Food choices

Are we really the product of our choices?

The answer could be simple, but it's very complex.

Determining behavior:

• Phylogenetic variables (history of the species)
• Ontogenetic variables (life history - individual, upbringing)
• Cultural variables (group practices - family, friends, work)

Choices depend mainly on these three factors, which involve a lot of things.

Evolutionarily, we always look for 3 ingredients: SALT, FAT AND SUGAR. Fat is an easy reserve (for the survival of the species). Sugar is a powerful energy that can be accessed quickly. Salt, a fundamental mineral. With industrialization, these three ingredients have been combined to please our taste buds.

WANT X NEED

Involves a number of hormones.
Dopamine - hormone of motivation, impulse (sensitivity also depends on each person).
Let's also be aware that triggers can be developed from the mother's womb.
Habituation principle - when we have a food that is new or something that is not always available, we have a trigger for anxiety. So the more accessible the food is, the less anxious we are about it.

Our choices are also influenced by our vulnerability on that particular day. In other words, when we have a part of our brain control deactivated, for example: sleep deprivation, alcohol consumption...

Tips: self-control tools - don't put yourself in situations of choice. Organizing behaviour in advance.

Recognizing where you are is also essential.
Self-knowledge: knowing that we have 2 systems (the automatic system 95% of our time, and the rational system which requires effort, clues, alarms... to create awareness in order to change behavior).

CONTROLLING THE ENVIRONMENT, making it easy (arranging food in the fridge, size of utensils, getting the gym clothes ready...).

It takes a choice and an ACTIVE search to change and to UNDERSTAND free will, to ACCEPT why we have arrived where we have.
In other words, willpower is a small part of the whole weight loss process.

That's why, when in doubt, avoid rotating haha. We tend to want to try everything we see and that's available.