diet

Hands holding various fresh berries outdoors.

Foods To Help Stop Smoking

Written by: Debbie

A modern living room with a white sectional sofa and large windows.

During a session to stop smoking, I review practical tips and ideas to assist my clients in the process. This includes foods to help stop smoking. The research on foods to help stop smoking may be limited, but smokers widely report that some foods and drinks can help you. Duke University researchers became interested in claims from smokers that certain foods and drinks made cigarettes taste better. They decided to investigate it by surveying over 200 smokers about foods and drinks which make cigarettes either taste better or worse.

Here is a sampling of what they found:

Milk and Dairy

Dairy products were identified as one of the types of food and drink that made cigarettes taste worse. Most smokers said that it gave their cigarettes a bitter aftertaste.

Vegetables and Fruits

It is reported that these foods to help stop smoking, make cigarettes taste less desirable. Furthermore, cigarettes block the absorption of important nutrients, such as calcium and vitamins C and D. (For example, smoking just one cigarette drains the body of 25 mg of vitamin C.) Not only will the former smoker now benefit from those nutrients, any possible cravings are diminished by eating these foods.

Ginseng
Tea

There is research that suggests ginseng could be therapeutic. It may weaken the effect of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with pleasure. Dopamine is released when smoking tobacco. Studies suggest that ginseng could genuinely reduce the effects of nicotine. For those looking for foods to help stop smoking, incorporating ginseng could be beneficial.

Popcorn

Enjoy popcorn, just leave off the extra butter. Popcorn is high in fiber and low in calories. Plus, it keeps your hands busy. If the popcorn seems bland, try spraying it with a butter-flavored or olive-oil spray. You can add a blend of herbal seasoning, garlic, and onion powder, or a little red pepper powder.

Hummus

Hummus is rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins and pairs well with many raw veggies. Our body is ready to absorb the nutrients this snack provides now that the smoke has cleared. Including hummus in your diet can be part of a plan with foods to help stop smoking.

Hypnosis In Treating Obesity

Written by: Debbie

It never fails that when I tell people how I make my living—as a hypnotherapist hypnotizing people slim—they inevitably ask: Does it work; does hypnosis really help with weight loss? My answer usually brightens their eyes with something between excitement and incredulity because most people don’t realize that adding trance to your weight loss efforts can help you lose more weight and keep it off longer. Although hypnosis predates carb and calorie counting by a few centuries, I often hear from desperate individuals that this is their last hope. Because of stage and screen portrayals of hypnosis as mind control or at the very least parlor tricks the benefits of hypnosis has long been misunderstood. It isn’t until everything has been exhausted and people are feeling out of control that most people are willing to try hypnosis. Once they realize their goals, I hear “I should have called you first.” If only people understood that hypnosis is a non-invasive tool that can be used for focus and reaching goals. Hypnosis is also helpful in uncovering and discovering underlying, unconscious emotional factors that cause overeating or making poor food choices when stressed, anxious, bored, depressed, and so forth. Once these emotional eating factors are made conscious, hypnosis is then used to assist changing to more positive motivators and better choices. I understand that most people really want to do the right thing. They start diet after diet only to go back to old unhealthy habits when faced with the demands of everyday life. Most of my clients know every calorie or carb count, what exercises burn the most fat, etc. Ask anyone on the street about his eating or exercise habits and chances are, he’ll tell you he knows he should eat better and get more exercise, but … and they follow up with a litany of excuses. I hear excuses every day, yet those excuses aren’t changing the scales. When people call me about hypnosis for weight loss, I explain that I have several protocols I can follow. The Virtual Gastric Band has a huge 95% success rate according to test groups (my success has been similar). There are other methods that can be used as well, depending upon the needs and goals of the individual. There are as many ways to approach hypnosis for weight loss as there are people needing to make the change. My job is to find the proper fit for you, your job is to show up and be honest.

Excuses

There are also as many excuses for not committing to change as there are people. I have heard many of these excuses, repeatedly. It’s always easy to come up with reasons to avoid getting started with a healthy eating or weight-loss plan. But all too often, these reasons are really just excuses. “I don’t have time to cook or exercise, I have too much stress to keep on a diet, it’s in my genes, I travel too much, etc.”

Heart-shaped love quote with a red heart in the center.

Mindful Eating

Written by: Debbie

“Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~ Buddha

Are You Eating on Autopilot?

Do you eat too fast and rarely feel satisfied with your food? Are you like so many people, so busy and rushed throughout your day that you tend to grab a quick bite? Do you eat at your desk while working? Perhaps you find yourself eating in front of the television or while on your computer?

