Health and Human Nature

Diet

Dealing With Our Eating Blind Spots

Kristen A. Carter MS on April 23, 2024

Deciding how we are going to eat is not a matter of free will. Our bodies and brains have their own agenda.

Motivation

Getting Past Resistance When Striving for Healthy Goals

Kristen A. Carter MS on March 19, 2024

Changing habits can trigger resistance. Resistance to changing our eating and exercise habits can present unique challenges.

Cognition

Metacognition’s Role in Decision Making

Kristen A. Carter MS on February 14, 2024

Thinking about how we think can spark creative ways to make decisions and solve problems.

Magical Thinking

Transforming Resolutions Into Action

Kristen A. Carter MS on January 16, 2024

Preparing to make healthy behavior changes can be tricky. Here are some suggestions that can help.

Diet

Why We Forget What We Eat

Kristen A. Carter MS on December 19, 2023

Forgetting what we eat is extremely common—some foods more than others. How can we embrace what is going on here?

Appetite

Why Is Emotional Eating Such a Problem for So Many?

Kristen A. Carter MS on November 20, 2023

Many sabotage their good intentions by indulging in emotional eating. A few simple solutions can help.

Habit Formation

When Saying “No” Isn’t Enough

Kristen A. Carter MS on October 25, 2023

There are many parallels between drug use prevention programs and weight management programs.

Laughter

The Gift of Laughing at Your Mistakes

Kristen A. Carter MS on September 26, 2023

We can laugh at ourselves when we blow our diet or exercise plan. This opens the door for us to change our approach the next time.

Affective Forecasting

Affective Forecasting: How It Affects Our Health

Kristen A. Carter MS on August 28, 2023

Discovering how we relate to our future selves can explain why we struggle to reach our heath goals.

Appetite

Will New Drugs Be a Game-Changer for Appetite Control?

Kristen A. Carter MS on July 31, 2023

Are the new drugs for diabetes the answer to permanent weight loss?

Motivation

When Others Sabotage Our Intentions for Healthy Eating and Exercise

Kristen A. Carter MS on June 27, 2023

Not everyone will be supportive when a person decides to make healthier lifestyle choices. Strategizing ahead of time can be helpful.

Diet

How Do We Choose?

Kristen A. Carter MS on May 24, 2023

We are surrounded by choices to make every day. Here’s how to tame that process for greater peace of mind.

Bias

Outsmarting Confirmation Bias

Kristen A. Carter MS on April 26, 2023

We are hard-wired to pay attention only to information that agrees with what we already think. This can keep us entrenched in unhealthy habits.

Fear

Turn Complaining into a Strategy

Kristen A. Carter MS on March 30, 2023

When it comes to changing our health for the better, complaining can be a vital part of the process.

Stress

What COVID Can Teach Us About Stress Management

Kristen A. Carter MS on March 15, 2023

We can learn a lot about controlling food intake by looking at people's responses to the stress of the COVID pandemic.

Diet

Bamboozled Into Diet Solutions

Kristen A. Carter MS on January 31, 2023

Our tendency to follow the wrong messages about how we eat and how to lose weight is making us unhealthy.

Diet

Is Obesity Really a Disease?

Kristen A. Carter MS on January 9, 2023

How we refer to obesity is just a starting place. Our thinking about it is complex and often controversial.

Motivation

The Positive Power of "No"

Kristen A. Carter MS on December 6, 2022

Changing to better health habits can mean saying “no” to some old ones. How can we stay motivated to do that?

Health

Artificial Sweeteners: Pros and Cons

Kristen A. Carter MS on November 2, 2022

Artificial sweeteners are ubiquitous and often considered a good way to cut calories. But are they?

Optimism

Hope, Dogs, and Weight Loss

Kristen A. Carter MS on October 5, 2022

Hope can get us out of a seemingly endless cycle of weight loss failures. And it all started with research on dogs.