Sai's Studio 2000 Muay Thai Alternative Fitness

Is your mouth getting you into trouble?

Your mouth could be getting you into trouble every time you eat because you are eating too much food.
Portion sizes are the biggest problem for most people; we simply eat too much food at each sitting!

How to Stop Eating Too Much Food?

This is a million dollar question and if there was a sure shot, foolproof answer to it, a good part of the economy in most developed nations would come to a screeching halt. A multibillion dollar industry would crumble instantly.

The answer is simple - and complex.

The key to stop eating too much is to start thinking differently.

That might sound cryptic but it is not. These days, people are addicted to two aspects of food:

-way it tastes
-way it makes them feel

Food was meant to satiate physical hunger. Even today, eating large portions for the sake of satiating physical hunger is permitted (bodybuilders do it all the time). However, when we start eating food to satiate our feelings of insecurity and other desires, it becomes an impossible challenge. That is why the best way to stop eating too much food is to start looking at food as something that gives you energy for activity.

You can stop eating too much food when you learn to eat the right foods in the right proportions. Often, we eat too many refined foods. Foods that have high Glycemic Index (GI) can flood the bloodstream with sugar. That is why many of us feel upbeat after eating a huge slice of cake or pizza. But, this sugar is easily absorbed. Once the sugar is absorbed, we start experiencing renewed hunger. To avoid such a situation, it is recommended that we eat foods rich in complex carbs and fiber.
These release sugar slowly into the bloodstream and keep us feeling full for a longer period of time.
It is equally important to eat food on time. You might be comfortable with three main meals a day or six mini meals.
Regardless of the pattern, eating should be a top priority.
You can stop eating too much food simply by keeping away from fad diets. Every time you subject the body to a rigorous diet regime, your metabolism comes down and the desire to eat too much goes up a notch.


What Happens When You Eat Too Much

1. Heavy meal triggers the release of noradrenaline
When you eat too much you trigger the release of noradrenaline. Noradrenaline usually produces effects such as increased blood pressure, increases the concentration of glucose in the blood, increased heartbeat rate, dilation of pupils. According to a study done by US Dept of Veteran’s affairs you are four times more likely to experience a heart attack after overindulgence. If you have a history of high blood pressure you must think twice before you overindulge yourself in food.

2. You feel sleepy after a heavy meal
When you eat too much more effort is needed for digestion as a result more blood flows to the stomach to help with digestion, making brain and other body parts to relax and hence feeling sleepy. According to a University Of Manchester study, the cells in our brain that keep us awake turn off after eating. When it is important for you to stay alert avoid a heavy meal especially foods high in sugar and flour.

3. Heavy meal causes abdominal pain
According to the British Medical journal, pumping your gut with too much food causes friction between your stomach and abdominal wall, which leads to an ache in your side. You must avoid exercising after eating heavy meal as this will also lead to abdominal pain.

4. Heavy meal can causes heartburn
Eating large quantity of foods, eating oily foods, eating gas producing foods, going to bed immediately after a big meal, and often bending after a heavy meal result into the inward pressure from outside or inside in the food valve (heartburn).

5. Heavy meal leads to weight gain
Eating heavy meal often will result into weight gain and eventually you become obese. Much have been said or written about the health risks associated with obesity some being diabetes, high blood pressure, and the list goes on. These health conditions associated with obesity are responsible for many premature deaths around the world.
As a result of eating too much many people end up spending a lot of money on weight loss programmes and medical bills. Avoiding overindulgence in food will save us a lot of pain and money.

Overeating due to emotional eating

Emotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food -- usually "comfort" or junk foods -- in response to feelings instead of hunger. Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions.
Many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems. Eating becomes a habit preventing us from learning skills that can effectively resolve our emotional distress.
Depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with interpersonal relationships and poor self-esteem can result in overeating and unwanted weight gain.

By identifying what triggers our eating, we can substitute more appropriate techniques to manage our emotional problems and take food and weight gain out of the equation.Can I Identify Eating Triggers?

Situations and emotions that trigger us to eat fall into five main categories.

• Social. Eating when around other people. For example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat; eating to fit in; arguing; or feelings of inadequacy around other people.
• Emotional. Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety or loneliness as a way to "fill the void."
• Situational. Eating because the opportunity is there. For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a particular food, passing by a bakery. Eating may also be associated with certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting event, etc.
• Thoughts. Eating as a result of negative self-worth or making excuses for eating. For example, scolding oneself for looks or a lack of will power.
• Physiological. Eating in response to physical cues. For example, increased hunger due to skipping meals or eating to cure headaches or other pain.

To identify what triggers excessive eating in you, keep a food diary that records what and when you eat as well as what stressors, thoughts, or emotions you identify as you eat. You should begin to identify patterns to your excessive eating fairly quickly.

How Do I Break Myself of the Habit?

Identifying eating triggers is the first step; however, this alone is not sufficient to alter eating behaviour. Usually, by the time you have identified a pattern, eating in response to emotions or certain situations has become a habit. Now you have to break that habit.
Developing alternatives to eating is the second step. When you start to reach for food in response to a trigger, try one of the following activities instead.

*Read a good book,magazine or listen to music.
*Drink a glass of water, see if the hunger disappears
*Go for a walk or a jog
*Take a bubble bath.
*Try deep breathing exercises.
*Play cards or a board game
*Talk to a friend.
*Do the housework, laundry or yard work.
*Wash the car.
*Write a letter.
*Simply do any other pleasurable or necessary activity until the urge to eat passes.

Sometimes simply distracting you from eating and developing alternative habits are not enough to manage the emotional distress that leads to excessive eating. To more effectively cope with emotional stress, try Relaxation exercisesor group counselling
These techniques address the underlying emotional problems which are causing you to binge and teach you to cope in more effective and healthier ways. For more information on these techniques, contact your doctor.
As you learn to incorporate more appropriate coping strategies and to curb excessive eating, remember to reward yourself for a job well done. We tend to repeat behaviours that have been reinforced, so reward yourself when you meet your nurition management goals. Buy that blouse or shirt, take that vacation, or get that massage you wanted. By rewarding yourself for a job well done you increase the likelihood that you will maintain your new healthy habits.