Article written Oct 4 2003 by Helga Marin
The food takes a central position in our life. For many of us it is the most important thing in our life. It plays a role in our social life, in comforting us, rewarding us and giving us pleasure. It also relieves tension and pain.
The food is an important part of our habits, we have learned certain eating habits and to eat certain kind of food. We have also learned to use certain food to comfort us, to reward us and so on, it is all part of our habits. We all make our own habits but the society we live in, our parents and our spouses will always affect the way we make our habits. A habit is a powerful tool that controls the way we live our life. Our habits make our life comfortable and we don’t need to put an effort in following them.
If you look at your eating habits as something you have learned it will make it easier for you to understand that to change your eating habits you need to change your way of thinking and it takes time and practice. If a new behavior is practiced long enough it will eventually lead to a new habit and it is this new habit that will change your behavior, your cravings and your attitude to food. There are several steps to be taken to change your eating habits. You have to focus on your eating-habits, analyze them, understand what it is you need to change and then in small steps practice a new behavior.
A new behavior does not only include selecting the right food, it also includes changing how you use the food to affect your feelings and how you deal with temptation that are all around you. What do you do when you are under pressure or sad? What do you do when you want to celebrate something or when you are invited to a party, and what do you do when your best friend asks you to taste her new cookies? It is not only knowing what to eat, you need to learn how to change your habits and how to control your cravings.
Helga Bergsteinsdottir is educated from a University of Stockholm as a nutrition and health counselor. She has been working in Sweden, Iceland and since last year in Euro gulf medical center as a nutrition counselor. Helga uses behavior therapy in conjunction with the nutrition counseling. Helga says that using behavior therapy allows you to make big changes with small steps. It is an easy and effective way to reach your goal and keep the results for life.
Written by Helga Marin