Food cravings happen to all of us. Imagine you’ve eaten healthy all week, successfully stayed away from filled with calories temptations, when you feel a sudden urge to devour an entire chocolate cake. What’s triggering these cravings? It’s usually not hunger, as food cravings commonly target a specific food (you want chocolate cake, you’ll not settle for a fruit salad). However, there are several ways you can beat food cravings and not compromise you plan to eat healthy.
Getting your mind away from it
Sounds difficult, especially if your urge seems unstoppable, but do not underestimate the power of getting up and doing something. Firstly, because you may be sitting in a place that’s triggering some sort of memories linked to the type of food you’re craving. For instance, maybe you’re sitting on the couch where you usually sit to watch movies and eat popcorn. See where this is going? Another reason for you to engage in an activity is that it will focus your mind on something else and you’ll soon forget about what you were craving on. Don’t forget to reward yourself after avoiding the craving (you could call you best friend for example and have a fun conversation), this way you’ll still feel satisfied but without actually eating what you were craving.
Eating properly
And by eating properly I mean do not skip meals. Starving yourself considerably increases your chances of giving in to your cravings because the sugar level in your blood will be really low. Always carry around healthy snacks to nibble on between meals: nuts, dry fruits, cereal bars and try to have a consistent meal every five hours. Another really important tip to keep in mind is to avoid sugar. They don’t call it “sugar high” for nothing, dietitians claim sugar can be highly addictive. Not only that, but soon after eating a sugar loaded food, you’ll feel hungry again. Protein helps control food cravings as it stimulates the production of cholecystokinin, a natural appetite inhibitor. Remember that food cravings are often related to calcium deficiency, so make sure to include foods that contain calcium in your daily diet: milk, low fat cheese, fresh green vegetables. It’s also important to keep yourself hydrated, drink plenty of water and make sure you always have a water bottle near you and have a sip as often as possible.
So you see, it’s not that hard to avoid unhealthy foods, it’s usually about keeping a positive attitude and focusing on activities that accomplish you.
