This month we’re giving special focus to something that I know a LOT of you are interested in …
Cleaning it up!
By that I mean, focusing on cleaning up our diets, our self-care and cleaning products, our homes, and even the info we feed our brain.
Let’s talk about ONE BIG AREA that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to cleaning up their nutrition – NIGHTTIME SNACKING!
I wanted to share something that can happen to any one of us – because I know you may relate. (We all can!)
Have you heard of “ultra-processed foods”?
That’s the new buzzword for packaged snacks, pizza, and basically anything with a lot of added sugar, fat, salt, or other ingredients to make them tastier and more appealing.
These foods can actually trigger an addiction-like response in your brain, making you crave them.
AND … it goes without saying these foods aren’t at ALL helpful (and actually run counter) to any health or fitness goals you have.
Back to what can happen to anyone of us: You are CRUSHING your goals – exercising, drinking more water, eating clean meals, getting sun & fresh air, and simply feeling GREAT.
In fact, you even make a point to tell yourself and your friends how proud you are of your actions! (LOVE THAT!)
But then every night when you finish cleaning up after dinner, you get a massive craving for those ultra-processed foods (even though you are not hungry) …. and every night, night after night, you give in.
Why? Because you have been a nighttime “snacker” for years and it has gotten even worse in 2020 (what a year it has been). You REALLY wanted to cut back on it but felt at a total loss for what to do.
You do some brainstorming and working through this with a wellness coach, looking at solutions that would work for your life and family, and together you put together a plan that you hope will work for you.
It’s actually the sort of brainstorming and plan creation I have done with a LOT of my clients.
You start by making changes to your evening habits to help you break the snacking cycle … and you did it in a way that short-circuits the “nighttime snacking” habit you want to get rid of.
What could this mean for you… well it could mean tackling a home organization project and then going to bed early – and staying away from the couch and the TV (the trigger), which is where the snacking always happens, for example.
This is a really great idea because it removes the automatic cue (TV + couch) to grab those junk foods.
And then… guess what… it works! The first couple of nights you still think about snacking, but then you get busy with your evening project.
Sometimes in order to break a habit loop, you have to (at least temporarily) remove the triggers that cause the habit to happen.
It’s a great tip straight out of the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.
Think about how you can apply this in your OWN life.
Do you have a time of day when it’s harder to meet your fitness and nutrition goals? You don’t always have to rely on willpower – a little brainstorming and planning can help you find a solution that’s a LOT easier!
If you want expert guidance with this in your own life …. this is one of the things we do best! A few simple tweaks can lead to GIANT results.
Send an email to Christina at support@peaksante.com HIT reply to schedule a FREE 30-minute discovery session to learn more.
Make it an amazing day,
Christina