You're going to think I'm making this up.

I swear this isn't gobbledy-gook.

In fact you can learn this word for word and
sound like a right smart arse next time one
of your friends is moaning about a bad habit
they have.

It's a quote from a book I was reading this
morning.

Ready?

"Hebbs law, the quantum Zeno effect and
neuroplasticity explain why focusing your
attention on something repeatedly causes
brain circuits to form a and strengten".

I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking "I already knew that...tell
me something I don't know".

All joking aside, that sentence is
potentially life changing.

Especially if you regularly find yourself
doing something that seems totally contrary
to your goals.

Like eating half a cheesecake when you're
trying to lose weight.

Or drinking every night after work.

It just needs a bit of de-mystifer sprayed on
it.

Right...here goes...

Hebbs law - when different parts of the brain
become active at the same time they bond
together in a pattern.

Neurons that fire together, wire together.

Or.

Once upon-a-time you got stressed.

You did something that made you feel better
for a short period of time.

Eating, smoking, sexing, whatevs.

Your brain learned a little pattern, some
circuits all fired together.

You get stressed again and find the same
solution.

It happens again, the circuit gets stronger
and stronger.

It can get so that you no longer need the
initial stress to want the relief.

Quantum zeno effect - this is what stabilizes
the activated areas of the brain long enough
for Hebbs law to take effect.

This happens via focused attention.

What you focus your attention on is vital for
your mental and physical health.

Neuroplasticity - you can teach an old dog
new tricks.

The brain is plastic, as in it can change and
adapt....if you put enough effort into it.

Putting it all together.

We get an uncomfortable feeling, we do
something to get rid of the uncomfortable
feeling.

Even if that action is damaging for our long
term health.

The brain learns and repeats the pattern.

It's important to remember that this happens
with positive things too.

So what do you do?

We tend to think we can power away any
negative thoughts with just will power.

You can't.

You can't choose what messages your brain
sends you.

But you can choose what you do with those
messages.

The good news is you have a veto.

You get to say that you won't act on these
urges.

It feels weird and uncomfortable at first.

But the more you do it, the easier it
becomes.

To make this more effective you need to have
a goal.

Something positive that you're aiming for to
focus on.

Where you place your focus is hugely
important.

For example.

You may not have fancied going to work today.

You could have stayed at home and watched
"Loose Women".

In the short term that would have been
easier.

In the long term it would have sucked as you
need money to do nice things and pay bills.

Or affected your promotion chance etc.

There was a long term goal of some sort that
got you out of bed.

It's all about where you place your focus.

Today God pats me on the head and says "good
boy Niall".

There are few things in life as likely to
bring a large idiotic smile to my face than a
cooked breakfast with black pudding.

Man I love black pudding.

I don't love it like I love my wife.

But I would definitely consider putting it up
in it's own flat and sneaking of to see it at
weekends.

An illicit kind of love.

Only we don't need to sneak around
anymore...we can be out and proud.

According to the Telegraph it's now a
superfood, being hailed for it's wonderous
properties.

So stick that in  your pipe and smoke it.

Anything negative I have ever said about the
word "superfoods" I take back.

I recant my superfood disbelief.

Cos this fits in with how I want the world to
be.

Seriously, who comes up with this nonsense,
putting foods on a pedestal?

And who's doing the hailing?

Perhaps somewhere there's a black pudding
sitting on a throne with a purple cloak while
a bunch of health nobs grovel on their knees.

The idiot-in-chief who wrote the article
rated it for being "practically carb free".

Just when I thought the demonisation of carbs
was coming to an end, some moron surfaces
trying confuse everyone just so they can have
an interesting headline.

Typically it's made with pigs blood and pork
fat...yummy.

That's a shed load of saturated fat that
you'll need to balance out in your diet.

Yep, there's protein, calcium, iron and a few
other goodies in there but I wouldn't suggest
it as a staple source of these.

Rather than relying on foods propped on a
pedestal, good nutriton comes from getting a
variety of foods.

Some quality protein, some different coloured
veggies and a handful of carbs.

The biggest problem most of us have with
nutrition is not what to eat.

All of us can pretty much distinguish between
a smart choice and a less than smart choice
of food.

The biggest problem is how to eat that food
on a daily basis when we're all so damned
stressed and busy.

The other is the emotional relationship we
have food. So many of us use "treat" food as
a quick way to feel good.

Especially when we've had a bitch of a day.

The last thing we need is added confusion by
someone trying to get us to worship at the
altar of one specific food.

Anyhoo.

That's my rant for the day done.

I'm of to have a black pudding super smoothy,
maybe with acai berries and unicorn farts.