[Newsletter] The Smartest Coach in the Room

Urge surfing Every Saturday, The Smartest Coach in the Room delivers helpful takeaways on the hottest nutrition and health topics and the world’s most effective coaching techniques. (Did some amazing friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( A mindful way to deal with cravings More than 60 percent of our clients list emotional / stress eating as a major nutrition challenge. What’s more, over 50 percent say they also “get intense cravings” and “snack when not hungry.” [A chart outlining people's biggest nutritional challenges.] If you or your clients relate, it’s always a relief to know you’re not alone. Of course, that’s little consolation when your fingers are pinching at crumbs at the bottom of a freshly opened bag of chips. Two strategies can take you part of the way. At PN, we often recommend: ▶ Setting up your environment so there’s fewer temptations around to succumb to during vulnerable moments (think: you’re hangry and tired, or you just had a stressful conversation with your ex). ▶ Trying alternative coping strategies, instead of always reaching for food when Big Feelings hit (examples: taking a walk, calling a friend, or rage-cleaning your bathtub). Those are excellent strategies, and if you haven’t tried them… do it. (They really help!) Distraction vs. Acceptance However, sometimes you can’t control your environment. (Why does your mother-in-law bake so many cookies every time you come to visit??) And sometimes, it’s not convenient to call a friend or go for a walk. (Hi, cravings that hit after 11 p.m.!) Additionally, research shows that constantly restricting and distracting oneself can actually backfire for those who struggle with cravings and emotional eating. Newer strategies involve accepting that cravings are normal and are going to happen. Then—rather than trying to ignore them or avoid all instances that might trigger them—you can build skills like mindfulness and stress tolerance to get more comfortable with cravings. Which brings us to… Urge surfing. Urge surfing means learning to “ride the wave” of your thoughts, feelings and cravings, without acting on them. Like an ocean wave, urges gradually swell, crest, then fade away. (Some research suggests cravings peak around five minutes.) How to Do It If you want to try urge surfing, or suggest it to a client, follow these three steps: 1️⃣ Call it out. Simply notice that you’re having a craving. (“I’m having the urge to eat ______…”) 2️⃣ Tune in to your thoughts and feelings. Be curious about what’s going on in your body and mind. Do you feel anxious? Impatient? Angry? Restless? Try to open yourself up to the experience of craving—and reassure yourself that it’s normal to feel uncomfortable as you do this. 3️⃣ Observe what happens next. Notice the urge as it builds, peaks, falls and subsides. Your craving might go through a few “cycles” of this, but you can keep repeating these steps, noticing, without acting. Just like beginning to surf, this practice is going to be more awkward than cool at first. But when you get the hang of it, you’ll marvel how a wave that used to take you down can actually be a way to get you places you’ve never been. [A girl surfing and riding a wave in the ocean.] Keep practicing. You’ll get there. We often need multiple paths to get to our goal. One “ultimate strategy” isn’t usually enough to overcome a really persistent, ingrained habit. If you want to help clients overcome any nutrition challenge, check out our [Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification](. It combines the science of nutrition along with the art of coaching—so you can learn the most robust, evidence-based strategies to help clients no matter what obstacles they’re facing. [Become a Certified Nutrition Coach - Join the presale list for the #1 rated PN Level 1 Nutrition Certification]( Take care, Alex :) --------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Picot-Annand, PN2, Holistic Nutritionist Editorial Director Precision Nutrition Home of the world’s top nutrition coaches --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think of this email? Precision Nutrition Business Insider's #1 Choice for Nutrition Certifications in 2022 --- To view this email as a web page, click [here.]( Precision Nutrition Inc. 18 King Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4, Canada Finally, nutrition makes sense. Visit us at [www.precisionnutrition.com]( today. Follow us on [Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences](