Sometimes it’s good to be a dog. Actually, we have a dog (see personal profile), and I rarely, if ever, envy his life. It’s way too boring for me.
However, there were some dogs, a long time ago, who were studied by a famous scientist named Pavlov. Pavlov and his research assistant, Tolochinov, coined the term “conditioned reflex.” Over one hundred years later, we think of “conditioning” as an “automatic form of learning.” We also think of a “Pavlov’s dog” as “someone who merely reacts to a situation rather than using critical thinking.” In order to keep this as simple as possible, I got the above information from our good friend, Wikipedia, and you can read more about it here.
Although in most situations, I think critical thinking is much more important than “merely reacting”, sometimes it works to be a Pavlov’s dog. In my last post I mentioned that I have trained myself to stop eating when I have my (two) Dove Promises. This is something I’ve been doing for a few years now. I started eating dark chocolate after having given up chocolate altogether for 14 years. Dark chocolate, in moderation, can actually be healthy! This article does a great, and concise, job of explaining. Please note that even healthy foods (especially healthy fats) in excess can cause weight gain and other health problems. That’s why I stick with two Dove Promises. I typically do this at lunch and supper.
There are certainly times when Dove Promises are not available, and I have to deal with that. Sometimes I find another type of dark chocolate, other times I go without. I have even been known to bring a bag of Dove Promises with me when I travel. Whatever works, right?
What works for you? Do you have a way to condition yourself to stop eating or perform some other part of your diabetes management?