Cough Headaches : an introduction
Cough headaches are triggered by strain or exertion that occurs by:
Coughing
Bending over
Laughing
Sneezing
Blowing of the nose
Holding the breath
Fast head movements
Singing
Crying
Having a bowel movement
Some clinical studies have shown that men are four times more likely to suffer from cough headaches as women. Most cough headaches don’t appear until after age 40.
Types of Cough Headaches
There are two types of cough headaches, those that are harmless and those that might indicate a more serious disorder. Primary cough headaches are harmless. However, any underlying cause of the headaches must be ruled out first to ensure that a brain lesion or other more serious condition isn’t causing the pain that accompanies straining. The International Headache Society requires that structural brain lesions and aneurysms be ruled out by examining the patient with a brain MRI before diagnosing primary cough headache. Some clinical research shows that about 40 percent of cough headaches indicate another disorder. See your doctor if you suffer from cough headaches so that all other possible conditions can be ruled out.
Symptoms of Cough Headache
Pain on both sides of the head
Head pain starts suddenly after cough or other trigger
Lasts a very short period of time, sometimes only one minute
What causes Cough Headaches
Harmless, primary cough headaches are believed to be caused by increased pressure in the head that comes from coughing and other types of strain. This pressure increase is called the Valsalva’s maneuver, which is sometimes done deliberately by closing the mouth, pinching the nose and breathing out. It is done to equalize pressure in the ear, for example, if pressure builds while flying. However, there is the risk of applying too much pressure to the middle ear and causing damage. Cough headaches appear similar to migraines triggered by physical activity and to exertion headaches.
Diagnosing Cough Headaches
The International Headache Society defines cough headache as:
A headache with the characteristics listed in B and C
Starts suddenly and lasts one second to 30 minutes
Headache is brought on by and only happens with coughing, straining and Valsalva maneuvers
Headache is not caused by another disorder
source: migraine.com
Monday, February 6, 2012
Saturday, September 10, 2011
P & L
hidup ini penuh kepalsuan.. itulah yang dinyanyikan oleh Aishah.. kenapa L perlukan P dlm kehidupan? memang dah termaktub manusia ini dicipta berpasangan.. P & L adalah pelengkap satu sama lain.. tetapi kenapa P pelengkap ni susah sangat nak dicari? kenapa P ini susah sangat nak dibahagiakan?
ntah la.. susah utk difahami.. bila kita layan.. asyik sms atau call.. depa kata kita cuba nak kongkong dan mula la dgr ayat "i need some space" bila kita kurang layan.. 2-3 hari baru nak sms atau call.. depa kata "u dun care anymore" betullah gamaknya lirik lagu tu.. P kaulah penawar kaulah peracun hati.. arrrggghhhh.. sudah la.. lagi dilayan perasaan ni makin byk uban kat pala aku.. cit podah betul
Monday, February 28, 2011
RESIDENTS ARE CRYING FOUL
Residents in my housing area are crying foul over the proposed construction of MRT. Apparently the proposed 'TTDI Station' will be built in front of their houses. The map says so!
MRT Route
The proposed station would be built on the stretch of Sprint-Jalan Damansara Highway, in front of Jalan SS 20/10 in Damansara Utama and the TTDI Fire Brigade. It is reasonably big. Obviously it would be an eye-sore and the noise would be unbearable to these residents.
Side View Of The Proposed Station
According to the plan, staff parking would also be built on Jalan SS 20/10. That is indeed in front of a row of terrace houses on that road. We should understand their concern.
Tha authority must be more sensitive and sympathetic to these residents. A wiser decision would be to move it to the stretch that has no houses; that is the area opposite the TTDI wet market. It is only a few hundred metres away!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
1 Malaysia dan Hari Malaysia
16 September 2010 hari ni rakyat Malaysia diberikan cuti umum sempena menyambut tarikh dimana 47 tahun sebelum ini iaitu pada 16 September 1963 negeri Sabah dan Sarawak telah merdeka apabila negeri-negeri ini telah bergabung dengan Malaya dan lahirlah Malaysia. Sekarang ini slogan 1Malaysia sering dilaung-laungkan namun adakah kita sedar bahawa selagi Sabah dan Sarawak tidak menjana transformasi Malaysia akan tetap berbelah bahagi.
