Do you spend much of each day in mindless activities such as watching TV, checking the weather or overeating? Are you a constant procrastinator or complainer? If so, you may have a “soft addiction,” says Judith Wright, in the July issue of Bottom Line Tomorrow.
Wright is co-founder with husband Bob of the Wright Institute for Lifelong Learning in Chicago, which helps people fulfill their potential in all areas of life. Wright defines a soft addiction as any activity that fulfills needs other than what it’s meant to do, such as eating for distraction rather than for nourishment or shopping just to kill time. The problem is that they eat up your time and energy.
To overcome a soft addiction, replace it with activities that offer a greater purpose in life, Wright suggests. For example, instead of turning on the tube for hours, have friends over for dinner. Rather than shop, read a good book. By cutting away soft addictions, Wright says, you can create a more satisfying life.
Trans fatty hassle
Manmade trans fatty acids are an unhealthy addition to foods yet are hard to discern because they don’t appear on food labels. Surprisingly, they lurk in allegedly healthy foods such as “light” microwave popcorn, high-fiber cereals and even veggie burgers.
It is best to avoid trans fatty acids because they can inflame and clog your arteries, raise your triglyceride and lipoprotein levels and throw you headlong toward a heart attack, says a report in the July/August issue of Health magazine.
(The U.S. government said Wednesday that it would ask companies to start telling people how much artery-clogging trans fats are in their food. Manufacturers have until 2006 to implement such labeling.) So limit the amount of processed or fast foods you eat (especially fried items), avoid foods with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil listed near the top of the ingredients, and select foods that generally are low in total fat.
To clarify AD/HD
To clear up confusion and misstatements about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the national non-profit organization CHADD (Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) has begun an initiative to educate the public.
The organization represents people with AD/HD in the areas of education, advocacy and support. AD/HD is characterized by problems with attention, impulsivity and overactivity. It affects 4 to 5 percent of school-age children and 2 to 4 percent of adults. For more information, contact CHADD at its Web site, www.chadd.org, or call 800-233-4050.
