Habits versus addictions

Research says that if you do something 21 times it becomes a habit!

But what is a habit?  It's something you do, automatically, without thinking about it.  Usually it's a triggered effect - so one thing leads directly to another so fast it "just happened."

Like indicating when you want to turn in your car.

Like having a biscuit with a cup of tea.

Like putting a cigarette in your mouth after a meal, or with a coffee.

The more you practice a habit the better you get at it!

I developed a habit a few years ago.  As soon as I get up and go in the kitchen I have a glass of water.  Every day.  Without fail.

When a clients leaves me I always give them a bottle of water to drink on their way home, or back to work. It helps them "wake up" after a relaxing hypnotherapy sessions.

I also want them to develop a habit of drinking water (it's good for you, you know!) and to replace the cigarettes or glasses of wine with water.

I usually hand the bottle to them and say "and this is your new hobby".  But why do I say hobby instead of habit?

When I first thought about this I thought maybe I should change to saying "and this is your new habit".

But then I realised something.  What is a hobby?  It's something we do because we enjoy it.  It's something we do as often as we can.  It's something that makes us feel good.

So perhaps drinking water is best seen as a hobby?  As well, of course, as a really good habit!

Nuts!

Do you eat nuts?  I eat loads!  So many people tell me they don't eat nuts because they think they're high in fat and therefore calories but there is so much research that says that nuts are good for us.  Of course the fat is natural, vegetable fat not harmful fat.

Many people eat nuts to help them lose weight and if you think about it, they probably lose weight because they replace harmful fattening sugary biscuits and cakes with the nuts.

I recommend cashews nuts as research has said they can have similar effects as prozac!

I also recommend pistachios partly because they come in shells and "peeling" them means we eat slower and chew more!

I just read an interesting article quoting research about pistachio nuts so I thought you might like to share it.

1. Eating two servings of pistachios a day lowered stress-related narrowing of arteries to lessen the load on your heart.

2. If you want to lower harmful LDL cholesterol and improve your heart health then you need the powerful anti-oxidants which are in pistachios.

3. Nuts are a good provider of monunsaturated fats which can help reduce fat stored around the belly.

So for health and weight loss why not try pistachios?  And remember they can be a healthy replacement for sugary snacks - but they must be a replacement!

Why you don't need a gastric band (real or hypnotic)

Gastric bands.  The latest fad or the answer to all our problems?

This week the NHS have decided that more people will be able to get gastric band surgery to help them lose weight - and more and more hypnotherapists are offering Gastric Band Hypnotherapy.

But what is the real story we should be reading and learning from that's in the press?

Yes, it's the "new" discovery that we've been given the wrong information for the past 30 or so years about what really makes us fat!

The research has been done.  Again.  The books are being written.  Again.  But this time it's finally the answer that some of us have been talking about for the past 30 years! And what is this major piece of information?

It's sugar that is making us fat.  Not fat.  Sugar.

Yes, I will say it again.

It's sugar that is making us fat.  Not fat.  Sugar.

Yes it seems that all those sugar laden cakes, biscuits, ready meals, take-aways, high carb-low-fat diets have actually made us fat! Well not me actually!

Because I knew all along what we all knew all along.  That you simply can't snack every day on sugary foods and stuff yourself with breads, pastries and pies and not get fat!  Or at least very unhealthy!

Now I'm not a nutritionist.  I haven't studied to be a chef.  OK I did Domestic Science at 'O' level (yes I am that old) but what I have done is a lot of reading.  And I've worked with a lot of overweight, unhealthy clients.

And that's where we need to really focus. Health. Because a gastric band will only stop you eating large quantities of food.  A hypnotic gastric band will make you feel full quicker.  But neither will help you eat healthy food.

So here's why you don't need a gastric band or a hypnotic gastric band, or a gastric by-pass, or a gastric balloon or a gastric anything!

You just need to eat healthy foods in moderate amounts.  I know that isn't as easy as it sounds but that's what I help my clients to do! In a nutshell don't eat too many things which have labels. Eat fresh.  Cook from scratch.  Extras should be exactly that extras not everyday occurrences.  Cakes and biscuits, puddings and pies need to go back to being treats not part of every day's food intake.

By changing to healthy foods (and moving more - but more on that later) then we can lose a couple of pounds a week.  And that's a good half stone a month.  So that's 6 stone in a year.  So how much do you have to lose?

Most of my weight loss clients are surprised when I divide how much weight they want to lose into 2lbs a week and come up with a result that they can be their target weight in just a few months!

Try it yourself.  A stone to lose?  2 months.  That's mid September. Two stone to lose?  That's 4 months.  That's before Christmas.  Six stone?  By next summer's holiday you can be in those shorts looking great!

