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Recent research suggests that willpower by itself is inherently limited. However most of us believe self control is largely a character issue. The area of the brain in charge of willpower, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), can become easily overtaxed; when it is overtaxed, willpower can decrease dramatically especially when you try to do too much too soon. Studies show that the PFC can be improved by focusing on 1 behavior change at a time which in turn can lead to other positive changes. One such study asked college students to improve their posture and over the course of two weeks noticed other improvements of self control happened as a consequence. The key take away here is that the PFC cannot process multiple requests to change at the same time. Some of my patients who attempted to do too many health goals at once were not successful.

Three simple steps to help you reach your health goals

1. The brain cannot handle multiple health goals at once For example, all it takes is 5 extra bits of information to decrease willpower in the PFC. One study tested willpower by having subjects choose a fruit salad or a slice of chocolate cake while keeping in mind a two digit or seven digit set of numbers. Those trying to juggle 7 digits were twice as likely to choose the cake over a fruit salad. The solution is to focus on only 1 health goal at a time. This way you not only start your health goal but continue to commit to it until it becomes a positive habit and is successful.

2. Calories do count but not in the way you think. Another study gave one set of students lemonade with artificial sweetener and the second set of students lemonade with sugar. After viewing a video all the students were tested on several self control tasks. Those given the lemonade with artificial sugar, which had 0 calories, performed tasks less successfully than those who had consumed the sugar lemonade, which contained calories. The conclusion suggests that calories are needed to supply the brain with food to function effectively and increase self control. Skipping meals to lose weight or because you are too busy only makes it harder to maintain your willpower and will often lead to overeating or eating snack foods. I recommend you plan your meals and eat at regular times throughout the day to maintain proper blood sugar levels, and nourish the brain so it supports your health goals.

3. Simple and easy exercise is more important than you think. By simple and easy exercise I mean just doing some daily physical activity to start. Why? Because exercise releases positive endorphins so you end up feeling better once you adhere to a regular activity routine. For example it could mean something as simple as a daily walk around the block or joining a gym. Exercise trigger the brain reward center which helps us feel positive, improves our mood, helps us sleep better and stimulates the flow blood to feed the brain.

Weight loss presents a big challenge to some of my patients. In fact many of my patients talk to me about losing weight and ask if acupuncture alone can help. I always make the joke that if acupuncture worked perfectly for weight loss I wouldn’t have to work anymore. What I do know is acupuncture can help support your health goals in these key areas:

* Become more relaxed which cuts back on anxiety induced cravings * Feel clear headed and better able to concentrate on your goals and daily tasks * Have more energy to sustain your commitment to positive behavior change * Improve your digestion which allows the body to efficiently process the food you eat

By combining the Three Health Goals Tips along with a series of acupuncture treatments, you will be better able to prioritize, stay committed and succeed with your health goals in 2010.

Susan Wallace is a licensed acupuncturist serving the San Francisco bay area. She has treated over 1000 patients over the last 25 years and specializes in combining acupuncture, herbs and western nutrition to maximize health. She can be reached at 510-559-8700. For more information or to sign up for her monthly newsletter click here.

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It can take a long time to quit smoking. Some people can do it in a few weeks or months, while other needs several years. But no matter what your timeframe is, you need to figure out how to keep your urge to smoke as low as possible.

Sooner or later you will feel a strong urge to smoke when you are in the quitting phase. And the way you handle those situations will decide the success factor. When you are prepared with a plan for the urge to smoke, your willpower will be stronger and you can continue your path towards a life without smoking.

Figure out when you typically smoke. Is it after a meal or your daily exercise? If you know when you typically smoke you will be in a better position to fight the urge.

Create a plan for fighting the urge. You can use simple things like a stress ball in your hand or a piece candy in the mouth. You can also try to brush your teeth every time you feel the urge to smoke. Or you can use a mint to freshen your breath.

Stay away from all temptations. If you are eating out, find a table in the non smoking area. Never go into a tobacco store and try to limit the time you are together with other smokers. It will be harder to resist the temptation, if you are continuously around smokers and cigarettes.

Clean your house of all smoking instruments. This means all ashtrays, lighters and matches; and get rid of the smell of cigarettes. Products like Febreeze are great for helping to get rid of cigarette smell, which can also trigger an urge to smoke.

If you are having a place where you normally smoke, it could be a good idea to rearrange your this area. By breaking the routines it will be easier to resist the temptation to smoke. This advice works especially well, if you typically smoke at the same, few places in your home. So if you normally watch television in your favorite chair while you are smoking, try to remove the chair (or the television). Then it will be much easier to resist the temptation to light a cigarette.

Know your goal to quit smoking; and write it down. It might seem like a minor detail, but it can be a major step towards ensuring that you keep your focus on quitting smoking. If you just tell yourself in your head that you want to quit smoking, it will be much easier to cheat and give into the urge to start smoking again. With written goal, you will be more likely to follow them. This advice can also be used if you are trying to lose weight, exercise more etc. Goals on paper can improve responsibility radically.

Do not discount yourself. If you are absolutely certain that you can succeed, you will be much more capable of the success that you need. It is important to believe that you can succeed. This will help you to stay strong anytime a serious urge kicks in. If you decide to slip up consciously, you are going to find it is much harder to gain back any slack that you have cut for yourself. However, if you hold fast to your dedication to quit smoking you will find that each time you have an urge it is easier to handle.

Martin Elmer is writing about quitting your cigarettes and rygestop dag for dag. You can also learn how to minimize your nicotine withdrawal symptoms with nikotintabletter products.

categories: quit smoking,stop smoking,smoking cessation,smoking,urge to smoke,cigarettes,withdrawal symptoms,nicotine,tobacco,motivation,willpower,goals,health,illness

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