Saya pernah mengikut bapa ke Sarawak semasa beliau ditugaskan kesana. Disana saya telah bersekolah dari darjah satu hingga tingkatan 3 di Sekolah Rendah Bantuan St. Joseph dan Sekolah Menengah Bantuan St. Joseph Kuching. 2 tahun kemudiannya selepas tingkatan 5 saya berkesempatan ke Kota Kinabalu pula kerana bapa telah bertukar ke sana. Selama lebih 9 tahun di Sabah dan Sarawak banyak yang telah dilalui ada yang suka ada yang duka.
Namun apa yang ingin saya timbulkan bukanlah cerita bagaimana bersekolah disana tetapi perkara lain yang agak menarik perhatian. Setahu saya hanya di Malaysia sahaja penduduk Semenanjung Malaysia harus menggunakan passport atau kad pengenalan untuk memasuki Sabah dan Sarawak yang juga di dalam Malaysia. Setiap kemasukan pula hanya sah untuk 3 bulan. Tetapi penduduk Sabah dan Sarawak tidak perlu menggunakan passport atau kad pengenalan untuk ke mana-mana negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia. Mereka juga tidak tertakluk dengan syarat sah pelawat 3 bulan. Adakah ini sejajar dengan konsep 1Malaysia?
Tujuan saya ni bukan untuk menimbulkan perpecahan atau perbalahan, malah saya mempunyai ramai kawan-kawan dari Sabah dan Sarawak, tetapi hanya untuk memberitahu kepada yang tidak tahu. Agar dengan ini transformasi dapat dijanakan ke arah 1Malaysia.
Saya pernah mengikut bapa ke Sarawak semasa beliau ditugaskan kesana. Disana saya telah bersekolah dari darjah satu hingga tingkatan 3 di Sekolah Rendah Bantuan St. Joseph dan Sekolah Menengah Bantuan St. Joseph Kuching. 2 tahun kemudiannya selepas tingkatan 5 saya berkesempatan ke Kota Kinabalu pula kerana bapa telah bertukar ke sana. Selama lebih 9 tahun di Sabah dan Sarawak banyak yang telah dilalui ada yang suka ada yang duka.
Namun apa yang ingin saya timbulkan bukanlah cerita bagaimana bersekolah disana tetapi perkara lain yang agak menarik perhatian. Setahu saya hanya di Malaysia sahaja penduduk Semenanjung Malaysia harus menggunakan passport atau kad pengenalan untuk memasuki Sabah dan Sarawak yang juga di dalam Malaysia. Setiap kemasukan pula hanya sah untuk 3 bulan. Tetapi penduduk Sabah dan Sarawak tidak perlu menggunakan passport atau kad pengenalan untuk ke mana-mana negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia. Mereka juga tidak tertakluk dengan syarat sah pelawat 3 bulan. Adakah ini sejajar dengan konsep 1Malaysia?
Tujuan saya ni bukan untuk menimbulkan perpecahan atau perbalahan, malah saya mempunyai ramai kawan-kawan dari Sabah dan Sarawak, tetapi hanya untuk memberitahu kepada yang tidak tahu. Agar dengan ini transformasi dapat dijanakan ke arah 1Malaysia.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
adil dan saksama VS adil dan sama rata
Baru-baru ini PM kita telah mengumumkan bahawa semua bakal pelajar lepasan SPM yang mencapai 9A+ akan ditawarkan biasiswa JPA tanpa mengira bangsa. Oleh itu semua bangsa iaitu Cina, India, Melayu dan Bumiputera atau singkatannya CIMB... (macam nama bank jer.. hehehe) akan ditawarkan biasiswa JPA.
