to help your body work for you and not against you.

In good health,

Bob
“Ate salad for dinner! Mostly croutons and tomatoes. Really just one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce, and cheese. Fine, it was pizza. I ate a pizza.” – Unknown