Mind Over Mouth: Simple Tools for Controlling Cravings

I'm a self-professed nerd. My idea of fun is curling up on the couch with a good book, and by good book, I mean a self-help book or maybe a biography on a successful business owner. Not really the average person's idea of fun. This is nothing new. When I was in elementary school, I would come home on Friday nights and attack my homework the second I stepped in the door. After years of this type of behavior, my mother sat me down and actually said "Lauren, you need to have a little fun. Maybe even get into a little trouble. I'll allow it".

Even in the aftermath of total parental oversight, I still continued to do my homework on Friday nights. Wow, wasn't I a fun one?

Recently, I was contacted by an author named Linda Schneider, who just published an e-book called Mind Over Mouth: Fast Tricks to Stop Eating Automatically and Beat Food Cravings on Demand. She wanted to know if I would like to read her e-book and review it on my blog. I'm sure you can guess that my heart skipped a beat. Of course, Linda! I'm a sucker for a good self-help book! And now, I'm here to tell you what I learned in this very helpful, very concise e-book!

Linda writes from experience. She went through a stressful career change and began to look to food for relaxation (something we are all guilty of!). In the course of that year, she gained 22 pounds. Determined to change her eating patterns and take back control of her life, Linda went on a diet and was successful in losing the weight. Although the diet was the tool she used to get there, she attributes her success to learning to control the cravings. In essence, learning to control her mind.

In her e-book Linda shares 12 simple and practical techniques that will help you learn to master your mind and your cravings. Here's a sneak peak...

Image courtesy of
 freedigitalphotos.net

Technique #1: SPICE IT UP

This technique addresses the 'snack attack'. The idea is that when you are experiencing a craving, you can trick your body into satiety. If you can take a second and an ounce of willpower to commit to put a pinch of pepper (or something equally spicy or pungent) on your tongue, the pepper 'acts as a trigger to your food sensors, telling them that you're eating something exciting and stimulating'. It works to distract your mind long enough for the craving to pass. Your body still satisfies the need to 'do' something about the craving, but you stay away from the actual source of the desire.

Image courtesy of
thefeelgoodlifestyle.com

Technique #8: CHEWBACCA ("CHEWIE")

This technique addresses healthy digestion. The act of chewing plays a major role in proper digestion. The fact of the matter is, if you 'force yourself to chew slowly and deliberately, you simply slow down and put less food in your mouth'. It takes your stomach almost 10 minutes to signal to your brain that you are full. When you eat too fast, you tend to eat much more than your body actually needs and you have the awful feeling of 'being stuffed' once your brain gets the message. Chewing slowly allows your body to digest food properly AND gives it the time to signal your brain before you overindulge.

There's something in this e-book for everyone! You may find some techniques easier than others, but I am confident that it will give you the tools you need to control your cravings by controlling your mind, rather than your mouth.

If you'd like to purchase Linda's e-book, Click Here. I might add that it's conveniently priced at $2.99 so no need to take out a loan or refinance the house!

Happy reading and kudos to Linda on a job well done!

The Experts Weigh In: Dance - A Catalyst for Physical, Mental and Spiritual Bliss

BY: JENNY BROE PRICE, CONTRIBUTOR

Got soul?  Have you ever been so drenched in sweat, so tuned in to your body, so connected with your mind and inseparable from your heart that you lived for only that moment?  

I have. There is amazing goodness that comes from dance not only as a form of exercise but as an expression of art and as a means of worship. It is quite rare to achieve all aspects of "the dance" every time you dance, but when you do somehow stumble across or skillfully achieve the triad of dance goodness (body, mind and soul), it is an unmatched experience in the flesh and an incredible lift of the spirit. It creates pure joy. Excitingly, though, each individual facet of goodness (not just the triad) is incredibly beneficial to us as human beings. The amount of benefit depends purely on what is important to YOU.

The Body.

Dance is a form of physical activity, that when taken seriously, requires great athletic prowess, flexibility and strength. The techniques involved are known for their stellar ability to shape and tone the human bod. I must attest to this. 3 hours+ of dance class (any form) every week will get you looking right and tight in no time. I have so many students (males especially) drop pounds without even realizing it, until one day their pants are falling off and all they can do is smile. What a sense of satisfaction.  

