Putting a Stop to Food Cravings!

Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the perfect diet all the time and have our struggles with food, same as everyone else. But having an awareness of this fact and knowing a little bit about our health and food nutrition can help when it comes to making wise decisions.

Many people struggle with food "cravings." Studies tell us that it's fairly common for food cravings to happen at certain times, quite often at around bedtime. Your guard may be down, you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way to find that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions.

When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate. We head to kitchen and every other place where food can hide, clearing a path as we go. Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge about this subject continues to grow. Listed below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings: -

If the food isn't available, you can't eat it! Empty the cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand. - Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, lonely, or stressed?

If you can identify a trigger, you can deal with the emotion that’s making you desire a certain food. Try to deal with the triggers in the best way you can. - Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen doesn't seem to help.

Don't beat yourself-up. There is always tomorrow. Call a friend, make good use of your support network and share your feelings with someone. - Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to crave things. - Never give-up. When you "slip", press-in, bear-down, get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control.

Try to practice restraint most of the time, but don't get legalistic and un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and not abstinence at all times! - Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves, won't cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is required. If you do not currently have a support network, start building one TODAY. -

Exercise. It increases feel-good endorphins that cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. -

Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of food hoping that your craving will go away, eat 100 to 200 calories of your "craved" food. - Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt. Try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving. -

Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours. Try six smaller meals or regular meals with nutritious snacks. - Understand that hunger craving are oftentimes stress related. Practice other ways to treat chronic stress – a walk in the park, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, baths...all these stimulate neurochemicals that activate regions of the brain that stimulate pleasure.

Relaxation techniques may work by reducing the psychological drives on stress output, which can be the root causes of stress. Try one of the stress busting hypnosis CD.s at www.opportunities.goldphoria.com.

Bottom line, substitute pleasurable experiences for comfort foods. - Beware of certain medications. They can stimulate appetite. Drugs used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a medication, and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist. You may be able to find an alternative that doesn't send your cravings out of control. -

Distract Yourself. What's that old expression...idle hands are the devils workshop? Get busy. Do anything other than cave-in to your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings subside. -

One final thought, take a look inside your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets and do some general "house cleaning." Throw-out all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage your diet, and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought and careful planning will go a long way for improving your chances of success.

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Eat wisely, be happy, and live long!

How Does Hypnosis Help You Lose Weight?

The simple answer for the question is we humans are slaves to habit. Hypnosis is an excellent tool for eliminating bad habits and creating good habits. Before you begin any weight loss program, it is very important that possible medical reasons for excess weight be diagnosed. Get a clean bill of health from your doctor. This usually comes as an "eat right and exercise more" statement.

We sometimes find ourselves living to eat rather than eating to live. In our modern society we have learned to eat for reasons other than hunger. Most of our eating habits are unconscious and do not involve actual hunger. We eat because we are emotional, bored, tired, happy, unhappy, guilty, afraid, sad, and many other reasons that do not involve hunger. Hypnosis works for weight loss because it re-programs your unconscious need to eat when not actually hungry. By eating nutritious food, in the right proportions, only when hungry, your body will automatically begin to return to a more ideal weight. Hypnosis is a tool for change at the sub-conscious level where our habits are formed. Habits, both good and bad, become unconscious, or automatic.

Have you ever driven your car and arrived at a destination realizing you were on "auto pilot" the whole time? Without conscious thinking you stopped for red lights, stop signs, made turns, and got where you were going. Driving became an unconscious task and hopefully, all your good driving habits got you to your destination safely. The example of being on autopilot also applies to our good and bad eating habits.

That bag of chips, pint of ice cream, or candy bar etc. can disappear almost without our knowledge. Many people who struggle with weight often find that their eating habits have become unconscious. For driving our car, the unconscious keeps us safe. For food, our habits may drive us to eat when hunger is not a factor. Hypnosis is a very natural, pleasant state of mind that often occurs twice a day for most people. It is a dreamy far away feeling that we sometimes experience just before drifting off to sleep at night, or just before being fully awake in the morning.

Another example of how you feel in hypnosis would be gazing into a fireplace or campfire, you are aware of everything around you but you just drift enjoying the relaxed feeling. In Hypnosis you will be aware at all times but the awareness is in the background. The hypnotic state for weight loss opens the subconscious seat of our habits to suggestions by a skilled hypnotic guide.

These suggestions reinforce our good habits and replace our bad habits. Hypnosis provides powerful subconscious suggestions for eating healthy nutritious foods and snacks. The first time you reach for that bag of cookies and your hand stops in mid air you will realize that you are now in control. It is a powerful testament to the power of your mind. Hypnosis is a powerful tool for following the Doctor's advice to eat right and exercise

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How to Live Longer and Experience Better Health

It's true that we are what we eat. A person who fills up on junk food each day is probably going to age faster and get sick more often than the person who eats a balanced diet and exercises daily. Importance of Protein in Our Diets Protein is not just important for building up mass and muscle. A lack of protein can cause obesity and other health problems. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates and sugar will leave you feeling full for a longer amount of time and actually aid in losing weight. A lack of protein in your diet causes the white bands across the nails, as well as hang nails.

