How to increase your self control; maybe dogs have the answer.

Healthy eating always finds its place on everyone's list at some point but often it gets put on the back burner because cravings are just too hard to control. Well, perhaps a study using dogs will help us understand the human body's need for fuel and how fuel/food will help strengthen self control.

It seems that the very act of self control uses up glucose. A study was performed using two groups of people. One group ate a chocolate chip before completing a puzzle and the other group had a radish. The study concluded that those who had the chocolate chip took longer to complete the assignment. This study showed that the body and mind need sufficient fuel, emitting glucose in order to exert self control.

Another study using dogs demonstrates the very fact that exerting self control uses up glucose. There were two groups of dogs. The first group was commanded to sit and stay while the second group was allowed to sit, lay in a spot of their choice. Both groups of dogs did this for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes was up the dogs were presented with a food themed dog toy. The dog's that had exerted self control in order to sit still gave up very quickly but those who had been allowed to do as they pleased during the 10 minutes persisted with the toy.

A second study had two groups of dogs. One group was given a glucose based drink while the other was not. Again they were given a food, puzzle toy and the dogs that had the glucose drink had greater sense of control and stuck with the toy for much longer than those who did not.

Self control is indeed linked keenly with a healthy diet. By fueling the human body with long lasting glucose products you will have to power to resist unhealthy foods or over eating. The fact is starving yourself will only set you up for failure because the very act of demonstrating self control uses up glucose according to these studies so therefore you need food in your system in order to resist other food.