Health Tip of the Week: Take Timed Breaths to Stop Cravings

This week, we will begin a new feature, "Health Tip of the Week."

Specifically, today's pointer is to help those of you who tend to battle but often cave into overpowering cravings — for sugar, coffee, cigarettes or other unhealthy behavior. 

This tip will help you if you:

  • Are a sugar addict
  • Are overweight or obese
  • Have type 2 diabetes
  • Have an annoying habit of consuming refined carbohydrates
  • Are going through sugar detox
  • Need or desire to stay away from high fructose corn syrup-filled candies and pastries
  • Want to get more healthy (just about everyone!)

Breathing So let's pretend you're in the throes of a yen for chocolate-covered peanuts, donuts or a sugary coffee from one of those specialty stores.

Or perhaps you're near a bakery, vending machines or newspaper stand that sells candy bars. 

Here's how to quickly stop that craving so you don't go into unpleasant sugar shock:

  • Take a look at your watch or your cell phone to get the time. (If you have neither, ask someone else.)
  • Next, whatever time it is, then take that number of breaths — but do so slowly, deliberately and confidently. 
  • Example: So, it's now 9 am. That means you'd slowly take 9 breaths in and 9 breaths out. 
  • At the same time, visualize your breath just wiping out your craving. Expect that it's happening! Now watch the cravings go whoosh!
  • After breathing, if you're still tempted, simply repeat the whole procedure another 9 times.(In other words, if it were 5 pm, you'd take 5 breaths, and if you're having a hard time, you'd repeat this another 5 times.)

Simple isn't it? Now make sure that while you're breathing, you're also visualizing the cravings being wiped out.

This tip is called the Timed-Breath, Stop-Cravings, Wipe-Out Technique.

Did you like this stop sugar shock pointer? Got any ideas of your own that you'd like to share? Let us know so we can pass it on.

Get SUGAR SHOCK! now to learn why it's important to cut back on your consumption of sugars and refined carbs.

2 thoughts on “Health Tip of the Week: Take Timed Breaths to Stop Cravings”

  1. I had trouble overcoming sugar cravings for 10 years, but had them vanish in a week with my “technique.” My technique was simply to eat more food more often and avoid overexercising like my life depended on it. It’s amazing what that can do. My metabolism improved along with my overall health, and switching to very light exercise allowed beta-endorphin receptors to switch back on. Now I’m free of sugar addiction completely. If and when I do eat sugar, I have no hypoglycemia, which can be cured simply by bringing the metabolism back up to normal.

  2. Like the tip – I’m going to try it. I’ve been sugar free for 4 weeks and have lost 7 pounds as a side effect and am starting to feel much much better. I am able to focus more and my stress level has gone down a notch!
    I found myself dreaming the other night about being in a bakery and agonizing about what I could buy. In my dream, I finally asked the owner if he could just sell me a handful of almonds from his ingredients in the back! My subconscious is even working with me!
    Thanks for your advice and guidance Connie.
    btw – for halloween, we used your suggestion of “the good witch” at our house and I gave my children the choice to keep everything or give it to the good witch and see what present she leaves for them. There were not arguments, they both wanted the good witch! We got rid of all the candy and all the temptation for me and the girls loved their new 70s vintage Tom and Jerry comic books.

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