By Julie Cox
M
aking the right food choices can make a difference in everything from weight control to heart disease - and experts say doing it often comes down to one thing: willpower. So it's good to have willpower, but it's not like you can flip a switch and have more when you need it. In fact, some surprising physiological and psychological factors cause willpower to rise and fall. Remember these unexpected willpower boosters and reducers the next time you're faced with a healthy - eating challenge. Willpower decreases when you get fewer than seven hours of sleep.
Not only does a lack of rest make you grouchy, but it also causes the hormones that regulate your appetite to go all over the place. When you're tired, your body's levels of ghrelin (a hunger-stimulating hormone) and leptin (a metabolism-regulating hormone) can become off - balance. That increases your appetite, causing you to eat more and crave greasy and sugary foods. So, get a full night's worth of shut eye to avoid overeating and choosing unhealthy nibbles the next day. A perfect example is we tend to get hungry at night, this really is our body telling us we are tired, not hungry, so be mindful of this next time and take yourself to bed.
Willpower increases when you feel good about yourself. Surprisingly willpower is at its strongest when you're already feeling good about your body image and health. This is because willpower uses so much of our emotional resources and there aren't enough left when we're feeling stressed, angry or sad. Willpower decreases when you're going through premenstrual syndrome or ovulating. Our estrogen levels surge just after ovulating and before we get our periods, causing our bodies to release stress hormones like cortisol. This triggers a fight - or - flight response - our bodies think harm's coming our way, so they tap our fat stores for a quick burst of energy. This makes us crave carbs and fats, the ideal fuel for a fight - or - flight situation. Toss in the sometimes fluctuating moods that come with PMS and willpower can bottom out completely because we may think that eating will make us feel better. What to do? Question whether you're really hungry before you grab that chocolate bar. Be accountable and honest with yourself.
Willpower increases when you eat something good for you. It's easier for your body to break down foods that are rich in natural vitamins, fibre, and protein than those that aren't so nutritious. And the less work your body has to do, the more energy you have - which makes you less likely to indulge in treats that weigh you down. On the flip side, choosing foods high in fat, sugar, simple carbohydrates and salt only make you crave more of that unhealthy stuff. It's harder to have willpower when you're eating foods that tell your brain that they're making you feel good. You can become 'addicted' to the positive feelings you get from eating those foods. Stick to healthy eats and you'll crave junk less often.
Willpower decreases when you're taking care of your kids. When you're careening from one child - related activity to another, your focus is on one thing: your kids. And who has time to think about themselves, let alone eat well, when you're a busy parent? It is potentially much easier to make the most convenient choice for a meal versus the healthiest one. Caring for children might leave you feeling burnt out, exhausted, or stressed - maybe even all three - which creates the perfect situation to say sayonara to willpower.
56 Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2023