Work With Your Willpower

Willpower is a fickle, slippery beast. It seems the more you try to hold on to it, the more it squirms and wiggles its way out of your grasp. The truth is that we all have willpower, but some of us are better able to access it when it is most needed.

Willpower takes energy, both the emotional kind and the physical (it actually depletes glucose levels in the brain). As a result of this energy expenditure, we only have so much willpower to utilize on a daily basis. You can plan ahead to set yourself up for success by limiting the times that your willpower will need to be accessed. We can generally resist temptation for a while, but can only hold off for so long.

When it comes to diet, do not keep junk foods in the home. Or, if you must keep these enticing treats around, keep them out of sight. This will keep your willpower from being activated on a frequent basis and leave it for when it is really needed.

How else can you structure your immediate environment to reduce the strain on your willpower?

Advertisement

Dietary Decisions

Do you ever get overwhelmed at the sheer number of diets out there? It seems like there is always someone touting the benefits of their way of eating, whether it be paleo or plant-based. The following list details the basics of ten of the most popular eating styles. Use it to help figure out which diet is best for you!

Many people think of “diet” as a dirty word, as it has come to mean depriving oneself, usually for the sake of weight loss or as a means of nutritionally correcting a body imbalance such as high cholesterol or diabetes. But the word “diet” means “the kind of food you eat;” it is a synonym of “nourishment,” and health experts agree that there is a science to taking care of your body through nutrition. An alternative dietary lifestyle is a more appropriate way to think of eating plans of deprivation, because by definition they identify what is and isn’t okay to eat. It’s important to avoid fad diets, which are usually based more on hype than science.

One thing is certain: The “Western diet” — which describes the “normal” American diet loaded with processed foods, high-fat dairy products, red meat, and sugar — is a quick way to an early grave, or at least loads of nutritionally based health problems. Here are the top ten most popular alternative dietary lifestyles.

Responsible Leadership

I got into an interesting conversation with my fiance the other day about Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. Although he generally supports his political views, my partner had trouble with the concept of someone being in a leadership position (including making decisions that impact other people’s health) who does not maintain a healthy lifestyle themselves.

Christie at a town hall meeting in Union City, New Jersey February 9, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My first reaction was indignation. After all, a person’s BMI says nothing about their character or their intellect. Someone’s exercise habits do not reflect their dedication to their job or their ability to make sound decisions. However, in Chris Christie’s case, it’s not just about weight. He has been open about the fact that he struggles with making healthy lifestyle choices.

My fiance then posed the following question, “As a teacher, do feel obligated to maintain a healthy lifestyle since you are an influence on your students?”

Interesting.

I had never thought about my own health in this way before. Yes, I consciously teach my students (directly and indirectly) about health and wellness. We take jumping jack or stair sprint breaks. We hold push up contests. We dispel myths about nutrition and fitness. We discuss my dietary choices and I teach them about food. I talk about my races. I share how much fitness has enhanced my life. I encourage them to be healthy through these conversations and my modeling good lifestyle choices.

But, as a teacher, am I responsible for being a healthy role model? Should that be an implied part of any contract for someone who is in a leadership role (including parenting!)?

Perhaps not, but it is good to remember that, whether we signed up for it or not, others are looking at our actions and learning from our choices. When you make healthy decisions, you are also helping others become healthier as well.

As for Chris Chistie, I applaud him for being willing to openly discuss his struggles with weight loss. I hope that he can find a place of health – for himself, his family and his constituents.