Designed to challenge your strength, flexibility and coordination, Pilates aims to put your body in perfect balance. During WWI, Joseph Pilates served as an orderly at a military camp, working with bed-ridden patients. Many of these patients were not able to move, but that did nothing to deter Pilates’ determination to help them gain strength and mobility. Experimenting with his patients and on his own, Pilates devised a series of controlled exercises that engaged both mind and body. Watching patients carefully, Pilates saw them become more active and alert. The men taking part in Pilates’ exercise regime recovered more effectively than those who did not.

At one point Pilates removed bedsprings from beneath the beds and attached them to the walls at or above bed level. These springs were used to excercise. His contraption later inspired the Reformer, a popular Pilates exercise machine utilizing springs, straps, and a box to perform a variety of exercises.

Those who performed Pilates exercises developed a strong immune system and managed to escape a deadly plague that killed many at the time. Not one of Pilates students died from the influenza epidemic of this time which he claimed was due to the result of his work. None of Pilates’ followers succumbed even though the camps, where many were located were the hardest hit.

Becoming involved in a Pilates program will change the way you think about your body, exercise, and ultimately your total well-being.

Colon cleansing treatments are designed to better enable the body to release toxins that build up based on the types of foods that we eat, our habits – like smoking, drinking or lack of exercise – and the environment that we live in.

When we eat more meat proteins than our bodies need, it’s difficult for the body to break it down. Likewise, when we smoke and drink, our bodies retain toxins, just as they do when we live in smoggy cities or in rural areas where pesticides are used. The more that our bodies are confronted with toxins that build up in the colon, the more difficult it is for all of our internal organs to function properly.

That, of course, is the primary advantage of using a colon cleansing treatment when using a colon cleanser, our bodies will be able to process out the toxins that have developed as a result of not eating a balanced diet, having too much stress in our lives, practicing bad habits and living in our modern-day environment. By removing these toxins from the large intestine with a colon cleanser, other organs within the body – most notably the liver and the kidneys – will be able to function more efficiently.

We will invariably feel better, when our internal systems function correctly – another great benefit of colon cleansing. Our digestive system will function more efficiently – and that will end common problems like constipation, stomach upset, gas and bloating that can slow us down and keep us from performing at our best. When our bodies are working more efficiently, we will simply feel better.

When we use a colon cleansing treatment, we will become less likely to continue to ingest toxins. As we begin to feel better, we tend to try not to repeat the errors of our past living, so most people will find that they will begin to eat better foods, by desire. The removal of the built-up waste and toxins in the body will frequently be the catalyst people need to begin to live more healthy lives. Doctors who recommend colon-cleansing treatments also recommend that we should take steps afterwards to eat more fruits and vegetables and more whole grains.

This dietary change – along with colon cleansing – does more than just benefit the health of your colon and internal organs; it also contributes to weight loss. Along with the initial boost of feeling better after a colon-cleanse and a drop in weight, many people find that they have increased energy, which they are able to put into getting more exercise. A healthy diet combined with more physical activity contributes to an increased ability to reach weight-loss goals and the early success makes it easier to stick with the program.

Ironic as it may seem, this increased level of activity along with the reduction of toxins also contributes to fighting fatigue. When people use colon-cleaning treatments to reduce the amount of toxins in their body, they are going to find that they are less tired and weighed down. There’s a simple reason for this it is difficult for the body to process toxins and therefore many are reabsorbed into the body; when people remove these toxins from their body, their internal organs need to do less work, thereby giving them more energy.

Because the body will have to do less work, when people take steps to improve their colon health, those who have struggles with hemorrhoids find that colon cleansing allows these areas of strain to heal as well. Others are able to avoid developing hemorrhoids altogether.

Similarly, colon cleansing can help to prevent Diverticulitis. Just as straining with constipation can lead to the development of hemorrhoids, a hardened stool that is not voided can weaken the interior walls of the large intestine. These weakened spots can become inflamed and infected when there is a backup in the colon; however, with a proper colon-cleansing regimen in place, toxins are removed and there is less of a chance for an infection to develop.