In a world of fast food drive-throughs, we have become accustomed to eating out of bags and cartons, without thought.

Why Mindful Eating Matters

Mealtime can be a time of communion and appreciation. Appreciation for the bounty of foods available to us, as well as for the hands that prepare it, is only part of being a mindful eater.

By eating consciously, we take time to savor flavors, colors, textures, and smells. In other words, we truly enjoy meals by slowing down. This awareness can even support the release of excess weight.

The Impact of Stress on Digestion

Mindful eating may seem simple — choose your food, prepare it, and enjoy it. However, if you become aware of your thoughts while eating, you might be surprised at how little of your consciousness is actually present.

Research shows that eating while experiencing stress disrupts digestion. In the short term, this leads to poor nutrient absorption. Over time, chronic stress while eating may contribute to irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, weight gain, and eating disorders.

By becoming mindful eaters, we create a healthier relationship with food and with ourselves. When we pay attention to what we consume, we also become more aware of the messages our body sends us.

A Simple Mindful Eating Exercise

Here is an exercise to help you experience a mindful moment with food:

Take one grape and place it in your mouth. Close your eyes and notice the size, shape, and feeling of the grape. Roll it gently with your tongue and explore its texture.

With your eyes still closed, imagine you can see it clearly in your mouth. Make the color rich and vivid in your mind.

Now bite into it slowly. Notice the juice. Extract every drop you can. Observe the texture inside and how it differs from when it was whole.

Chew slowly. Extend the experience for as long as possible — perhaps even five minutes.

That grape may be the best grape you ever eat.

5 Quick Tips for Becoming a Mindful Eater

1. Never Eat Distracted

Turn off the television, computer, and phones when you eat.

2. Engage Your Senses

Eating is a multisensory experience. Appreciate the appearance, taste, texture, and aroma of your food.

3. Keep Mealtime Peaceful

Declare mealtime a space for pleasant conversation only. Eating with family and friends is a communion of souls. Keep it stress free.

4. Notice Without Judgment

There will be foods you like, dislike, or feel neutral about. Simply notice your reactions without labeling them right or wrong.

5. Listen to Your Body

Your body sends signals when it feels nourished. A helpful affirmation is:
“I eat to nourish my body, not feed my emotions.”

Make Mindful Eating a Way of Life

Practice mindful eating consistently, and it will naturally become part of who you are.

Woman smiling while adjusting a weight scale.

Lean Healthy You

Written by: Debbie

It has been understood for some time that cardiovascular health is at risk with excess belly fat. Now there is more bad news. Recent studies have revealed that a large gut in midlife will increase the chance of dementia in old age. The research suggests that abdominal fat is a bigger risk factor even that family history is. To read more about the study that was posted in the Journal of Neurology go here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23800703/

Right before summer time, we are already feeling snug in our clothes after a winter of covering up with layers of clothing. Now more guilt is heaped upon us! There is good news, however. Belly fat will go away with a proper diet and exercise. I am a big believer in committing to a lifestyle change, for good health. Diets don’t work. I have said that forever, now even one of the big diet programs is using that as their advertising. A real commitment to living healthy is what will make the difference. Weight management through hypnosis is an amazing way to create success.

Yesterday, I had a marvelous woman in my office, named Kellie. (She has given me permission to use her name.) Kellie had purchased my Lean Healthy You audio online and listened to it for a few weeks. She laughed as she told me the story of how her husband commented on her dress. Kellie was dressed and ready for church. This was a dress that she had always felt pretty good in. Her husband told her it no longer looked good on her. Her thoughts, unfortunately went straight to the negative. She thought she must be too fat. Then she looked in the mirror and realized her dress was too big. It hung on her!

So, Kellie was ready for more changes and was going to be traveling through my neck of the woods. She called on her way in to Florida and set up an appointment for a hypnosis session. We created a personalized audio in the office. I can’t wait to hear her results on this one.

Kellie called me later in the day with more good news. She had purchased an audio for test stress. She was about to take an exam in order to get her license for her profession. Her previous experience testing was not so good. The call was to tell me she had not only passed, but had gotten 91% correct! She called me before she called her husband. I laughed, then told her she needed to call him. I had a gentleman who used the test stress audio for his exam and did the same thing. When he received the results, he called me right away. Before he called his wife. I encouraged him to call her immediately, after all, those who live with us deal with the pre-test experience and deserve to be in on the celebration!