4 Ways Quitting Drinking Can Help You Kick Other Pesky Habits

If you've found that since quitting drinking, you're struggling with managing some other not-so-healthy habits, you're not alone. Oftentimes in situations like this, one habit can be replaced by another. If you've stopped drinking, you may have found that your sugar intake has started to increase, or your tobacco habit has picked back up. This is called addiction transfer, and is a pretty common occurrence.

The good news? The same tactics you used to kick alcohol to the curb can help you in these instances, too. Here are a few things to remind yourself of when dropping another not-so-good habit feels close to impossible.

1. At one point, you felt this way about alcohol.

   Think back to when you first decided to stop drinking. It's likely you felt completely overwhelmed by the decision and felt like stopping wasn't something you could actually do. Compare those feelings to where you are now when it comes to your relationship with alcohol. Chances are, you feel completely different now that alcohol isn't a daily part of your life. Given time, the same will likely be true of sugar, tobacco, or any other habit that may not be serving you.

2. There were some helpful tools you used to stop drinking — and they could help here, too.

   Did you attend meetings? Rely on another person to hold you accountable? Keep a journal? Just spend some time thinking about what tools helped you put down alcohol for good, and consider how you can transfer those tools to quitting this habit as well. You may have to tweak a little here and there to make the tools fit, but it's likely that the same tools will be beneficial to you.

3. You likely noticed the changes in your physical and mental health.

   Alcohol can take a toll on your health— but so can sugar and tobacco. If you stopped drinking and were pleasantly surprised at how your body reacted, the same will likely be the case when you kick other bad habits. Our bodies take in and are affected by more than we even realize. When we start treating them right, it becomes obvious just how much they were being affected.

4. The big milestones and victories and made it all feel worth it.

   If you've stopped drinking, you know it's no small feat. You've probably hit some pretty big milestones along the way and have felt how rewarding it is to achieve something you didn't think you could at one point. Think back to these victories and try to remember how it felt to be able to celebrate them. Then consider how it may feel to add another thing to celebrate to that list. Sometimes, focusing on the good helps us realize that things are more manageable than we may have thought at first.

As with anything challenging in life, just remember that changing habits takes time and patience. Be gentle on yourself when you need to be and give yourself some grace while making these life changes.

Quit Sugar

How To End Your Sugar Addiction

Did you know sugar can be addicting? We find it in almost everything, but how much is too much? And how can we end the addiction? Research shows that consuming sugar actually produces cravings and withdrawals along with chemical changes within the brain. In other words, the more sugar you eat, the more you'll crave it. An overconsumption of sugar can cause higher levels of insulin which can lead to weight gain amongst other health issues. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and no more than 9 teaspoons a day for men. Use some of these helpful tips below to learn how to stop eating sweets.

No processed foods.

This includes cookies, cakes, other baked goods, bacon, ice cream, chips, and so much more. These foods are high in sugar and don't provide many nutrients or vitamins to the body. Rather than leaning towards desserts, focus on healthy snacks instead. Fruit based snacks will provide the body with what it actually needs. Cut-up fruits are a good source of dietary fiber, while folic acid helps form red blood cells. Prepare fruit ahead of time so you’re more likely to eat them! If you're not a fan of fruit, try to pair them with a yummy dip to make eating healthy a little easier.

Focus on your health and nutrition.

Make your health and wellness a priority in your life. This applies to everything in your daily routine. Make sure you're getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night. If you have a hard time falling asleep, use sleep headphones to drown out sound and help lull you to sleep. Also, try to create an exercise routine that fits your bodies needs. Using a BMI calculator will tell you if you're under, over, or at a normal weight for your height. Don't be afraid to use your home as a gym or join a local gym that you can attend on a daily basis to achieve your personal fitness goals. Focusing on your overall wellness will keep you motivated to not only exercise but eat clean and stay healthy!

Absolutely no candy.

Candy is loaded with so much sugar, no matter how small or big it is. The saturated fat, sugar, and calories in candy can easily send you way over your daily intake of each. If you're a big candy eater, try to start slow and cut down day by day. Moderation is essential when cutting back and changing your habits. Replace candy with other sweet treats like fruit and dark chocolate to help satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthier way. The high levels of cocoa solids (called flavonoids) in dark chocolate actually lower blood pressure and cholesterol which can in turn reduce the risk of diabetes.

Cut out soda and other sugary drinks.

Soda has several negative effects on the body including your oral health. The acidic levels in soda allow your teeth to be vulnerable to decay which cause more bacteria throughout the mouth. Added sugar and liquid sugar are highly fattening and also found in soda. Studies show that people who tend to drink sweetened drinks gain more weight than people who don't. Instead try to increase your daily water intake by carrying a reusable water bottle with you while you're on the go. Water does the body wonders and can actually help you lose weight and maintain a healthier body.

Use these tips and tricks to educate yourself on the many dangers of sugar and how you can cut back and change your lifestyle to a healthier one!

Photo by Anete Lusina from Pexels

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Quit a Bad Habit With Binaural Beats

How to Use Binaural Beats to Change a Habit

By Karen Newell

To manage stress and anxiety, many of us turn to medication or other substances for relaxation. With high hopes for better sleep or calmer states, often the substance creates undesirable side effects, or overuse diminishes its effectiveness over time. Some become addicted to substances, often masking underlying emotional issues, in many cases leading to overdose or suicide. As the growing crisis continues, we must find alternatives to addressing mental health issues.

Specialized sound recordings offer a way to induce relaxation in the body and mind, especially those containing brainwave entrainment technology. Sacred Acoustics® develops NeuralHelix®, a proprietary method of harmonically blending binaural beats and monaural beats with specifically selected and balanced carrier tones. The audio signals serve to alter brainwave rhythms from the beta state (normal waking consciousness) to alpha, theta and delta states, associated with more relaxed states of awareness.

A recent pilot study conducted with psychiatrist Anna Yusim, author of Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life, demonstrated a 26% reduction in anxiety after at least two weeks of listening combined with regular psychiatric care (therapy combined with psychopharmacology) vs. 7% in the "treatment as usual" control group. While anxiety levels were the primary outcome measured in this study, participants also reported improvements in sleep and focus. The study is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a medical journal and points to further research for alternatives to pharmaceutical medications in the treatment of anxiety and other mental health issues.

These results were not surprising to us. Our listeners regularly report achieving a quieter mind with fewer distracting thoughts and a relaxed body. Binaural beats seem to affect the lower brain stem, the most primitive part of our brains, while the thinking part of the brain takes a time out. While your awareness is in a calmer state, it becomes easier to let go of mind chatter, reduce stress or anxiety, improve wellness, find creative inspiration, solve problems, or, simply get a good night's sleep!

Since binaural beats deliver a different signal to the right and left ears, we recommend the use of quality headphones. Comfort is key since wearing headphones for long periods can be painful. Unlike other forms of meditation, we recommend listening in a reclined position in order to achieve greatest body relaxation. These factors make SleepPhones an ideal choice in headphones.

It takes just 20 minutes per day to begin to see changes and a regular practice will increase benefits. Some recordings can be played while performing other activities, such as study, creative arts or reading, making it super easy to work into your daily routine. Combined with conscious intention, listeners achieve:

• quieting of distracting thoughts
• better focus and concentration
• a profound sense of presence
• improved health and wellness
• expanded inner awareness
• enhanced dreams
• spiritual growth
• creative inspiration
• sense of timelessness
• perception beyond the five physical senses
• heightened intuition
• reduced stress and anxiety

Everyone is unique and, just like with medications, we respond in different ways. It's important to try for yourself to see what effects might be possible. For this purpose, Sacred Acoustics offers a free download at their website: https://www.sacredacoustics.com/pages/listen-relax-and-transform.

Karen Newell has spent a lifetime seeking wisdom through esoteric teachings and firsthand experience exploring realms of consciousness. She empowers others by demonstrating how to connect to inner guidance, achieve inspiration, improve wellness and develop intuition. She is co-founder of Sacred Acoustics, and co-author with Dr. Eben Alexander of Living in a Mindful Universe (Rodale, 2017). www.sacredacoustics.com

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