As a result, it’s not only those who have taken advantage of colon cleansing treatments, before developing health complications that can benefit, so can those individuals whose bodies have been struggling against the buildup of toxins for years or decades.

No matter what your current health is like, there is a good chance that you can benefit from colon cleansing treatments that will rid your body of toxins. With colon cleansing, you can reduce the stress that your body is under and go on to live a longer, healthier, more fulfilling life.

Margarine, butter, other spreading fats and low fat spreads, cooking oils, oil-based salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream, fried foods including fried chips, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, pastries, cake, puddings, ice-cream, rich sauces and gravies are all in this food group because they contain fat.

Like carbohydrates, fats contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Fats are used as a source of energy they are also stored beneath the skin helping to insulate us against the cold. Do not think that by avoiding fat in your diet you will stay thin and elegant! If you eat too much carbohydrate and protein, you will convert some of it into fat, so you will put on weight. You must balance the amount of energy containing foods with the amount of energy that you use when you take exercise

Soft drinks not diet drinks, sweets, jam and sugar, as well as foods such as cakes, puddings, biscuits, pastries and ice-cream.

It is essential to have a small amount of fat in the diet, but eat foods containing fat sparingly as they are high in energy. Look out for reduced fat or low fat alternatives by law any food labelled as low fat must contain no more than 3g of fat per 100g. Fats can be divided into saturates, monounsaturates and polyunsaturates.

Limit consumption of saturates, associated with animal products, cakes, biscuits and pastries, to reduce risk of heart disease. To cut down on saturates, make use of the information on nutrition panels on food products, cut off visible fat from meat and poultry, choose lower fat meat and dairy products, and where fat is needed in cooking use it sparingly.

Choose fats and oils containing monounsaturates e.g. olive and rapeseed oils and polyunsaturates e.g. sunflower, corn and rapeseed oils instead of saturates. In moderation these are not associated with an increased risk of heart disease but still use them sparingly. There are two types of essential fats, which must be supplied by the diet in small amounts omega-3 fatty acids e.g. found in oily fish, walnuts, omega-3 enriched eggs, and rapeseed and soya oil and omega-6 fatty acids e.g. found in vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn and soya oil and spreads made from these.

In todays fast-pace world, who has time to worry about health? There is just too much to do. With the demanding responsibilities of school and work, it becomes stressful just to squeeze in time to relax. Tight schedule tactics are key. As every shrewd planner knows, the maintenance of personal health is essential. Health problems will most often monopolize the calendar. Proactive actions take up less time in the long run. It is never too early or late to start taking care of your health. There is no time to wait.

Good health is really not complicated. The ingredients of a healthy lifestyle can be outlined into six basic categories

- Eat foods with high fiber, low saturated-fat, and low sugar. Diets should regularly meet all levels of essential nutrients. Fruits and vegetables should be incorporated into meals and snacks whenever possible.
- Include vitamins and supplements into daily diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Schedule regular physical examinations.
- Balance work and social activities.
- Avoid beginning and eliminate rapidly unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Good health is not a fad. Rather, it should be practiced throughout the entire life cycle. Here are some age-focused priorities

20 Years and Under

This group is at the most advantage. By starting sound habits now, teenagers have the power to set foundations for a long and happy future.

The first thing to remember is that growth is still occurring. Growing muscles and bones require a healthy diet. However, as modern food processing often strips foods of vital nutrients, vitamins and supplements become a necessary diet component. A good multi-vitamin is a great place to start. Research continues to find more and more on the impact of dietexercise in the reduction of major health problems such as obesity and cancer. Boys should regularly engage in both cardiovascular and long-endurance activities. Organized athletics provide an excellent way to combine exercise with social opportunities.

Examinations should include a yearly physical and regular eye and dental exams. In later years, various other exams should begin. Starting at fifteen years of age, teens should give themselves monthly testicular exams to check for painless lumps connected with testicular cancer. At eighteen, routine electrocardiograms and monthly self melanoma exams should begin.

