Your Health Goals Will Take More Than Just Willpower
Jan 27, 2010 Quit Smoking
Most of us believe self control is largely a character issue. However recent research suggests that willpower by itself is inherently limited. Because the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the area of the brain in charge of willpower, can become easily overtaxed willpower can decrease dramatically when you try to do too much too soon. Studies show that the PFC can be improved by focusing on 1 behavior change at a time which in turn can lead to other positive changes. One such study asked college students to improve their posture and over the course of two weeks noticed other improvements of self control happened as a consequence. The key take away here is that the PFC cannot process multiple requests to change at the same time. Some of my patients who attempted to do too many health goals at once were not successful.
Three tips to help you reach your health goals.
1. Your brain can only handle one health goal at a time. If you try to do achieve many new goals you’ll most likely fail. Did you know all it takes is 5 extra bits of information to decrease willpower in the PFC? A recent study tested willpower by having subjects choose a fruit salad or a slice of chocolate cake while keeping in mind a two digit or seven digit set of numbers. Those trying to juggle 7 digits were twice as likely to choose the cake over a fruit salad. The solution is to focus on only 1 health goal at a time. You not only start your health goal but continue to commit to it until it becomes a positive habit and is successful. Then you can add your next goal to the mix because you now understand how to make your brain work for you.
2. Calories are critical to proper brain function. Calories get a bad rap because of weight issues, but recent research shows they aren’t always a bad thing. A second study gave one set of students lemonade with artificial sweetener and another set of students lemonade with sugar. After viewing a video all the students were tested on several self control tasks. Those given the lemonade with artificial sugar, which had 0 calories, performed tasks less successfully than those who had consumed the sugar lemonade, which contained calories. The conclusion suggests that calories are needed to supply the brain with food to function effectively and increase self control. If you skip meals to lose weight or because you are too busy this only makes it harder to keep on track and will often lead to overeating or eating snack foods. What works best is the following: plan your meals and eat at regular times throughout the day. This tactic helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels, and nourish the brain so it supports your health goals.
3. Simple and easy exercise is more important than you think. By simple and easy exercise I mean just doing some daily physical activity to start. Why? Because exercise releases positive endorphins so you end up feeling better once you adhere to a regular activity routine. For example it could mean something as simple as a daily walk around the block or joining a gym. Exercise trigger the brain reward center which helps us feel positive, improves our mood, helps us sleep better and stimulates the flow blood to feed the brain.
Weight loss is a big issue for some of my patients. In fact many of my patients talk to me about losing weight and ask if acupuncture alone can help. I always make the joke that if acupuncture worked perfectly for weight loss by itself I wouldn’t have to work anymore. What I do know is acupuncture can help sustain your health goals in these areas:
* Feel more relaxed which reduces those anxiety induced cravings for the bad stuff * Improved focus and be better able to concentrate on your goals and daily tasks * Experience more energy that sustains your commitment to changing your behavior * Enhance your digestion which allows for a more efficient processing of your food
By combining the Three Health Goals Tips along with a series of acupuncture treatments, you will be better able to prioritize, stay committed and succeed with your health goals in 2010.
Susan Wallace is a licensed acupuncturist serving the San Francisco bay area for the last 25 years and specializes in combining acupuncture, herbs and western nutrition to maximize health. New patients receive 1 free treatment for each paid visit for the first month. For more information or to sign up for her monthly newsletter click here.
Tags: Bad Habits, Behavior Change, good habits, habits, health, Health Goals, health resolutions, Quit Smoking, resolutions, stop smoking, weight loss, Willpower
Reduce Stress in Under 10 Minutes
Nov 17, 2009 Quit Smoking
What causes you stress? Your kids? Job? Money? Moving? Love or lack of it? Physical or emotional pain?
How much of your stress is from today, and how much is past experiences? You probably know what I mean by this, but the answer is not always easy figure out.
It’s common sense that managing and reducing stress can prevent many problems. Problems with general health, potential addiction, and more. Preventing these problems with stress management methods is much less costly and more comfortable than dealing with the results.
