what about will power?

one of the things we're constantly told is that we need to increase our "will power" or that various diet supplements, teas or drugs will help. i don't know about you... but i find i can end up feeling badly about myself when i find myself reaching for the cookie instead of the piece of fruit. and i do that frequently, more frequently at some times than at others. so why was this, i wondered, even after i began to pay attention to what the Angels were telling me to eat. why is it so easy to ignore what i know is better for me to eat? why do we tend to consistently go for the quick and easy sugar rush or carb hit?

a recent article about the nature of the brain seemed to provide at least part of the answer. it seems that the same area of our brains that controls our "will-power" is also the part involved in complex tasks. it's also easy to tire this part out apparently.

as part of an experiment, one group of individuals were asked to memorize a list of random objects, and then offered a cookie. another group was asked to memorize the list, take a rest, and then offered the cookie. a third group was just offered the cookie. it was the first group who ate the most cookies.

so,... what's a busy person to do?

the Angels suggest several strategies. first of all, plan your meals. create a chart, or make a list, and allow spaces for "white" or complete protein foods for every meal, as well as spaces for rainbow, brown, sweets, fats and processed foods. remember to go no longer than 3 hours between meals, so for most of us, that means five or six mini-meals throughout the day, or three meals and three smaller snacks, or some combination of the above. decide what works best for you, just remember never to go more than three hours if you can possibly help it without putting some form of nourishing food into your system.

then, keep a food diary. make a list or a chart, and keep track of how much white, rainbow and other foods you're eating. remember you can eat as many rainbow foods as you wish - i find that the more complete "rainbows" i eat in a day (the most i manage is 3) the better i feel.

and finally, remember that your will-power is a function of your mind's ability to make choices, not a reflection of your personal worth as a human being. it's only as sharp as you are. the better nourished, and more well-rested you allow yourself to be, the easier you'll find it to make healthier decisions.