Hijacked by your Reptilic Brain. Why is it so hard to live healthily?

Everyone has felt at some point that they're not healthy, they want to be, but simply can't. We struggle with health. You want to overcome your own behavior, which has been your habit for so long. But it remains a struggle. It feels like failure, or you feel weak.

When it comes to health advice, we all know what to do. Ideally, get enough exercise and eat varied and healthy food every day; get enough sleep; don't smoke; limit alcohol to a minimum; reduce stress; improve and intensify social contacts; maintain a healthy weight; and develop new interests or hobbies that make you happy. Despite knowing all this, most people don't succeed, or at least not easily. It's not easy to break negative habits and anchor new patterns in your behavior.

How do you get yourself out of these negative habits?

We all know what the effects would be if we were to apply all these healthy habits, namely reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases, obesity; more energy and vitality; more resilience and better resistance to stress. And yet, despite this knowledge and science, many people find it difficult to implement the necessary lifestyle changes in their lives.

Do I lack discipline? Why did I give in again? No, it's more complicated than that. Indeed, we all know it so well, but many people still struggle to live healthily. Every so often, you start again with great enthusiasm on some diet, which you then start with full of courage and positive conviction. Resolutions to exercise more also often arise from sincere conviction and belief in success. So why do so few people manage to sustain these initiated behavioral changes? Why is that?

Why do I always 'have to' finish that bag of crisps?

You know the moments when at the end of a long day you end up on the couch, feeling exhausted. And you've often tried your best all day. You had a healthy lunch at work, and you managed to walk past the candy jar several times without taking anything. But then, at the end of the day, you give in to the urge for something sweet or greasy. A nice piece of chocolate, a bag of crisps, or a few crackers with cheese. And it's actually nice to eat something together. Why is it so incredibly difficult to resist in those moments?

Evolutionary mismatch

The Primitive Brain or Reptilian Brain is the smallest and oldest part of our brains. It has only one purpose, which is survival. Hence, it functions outside our conscious control so that it can instinctively and automatically react to, for example, danger.

Brain

Essential bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature are directly influenced by the primitive brain in such a situation. This is necessary to be able to flee, fight, and search for food and water in times of scarcity.

In today's society, these primal instincts actually hinder us more than they benefit us; the evolutionary mismatch. We no longer deal with immediate danger or food shortages. The three primal instincts that cause the evolutionary mismatch, therefore, the ones we 'suffer' from today, are as follows:

• preference for sugar- and fat-rich foods (contains a lot of energy)

• prefer sitting still instead of moving (energy saving)

• being hyper-alert in scanning for possible danger (all stimuli in the environment are continuously scanned)
  

These instincts have led to the development of mechanisms that stimulate us to eat more when food is available, to ensure sufficient energy reserves for times of scarcity, and to respond to every sound or movement in the immediate environment, such as the mobile phone or other screens or devices.

As a result, in today's society, there are many problems with obesity and the associated lifestyle diseases, and the number of people with mental health problems is also increasing. Because we have to react to every external impulse, we are exposed to a high dose of stress. Learning to deal with this can prevent a lot of problems.

The primitive brain also has a reward and motivation system. Experiencing pleasure and regulating motivation and reward also occur from the primitive brain. Evolutionarily, it was advantageous to have a strong motivation to eat when food was available. This evolutionary perspective works with a reward system. When we eat food that we enjoy, substances are activated in the brain, which motivates us to eat more to continue experiencing this pleasant feeling.

Did we have more discipline in the past?

How is it possible that we seem to be much more affected by these instincts compared to a few decades ago? In current times and society, there is always food available everywhere. We no longer experience times of food scarcity. The type of food has also changed significantly. The number of processed foods in the supermarket has drastically increased. Also, these foods are often cheaper than unprocessed food, such as vegetables and fruits.

In ancient times, we were much more active, because we had to go out to find food and water. Movement was therefore a necessity. We also didn't have chairs or benches, so we either squatted or simply sat on the ground. This meant that you had to push yourself up multiple times a day. A considerable amount of physical effort was required for basic needs.

