More Strategies to Avoid Overeating...

6. Switch to dark chocolate. If chocolate is your de-stressing treat, switch from milk chocolate to cocoa-rich dark versions (look for those with 70 per cent or more cocoa solids). You'll find you need to eat less to feel the positive effects. Your best choice is an IsaDelight chocolate which suppresses appetite, increases mental focus and improves mood.
7. Practice visualization. When you find yourself reaching for a sugary treat, imagine your arteries furring up, your skin becoming more sallow and fleshy, your brain finding it harder to make connections. Then picture a shower of tropical rain pounding down on your scalp, washing away these pictures. Feel clean and vibrant inside and out.
8. Use affirmations. Repeating motivational words or phrases helps reset your default. Keep going even if it makes you feel silly. Find words that instill self-confidence and a sense of purpose, such as, “I am in control of what I eat.” “I love food that's good for my body”. Repeat it several times when you wake up and go to sleep.
9. Focus on your breath. Do a quick meditation exercise when willpower wanes. Close your eyes and focus your thoughts on your breath as it moves in and out. When your breathing pattern feels calmer, imagine exhaling toxins and negative thoughts with every out-breath. On each in-breath imagine your body being energized by cleansing oxygen that brings with it a new lease on life.
10. Aromatherapy to avoid dessert. Keep a bottle of grapefruit essential oil with you. Place two drops on a handkerchief. Inhale when you need help to resist dessert or candy.

Plan in Advance and Resist Temptation

Do you tend to overeat because of stress?

Worried about what you'll be eating in the next few weeks and the impact it'll have on your waistline?

Christmas and other holiday parties can present eating temptations that seem irresistible. Maybe you've got difficult relatives descending on you. Stress eating is a coping choice many people make unconsciously, and bitterly regret later.

With a little fore-thought and decision-making, you can avoid making poor eating choices this holiday season and continue to stay in control of what you choose to soothe those hunger pangs. A little pre-planning before the tension hits will help you feel stronger and make healthy choices.

When you starve yourself for hours, cravings call. And you will answer. Choose one or more of the proven strategies below for sticking with healthy eating, even when stressed.

1. Eat regularly—approximately every 3 hours. This allows you to eat smaller meals without becoming hungry. Your blood sugar can fall too low after just 4 hours of not eating. Fast-rising blood sugar triggers your pancreas to release a flood of insulin, a hormone that not only lowers blood sugar but also signals your body to store fat. And in about half of us, insulin tends to "overshoot," which sends blood sugar crashing. This reinforces the binge, because it makes you crave sugar and starch again.
2. Consider taking chromium supplements (especially the GTF varieties, and especially in combination with L-Glutamine). These supplements have a subtle effect that can make a big difference in keeping blood sugar from spiking and reducing cravings. Consult your doctor before taking ANY nutritional supplements!
3. Have protein and fat at every meal. (Meat, cheese, nuts, or eggs contain both.) This slows the digestion of carbohydrates, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes.
4. Go whole grain. Make sure the bread, pasta, or rice that you eat is 100 percent whole grain. The fiber it contains reduces the effect on your blood sugar.
5. Go for healthy pick-me-ups. Enjoy nutritious and health-enriching snacks such as a heritage variety of apple (some taste like champagne), a handful of collagen-rich cherries, fresh or dried figs loaded with minerals including calcium, or an antioxidant red guava.

Look for more healthy eating strategies for the holidays in my next post.