Healthy Snacking

So If you happen to be one of those people who cannot read a book or watch a movie without having something to munch on, then you are just like the rest of us. I find it almost impossible to read a book without eating or chewing something! You may blame this on hunger, nervousness, compulsive behavior, or just a plain old bad habit. Whatever it is tho, we all need to find a way to break it. This is easier said than done. With most of our life being a habit (good or bad) we seem to dull our senses of the ritual of life. It’s estimated that out of every 11,000 signals we receive from our senses, our brain only consciously processes 40.

These following techniques can help you re evaluate your snacking patterns or even touch on your compulsive eating.

28 Days – I once read an article in a popular woman's fashion magazine that pointed out the strategy of focusing on a habit for 28 days to reprogram you brain. Many of you may have heard of 30 day trials and whatnot. The strategy is, that after a certain amount of time of your brain and body doing something, it becomes a habit. So if you dedicate one month to making a good choice over and over, chances are next month you will need to focus on it less as it will have become a new habit in your newly reprogrammed brain.

Replace – I know myself, and if i get rid of my popcorn or snack food while reading a book I will just take it out on the instead of my mouth and lips. I can't simply just quit, it needs to be replaced with something else. My main need is chewing and on occasion, hunger as well. I found out that gum, and not just one wimpy piece, but several sticks of gum to chew on at once do wonders for me while reading. Other days ill mix the gum with some tea so I can have the delights of chewing and the comfort of swallowing.

Consistency is Key – Variety may be the spice of life, but it doesn’t create good habits. Make sure your new choice is as consistent as possible and is repeated every day as long as you can. This will ensure your good habit is drilled in, making it less likely to give into that plate of nachos later.

Rewards - Lets face it, we all like a juicy prize waiting for us. So why not give yourself a little incentive. Set aside some money and set a goal (more on goal setting to come) Let yourself and a support person know the conditions of your goal and the reward (maybe you and your buddy will go to lunch together if you complete your goal, this way they will hold you extra accountable!) If you win, then you get your reward. If you loose, well at least you can give it to the homeless!

Punishments- On the other end of the spectrum you can punish yourself for continuing something bad. I am not a firm believer in this as I believes it creates more resentment than actual revaluation. This will create more bad habits in its wake. Great just what every stress eater needs right?

Hopefully you can find something that works for you, if you have anything that you have found to be particularly helpful please leave a comment so we can all benefit from the tips!