But best of all you will be healthy!  Your blood pressure will be normal, you won't be heading towards diabetes and you will have more energy.

So no, I don't offer gastric band hypnosis.  What I can do is help you eat healthily.  Change what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat and, perhaps most importantly why you eat.

So if you're ready to change.  I'm here for you!

Valentie's Day Gifts

Have you got her anything yet?
Are you struggling to get him something he'll actually like?

How much do you now about your partner (or partner-to-be)!

In NLP we talk about people being more visual or more auditory or more kinesthetic.  Of course we generalise, no one is just one or the other!  But just knowing which way your partner favours will help you choose the perfect gift!

Have you ever bought what you thought was the perfect gift - and got it completely wrong?  Maybe you based the choice on your preference, not your partner's!

Does she like to look good, is she maybe artistic and creative? Then she'll love flowers or a piece of jewellery - you could book her into a salon to get her nails done - something that she can look at will make her feel good. 

Or is she more into comfort and keeping warm? Then she's more likely to appreciate a massage at the beauty salon - or a DVD box set of her favourite show.  This lady will appreciate a hug as much as the words "I love you".   Auditories like to hear those words!

Does she love music - well that's an easy one it's a CD or concert tickets! 

Or would she really love just staying in, keeping warm and having a nice meal!

The thing is if she's into comfort and good food, jewellery will be a short lived "it's the thought that counts" present!

And of course, don't revert to chocolates if she's into keeping fit and staying slim!

For women who're more into feelings and emotions a hug and "I love you" will mean more than the most expensive red roses - but if she's very "visual" then the flowers will be a WOW.

For him the rules are the same. Visual (things that look good) auditory (things that sound good and that includes music and whispering sweet nothings!) or kinesthetic - feelings and emotions.

Not sure?  Buy flowers, gifts, "experiences" and hug and kiss and say "I love you".  Better to be safe than sorry!

Back to www.breakthehabit.co.uk

Diabetes cure

Yesterday's papers were full of headline news about a cure for diabetes.  Actually researchers have said that there could be a cure within 10 years. So maybe the key word is "could".

If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes (don't change and you'll be there) then you know the cure yourself!

You need to change your eating habits, cut down on sugars in your diet and lose weight.  There is a lot of evidence that a near starvation diet for just a few months, or a very low calorie diet will cure diabetes.

So you have a choice. Starvation, low calorie or change - or wait for the miracle pill!

The point is that it is your choice. You do have a choice.  Type 2 diabetes is a choice.  All you need to do now is choose your cure!

Don't try. Do it!  Get a coach, a helper (I know a really good hypnotherapist :).  

The most important step is to change what, when, how much and why you eat. That's what I do with my clients.  It's not fast weight loss but it is easy and it does get you to the same point. Diabetes free. Now, how does that sound. How would that feel?

Back to www.breakthehabit.co.uk

smoke free or e-cigs?

I was just watching TV and the smoke free advert came on. It showed a man smoking a cigarette and the "dirty blood" going through his veins into his lungs, heart and brain. The voice-over was something like "if you knew what it did to you, you'd stop". But you still keep smoking. You turned the advert over didn't you? Flicked channels?

Today the newspapers are saying that e-cigs will be banned for under 18s. Some are saying why bother? Under 18s aren't taking up e-cigs in big numbers.  But they are still taking up smoking.

So if you knew you could stop, stop putting something in your mouth for comfort, stress relief or whatever else you do it for would you?

Well the good news is you can stop. You can stop smoking. Maybe you have conditioned yourself to fail. Maybe you've tried dozens of times to stop. Maybe you've been "trying" too hard. Maybe now is the time to stop "trying" and to just do it.

It is possible. You don't need a comforter. You just need to know how to become smoke free and e-cig free. Free. In control of your own life.

Call me!

Back to www.breakthehabit.co.uk

New year, new you? Or just the old you again?

Did you make any new year's resolutions?  Or didn't you bother in the end?

For most of setting new year's resolutions is a bit like reading a personal development book or going on a seminar. A week later life and work take over and we forget about the changes!

To make a change things have got to get too painful to stay the same!

But once we need to change what do we do? We go for BIG even MASSIVE change. And we fail don't we?

So this year why not change just one small thing?

Cut out one pudding a week. Drop one packet of crisps a week. Cut out one coffee a day. Make 6 packets of cigarettes last 7 days. Go for a five minute walk every day.

Prove to yourself that change is possible. Prove to yourself that change is easy. Prove to yourself that you can change.

Then when you're ready to make a big change you can make a really good New Year'sResolution:  Call Julie!

P.s My resolution is to blog more often!  Let's see how THAT goes!