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Choices for a healthier lifestyle
Jillyan Jay
for Smoky River Express
Do you find that you eat not because you’re hungry but because you’re bored, lonely or happy?
You are not alone! There are many reasons why we eat and often it’s not because we are hungry or need the nutrients but due to an emotion we are feeling, a situation we are in and a habit or behaviour we have learned.
Eating for reasons other than hunger is common and not likely a cause for concern; however, if you are finding it’s leading to issues of unhealthy weight gain, health conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol or feeling uncomfortable with your eating, you may want to learn more.
There is a workshop offered by Alberta Health Services called Craving Change™. This four-session workshop will discuss what influences our food choices and help you identify your own triggers for problematic eating. We will explain a variety of different strategies you can try to help you overcome these triggers. The environment that we live in can be a trigger. There are many things in our environment that may prompt us to eat in a way that’s problematic.
As you go about your usual routine this week, turn up the awareness level and try to spot what factors in your environment are influencing or prompting you to eat. Some of the tips below may help you to renovate your environment and cut down on all the eating cues:
1. Commercials: Record your show and fast-forward through commercials. Use commercial breaks to put in a load of laundry, brush your teeth, make lunch for tomorrow or just mute the commercials and have a conversation with your family.
2. Remember the Rule – “Out of sight, out of mind”!: Pay for gas at the pump so you are not tempted by the snacks inside. Keep only fruit and other healthy foods out on the counter. At work, avoid walking through the kitchen if there are often treats left out.
3. Extra Large Portions: Ask the server to bring a take-out container at the same time as the meal and save part of your meal for lunch tomorrow. At supper, make only enough for everyone to have a reasonable serving. If you are making extra for lunch the next day, portion it out before you sit down to eat. Portion snack food for yourself in a small bowl or re-sealable bag instead of eating out of the box or large bag.
We tend to blame our lack of willpower for unhealthy eating choices, yet there are so many factors in our environment that prompt us to eat or behave in a certain way!
Become more aware of how you’re influenced by your environment and use your power of awareness to help you live healthier.
For more health information, call HealthLink, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-866-408-LINK (5465).
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