Ok so I admit to watching TV while I ate breakfast today. They were talking about a study from Birmingham University that showed if you thought about your last meal in detail, you ate less.

The facilitators took two groups of students and asked one group to recall their journey to the campus and the others to think about their last meal. They were then all offered unlimited biscuits; the group that had thought about their last meal ate less than the other group. So on TV a psychologist was advocating we should all imagine our last meal and this would stop us snacking later.

She said that we always have a choice and that if we think about what we had before we can then think that ‘I am not going to snack later’ ‘Oh yeah’ I felt myself murmur.

Great thought, but only part of the picture, as many people who have struggled with their weight will know. Those people are very familiar with the cravings that seem to possess every fiber of their being and flood them with thoughts of eating. These inner drives are so hard to ignore, no matter what our conscious brain tells us.

Because our natural instincts can be highjacked by unconscious processes we can crave something before we think consciously about it. Often this urge is the body chemically asking for sustenance and conscious intervention will rarely make it fade. You will see this in people who have yo yo dieted for years where their body believes it has a feast and famine existence.

Also if you eat a diet that is loaded with refined foods or heavy on the carbohydrates this causes your body’s blood sugar to have a roller coaster effect. So your fuel gauge swings from thinking it is empty, to too full. The chemicals it pumps out to deal with this can make you feel lethargic, emotional and craving sugary foods.

Then you can have habits that are mismatches of our basic needs. So if you feel lonely and turn to food for a comfort this is a faulty pattern match. Read the article on basic needs to ensure that your needs are met in an appropriate way.

Finally the process that can override the ability to make clear choices are limiting beliefs. The old war mentality that makes you clear the food left on your kids plates is way out of date. Or a belief that you are ugly that causing anxiety, stress being a major contributory factor to cravings.

Ok so this is a great practice for me as I am talking about weight issues and nutrition to our students this weekend. And by the next weekend I always get several students saying how much better they feel, greater energy, clearer thought and better sleep; all from altering their unconscious attitudes to food, stabilizing their blood sugars and eating more nourishing foods.

I will let you know their feedback. Off to finish my breakfast!!