What makes you fat also makes you sick

For example, the more refined (white) flour a person eats, the more insulin must be produced to cope with it. And insulin promotes the storage of body fat and so encourages weight gain. It also leads to more triglycerides in the bloodstream and this can lead to serious disease such as diabetes

Dr Susan Jebb confirms this link. She is the head of Nutrition and Health Research at the Medical Research Council. She mentions research at the University of Leeds that shows that people who eat a high fat diet are 19 times more likely to become obese. When we are planning to lose weight, the number one goal is to avoid becoming obese, because it is so much harder to lose weight after that.

How can you cut down on refined flour and too much fat? A good start is to drastically reduce the number of takeaways you are eating. Aim to eat no more than one takeaway a fortnight. That should be a good start.
www.carolinebrowntherapy.com

How we eat determines what we eat

Lori Lipinski is a dietician who drew this cartoon. Her concern is that the way we eat has an impact on what we eat. If you are eating on the hoof, you will be eating more foods which are high in fat and sugar.

As I have mentioned before, eating mindfully will help you control your eating and thereby control your weight. Be aware of what you are eating. Notice what you are eating. And enjoy it.

Lori's 7 tips for eating well are here.

http://www.carolinebrowntherapy.com/

I know how I should eat, I just can't do it

Many people use food for comfort and to help combat stress. In particular, snack foods are used in this way. Learning to manage your stress will help you stop comfort eating. Hypnotherapy is one of the best ways to control stress.

Dr Daryl O'Connor and pals from University of Leeds, found that ego-threatening, interpersonal and work-related hassles lead people to snack more. In contrast, physical stressors lead people to snack less.

The people most at risk of snacking as a result of the hurly burly of life were found to be:

• dieters
• people who tend to eat in response to their mood and feelings rather than in response to physical hunger signals
• people who can't resist food if they see it. Just the sight of it makes them feel hungry and eat it
• people who can't control their impulses, don't get feelings of shame or embarrassment, or are drunk
• the obese and women

In other words, people with higher levels of vulnerability are significantly more likely to consume increased snacks in response to life's daily stressors. In particular, people who eat in response to their mood are prone to the effects of stress on eating.