Why do we eat when we are not hungry?

We can all find a little space for something particularly delicious and tempting. Our stomachs (normally the size of our fist) are very stretchy.

Maybe you remember Mr Creosote from the Monty Python sketch? He tried to squeeze in one last mint wafer.

But what is making us eat when we are not hungry. Well, there are a number of reasons. If any seem to apply to you, think about how you can avoid them.

If we regularly eat a little snack at 3.00pm, then our bodies get used to it. Even if we have had plenty to eat, our bodies cry out for the 3.00pm intake. After a couple of days however, these cravings go. When are you snacking?

Refined carbohydrates make your blood sugar peak and trough dramatically so you feel hungry soon after. This includes sugary foods, white flour, sweets, cakes and biscuits. If you don't buy them, you won't eat them. Remember, in the hand is in the mouth.

Of course, if something looks and smells delicious, our body responds positively, with lots of encouraging saliva flow, which itself makes you hungry. As for me, I can never resist a mango, but I have trained myself to resist chocolate, and now it doesn't interest me.

Alchohol lowers your general ability to resist. If you eat before you go out drinking, you will be less likely to succumb to a takeaway on the way home.


www.carolinebrowntherapy.com

Working mothers in trouble again

New research shows that children of working mothers lead unhealthier lifestyles than where the mother does not work. Most women work nowadays, so the report refers to the majority of us.

What are the things that constitute an unhealthy lifestyle, according to this report. Well, it is the things that I bang on about, which are bad for all of us, and which are marketed actively at adults and children alike - sugary drinks, crisps, snacks. None of us need them, even though they are nice (they are designed by experts to be nice!) I don't know what the non-working mum is doing, but maybe she is cooking more, rather than relying on processed packaged foods. Cooking at home and eating together at a table are things I support.

Sweets too are a problem. Cardiff University research shows that eating sweets everyday in childhood is linked to adult aggression. They haven't identified why. But we already know that certain foods cause hyperactivity in our children. We are lucky in this generation to have generally more cash, and we give treats to our children every day - making them routine rather than treats. Perhaps our grannies who kept the biscuit tin and the sweetie jar hidden till Sunday were doing the right thing by us after all.

The other thing was that children of working mothers are less active. Women lead busy lives. Perhaps we ought to all get a bit more active and spend less time in front of the telly. There was no mention of the role of the dad in this research. What was he doing?

www.carolinebrowntherapy.com

Why are the French so slim?

French people are really keen on food (so am I!) and they spend 135 minutes a day eating. In Britain, its about 85 minutes, and in the USA about 75 minutes. This is from an OECD report. And yet the French are generally of healthy proportions. What is going on here?

Well, the French still eat at the table, and they concentrate on their food while they are eating. They talk about it with their dinner companions. They eat in a slow and calm way, taking their time. As a result, they are aware of when they are feeling full. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is happy with its meal. Then they stop eating, and continue with the conversation.

The British and Americans are spending less time eating, but managing to munch many more calories in this shorter time. Britain and the USA are in the top 3 overweight nations. Americans eat in front of the telly, and the trigger to stop eating is when the show is over.

To help you manage your own eating, work out what it is that triggers you to stop eating.

www.carolinebrowntherapy.com

Take up knitting!

I often suggest to my clients that they might take up knitting! I heard on the radio recently that the majority of people watch tv for more than 3 hours a day. This is an obesity risk, since we often feel the need to do something while watching telly, and this frequently takes the form of eating. Eating and knitting are incompatible, so it is a way to stop you nibbling.

And today on the radio, it seems that NHS Highland staff are taking up knitting to relieve stress. Why not give it a try! Look here.

www.carolinebrowntherapy.com