I know you wouldn’t choose to have problems with your blood pressure, heart, or trouble sleeping. But, ignoring your stress is very close to doing just that.
People with stress problems often look to avoid the discomfort by looking for pleasure or distraction. Things like watching TV, movies, using medications, food, smoking or other addictions.
People tend to believe traditional talk therapy and medications are the only alternatives, and try to avoid that. If you knew there was a reliable and medically tested method to relieve stress, would you consider it?
Yes, you would, if it really worked.
You’ve probably watched a movie or television to relax. Does it really help? Probably most of the time you’re watching it you feel relatively more relaxed. Something else to focus on and think about? But there really isn’t much “thinking” going on… it just helps you make a more relaxed state of mind.
Many people go through great lengths and complicated processes to achieve this state of mind. Creative visualization, meditation, yoga, deep prayer, etc…
All of these examples technically achieve a mental state of hypnosis. With a little practice, it is very easy to get this hyper focused state. Like when you’re involved in reading a book, or on the phone.
Hypnosis is a state of mind everyone goes into several times a day. Hypnotizing yourself, on purpose, is so easy to do and is so beneficial to your stress and health in general.
There are medical clinical studies in the National Library of Medicine you can research on www.pubmed.gov.
Physical and mental stress relief of over 50% is possible in under 10 minutes. Honest.
Getting help from an appropriately trained hypnotist or using a quality self-hypnosis audio to reduce general stress are perfect alternatives. They have a higher rate of long-term success than medication and hypnosis has no potential for side-effects.
Please note: Hypnosis has been approved by the American Medical Association since’58, But, it does not replace traditional medicine.
Make use of the Quick Hypnosis advanced techniques for your quit smoking hypnotherapy program!
Tags: family, fitness, habits, hypnosis, Quit Smoking, Stress
The Best Preparation Before You Stop Smoking
Nov 11, 2009 Quit Smoking
You have to be mentally ready, before you stop smoking. If you are not ready, it will be waste of energy and time to try.
You might also have to handle the physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms. If you take care of this part, the mental part might be easier.
If you are like most people, willpower alone will not do it. You will probably need a little help. Today there is a lot of products, there will remove the worst withdrawal symptoms (e.g. Nicotinell and Nicorette).
Nicotine plaster and nicotine chewing gum are the two most popular nicotine products. Other options are nicotine inhaler, nicotine nasal spray and nicotine tablets.
When you smoke, it is probably often more a matter of habit than a desire. So do you really want that cigarette at the bus stop or after lunch? Or has it just become a really bad habit?
Look critically at your smoking situations. Then you will be able to reduce your cigarette consumption significantly. This way you can take deliberated choice, when you decide to light a cigarette.
Do you dream about something, you cannot afford today? It might be possible in the future, if you do not have to spend a lot of money on cigarettes.
Reward yourself (or the family) with nice presents, when you haven’t smoked for a week. And do the same again after a month and a year; then you will have the motivation to keep fighting, when it gets tough.
One way to make the reward present is to create a smoking cessation piggy bank. Every day you do not smoke, put the amount at which you previously would have spent on cigarettes. After a few weeks you might have money enough for a nice dinner. And after a few months you can afford a nice vacation.
Another great preparation before you quit smoking might be to write down your thoughts about your future smoking cessation project. Write your reasons to quit smoking, what you think will be the hardest etc.
Then you are ready, when the crisis comes (and sooner or later it will come). The writings can give you encouragement and motivation. It might also be a good idea to write a smoking cessation diary with all your ups and downs.
Martin Elmer is writing about quitting your cigarettes on the website rygestop dag for dag. You can also learn how to minimize your nicotine withdrawal symptoms in the section nikotin tabletter.
Tags: Cigarettes, diary, habits, health, Motivation, Nicorette, Nicotine, Nicotinell, Quit Smoking, Smoking, Smoking Cessation, stop smoking, Withdrawal Symptoms