When health issues come up, our feelings of control and autonomy are threatened. Most of us are not comfortable with the feeling of loss of control. Studies show that people that feel powerless regarding their health condition do not do as well. There may be more depression with those who feel powerless in the decision making and prognosis. On the other hand, those who are involved in the decisions and their decisions are respected effects the health outcome in a positive way.
One of the situations people can find themselves feeling a loss of control is with obesity. People have told me they have tried everything, and nothing works. They cannot lose weight no matter what. They believe that they are destined to be overweight and unhealthy. This belief may come from their experiences and what they were told as children. Our environment plays an important role in our development and in our beliefs. How food is available, presented and discussed in families drives the thoughts many of us carry into adulthood.
Locus of control is the degree to which people believe that they, as opposed to external forces, have control over the outcomes of events in their lives. There are two types of locus of control – internal and external. An example of internal locus of control is a man, 50 years old, who might blame his poor health on his food and substance choices. An external locus of control would tell that man that the food industry is at fault for his poor health. People with an internal locus of control tend to experience better health. And the opposite is true, as well. This has been shown to be true in studies looking at children who were raised to form healthy relationships with the environment and better internal control. This is an important characteristic when it comes to becoming overweight or obese. Individuals who believe their choices are under their control tend to be less overweight. Often these people are more in touch with the cues their body provides. Hunger and satiation cues versus availability of food and social pressure drive their eating behavior. Therefore, less obesity and poor health is seen in those with internal locus of control. Examples of external locus of control are those who blame their weight or health status on outside forces such as food marketing, being told as a child that they are bigboned by well-meaning loved ones or the belief that their whole family is overweight so they are, too. It’s their destiny (or so they believe).
The same can be true of substance use. External forces can lead people into dangerous situations with drugs and alcohol. Lack of internal locus of control and pressures from people around us may lead to behaviors that create addiction. If everyone you socialize with smokes or drinks alcohol, without a strong internal locus of control, it is likely you will go along with what others are doing. Many recovery programs focus on shifting thinking and beliefs toward an internal locus of control. They put the power back in the hands of the user and this allows them to recover in a way they might not have believed they could.
When it comes to health, we can reclaim our power and develop our internal locus of control to create the healthy bodies we say we want. When we look deep inside and question our beliefs and whether they are actually true or not may serve us in a way to start down a path of health recovery. The decision that our health is most important allows us to accept that we are in control and good things follow. People talk about will power and I call BS on that. It’s a strong internal locus of control that determines how successful we are. This is true about our health and health issues that may arise. Studies demonstrate that people with an internal locus of control do better when given a new diagnosis. People who believe they have control over how the illness unfolds often have better outcomes. In contrast, those who believe it is out of their control, do not do so well. I’ve heard it said that a positive attitude can help and I am sure that this is true but the biggest driver may be our sense of internal locus of control.
You Are What You Do
You are what you do, not what you say you'll do –
Carl Gustav Jung
Words are cheap when we aren't doing the things we say we will do. I hear from many of my clients the things they want to accomplish. What truly matters, however, is what they actually do. Until action is taken, nothing happens.
We've all heard the phrase, ‘you are what you eat’ and you know I am all about the food. There is a bit more to what creates what we are in terms of health. Lifestyle choices matter….big time.
What we eat, what we allow in our minds, how we manage our stress, how we move our bodies, our relationships, how we sleep and what we put on our skin all are factors in how our health presents itself.
Most of us have heard stories of someone who appeared to be healthy but then had a heart attack or died suddenly. There is no guarantee but what we do on a daily basis stacks the deck in our favor (or not) so that if illness does occur we have our good health to pull us through.
So my challenge to you this week is to look, honestly, at what you are doing. Are the actions you are taking on a daily basis taking you to a place of better health in the next year, the next 5 years, the next 10 years? What we do today and everyday affects how our health develops as we age. We are what we do.
When we touch something, we send messages to our brain at 124 mph
Recipe of the Week
Take these tangy, tart, sweet and crunchy portable treats wherever you go. These make a healthy treat for Halloween giving!
Yield: about 14 balls Serving size: 1 ball Calories per serving: 160
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup dried unsweetened cherries
1 cup pitted dates
1 tablespoon non-alcohol vanilla extract
1, In a food processor fitted with an S blade, process cashews for about 30 to 45 seconds or until they form a flour-like consistency.
2. Add dates and cherries, and process for 2 to 4 minutes or until mixture begins to clump together.
3. Slowly drizzle the vanilla extract into mixture, and process for 10 more seconds.
4. Using your hands, roll dough into bite-sized balls, and serve. Keep covered in refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.
Variations:
Roll balls in shredded coconut if desired.
Use the same amount of raw peanuts instead of cashews for Peanut Butter and Jelly Balls.
Wrap each ball individually and tie with festive curly ribbon for a cute and healthy Halloween treat.
Note: Beware of sugar and oil in dried fruits. Look for unsweetened versions, and be sure the only ingredient is the fruit itself for optimal health worthiness.
Recipe adapted slightly from The Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
The second edition of this book is excellent for anyone wanting to know the value and insights into eating a whole food plant-based diet. Written by Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT and Raymond Cronise, the book provides education, inspiration to reduce illness now!
Listen to my Health Tip Tuesday video on Facebook on Tuesdays around 10:30am to hear my book review!
Animals do not ‘give’ their life to us, as the sugar-coated lie would have it. No, we take their lives. They struggle and fight to the last breath, just as we would do if we were in their place.
--Hard truth by John Robbins
Important Disclaimer
The content in this newsletter is intended for educational/informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.