And for shiny, healthy hair you need to consume a diet high in nutrients, mainly protein, beta-carotene, and iodine. Fruits New studies suggest once again that citric fruits including oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits help fight cancer, high cholesterol, and obesity. Studies both at Texas A&M and University of Kanasawa Medical University in Japan show that compounds in citric fruits can help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

One of the best ways to ensure good health is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Once you get in the habit, it is easy to add more of these items to your daily diet. It is also a great way to lose weight. Vegetables Eating your daily requirement of vegetables will help a lot in fighting off illness and disease. Juicing the vegetables is even better since it allows your body to absorb more of the nutrients.

How Nutrition Benefits Our Immune System Eating well gives us energy and bolsters our immune system. Our immune system is weakened as our cells age. How do you aid your cells in staying healthy? Eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise daily. Keeping a positive attitude is important, too. Supplements Sometimes supplements are necessary. Even the person who eats nine or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day probably needs supplements.

After years of growing our food, the soil is so depleted of nutrients that the fruits and vegetables grown on it fall far short of containing all the vitamins and minerals we need each day. Balance is the Key to Good Health It is important for everyone to eat a variety of healthy foods, balance the food they eat with regular physical activity, and choose a diet with the right nutrients.

If you have health challenges, are overweight, chances are you are not in balance at all. Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you eat has to provide your body with the nourishment to properly balance your body's chemistry. Eating healthy enables your cells to stay strong, improving your overall health.

Eating healthy, combined with plenty of water and some exercise, is the key to long live and a strong immune system. There's no way around it: If you want a healthy body you have to feed it right.

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Hooray for Chocolate!

There is great news for chocolate lovers...Chocolate is good for your health! Now, we are not talking here about a candy bar but about real chocolate, the kind that contains at least 71% of real cocoa.

Something to remember when selecting chocolate is that the darker it is, the less sugar it contains and the better it is for you. We are all aware of the emotional benefits of chocolate. By liberating endorphins in the body, chocolate provides us with feelings of comfort and wellbeing, energy and pleasure. Some surveyed women go as far a saying that they would prefer chocolate to sex! No wonder with such a texture, rich color and taste, chocolate is not only an aphrodisiac but also a pleasure for the senses. In addition, chocolate also contains serotonin and caffeine which both provide energy and promote good humor.

Pleasure aside, chocolate also holds beneficial health properties. Chocolate's complex chemical composition offers a variety of substances that the body needs to function properly and to prevent disease. Chocolate enhances cardiovascular health. Like red wine, the phenols contained in dark chocolate help prevent coronary diseases.

The British Medical Journal reports that a daily portion of 100 grams of dark chocolate reduces blood pressure and the occurrence of cardiovascular incidents by 21%. These phenols are also rich in antioxidants and they help neutralize free radicals produced by the body or absorbed thought cigarette smoke and other sources of pollution. Cocoa butter is already used in creams to heal scars and burns. No wonder pharmaceutical companies are now exploring the possibility of researching with chocolate to develop new medication to counter cancers and osteoporosis. Chocolate does contain fats but these are unsaturated and contribute to reducing bad cholesterol and to increasing good cholesterol.

Chocolate is also an excellent source of magnesium. Should it contain nuts, chocolate can become a great source phosphor and vegetable iron. One of the many benefits of living in our time is that there is a plethora of organic and fair trade chocolates that are readily available to us in natural health food and grocery stores. The benefits of purchasing these types of chocolates abound but the most obvious are that they do not contain organochlorine pesticides that are usually used to treat traditional cocoa crops and that are harmful not only to the consumer but also to the field worker. Furthermore, purchasing fair trade chocolate ensures that the (healthier) worker can benefit from improved working and living conditions by receiving a fair salary for their work.

Like with everything however, chocolate must be consumed in good measure. Chocolate increases caloric intake and energy level. This can be good, provided these calories are burned. We might even change the saying to "Some chocolate everyday keeps the doctor away!"

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Why You Might Need a Mini Vacation

Would you be surprised if I told you that going away this weekend would give you the same benefits as a longer vacation? Think about what exciting things you were going to do this weekend? Maybe mow your lawn? Clean your house? Re-arrange the furniture? When you stay at home, even if you are planning to relax, you are going to be reminded of what needs to be done and it will only add stress. Getting away from routine chores will help lift your spirits and let you recharge mentally and physically.

Taking a short getaway vacation is especially significant when you have a reason to celebrate such as a wedding anniversary, birthday or Mother's Day. Taking a mini vacation is a great way to make the event really memorable. Do not just do the same old, same old, make the special occasion stand out, get away for the weekend and make it something you will always remember.