Life should be balanced between a variety of school and social activities. However, while social settings are an important component of life, they also have a tendency to increase ones contact with high-risk behaviors. Proper education on matters such as alcohol, cigarettes, other drugs, as well as sex education greatly reduce future addictions and severe health problems.

Begun early, a healthy lifestyle has a greater chance at lasting effects. While people are more likely to continue early-rooted practices, healthy beginnings fortify the body for the years ahead.

20 to 40 Years

Beginning in the early twenties and continuing to early middle-life, men need not only to continue the good heath practices of earlier ages, but also to aid the body in its resistance of stress and other increasing health risks.

As young adults participate in higher education and in the work force, responsibilities widen and time becomes an increasing factor. Fast food often serves as the most convenient diet choice. However, a healthy diet and exercise are essential to counteract increasing threats of heart disease and cancer. A diet low in fat is crucial. The need for supplements heightens. Schedules will interfere with healthy meal plans. As vitamins and supplements substitute for missing nutrients, they also help assist in the reduction of health risks. Busy schedules will inevitably place a strain on the immune system. With an appropriate vitamin and herbal plan, aligned with an individuals unique make up, illnesses will reduce and energy will maximize.

Substance use should be kept at the lowest possible level. Caffeine intake should remain moderate. If effects such as anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and heart palpitations result, men should reduceeliminate levels and should see a physician for persisting symptoms. Since cigarettes harm lungs and increase heart disease and cancer, they should be avoided at all times. Ideally, alcohol consumption should not exceed three standard-size drinks a day. While causing a large percentage of male fatalities, such as liver implications and driving accidents, alcohol and drugs play a large role in issues such as domestic violence. Healthy relationships are crucial in the reduction of stress and loneliness.

Men at this time are highly susceptible to heart disease, strokes, and other serious health issues. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels must be closely monitored. At twenty-one, men should begin checking their blood-pressure annually. If readings show 14090 and over, regular testing should be increased. At thirty-five, cholesterol tests should begin. Tests should be repeated at least every five years. With the avoidance of hypertension, high-blood pressure, and of high levels of cholesterol, men can greatly improve their quality and longevity of life.

Health risks do increase during this time of life. Nevertheless, a healthy lifestyle will greatly reduce threats and increase the assurance of a high quality of life.

40 Years and Beyond

There is no reason to let preventable health risks interfere with the quality of life. Tests for cholesterol and blood pressure should continue. Healthy diets often need a doctor monitoring for warning signs such as high blood sugar levels. Vitamin and supplements are crucial. While relieving risks and reducing problems, they greatly ensure the transition and preservation in lifes later years. While activity may eventually need to decrease, a doctor will most likely prescribe the continuation of some form of exercise.

Men should begin scheduling exams for two high health risks at age fifty. The components of a colorectal exam should range from one to ten years. With early discovery, colorectal cancer is easily treated. Prostate cancer is the most common form for men. An annual PSA blood test and a Digital Rectal Exam are used for cancer discovery. Doctors often suggest more frequent testing for people with a family history of prostate cancer andor those of African American ethnicity.

With the combined efforts of individually appropriate diets, exercise, and exams and of healthy companionship, men can enjoy healthy maturity into the late years of life.

Too often the hectic nature of life causes men to overlook the importance of maintaining good health. However, with good habits including a diet full of healthy foods, vitamins, and supplements, a regular exercise program, and physical exams, a healthy lifestyle is not only attainable but also essential for every man. There should always be time for health.

A medicine ball is a great workout tool. It looks simple but its versatility is unmatched. What you do with a medicine ball is called plyometric exercise. A good starting exercise is to find a partner and simply play catch with the medicine ball.

The ability to generate strength and power is a very important component for success in many sports, particularly in those involving explosive movements. Medicine ball training, in conjunction with a program of weight training and circuit training, can be used to develop strength and power. Certain medicine ball exercises can also be used as part of a plyometric training program to develop explosive movements. Medicine ball training is appropriate to all levels of ability, age, development and sport. To be most effective the program should contain exercises that match the pattern of movements of the sport.