Sebagai ahli panel penemuduga pelajar lepasan SPM cemerlang pada tahun 2009 yang ingin melanjutkan pelajaran ke luar negara, saya rasa tidak wajar kerajaan menawarkan biasiswa itu hanya kerana pelajar itu mendapat 9A+. Pengalaman saya semasa sesi temuduga menunjukkan bahawa walaupun pelajar itu cemerlang dari segi akademik, mereka belum bersedia dari segi pengetahuan yang diluar buku teks. Apabila ditanya, “siapakah DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong?” “apakah nama ibu negeri?” “apakah nama ibu negara Malaysia?” hampir majoriti jawapan adalah salah. Jawapan yang betul hanya diperolehi apabila soalan ditanya mengenai pelajaran mereka, yang berada di dalam kepala otak mereka adalah isi buku-buku teks, malah mereka boleh jawap sebiji-sebiji ayat macam dalam buku teks itu. Macam mesin fotostat pula kan.
Ada yang memilih untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke sesuatu negara itu dengan motif yang lain. Antara yang difikirkan ialah apabila dah mendapat segulung ijazah boleh la kerja di negara itu dulu kerana gajinya besar. Bila dah seronok bergaji besar terus tidak pulang ke negara. Berapa ramaikah bekas-bekas pelajar Malaysia yang pernah ditaja ini masih berada di luar negara? Jumlahnya ramai.. kalau tak percaya tengok sajalah iklan tuntutan balik biasiswa/pinjaman di surat khabar. Bagamainakah pelajar-pelajar ini akan menjadi duta kecil kepada negara? Inikah yang dinamakan membina modal insan untuk negara?
Pelajar-pelajar ini juga sebenarnya belum bersedia untuk melanjutkan pelajaran di dalam bidang yang kononnya adalah pilihan mereka. Ada yang tidak tahu pun mengenai bidang pelajaran yang dipilih kerana borang-borang itu diisi oleh ibu bapa mereka. Ada yang memilih sesuatu bidang itu hanya kerana mereka ingin mengikut kawan-kawan. Ada yang pilih satu bidang itu kerana dirasakan bidang itu tidak banyak saingan untuk mendapat biasiswa ke luar negara. Kaunselor bimbingan kerjaya di sekolah juga seperti melepaskan batok di tangga. Ada yang menasihatkan pelajar memilih undang-undang hanya kerana pelajar itu rajin dan petah bercakap. Selain dari itu pelajar juga tidak faham apakah fungsi kerjaya sesuatu bidang itu. Bayangkanlah apa masa hadapan negara yang ingin mencapai status negara maju pada tahun 2020.
Soalan yang biasa saya ajukan kepada calon-calon ini ialah “apakah yang anda harapkan apabila dah berkelayakan untuk menjadi seorang jurutera?” dan jawapan membodek yang biasa didengar ialah “kerana saya ingin berkhidmat untuk negara” Bila direnung, hanya dengan mendapat biasiswa JPA dan melanjutkan pelajaran ke luar negara baru boleh berkhidmat untuk negara ke? Kalau tak dapat biasiswa nak jadi apa.. pengkhianat negara?
Jarang-jarang kita menemui seorang calon yang sempurna. Bila dah dapat seorang, latar belakang keluarga pula harus diteliti. Apakah yang membezakan mereka dari mendapat tempat atau tidak? Senarionya begini, anak kepada keluarga yang berpendapatan RM300 sebulan dan perlu menyara 7 anak beranak, bandingkan dengan anak tunggal kepada keluarga yang memiliki empayar perniagaan yang asetnya bernilai berbillion ringgit malah mampu untuk mewujudkan skim biasiswanya sendiri. Pada pendapat anda siapakah yang harus ditawarkan tempat? Adakah adil jika kedua-dua calon itu ditawarkan biasiswa tersebut?