So how are you going to do it? Many getaways are available as last minute deals which save you money and time. Just choose your destination, pack your bags, and go! There are many last minute deals to be found on the internet. A recent search in Google for "weekend getaways" yielded more than 13,000,000 results, so you have no excuses. So where can you go?

If you live in North America, Mexico, Canada and US destinations are good choices. Other European countries make a great getaway for those living in Europe. Many cruise lines also have a three-day package available. Or you can stay closer to home, maybe really close to home and still get the benefits.

An anniversary can be spent at a beautiful five star hotel 20 minutes away from your home and it can feel as though you are somewhere far, far away. Some things to keep in mind; many hotels offer special weekend deals so keep your eye out for those. Often booking your airfare and hotel together as a package can also save you money. Stay flexible, as in the immortal words of the Rolling Stones, by booking last minute, you may not always get what you want, but you can get what you need.

So, whether you are taking the family or it's just the two of you for a romantic weekend, get online, check out local hotels in your phone book or call your travel agent. You do not have to wait until the "perfect" time or until you have the money for that around the world cruise. You can go on vacation this weekend!

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Invest in Your Health

What if a trusted friend were to tell you about an investment where you could not possibly go wrong...what would be your reaction? And what if there was a virtual mountain of credible information that supported the investment claims...wouldn't you be inclined to take advantage of the opportunity and not miss out on the rewards?

Although the answer to these questions seems apparent, when it comes to investing in our health and quality of life we often choose to ignore what obviously works. Take for example, exercise... Physical fitness may be the ultimate investment opportunity.

Think of it this way. If you are willing to make the commitment (investment), you will feel and look healthier, have an abundance of energy, be more self-confident, more productive and discover a more joyous and fulfilling life.

These are rewards that money cannot buy and the substance of high quality living. And, the investment of exercise becomes even more attractive when you consider that there is absolutely no down-side risk. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. How much better can it get? How many times can you remember ever having a better offer? The honest answer is probably never, and yet many of us fail to act on this extraordinary opportunity. We simply choose to procrastinate or ignore the proven benefits of exercise! Here are a few reasons that sometimes inhibit our willingness to "step out" and make a change or take a chance: -

Sometimes our vision gets clouded. We lose tract of what is really important. Forget about the less important activities that tend to clutter our daily routine and focus on exactly what needs to be accomplished to reach your goal.

Looking at the "big" picture can seem overwhelming. And the bigger the task, the more overwhelming it can seem. Break the task apart into smaller pieces. If you want to lose 50 pounds try losing 10 pounds and repeat the process five times! Need to start an exercise program? Begin with short, simple exercises and then slowly expand your routine. Don't exercise too hard when first starting-out or you will become stiff, tired, disillusioned and soon quit.

Have you ever not wanted to start something for fear of failure? Take the first step, acknowledge the fear and the next step will come easier. Once fears are acknowledged, they usually quiet down.

Sometimes we start to think that a task is unpleasant or boring. Just like any other activity, this can also be true for exercise. There are days when we just plain lack the enthusiasm and motivation to continue. It's part of human nature. On days like these focus on 'why' you are doing it. Think about all the people you care about and who may need and rely on you. What would happen if you became ill or disabled and was unable to work for a period of time, or worse, if you were out of the picture completely. How would things change? If something happened tomorrow, how would your family or business manage without you? What do you want your life to be like in the future?

There are many tasks or chores we do, that we may not like, but are necessary to live a happen and productive life. Focus on the bigger picture. - Indecision can be defeating, but doing "anything" is better than doing nothing. There are no wrong choices and very few choices that can't be undone or done again.

Can't decide on a particular exercise program or routine? Pick a few exercises and start with something simple. If you don't like it, go on to the next exercise. - When you lack the confidence to start something new, take a deep breath and try to figure out why. Are you hesitating because you really lack the skill or is it just imagined? If it's real, try to find out where to gain the skills you need or find someone with the right skills who can help. In the case of exercise, finding a qualified personal fitness trainer can sometimes do the trick, but be wary...some PFT's are overzealous and tend to start newcomers on programs that are too strenuous.

Life just seems too busy to find time for some activities. Large, uninterrupted chunks of time are very hard to come by. And if we're honest, when they do come, we'd rather do something totally pleasurable! Exercise has to become part of your routine. It can't be an option. Make it a high priority just the same as your career, and other areas of interest. You will be surprised at how easy exercise becomes when approached this way! - Have you ever subconsciously (or otherwise) invited distractions so that you have a "good" reason not to get something done?

Sometimes it's the simple things like answering the phone or sitting down to watch that "one" TV program, that distract us. When you find yourself doing this, take control of the situation and make a conscious decision to do what you are avoiding. To reap the benefits of exercise, or any other health related endeavor, you must agree to become a willing participant. This will require due diligence on your part. And remember, as you embark on your mission you are investing in something near and dear to your own heart...your life and a future of healthy living.

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