Dance is great for your endurance and cardiovascular health. Dance demands both anaerobic spurts of energy and aerobic tolerance, and it's a FUN way to shape up and slim down. You like pilates? Try ballet. Yoga? Try modern dance or tai chi. Aerobic classes like Zumba? You will most certainly be a convert to hip-hop and never look back. Salsa is a more social form that is also great for the midsection OR you could do more detail oriented and isolated work (like tap dancing) for some killer calves and great rhythm. Dance comes alive in over a thousand ways and styles, so needless to say there actually IS something for everyone. Have you ever seen a breakdancer with less than impressive abdominals? Case closed.  

The Mind.

It takes patience, concentration, a good memory, logical thinking, creativity and incredible coordination. I could be talking about playing videogames or perhaps constructing an architectural masterpiece, but I'm not. Dance is some of the BEST brain food. Math problems are good, dancing is better. It takes you out of your chair, out of your box and into a zone for your mind to connect with your body. That mind/body connection is crucial to successfully achieve a positive experience. It has been said that physical activity makes you smarter and less stressed. Yes. This is true. Dancers are happy people. You've heard of "leave your attitude at the door"? Well, you have to be in the "now" when you're dancing. It requires way too much mental and physical coordination to be caught up in that bad mood or depressed state you walked in the door with. Dancing forces you to be present. No regrets to weigh you down. No big ambitions to stress you out. Just that moment.    

The Soul.  

Want to feel close to God? Surrender in the dance. I am a professional dancer, instructor and choreographer in Charleston, South Carolina. I have been dancing the technique and art form for the better part of 17 years, but I just recently (as in the past two weeks) found a brilliant gem in praise dance. Worshiping and expressing thanks through dance and full body movement. You've probably belted out "Praise Ye Jesus" louder than your grandmother or aunt Gertrude could have cared for, so try moving to the beat of that phrase by guiding yourself through space and releasing your entire physical being. I call that dancing, and humans have been doing it since forever. It is in our spiritual DNA. It makes us happy and it pleases God. What a great combination. 

I could go into other well-being topics involving social interaction, culture and unifying the human race with dance, but I digress. Things are easy and attainable in threes...kind of like the waltz. Or the rock step. Or a pas de bourre. They just go well together.  1, 2, 3.   1, 2, 3.   1, 2, 3.  

Give the dance triad a try. It could help mold you into the type of person you want to be.

Images courtesy of Ryan Woolsey

Jenny Broe Price is taking the world of dance by storm. She is the Executive Director of Dancefx Charleston, the Co-Founder and Director of the Charleston Dance Festival (September 10-16) and the Head Coach of the Charleston Man of War All Star Dance Team. She lives and breathes to dance. When she does manage some 'me' time, you can find Jenny on the water with her husband, fishing for flounder, or reading up on plant biology. If you're in the Charleston area, check out one of her shows! You won't be disappointed.

www.dancefxcharleston.com
www.charlestonmanofwar.com
www.charlestondancefestival.com

Come in. Take a load off. Have a look around.

'THE FUN GIRLS' - From the left: My mother Sharon, 'yours truly' and my aunt Lenor (circa 1984).

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Isn't that the truth? I come from a long line of health-obsessed people, including my mother Sharon, a personal trainer and whole foods supplement sales rep, my brother Cale, a now retired professional mixed martial arts fighter and state-ranked swimmer and my father Johnny, always and ever the coach of baseball teams, basketball teams and any other teams that needed his expert insight (which was usually something along the lines of 'Be aggressive!!!'). As a young child, I was 'forced' outside every single day after school by my mother. Being the nerdy kid that I was, I was happy as a bumblebee to just stay indoors... drawing, painting OR EVEN working on my homework as soon as I got home, but mom held to the conviction that children need lots of fresh air and exercise. I'm pretty sure she played a big part in instilling in me the desire to exercise, eat healthy and care for my mental and spiritual well-being. 


I've created this page because I love nutrition, health and fitness. I'm a runner, biker, swimmer, hiker, surfer, skydiver... you name it! I want to help YOU feed your body, mind and spirit. I'll be posting helpful and surprising information on food, exercise, stress-relief techniques and all those other important things you should know to live a long, healthy and happy life!

But I don't want to be the only teacher! I want this page to be a forum where we can all learn from each other. So 'comment' away OR if you'd like to be a guest writer, let me know!

...and remember to forgive me when I post the occasional splurge. Because it's all about balance and this girl can't turn down good food and wine! I live in New York City, after all.