Begitu juga senario kuota bangsa/kaum yang sering dipersoalkan. Peratusan kaum di Malaysia adalah berbeza 50% - Melayu 25% - Cina 10% - India 15% - Bangsa-bangsa lain. Adakah adil jika semua bangsa mendapat jumlah biasiswa yang sama? Bolehkah kuota bangsa itu dipenuhi jika bangsa itu sendiri pun tidak ramai? Kalau tak dipenuhi kuota itu akan dibazirkan begitu sahaja. Salahkah jika diberi kepada bangsa yang lebih ramai mengikut peratusan? Salahkah jika kuota itu dipenuhi dengan tujuan untuk mencapai objektif negara?
Sebagai ahli panel penemuduga pelajar lepasan SPM cemerlang pada tahun 2009 yang ingin melanjutkan pelajaran ke luar negara, saya rasa tidak wajar kerajaan menawarkan biasiswa itu hanya kerana pelajar itu mendapat 9A+. Pengalaman saya semasa sesi temuduga menunjukkan bahawa walaupun pelajar itu cemerlang dari segi akademik, mereka belum bersedia dari segi pengetahuan yang diluar buku teks. Apabila ditanya, “siapakah DYMM Yang Dipertuan Agong?” “apakah nama ibu negeri?” “apakah nama ibu negara Malaysia?” hampir majoriti jawapan adalah salah. Jawapan yang betul hanya diperolehi apabila soalan ditanya mengenai pelajaran mereka, yang berada di dalam kepala otak mereka adalah isi buku-buku teks, malah mereka boleh jawap sebiji-sebiji ayat macam dalam buku teks itu. Macam mesin fotostat pula kan.
Ada yang memilih untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke sesuatu negara itu dengan motif yang lain. Antara yang difikirkan ialah apabila dah mendapat segulung ijazah boleh la kerja di negara itu dulu kerana gajinya besar. Bila dah seronok bergaji besar terus tidak pulang ke negara. Berapa ramaikah bekas-bekas pelajar Malaysia yang pernah ditaja ini masih berada di luar negara? Jumlahnya ramai.. kalau tak percaya tengok sajalah iklan tuntutan balik biasiswa/pinjaman di surat khabar. Bagamainakah pelajar-pelajar ini akan menjadi duta kecil kepada negara? Inikah yang dinamakan membina modal insan untuk negara?
Pelajar-pelajar ini juga sebenarnya belum bersedia untuk melanjutkan pelajaran di dalam bidang yang kononnya adalah pilihan mereka. Ada yang tidak tahu pun mengenai bidang pelajaran yang dipilih kerana borang-borang itu diisi oleh ibu bapa mereka. Ada yang memilih sesuatu bidang itu hanya kerana mereka ingin mengikut kawan-kawan. Ada yang pilih satu bidang itu kerana dirasakan bidang itu tidak banyak saingan untuk mendapat biasiswa ke luar negara. Kaunselor bimbingan kerjaya di sekolah juga seperti melepaskan batok di tangga. Ada yang menasihatkan pelajar memilih undang-undang hanya kerana pelajar itu rajin dan petah bercakap. Selain dari itu pelajar juga tidak faham apakah fungsi kerjaya sesuatu bidang itu. Bayangkanlah apa masa hadapan negara yang ingin mencapai status negara maju pada tahun 2020.
Soalan yang biasa saya ajukan kepada calon-calon ini ialah “apakah yang anda harapkan apabila dah berkelayakan untuk menjadi seorang jurutera?” dan jawapan membodek yang biasa didengar ialah “kerana saya ingin berkhidmat untuk negara” Bila direnung, hanya dengan mendapat biasiswa JPA dan melanjutkan pelajaran ke luar negara baru boleh berkhidmat untuk negara ke? Kalau tak dapat biasiswa nak jadi apa.. pengkhianat negara?
Jarang-jarang kita menemui seorang calon yang sempurna. Bila dah dapat seorang, latar belakang keluarga pula harus diteliti. Apakah yang membezakan mereka dari mendapat tempat atau tidak? Senarionya begini, anak kepada keluarga yang berpendapatan RM300 sebulan dan perlu menyara 7 anak beranak, bandingkan dengan anak tunggal kepada keluarga yang memiliki empayar perniagaan yang asetnya bernilai berbillion ringgit malah mampu untuk mewujudkan skim biasiswanya sendiri. Pada pendapat anda siapakah yang harus ditawarkan tempat? Adakah adil jika kedua-dua calon itu ditawarkan biasiswa tersebut?