The body is allowed to move in several different planes of movement with a medicine ball. What you may not know is that combining a medicine ball with your stability ball is another way to challenge your body. Slowly twist your upper body off the stability ball and move the medicine ball fully to one side. The participant then extends with their entire body to bring the medicine ball up and throw it at the wall.

For more of a challenge, do the same exercise using a 2- to 4-kilogram medicine ball. See why rehabilitation specialists and atheletes all incorporate medicine ball exercises into exercise programs for shoulder pain and arm pain.

The medicine ball can be used to simulate the golf swing, tennis ground stroke, basketball chest pass and many other sport specific movements. Instructions Start by performing a shallow squat with the medicine ball held in front of you at chest level. Instruction Start by performing a shallow squat with the medicine ball held in front of you at chest level. The medicine ball is held in front of the chest and the elbows are kept outward.

Included in most Medicine Ball packages is an exercise wall chart to help you decide what exercises will work best for you! Choose 2-3 medicine ball drills to incorporate into your speed and agility workout.

Up-to-date athletic trainers and athletes like medicine ball training because it appears to be more specific to their preferred athletic activity than conventional weight training throwing a medicine ball is more like throwing a baseball or basketball than is lifting a heavy weight, and it’s hard to imagine why lifting a weight would improve the skill factor associated with throwing. Baseball teams at all levels of competition use medicine balls in their training programs.

The following are some guidelines in planning and running a medicine ball session

Always ensure the athletes carry out a thorough warm up and warm down. Before starting a session, explain the procedures for each exercise with your athletes. Partners who feed the medicine ball on certain exercises should be well drilled on what is required.

Medicine ball exercises must precede high intensity work

Start sessions with lighter less dynamic exercises, then progress to heavier exercises. The program should have exercises that match the pattern of movements of the sport. Plan the program to exercise alternate body parts legs, upper body, torso. You will need to have a number of different weights of ball available – heavy, medium and light. Initially, athletes should use a light weight ball and gradually progress to heavier ones

Check there is sufficient space including ceiling height and that the structure of the walls is safe if any rebounding exercises are used. Maintain good discipline as medicine balls can be dangerous if used incorrectly. An effective work-out with medicine balls can be achieved in about 30 to 40 minutes, if the athlete works efficiently. Quality of movement is more beneficial than quantity of exercise repetitions or sets.

Safety Considerations

To ensure personal safety and good technique while doing medicine ball exercises the following points should be remembered

Complete throws with full extension of the arms. On standing exercises plant feet before beginning to throw the ball. Always use the full joint range in the correct sequence in carrying out each exercise. Maintain technique – do not sacrifice control for distance. Inexperienced athletes should not take the ball too far back behind the head when carrying out overhead throws.

When picking a ball, ensure the knees are bent and the back is kept straight. When carrying out exercises lying on your back, ensure the lower back always remains in contact with the surface.

Healthy weight is a big deal.Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself in risk of if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds

1. heart disease
2. stroke
3. diabetes
4. cancer
5. arthritis
6. hypertension

Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.

It is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option which will provide lifetime results. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time.

The quick weight loss methods which have spread like fire these days do not provide lasting results. More often than not, dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, foods and supplement or pills do not work. If they do, the results are just temporary.

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way

1. Do not starve your self.

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is Do not diet.

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So if you just eat one huge sandwich in one day, it will end up straight to your problem area i.e. highs, buttocks, hips.

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up everyday.

2. Start your day right.

Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism.

Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

3. Eat smaller, healthy meals frequently.

Five small serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster.

4. Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules.

5. Drink lots of water.

Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy.

6. Avoid too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only.

7. Watch your fat intake.

Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need this to keep your weight at the proper level.

There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats which is good for the heart.

8. Exercise.

Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or skate. Use these activites and other home chores if you are too lazy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane activities.

It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself.

Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.

Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which would result to a new, healthier you.

