Keep on track this autumn.
We often find that as the nights start to draw in and the weather changes so people can turn to a bit of ‘comfort eating.’ As with everything in life: it’s not a problem, unless it’s a problem.And that’s where hypnotherapy practitioners can make all the difference to someone’s food habits. We can help explain not only how the brain works but also how overeating affects our ability to control our diet (thanks, in simple terms, to that all important hormone, leptin).In our free initial consultation we can focus on how reducing our stress bucket can really help develop the intellectual part of the brain into thinking less about comfort eating and more about healthy eating.The now famous ‘Marshmallow Test’ is a great example of the huge benefits which can be found in the delaying of gratification. The primitive part of the brain will ‘want’ food and want it NOW!Afterall, millions of years of evolution highlights that famine is more common than feast (a situation still, sadly, prevalent in many parts of the world).As such, it’s natural that if the ‘stress bucket’ is significant in its size then our primitive mind-set will kick into action and we’ll seek comfort in the foodstuffs which will help to generate a dopamine hit.Think all of those sugary foods which we indulge in when we head to the cinema!Stanford Psychologist Walter Mischel devised the ‘Marshmallow Test’ back in the sixties and seventies which saw nearly 100 children being offered a choice: eat the marshmallow now, or, wait for a period of time and receive more.His controversial long term findings discovered that the children who waited longer for a better result actually had better life outcomes.Encouraging the intellectual part of the brain to see the long term upside of not engaging in trying to get an instant ‘hit’ from food is certainly hugely beneficial for a client who’s goal of losing weight suddenly becomes possible because of our work.As the nights start to draw in it’s certainly tempting to cosy down with great movie but maybe we should all opt for a smaller tub of popcorn – and perhaps not overdo it on the fizzy drinks!