Snacking while watching TV

More recently, we were also much more active. We did more physical work, watched less television, and spent much less or no time behind screens. Nowadays, there are many people who have a sedentary lifestyle. They get in the car in the morning, drive to the office, take the elevator up, and then sit in a chair for about 7 to 8 hours, to then drive home again and drop down on the couch to watch TV for another 3 hours or so.

Also, all food was unprocessed and therefore healthier. The soil contained many more nutrients, and no pesticides were used, so all food contained a lot more healthy nutrients than nowadays. With less food, you therefore were able to get more healthy substances inside. We also lived more according to the seasons, so we mainly ate fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. These products also came from the immediate environment. So not frozen and stored for a long time or transported. Fruit was picked ripe from the trees instead of unripe, which contained more antioxidants. There was also less exposure to certain humidity and temperatures during transport, which can cause certain nutrients to be lost.

In the past, we also lived in tribes or other groups such as church communities, which meant there was a lot and intensive social contact. There was therefore much less loneliness and depression, because you could count on support from the group in difficult times. Grandparents were always around to help with raising and bringing up children, and in case of illness, you received help from people within the group.

For a healthy lifestyle, no discipline was actually needed; this happened naturally.

How do I get more discipline to live healthier?

To know how to get more discipline to live healthier, it's important to become aware of your current habits and behavioral patterns. Understanding the previously mentioned primitive brain also helps to ultimately make better choices. Once you realize when you make the wrong decisions, you can see if there are ways to prevent these moments or to change your behavior so that you don't fall back into old patterns.

Recognize behavioral patterns

Common behavioral patterns are wanting to eat more when something tastes good. Or craving something sweet after eating. Or when you see others eating, having the tendency to eat something too, because it's 'sociable', or because you simply get hungry when you see food. Or when you walk past the snack bar and smell the fried food, you struggle to suppress the urge to go in and buy something greasy.

Once you're aware of why you have these tendencies, it's easier to resist the urge. With the help of your human brain, you can understand why the urge arises and then reason that the situation doesn't require the reaction of the primitive brain. With your human brain, you can now make deliberate choices and suppress your primitive brain.

How do you gain control over the reptilian brain (the primitive brain)?

There are several ways to stay in control of the primitive brain. Sometimes your brain is hijacked by the primitive brain, and you seem to have no control. Symptoms of this include, for example, your heart beating faster, getting sweaty hands, or feeling like you can't think clearly anymore. If you are aware of these symptoms, you can deal with them in the right way. The human brain can make connections and helps us make sensible decisions.

Awareness

There are a number of ways to prevent a hijacking of the primitive brain. First of all, it helps to be aware of the symptoms mentioned above. You can then pause and try to be in the moment. By becoming calm, for example, by applying a breathing exercise.

Breathing

An example is to take six deep breaths, or to apply a breathing rhythm, for example, a few times 3 seconds in, hold for 6 seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds. With this exercise, you have to concentrate so much on the number of seconds that your frontal cortex takes control again.

Ask yourself a question

By asking yourself a random question, you activate the human brain and ignore the reptilian brain. By asking questions about what exactly is happening or what process is actually taking place, the human brain takes control. Through experience and as awareness becomes faster and clearer, the primitive brain will become less sensitive to certain triggers. This is called desensitization.

How do I break out of that unhealthy lifestyle routine?

It will always take a lot of effort and determination to break bad habits and formulate new ones. But once you get the hang of it, it will get easier and easier. Once you start seeing and feeling the changes in your body, you'll also be more motivated to continue. Eventually, the changes will become habits, and you won't have to think about them all the time.

Every beginning is difficult

Every beginning is difficult

The first steps will be the hardest but can also bring about the biggest change. It's often hard work, and that's sometimes not easy. Motivating yourself is not easy, but remember that everyone has the power to make choices and change the situation. That's the beauty of life.

So give yourself a pep talk every now and then and make sure you keep going in the right direction. Slowly but surely, after a few weeks or months, the momentum will become stronger, and the changes made and the new habits will stick. You won't always have to work hard; it will get easier and easier. Because you'll get more energy, for example, it will be easier to exercise more.