If you are trying to lose weight, aren’t getting the results you want and want to give up… stop! Take stock and see if you have fallen foul of these ‘diet traps’.

1. If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories

This might sound ridiculous, but you might be surprised to find that many people act as though this were true! It is easy to turn a blind eye to what we actually eat and drink during the day. Being true to yourself with a daily food diary can do wonders for breaking through a diet plateau. Keep a small notebook in you at all times and make a quick reminder of everything, and I mean everything you eat and drink during the day. It’s just too easy to forget what you eat, especially if you are used to eating on the run. Mothers with small children at home are especially at risk. There are hundreds of unwanted calories lurking in toddler leftovers. Corners of vegemite and toast, half chewed milk arrowroots and the last sips of chocolate milk can wreck havoc.

2. You aren’t diligent about planning your meals and healthy snacks

As a weight loss coach I’ve yet to meet the person who consciously decides it’s their lifetime goal to put on weight until they are obese and desperately unhappy about how they look. Usually it’s a result of one or two decades of no-so-good food choices and not finding time to exercise that leads to packing on the pounds. Once you have five or more kilos to lose, it is going to take a deliberate change in habits over several months to get rid of the weight. This is where many folk run aground in their weight loss journey. They fail to plan. It takes conscious planning to do something different for the length of time that is required to get the results you want.

If you are not the type of personality that plans, ask yourself this. How many times do find yourself looking for something to eat and resort to quick takeaways, vending machines or skipping meals instead? Start planning ahead by keeping a bowl of fresh fruit at home and at work at all times. Fruit is great for a healthy snack. Prepare your lunch to take to work so you won’t be a victim of vending machines. Get up early so that you have time to start the day with a healthy breakfast, instead of grabbing a skinny decaf on the way to work and a diet coke for morning tea.

3. You’ve fallen subject to fad diet ideas

Keeping a balanced view of all the food groups will help you have a big enough repertoire of healthy food choices to keep you motivated and interested longer.

“You can’t look at foods individually,” says Dayle Hayes, M.S., R.D., a nutrition consultant in Billings, Mont., and member of the Council for Women’s Nutrition Solutions. “Any time you eliminate whole food groups or foods that are a major part of your diet, you wipe out important nutrients.” For instance, if you dis dairy, you zap a great source of protein. If you turn your nose up at high-fat fish like salmon, sardines and herring, you eliminate a top source of omega-3 fatty acids.

“The ‘bad food list’ is one of the oldest gimmicks in the world of fad dieting,” adds Robyn Flipse, RD., a nutrition consultant in Ocean, N.J. “As long as people can blame certain foods or food combinations for their excess weight, they don’t have to tackle the bigger issues, like planning, shopping and preparing meals for themselves and doing some form of physical activity on a regular basis,” she says.

c Kim Beardsmore

Experts tell us we are what we eat. A disturbing thought when we consider how much sugar, fat and white flour is consumed daily, hidden in ready meals and fast foods. Its time to change the bad habits we have developed over the last three decades and start eating to improve health, not destroy it!

A vital area of life that requires our attention is this.learning to answer hunger pains appropriately. If we neglect this, weight can increase and well-being may suffer.

Whether you need to lose weight, maintain weight or tone up your body; inappropriate eating habits can jeopardize your best efforts. This articles will help you start to understand how to manage hunger in a busy lifestyle.

If its sticky and sweet, made with sugar and saturated fat, then you must only eat it as a rare treat. Can the same be said for a delicious bowl of strawberries, or a juicy sweet orange? That is the problem here? Why do we choose cakes and chocolate over natures best offering?

If you do not have a genuine glucose imbalance, one cause perhaps is that sweet treats are deeply connected to our childhood, where frequently, sweeteners were given as a reward for good behaviour, or to placate or console the unhappy child. Our memory will automatically associate sweet foods as a reward or a comfort. That bar of chocolate or sticky bun you devour mid-way through a stressful afternoon could be you rewarding yourself for hard work!