Begitu juga senario kuota bangsa/kaum yang sering dipersoalkan. Peratusan kaum di Malaysia adalah berbeza 50% - Melayu 25% - Cina 10% - India 15% - Bangsa-bangsa lain. Adakah adil jika semua bangsa mendapat jumlah biasiswa yang sama? Bolehkah kuota bangsa itu dipenuhi jika bangsa itu sendiri pun tidak ramai? Kalau tak dipenuhi kuota itu akan dibazirkan begitu sahaja. Salahkah jika diberi kepada bangsa yang lebih ramai mengikut peratusan? Salahkah jika kuota itu dipenuhi dengan tujuan untuk mencapai objektif negara?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
what to post?
almost 2 months i have not posted anything.. november is a good month.. my birthday was on the 5th.. getting older with more and more grey hair.. maybe i should start thinking about dyeing my hair huh.. what would be a good color? maybe i should try white.. LOL.. ;)
Monday, October 26, 2009
to all the girls i've loved before (Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson).. girls thanks for the memories
To all the girls I've loved before
Who travelled in and out my door
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved before
To all the girls I once caressed
And may I say I've held the best
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know
To all the girls I've loved before
The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me away
To all the girls who shared my life
Who now are someone else's wives
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved before
To all the girls who cared for me
Who filled my nights with ecstasy
They live within my heart
I'll always be a part
Of all the girls I've loved before
The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me away
To all the girls we've loved before
Who travelled in and out our doors
We're glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the girls we've loved before
To all the girls we've loved before
Who travelled in and out our doors
We're glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the girls we've loved before
Who travelled in and out my door
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved before
To all the girls I once caressed
And may I say I've held the best
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know
To all the girls I've loved before
The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me away
To all the girls who shared my life
Who now are someone else's wives
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved before
To all the girls who cared for me
Who filled my nights with ecstasy
They live within my heart
I'll always be a part
Of all the girls I've loved before
The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me away
To all the girls we've loved before
Who travelled in and out our doors
We're glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the girls we've loved before
To all the girls we've loved before
Who travelled in and out our doors
We're glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the girls we've loved before
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
an officer and a gentleman
"An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 film which tells the story of a United States Navy aviation Officer Candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford. It starred Richard Gere, Debra Winger and Louis Gossett, Jr. and was produced by Lorimar Productions for Paramount Pictures. The film's title uses an old expression from the British navy or from the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice, as being charged with "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman" (from 1860)."
this movie is like 27 years old already.. one of my most favorite movies.. this movie is so full of love, hatred, rage.. how a nobody can be a special person..
i am currently an officer.. but when will i be a true gentleman???
this movie is like 27 years old already.. one of my most favorite movies.. this movie is so full of love, hatred, rage.. how a nobody can be a special person..
i am currently an officer.. but when will i be a true gentleman???
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Been so busy.. or just lazy??
for the past month i havent had time to update my blog.. or am i starting to become a lazy blogger? maybe i just need something new as a motivation.
Monday, October 5, 2009
7 tips to outlast your food cravings!
Researchers define a craving as an intense desire to consume a particular food that is difficult to resist. But you're probably more familiar with the feeling in layman's terms: I want a Mars bar, and I want it NOW.
Cravings may be tough to withstand, but they're even harder to figure out. "You'd like to think that a craving is your body's way of telling you something, and that if you give in, everything will be okay. But that's not always the case," says Adam
Drewnowski, Ph.D., director of the nutritional-sciences program at the University of Washington. "Cravings can have different triggers—stress, depression, hormones—and while there are some cravings you can indulge, there are others that you shouldn't."
8:00 a.m.: A Box of Cap'n Crunch
Why?
