The Power of Habit<\/em> by Charles Duhigg tells of experiments done with animals such as rats and chimps which show that the brain registers lots of activity in the pleasure centers when a food reward is given. (They used chocolate and blackberry juice.)\u00a0 Further experiments showed that just seeing the cues, such as a picture on the computer for the chimp and the open door of the maze for the rats, made the pleasure centers go into overdrive.\u00a0 What does that mean for us?<\/p>\nIt means that there are cues which we associate with food, which we associate with pleasure.\u00a0 Just seeing those cues set the desire drive in gear. Your brain is working against the conscious \u201cyou\u201d to push you toward the food you know brings pleasure. It doesn\u2019t matter that you have decided NOT to eat that doughnut because it will shoot your blood sugar through the roof and cause a massive insulin dump that will make you feel rotten.\u00a0 You see the cue and the pleasure center of your brain says, \u201cOh, YES!\u00a0 Eat it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A cycle has formed that looks like this: \u00a0 cue —- activity —– reward. \u00a0 How do you defeat your own brain and break this cycle?\u00a0 Yes, it can be done!\u00a0 The first step is to identify the cues.\u00a0 They could be sight cues — the vending machine with its candy bars, for example.\u00a0 They could be activity cues — like watching television or reading a book. (Ouch — I see mine.\u00a0 I love nothing better than to read and munch.)\u00a0 They could be time cues — late at night or middle of the afternoon, for example.\u00a0 Even smells become cues.\u00a0 Have you ever felt an overwhelming desire for popcorn just because of that fragrant aroma?<\/p>\n
Sometimes feeling become cues.\u00a0 Lonely?\u00a0 Angry?\u00a0 Bored?\u00a0 Those feelings could turn into signals to reach for the chocolate.<\/p>\n
So be aware of the cues.\u00a0 When you start to eat, note what you are doing and how you feel, as well as what food you are eating.\u00a0 Look for the cues, and you will be on the road to breaking the habit cycle.<\/p>\n
Eating to live and living for Christ,<\/p>\n
Susan Jordan Brown<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Are you really hungry, or do you eat because of habit?\u00a0 I\u2019ve been doing some research on habits and addictions — and have come to conclusion that many of our problems with staying on a healthy eating and exercise plan have more to do with our automatic responses rather than conscious decisions. That might be…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[369,9],"tags":[567,568,123],"class_list":["post-1847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-clinical-studies","category-eating-plan","tag-cues","tag-duhigg","tag-habit"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>The book The Power of Habit<\/em> by Charles Duhigg tells of experiments done with animals such as rats and chimps which show that the brain registers lots of activity in the pleasure centers when a food reward is given. (They used chocolate and blackberry juice.)\u00a0 Further experiments showed that just seeing the cues, such as a picture on the computer for the chimp and the open door of the maze for the rats, made the pleasure centers go into overdrive.\u00a0 What does that mean for us?<\/p>\n