If you think you may be using sweet treats as a reward or comfort and want to kick the habit, simply remember that putting on weight is NOT a reward. Then think of a reward that doesnt involve food!

Guard yourself from the sweet snack attacks by being prepared and planning your day’s food patterns.

1. Incorporate protein in to your breakfast AND lunch. Protein is key to controlling carbohydrate cravings. The RDA of protein for women is 60 grams a day. For women wanting to lose weight, health professionals recommend approximately 100 grams of protein daily. Why? One of the principle advantages of protein is that it creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in the body that makes overeating much less likely. Source your protein from ultra lean sources so you don’t pick up unwanted calories and saturated fats.

Even better, than providing a sense of sustained fullness, protein can block the triggering effect that carbohydrates can have on the brain. If you eat protein with a carbohydrate it will reduce the cravings caused by eating the carbohydrate.

2. Never skip meals. Research has shown that people who skip meals are more prone to obesity than those who regularly eat 3 meals a day. In fact, people who space their daily food requirements by making appropriate use of healthy snacks do even better. Why is this? When you skip meals you are more likely to get hungry and fill up on easily obtained fast foods which are often trigger foods.

3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day. For some people sugar laden soft drinks are a trigger food. Make sure you don’t get thirsty in the first place. Water creates a sense of fullness and has a host of other health benefits.

4. Plan the timing of your meals so that you don’t get hungry. Despite having three healthy meals a day, sometimes your work schedule can mean the spacing of those meals still does not guard against the carbohydrate cravings. If you have a long gap between meals, make sure you carry healthy snacks to cover the distance, otherwise hunger will set in

5. Plan your snacks. Plan out your weekly snack schedule with some delicious, healthy snacks. Purchase these with your weekly shopping so that you are fully prepared. If you need to, get up a few minutes earlier in the morning so you have time to prepare and take your snacks to work. Remember, healthy snacks don’t live in a vending machine! You are less likely to get hungry when you have a ready supply of healthy snacks.

6. Carry emergency supplies of nutritional protein bars in your handbag or brief case. When you feel a carbohydrate craving, eat the protein bar instead and wait 30 minutes before acting on the craving. More often than not the craving will pass and you will be in control again. This truly works.

If only we could solve this question, the world for many would be a better place! Well, the reality is that there are real answers to this question that will apply to many people. It will take a good dose of reality and a brave heart to stop denying what really happens. Read on to discover some answers that may change your life forever and give you the impetus to lose weight and keep it off!

Justification?

Being overweight can be used as an excuse for being unhappy, especially when you do not do anything to help yourself. Subconsciously, over-eating is a comfort for many people and this then allows them to hide behind their weight problem and helps them to justify rejection and avoid being hurt. They can then shift the blame of rejection on their weight-problem, without addressing other aspects of their fears. Sometimes it seems easier to hide behind your weight problem, than address other matters where you may have a greater fear of failure.

Eating Without Thinking?

If you are concentrating on another activity while you are eating you are more likely to overeat because you are not fully aware of how full you are feeling. This factor can be difficult to change because it is not a conscious action. Try to only eat when you dont have a lot of other distractions. Sit down, eat slowly and enjoy the food you are eating, and remember that it is not always necessary to go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and for your brain to register that you are full.

Cravings?

The famous Pavlovs dogs were conditioned to eat at the sound of a bell, and we human are much the same when it comes to habitual cravings. If you wonder why you always feel like a chocolate when you sit down to watch a movie, or you have to have a box of popcorn.think again. You are not necessarily craving these foods because you are hungry, but rather consider force of habit. During the time when you have a craving, try to ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. If you are hungry, reach for a low fat snack rather than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps.

Indulging?

Eating or thinking about food can be a distraction from your troubles and you may therefore be unnecessarily over-eating. Emotions and hormones can trigger certain cravings, for example, if you are feeling low, chocolate and carbohydrates assist the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you feel happier. This is why we might crave sweet or starchy foods during times of sadness or stress.

If you identify with any of the above factors, you could be on your way towards discovering what is triggering you to overeat.