Don't Pull the Trigger!

I have often wondered why people play the “game” of Russian roulette.   A game of chance and risk in which a loaded gun with one round is pointed at the head after the cylinder is spun.   The idea of the so called game is absolutely absurd to me because of the risk involved and the possibility of death. For many of us, our lives are not much different to a game of Russian roulette.   What if I told you the choices that we make everyday play a type of Russian roulette with our health?  The bad habits that we have developed have caused us to wonder at times “Is this it?”  “Will today be the day?”  We have pulled our health triggers so many times that today indeed may be the day when the consequences of our actions are seen. 

In Monday's blog I mentioned temptation foods. Temptation foods are foods that we eat when faced with our triggers.  Today we will explore in greater detail how to avoid food temptations but also how to resist when tempted.

Temptation means to be enticed or led to do something you would not ordinarily.  This usually happens after a stressful situation.   Triggers for temptation foods include things such as stress, emotional distress, depression, anxiety and boredom. The most important thing is to recognize triggers prior to the temptation and learn ways to combat them. In our health Russian roulette, the temptation is the gun, the trigger is the stressor that causes us to reach for the food and the bullet is the foods that we eat.  Each time we give in to the temptation the cylinder spins and we are one step closer to death.  Each time we give in the risks rises.

Most of us know what our temptation foods are based on how we feel after we have eaten them.  These foods have become our enemies in that they are destructive in the way we consume them.  They cause us to feel shame, guilt, hopeless and, like a failure.  Temptation foods seem to be in control of us rather than us being in control of them.  There is usually a feeling of failure; of I can't believe I have done this again.  These are the foods we turn to when depressed, stress, anxious.  They cause you to feel temporary relief from the stress but after you have eaten them you feel even worse than when you were stressed. 

The first step in resisting/avoiding temptation is to recognize when and where the temptation comes.  Is it a particular place, person, event or occasion that stirs the desire? If so the answer may be to avoid them.  Another answer could be to develop different coping mechanisms for the stressor such as exercising, journaling or therapy.  Anther step could be learning to reward yourself with things other than food.  Get your hair done, go for a bike ride, take a walk in nature, get a message, visit or call a friend or take time to pray.  Most importantly do not give in to temptation.  James 4:7 says to resist the tempter and it will flee.  This is how you over come all temptations even the temptation of appetite. 

Don’t pull the trigger on temptation today.  Resist the urges and consider the journey you are on don’t go backwards but continue forward.  Continue your journey to a healthier you so that you can be Healthy4Life!