How do I motivate myself?

Planning & deadlines

The less you really want it, the harder it will be. If you really want change, it's easier to motivate yourself. Set goals, don't underestimate the power of setting goals. Also, think about a deadline to work towards. Whatever the goal, make sure you describe it well, be specific, and set a realistic deadline.

Make sure your goals are achievable and plan a reward for yourself if necessary. Create mini-milestones; these are the mini-goals that will ultimately lead to your larger goal. It's better to start with just 2 smaller behavioral changes with an achievable goal than to try to change everything at once. The chance that you won't reach the goals is then much bigger, and that is incredibly demotivating.

Make a plan, but don't do it alone!

Make sure to inform your environment about your planned lifestyle changes. Your family members and/or colleagues can then stimulate you or, even better, maybe even join you. If a colleague knows you're working on healthy eating, they'll be less likely to offer you a cookie again. And if you make it very clear in advance in your group of friends that you don't drink during the week anymore, they won't ask any more questions or pressure you about it.

What can also help is finding experts within your group of friends or family. That one friend, for example, who always makes those delicious, healthy snacks at parties, you could approach for some healthy recipes. And that very sporty friend might want to help create a suitable exercise schedule for you. And that colleague who always brings healthy meals might have useful tips about meal planning.

Put your exercise moments in the diary and give them as much priority as a doctor's appointment. Make sure you do it! Once you give it enough priority, it will be easier to push other things aside for it. Also work-related things, because ultimately, your boss will also benefit from a healthier, fitter employee.

FAQ: Why is it difficult to live a healthy lifestyle?

How do I rid myself of negative habits?

Changing negative habits is not easy. It takes time, perseverance, and good planning. Having insight in how the brain works, and in your current behaviour can help.

What is Evolutionary Mismatch?

The three primal instincts of our reptilian brain are necessary for fleeing, fighting, and seeking food and water in times of scarcity. In today's society, these primal instincts actually hinder us more than they benefit us; this is called evolutionary mismatch. We no longer face direct danger or food shortages.

Did we have more discipline in the past?

In the past, discipline was actually not necessary for a healthy lifestyle; it happened naturally. We were more active because, among other things, we had to search for food. Movement was a necessity; considerable physical effort was required for basic needs. Food used to contain more nutrients, and there was a lot of intensive social contact.

How do I gain more discipline to live healthier?

It is important to become aware of your current habits and behavioral patterns. Understanding a bit about the reptilian brain can also help in making better choices. Once you realize when you're making wrong decisions, you can look for ways to prevent these moments or change your behavior so you don't fall back into old patterns.

How do I recognize behavioral patterns?

Once you're aware of why you have certain negative tendencies, it's easier to resist the urge. With the help of your human brain, you can understand why the urge arises and then reason that the situation doesn't require the reaction of the reptilian brain. You can now make deliberate choices with your human brain and suppress your reptilian brain.

How do I gain control over the reptilian brain?

There are several ways to control the reptilian brain:

• Awareness

• Breathing

• Ask yourself a question
  

How do I break out of that unhealthy lifestyle routine?

It will always take a lot of effort and determination to break bad habits and form new ones. But it will get easier, especially once you start seeing and feeling the changes in your body. Eventually, the changes will become habits.

Is the beginning difficult?

The first steps will be the hardest, but they can also bring about the biggest change.

How do I motivate myself?

Make sure you truly understand why you want to change and what the positive effects will be. Set goals; don't underestimate the power of setting goals. Also, think about a deadline to work towards. Describe your goal well, be specific, and set a realistic deadline. Make sure your goals are achievable and plan a reward for yourself. Create mini-milestones.

How can I get help with lifestyle changes?

Inform your environment about your planned lifestyle changes. Your family members and/or colleagues can then stimulate you or, even better, maybe even join you. Finding experts within your group of friends or family can also help with finding healthy recipes or workout schedules. Put your exercise moments in the diary and give them priority.

Seek a competent lifestyle coach or vitality coach (in Amstelveen) to guide and motivate you.