It’s a common habit. When stressed or anxious or over-committed, we reach for food. Food is nourishment and a comfort but reaching for food when we’re not hungry can attribute to extra pounds. How to break the habit when willpower alone is not enough?
Here are some tips:
- Eat a mandarin orange. Sexier than “eat an apple,” less caloric than chocolate, easy to carry (bring a plastic baggie or something more eco for the peels), and it tastes like a treat. Lucky us, they’re about to be in season. The sugar boost will satisfy, and the Vitamin C will do a body good.
- Go nuts. Almonds come in handy “100 calorie packs.” Keep a few packs in your purse, along with that mandarin orange.
- Stop multitasking for a minute. Make a cup of tea and hold the cup between your hands. Take a deep breath and focus on the warm tea scent. Have you been to David’s Tea yet? Try out a few favorite brands (Chai for fall!) and keep some on hand. The scent alone will be worth it.
- The trick is to reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol (the stress hormone) makes us gain weight, simple as that, and when we feel stressed often, our cortisone levels rise. Mindfulness is a delicate journey, and it’s never fully completed, but make the first step and you’ll reap the benefits.
- Yoga. A daily yoga habit, even five minutes alone in the kitchen, will be a best friend to your body.
- Walk. If you can’t get to the gym, if you have no time, walk somewhere. Even a little bit will go a long way.