A big appetite in the morning is your body's way of coming out of starvation mode after hours of not eating. Going without food triggers your brain to release a substance called neuropeptide Y that helps to increase your appetite, says Janine Whiteson, M.Sc., a New York City nutritionist and author of Get a Real Food Life. The longer you've gone without food, the greater your hunger when you wake up.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in—just don't go overboard. "It's fine to eat a doughnut or a bowl of sweetened cereal in the morning, as long as you also eat some high-protein food with it," says Laura A. Lees, Psy.D., a Wisconsin-based eating-disorders specialist. Studies show that protein keeps your appetite in check longer than carbohydrates or fat can. So go ahead and eat a bowl of Cap'n Crunch, but combine it with a couple of slices of Canadian bacon or a small block of cheese.
8:45 a.m.: A Jelly Doughnut
Why?
You probably didn't eat enough at breakfast. "It's normal for cravings to pop up every 2 to 3 hours," says Heidi Skolnik, M.S., a sports nutritionist for the New York Giants and a contributing editor to Men's Health. That's roughly how long it takes for your body to break down the sugars in the food you eat, release them
into your bloodstream, and convert them into energy, she explains.
Give in or Fight It?
Fight it. Instead of sugar, you need something that's high in fiber—it'll fill you up now but won't interfere with snack time later. "Mid-morning snacks are great, but this isn't midmorning, and you don't want to break out your big snack too early," says Skolnik. Instead of the doughnut, reach for dried fruit, a handful of nuts, or an energy bar. "Eat enough to satisfy your craving, but not enough to keep you from being hungry an hour or two later," she says.
10:30 a.m.: A Coke
Why?
You could be craving the caffeine. The coffee or soda you drank on the way to work is wearing off, and you want another hit to get your energy level back up to what feels like normal.
Give in or Fight It?
Fight it. Swear off the regular soda and opt for the caffeine-free diet variety. "Caffeine gives you a false sense of energy because it doesn't give your body any real fuel to burn," says Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E., a Vermont-based nutritionist. If you switch to caffeine-free soda, not only will you break the
caffeine/craving connection, but you probably won't even notice a difference in the taste. In a study from Johns Hopkins University, researchers found that fewer than 10 percent of people were able to tell the difference between regular and caffeine-free soft drinks.
Noon: Macaroni and Cheese
Why?
You're stressed out about your boss, your dog dying, your boss's dog dying, something—and that craving is your body's attempt to make you feel better. "Carbs trigger the production of a feel-good hormone called serotonin, which helps to boost your mood and temporarily relieve your stress," says John Foreyt, Ph.D., director of behavioral-medicine research at Baylor University.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in—occasionally. "Using food for temporary relief from a problem is fine, as long as you don't do it all the time," says Lees. A better alternative: Trick your mind into thinking about something else. "Use your lunch break to go running or lift
weights," says Skolnik. "Or try to outthink your craving. When the urge to eat strikes, rate your hunger on a scale of one to 10. "Unless you're at a level of seven or eight, don't allow yourself to eat."
Still Hungry?
Go ahead and eat, but opt for a very small portion and eat it along with a high-protein food like steak, chicken, or tuna salad. "The last thing you want for lunch when you're working is something like macaroni and cheese," says Deborah Gleason, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Rochester Hills, Michigan. A few carbs may boost your mood, but too many can overload your brain, leaving you sluggish and tired, she says.
2:45 p.m.: Chocolate-Chip Cookies
Why?
You might not be getting enough magnesium. Semisweet chocolate chips are one of the top sources of magnesium, and, according to one theory, not having enough of the mineral in your system could generate a desire to eat chocolate. Or, if you eat chocolate all the time, maybe you're a chocoholic. Spanish researchers found
that chocolate and cocoa contain some of the same potentially mood-altering compounds found in alcohol.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in. "If you have an intense craving for a bit of a very specific food like chocolate, it's best to go ahead and eat it," says Skolnik. "If you don't, your craving is going to get more intense until you eventually give in anyway, and you'll have eaten a lot of unnecessary calories in an attempt to make it go away."
