Temptations affect everyone. I don’t care how healthy you are, how much of a pure raw vegan you might be, or how committed you are to a healthy lifestyle…someday, somewhere the siren song of your particular weakness will call to you. Whether it’s sugar or white flour, cooked foods or fats, everyone’s got something that temps them. You can’t avoid all temptations. You can probably control your home environment to eliminate temptations, but what happens when you get to work? The donut and cookie tray is out and the meeting is boring. Those chocolate chips are staring you in the face. Temptation strikes.

Before succumbing to temptation, it’s a good idea to do one thing. Breathe. It sounds so silly, but taking a deep breath refocuses your mind on your body….and you’re all about a healthy body, right? You’ve given up a particular tempting food because you know it’s not the best thing for your health. By breathing deeply, you’re reminding yourself that you are taking good care of your body. You can choose health instead of succumbing to a temptation.

Another little trick I’ve learned along the way is to tell yourself, “Well, just for today, I’ll pass on this food.” It’s a neat trick because it puts no pressure on yourself, just moves your mind along away from the temptation and onto another thing. The mind shrugs and says, “Well, okay, if it’s just for today – I can live with that if maybe I can have that thing tomorrow.” Now here’s the trick. Tomorrow, tell yourself, “You know, you can have that thing tomorrow if you really want, but today we’re going to pass on it.” Before you know it, the temptation will fade away. This is a great mental trick to get yourself over any bad habit you’re trying to break, whether it’s overeating, indulging in sugar, or anything else.

We have found EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to be very helpful when dealing with cravings and temptation. Check out www.emofree.com.