The Ultimate Superpower is Willpower
Published April 26, 2012 at 2:44 pm
It’s 3pm and you are sitting at your desk, hitting the afternoon “wall.”
You start thinking to yourself… “what would be wonderful right now would be some chocolate…..or a bag of chips….OR some cookies. Just a little ‘pick-me-up’ to get me through.”
Before you grab your quarters and head to the vending machine, you really need to evaluate what’s going on in your body at this point of the day. What exactly is this sudden urge that is relentlessly trying to lure you away from your healthy eating plan?
The fact is, it’s coming from your body’s natural animalistic response to send thoughts of cravings to the brain to trigger us to go out and “seek food.” At 3 o’clock, you most likely need a snack in order to keep sugar levels balanced (a great snack would be a yogurt and a handful of almonds, or a few ounces of lean protein and a fruit). However, the body doesn’t really communicate such a specific menu request. Instead, it sends out a generic SOS “need sugar – get food.”
The “sugar” it’s really asking for is the useable energy found in natural, unprocessed wholesome foods.
When our bodies are lacking in a nutrient, our mind associates these cravings with a certain food or food group. Many of us (myself included) find ourselves craving chocolate mid-day. Chocolate not only gives the quick sugar fix we need, but it also releases “feel good” endorphins. With high stress jobs and hectic schedules, it is understandable why we cave in so easily. Realistically, the body has no concept of what chocolate is, but somehow, our mind becomes convinced that chocolate is exactly what it is asking for. Therefore, as junk food is so much more accessible to us these days, we tend to reach for a quick fix, rather than a lasting healthy solution.
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4 helpful tips to arm yourself in the battle against cravings:
1.) Drink up– It’s easy to confuse hunger with thirst, so fill up before snacking. Carry a glass of water or tea around with you throughout the day. (You can even zip up your water by adding a lemon wedge or Crystal Light drink mix for a low calorie option. Also, try tricking your mind into believing that you are having a fancy treat by putting your water in a wine glass. Crazy or genius? – test it and see!)
2.) Grab a healthy snack– Keep plenty of healthy snacks nearby and snack frequently during the day. Fruits, veggies, yogurt and cottage cheese are some of my favourites. Be sure to make it difficult to access sugary foods – do not keep them at your desk!
3.) Find a distraction– Get up from your desk and step outside for a few minutes. Or, if it’s raining outside, walk up and down a few flights of stairs. This will help you to refocus to gain willpower.
4.) Brush your teeth!- This sounds silly, but it works! Try brushing your teeth when cravings hit. Not only will your dentist be happy, but your breath will be minty fresh on your way to curbing your sweet tooth.
The truth is, you don’t have to be a superhero to have willpower! The power of “will” is the matter of choice; I will choose this healthier snack alternative rather than that carb and fat overloaded treat.
Trust me, I know that this is hard, but find some peace in knowing that there are plenty of other men and women, just like you, who are similarly trying to stick with their healthy eating plan.
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