My Fleep:
Health
Health
Sweeten Your Willpower
Have you had those days when you really stuck to your guns
and maintained your willpower? You did your morning
exercises, had a good breakfast and felt a great start to
the day. You chose wisely in the cafeteria at lunch and
passed up the pies. Even those mid-afternoon cravings
didn't get you. You could have picked the snickers bar at
the vending machine, but you had an apple instead.
You got through the day feeling very proud of yourself
until . . . a moment of weakness in the evening. Maybe you
were at the ballpark or the movies or just over at a
friends house when all of a sudden you found yourself
gorging down a donut or a piece of pie.
What happened? How did that super-strength that you had
during the day just all of a sudden vanish?
It's in the Blood
Some cool new research that I read about in the latest
Scientific American Mind sheds a little light on this and
offers some advice to help you. In the experiment,
volunteers experienced different environments where they
had to ignore distractions and exhibit self-control. Before
and after the tasks, experimenters monitored blood sugar
levels to see how much energy the restraining behavior cost
them.
The research suggested that willpower is energetically
expensive. That means that every time you successfully keep
those cravings at bay, it costs you some energy in the form
of using up blood sugar. Researchers actually monitored a
drop in blood sugar after volunteers suppressed their urges.
Beyond that, the study also found that if subjects were
given a sugar drink to get their blood sugar back up they
were able to suppress more urges for much longer. On the
other hand, if volunteers were given a similar tasting
drink sweetened artificially, they were less able to keep
their willpower up. The real sugar raises the blood sugar
back up but the artificially sweetened drink does not.
Use the Slow Burners
This is not an endorsement to reach for a sugar-laden soda
every time you feel an urge that you are trying to control.
In fact, if losing weight is your goal this would be
counter productive. However, this is another argument for a
low glycemic, fiber-based carbohydrate diet.
I have discussed the glycemic index of carbohydrates in the
past. Essentially, it is a measure of how fast your body
turns the food into sugar and dumps it into your
bloodstream. Simple carbs from donuts, cakes, white bread,
etc. spike you blood sugar fast. While complex carbs, from
whole grains, fruits and vegetables gradually increase your
blood sugar.
Another way to look at it is that complex carbs will
provide a steady and sustained release of sugars into your
blood. Based on the new research, this will help you fight
urges and maintain your willpower because it will be
difficult to crash your blood sugar.
Kicking the Habit
So whatever habits you are trying to replace, a low
glycemic diet might give you that extra edge that you need
to stay the course. Typically, I promote this style of
eating for physical health, but now it appears that it is a
weapon against any urge - whether that devil on your
shoulder is calling for junk food, a cigarette or impulsive
shopping.
More and more we are realizing how food controls our
behavior. The brain is very responsive to what you choose
to put in your mouth. Feed your brain what it needs to win.
----------------------------------------------------
Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family.
The Brain Code is the key to unlock your maximum potential.
Dr. Simon Evans puts together the right ingredients in
right amount to create the recipe for success. Visit
http://www.thebraincode.com for FREE Brain Fitness
resources.
Have you had those days when you really stuck to your guns
and maintained your willpower? You did your morning
exercises, had a good breakfast and felt a great start to
the day. You chose wisely in the cafeteria at lunch and
passed up the pies. Even those mid-afternoon cravings
didn't get you. You could have picked the snickers bar at
the vending machine, but you had an apple instead.
You got through the day feeling very proud of yourself
until . . . a moment of weakness in the evening. Maybe you
were at the ballpark or the movies or just over at a
friends house when all of a sudden you found yourself
gorging down a donut or a piece of pie.
What happened? How did that super-strength that you had
during the day just all of a sudden vanish?
It's in the Blood
Some cool new research that I read about in the latest
Scientific American Mind sheds a little light on this and
offers some advice to help you. In the experiment,
volunteers experienced different environments where they
had to ignore distractions and exhibit self-control. Before
and after the tasks, experimenters monitored blood sugar
levels to see how much energy the restraining behavior cost
them.
The research suggested that willpower is energetically
expensive. That means that every time you successfully keep
those cravings at bay, it costs you some energy in the form
of using up blood sugar. Researchers actually monitored a
drop in blood sugar after volunteers suppressed their urges.
Beyond that, the study also found that if subjects were
given a sugar drink to get their blood sugar back up they
were able to suppress more urges for much longer. On the
other hand, if volunteers were given a similar tasting
drink sweetened artificially, they were less able to keep
their willpower up. The real sugar raises the blood sugar
back up but the artificially sweetened drink does not.
Use the Slow Burners
This is not an endorsement to reach for a sugar-laden soda
every time you feel an urge that you are trying to control.
In fact, if losing weight is your goal this would be
counter productive. However, this is another argument for a
low glycemic, fiber-based carbohydrate diet.
I have discussed the glycemic index of carbohydrates in the
past. Essentially, it is a measure of how fast your body
turns the food into sugar and dumps it into your
bloodstream. Simple carbs from donuts, cakes, white bread,
etc. spike you blood sugar fast. While complex carbs, from
whole grains, fruits and vegetables gradually increase your
blood sugar.
Another way to look at it is that complex carbs will
provide a steady and sustained release of sugars into your
blood. Based on the new research, this will help you fight
urges and maintain your willpower because it will be
difficult to crash your blood sugar.
Kicking the Habit
So whatever habits you are trying to replace, a low
glycemic diet might give you that extra edge that you need
to stay the course. Typically, I promote this style of
eating for physical health, but now it appears that it is a
weapon against any urge - whether that devil on your
shoulder is calling for junk food, a cigarette or impulsive
shopping.
More and more we are realizing how food controls our
behavior. The brain is very responsive to what you choose
to put in your mouth. Feed your brain what it needs to win.
----------------------------------------------------
Master Brain Fitness techniques for you and your family.
The Brain Code is the key to unlock your maximum potential.
Dr. Simon Evans puts together the right ingredients in
right amount to create the recipe for success. Visit
http://www.thebraincode.com for FREE Brain Fitness
resources.