Make sure you keep your portions under control, meaning take two or three cookies at most—and then put the rest away. You may feel as if you want more, but according to a study from Pennsylvania State University, people who were served the smallest portions of a food felt just as full and satisfied after eating as people who were given unlimited helpings of the same food.
8:00 p.m.: Potato Chips
Why?
You want to relax. In this case, the craving is less about the food and more about what the food signifies. "A lot of guys feel stressed out and tired all day, and when they get home, they just want to relax and forget about their day with a bag of chips and the remote control," says Skolnik. "They feel like they've been in control and used restraint all day, and the chips are part of their reward for that good behavior."
Give in or Fight It?
Fight it. You're eating for the wrong reason. "It might not seem so bad in the short term, but over time, this kind of emotionally driven eating is one of the primary reasons men gain weight," says Skolnik. To break the habit, go cold turkey: no food while the TV's on. "Even healthy snacks won't help break the association between food and relaxing," says Gleason.
To make the process easier, rearrange your living-room furniture or watch your favorite show in a room where you typically spend less time. Studies from Brookhaven National Laboratory suggest that hanging out in a spot where you've indulged past cravings can help trigger future ones.
11:00 p.m.: Ice Cream
Why?
You want to watch Letterman but your body wants you to go to bed. Men may crave foods like ice cream and crackers late at night because carbohydrates help to boost levels of a sleep-inducing compound called tryptophan. As tryptophan levels
in your brain increase, you naturally become sleepier, say researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in. "Hunger can keep you awake at night, so you're better off eating something than eating nothing at all," says Lees. Her advice: Keep the serving small and pick a regular, full-fat ice cream, not the fat-free kind. According to a study from Purdue, tastebuds can detect fat, and that may be why fat-free foods aren't as satisfying as full-fat foods.
Cravings may be tough to withstand, but they're even harder to figure out. "You'd like to think that a craving is your body's way of telling you something, and that if you give in, everything will be okay. But that's not always the case," says Adam
Drewnowski, Ph.D., director of the nutritional-sciences program at the University of Washington. "Cravings can have different triggers—stress, depression, hormones—and while there are some cravings you can indulge, there are others that you shouldn't."
8:00 a.m.: A Box of Cap'n Crunch
Why?
A big appetite in the morning is your body's way of coming out of starvation mode after hours of not eating. Going without food triggers your brain to release a substance called neuropeptide Y that helps to increase your appetite, says Janine Whiteson, M.Sc., a New York City nutritionist and author of Get a Real Food Life. The longer you've gone without food, the greater your hunger when you wake up.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in—just don't go overboard. "It's fine to eat a doughnut or a bowl of sweetened cereal in the morning, as long as you also eat some high-protein food with it," says Laura A. Lees, Psy.D., a Wisconsin-based eating-disorders specialist. Studies show that protein keeps your appetite in check longer than carbohydrates or fat can. So go ahead and eat a bowl of Cap'n Crunch, but combine it with a couple of slices of Canadian bacon or a small block of cheese.
8:45 a.m.: A Jelly Doughnut
Why?
You probably didn't eat enough at breakfast. "It's normal for cravings to pop up every 2 to 3 hours," says Heidi Skolnik, M.S., a sports nutritionist for the New York Giants and a contributing editor to Men's Health. That's roughly how long it takes for your body to break down the sugars in the food you eat, release them
into your bloodstream, and convert them into energy, she explains.
Give in or Fight It?
Fight it. Instead of sugar, you need something that's high in fiber—it'll fill you up now but won't interfere with snack time later. "Mid-morning snacks are great, but this isn't midmorning, and you don't want to break out your big snack too early," says Skolnik. Instead of the doughnut, reach for dried fruit, a handful of nuts, or an energy bar. "Eat enough to satisfy your craving, but not enough to keep you from being hungry an hour or two later," she says.
10:30 a.m.: A Coke
Why?
You could be craving the caffeine. The coffee or soda you drank on the way to work is wearing off, and you want another hit to get your energy level back up to what feels like normal.
Give in or Fight It?
