Flex Australia – June-July 2017

86 FLEX | JUNE – JULY 2017

DIET

TRAP

YOU’RE TOO

STRESSED

Stress in the weight room is

a good thing, but when it comes

to healthful eating, not so much.

In a recent report in the Journal

of Cognitive Neuroscience,

scientists asked volunteers to

read statements designed to

heighten negativity and stress,

then performed brain scans

while the volunteers viewed

pictures of high-calorie foods,

such as cake or a hamburger.

They found that the same

parts of the brain that equate

pleasure with sinful foods

lit up like a Christmas tree.

Stressful situations like work

deadlines and falling behind

on bill payments can set up a

scenario in which the reward

portion of your brain takes

control of your exhausted

mind, making it difficult to

resist diet-derailing foods.

6

AVOID THE TRAP During particularly

stressful times, look for ways to

distance yourself from unhealthy

temptations such as the drive-

thru on the way home from work.

A walk in the park during your

lunch hour or an all-out workout

after a workday can help calm

your nerves so you won’t dig

deep into a tub of ice cream. Keep

healthy snacks like baby carrots

and almonds in your office or

car so you can munch on these

when your boss is pushing your

buttons. And remember that it’s

much harder to eat crap when

you’re stressed if you don’t have

it in the house in the first place.

AVOID THE TR AP If you’re serious about

eatingtogetlean,oneofthebestwaysto

do it is to write down everything you eat

inadetailedfoodjournalthattrackseach

bite. A report in theAmerican Journal of

Preventive Medicineinvolving nearly 1700

participants found that those who kept

dailyfoodrecordslostabouttwiceas

muchbodyfatasthosewhofailedtojot

down what they ate. A food journal keeps

youhonestandletsyoupinpointwhere

youmightbefallingintobadhabits.

Eating at regular intervals is

common advice, but it can be

all too easy to nibble your way

to a soft physique. It seems

silly to leave just one rice cake

in the bag... Nobody will notice

the missing brownie in the office

lunchroom... It won’t matter if

you grab a few extra handfuls of

pretzels here and there as you

plug away on the computer...

Such mindless, seemingly

innocent munching adds up and

could sabotage a well-planned

diet geared toward torching fat.

YOU LOSE

TRACK

OF YOUR

SNACKS

DIET

TRAP