Are you a rebel at heart?
Aug 12, 2020
Raise your hand if you are a habitual self-sabotage?!? Are you always destroying all the hard work you did, maybe on a healthy eating regime? Or having all of those 'good days', only to think "stuff it, I deserve a reward for that!!"....
Well, did you know that the part of your brain which is responsible for this rebellion vs reward, is the reptilian part of our brain called the Amygdala. (it is called the Reptilian part, because it is the oldest part of our brain, or the first part that ever developed)..
The Amygdala is also responsible for our 'fight or flight' response to an emergency, or stress.
On gene profiles, we can actually see whether or not a person will have a strong Amygdala activation, or a weaker one - aka, a strong fight or flight, or a more laid-back approach to life!
One thing we have learned from the study of these genes alongside the physical manifestation of their actions, is that, to put it bluntly - we emotionally rebel or eat when we are stressed.. and this is a genetically pre-programmed behaviour in only some of us!
I always say that a genomic profile is worth its weight in gold. Having said that, the majority of you will already be aware of whether or not you fall into this category. The take home message is one I learnt many years ago, as a personal trainer-
By restricting yourself, you stress yourself out even more- more stress will activate your Amgydala! So all of those old school low-calorie/ hard workout rubbishy pieces of advice, are just that.. rubbish! (to people who have this behaviour). It will be counter-productive on all counts.
Try to remember that by reducing your stress response, you will inadvertently reduce your 'rebellion centre' also, and be far less inclined to eat that secret stash of treats, or finish off that bottle of wine.. (well, ok.. maybe not.. ;) )....
Moderation is the key.. so is mindfulness, breathwork and laughter.