Fight it. Swear off the regular soda and opt for the caffeine-free diet variety. "Caffeine gives you a false sense of energy because it doesn't give your body any real fuel to burn," says Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E., a Vermont-based nutritionist. If you switch to caffeine-free soda, not only will you break the
caffeine/craving connection, but you probably won't even notice a difference in the taste. In a study from Johns Hopkins University, researchers found that fewer than 10 percent of people were able to tell the difference between regular and caffeine-free soft drinks.
Noon: Macaroni and Cheese
Why?
You're stressed out about your boss, your dog dying, your boss's dog dying, something—and that craving is your body's attempt to make you feel better. "Carbs trigger the production of a feel-good hormone called serotonin, which helps to boost your mood and temporarily relieve your stress," says John Foreyt, Ph.D., director of behavioral-medicine research at Baylor University.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in—occasionally. "Using food for temporary relief from a problem is fine, as long as you don't do it all the time," says Lees. A better alternative: Trick your mind into thinking about something else. "Use your lunch break to go running or lift
weights," says Skolnik. "Or try to outthink your craving. When the urge to eat strikes, rate your hunger on a scale of one to 10. "Unless you're at a level of seven or eight, don't allow yourself to eat."
Still Hungry?
Go ahead and eat, but opt for a very small portion and eat it along with a high-protein food like steak, chicken, or tuna salad. "The last thing you want for lunch when you're working is something like macaroni and cheese," says Deborah Gleason, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Rochester Hills, Michigan. A few carbs may boost your mood, but too many can overload your brain, leaving you sluggish and tired, she says.
2:45 p.m.: Chocolate-Chip Cookies
Why?
You might not be getting enough magnesium. Semisweet chocolate chips are one of the top sources of magnesium, and, according to one theory, not having enough of the mineral in your system could generate a desire to eat chocolate. Or, if you eat chocolate all the time, maybe you're a chocoholic. Spanish researchers found
that chocolate and cocoa contain some of the same potentially mood-altering compounds found in alcohol.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in. "If you have an intense craving for a bit of a very specific food like chocolate, it's best to go ahead and eat it," says Skolnik. "If you don't, your craving is going to get more intense until you eventually give in anyway, and you'll have eaten a lot of unnecessary calories in an attempt to make it go away."
Make sure you keep your portions under control, meaning take two or three cookies at most—and then put the rest away. You may feel as if you want more, but according to a study from Pennsylvania State University, people who were served the smallest portions of a food felt just as full and satisfied after eating as people who were given unlimited helpings of the same food.
8:00 p.m.: Potato Chips
Why?
You want to relax. In this case, the craving is less about the food and more about what the food signifies. "A lot of guys feel stressed out and tired all day, and when they get home, they just want to relax and forget about their day with a bag of chips and the remote control," says Skolnik. "They feel like they've been in control and used restraint all day, and the chips are part of their reward for that good behavior."
Give in or Fight It?
Fight it. You're eating for the wrong reason. "It might not seem so bad in the short term, but over time, this kind of emotionally driven eating is one of the primary reasons men gain weight," says Skolnik. To break the habit, go cold turkey: no food while the TV's on. "Even healthy snacks won't help break the association between food and relaxing," says Gleason.
To make the process easier, rearrange your living-room furniture or watch your favorite show in a room where you typically spend less time. Studies from Brookhaven National Laboratory suggest that hanging out in a spot where you've indulged past cravings can help trigger future ones.
11:00 p.m.: Ice Cream
Why?
You want to watch Letterman but your body wants you to go to bed. Men may crave foods like ice cream and crackers late at night because carbohydrates help to boost levels of a sleep-inducing compound called tryptophan. As tryptophan levels
in your brain increase, you naturally become sleepier, say researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Give in or Fight It?
Give in. "Hunger can keep you awake at night, so you're better off eating something than eating nothing at all," says Lees. Her advice: Keep the serving small and pick a regular, full-fat ice cream, not the fat-free kind. According to a study from Purdue, tastebuds can detect fat, and that may be why fat-free foods aren't as satisfying as full-fat foods.
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