Soon we’ll be seeing displays for Halloween, and all the candy that goes along with it. It’s tempting to make excuses for those miniature-sized treats, but it’s just a trick! You’re working away on your next assignment then, magically, a pile of empty little wrappers appears, equalling much more than just one regular-sized treat.
There are a couple of ways to not get caught in this trap. One: help keep hunger at bay with regular water consumption and easy access to bite-sized protein and fibre, like your favourite nuts and seeds or fruit. Two: physical movement.
Often, we confuse the signal for thirst for the signal for hunger. Next time you feel a bit hungry, have a cup of water first and then wait about 15 minutes to see if you’re truly hungry. If you are, nuts are a little power pack of protein with some healthy fats that help keep you feeling full longer and balance your blood sugar. This means no vicious cycle of sugar crashes followed by strong cravings to eat the culprit candy to alleviate that feeling of false hunger. Fruit’s also a perfect package of healthy sugar wrapped in soluble fibre, which satisfies the need for fuel that your brain and muscles have while also controlling how fast the sugar enters your bloodstream.
Exercise also helps to balance blood sugar; what I love about yoga is that you can always just perform a couple of postures to get the blood flowing and re-energize the mind without having to necessarily leave where you’re working from. Next time you feel the desire to grab a treat or two while working on your next assignment, perform a couple of downward dogs and lunges.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, inhale your arms out and up, exhale fold at the waist flowing the fingertips to the floor, bend your knees with your hands on the floor, and step your right foot back while keeping your front knee over your ankle.
Pause, draw your navel to your spine for support, then inhale your torso and arms up with your shoulders over your hips into warrior pose (virabhadrasana). On your next exhale, take your hands to the floor on either side of your front foot and step your right foot back. Change legs and repeat on the other side.
Until next time, keep it real.