If you are new to the world of incorporating mindset strategies into your general diet and lifestyle choices, then you must give this ‘brain hack’ a try.
One of the best ways to gain more control over cravings for unhealthy foods or mindless snacking is to practice the art of inserting a tiny pause before that gut reaction to reach for a snack takes over.
I can’t tell you how many times I have instinctively gone to the pantry or fridge when the first whisper of ‘hunger’ or a craving for sweets strikes. It’s usually at some random time of day, and I find myself moving in the direction of some chocolate or even a snack that might qualify as ‘healthy.’ This isn’t a problem by the way, until it’s a problem. By that I mean, are we taking the time to see if responding to that whisper is a good idea or even necessary?
When you start raising your awareness around what leads up to your choices, you can get a clearer picture of what is going on for you emotionally in that moment.
If you feel like you might be snacking too much, or you believe that you must snack between meals, ask yourself these four questions when the next urge strikes to go grab a snack:
1-How long has it been since I last ate? Should I actually be hungry now?
Most of us don’t stop to ponder if the urge to eat is legitimate hunger or not. If you ARE truly hungry, taking a moment to examine what you did eat at the last meal helps you see what foods have staying power and which ones don’t. This practice not only provides value in the moment, and potentially stops mindless eating, but it helps you make better choices at the next meal.
2-Could this be emotionally driven hunger?
Slowing things down for a moment will help you connect what you’re feeling in the moment, and why. Feeling hungry? Or, just stressed? Did you just go over all you have to do or your email inbox and are you feeling overwhelmed or short on time? Could it be related to something you saw on social media, a text you received, or walking past clutter you haven’t had time to address. When you are feeling some sort of negative emotion like stress, irritability, or maybe just plain boredom, the brain knows that a sweet treat will light up the reward centers of the brain and give us a quick hit of dopamine. This is not driven by true physical hunger, it’s just an urge to feel better in the moment. We have to get clear on the difference.
3- How much water have I had today?
It’s a shame that we SO often mistake thirst for hunger. Quick access to food (usually processed) is so abundant and available now, there’s not much to slow us down from grabbing a quick snack before we’ve even considered that it could be that we’re just thirsty. It didn’t used to be like that. Food used to require a lot more effort.
4- What do I REALLY need in this moment?
This is really the best question to ask when the first idea of food pops in your head, or before you reach for a treat from the candy bowl. Do I just need a break? Do I need to take a short walk to stretch my legs, get some fresh air, or take a few deep breaths?
When you become practiced at checking in with yourself before eating, and spend more time noticing how you are feeling before eating, you will start to gain more control and the skill of eliminating unconscious snacking.
Giving your insulin levels a chance to stay down between meals until true physical hunger arises sets you up for better metabolic health and insulin sensitivity over time.
Simple mindfulness practices like this one are the key to getting there.