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How to Put a Stop to Food Cravings.
Most
of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the
perfect diet all the time and have our struggles with
food, same as everyone else. But having an awareness
of this fact and knowing a little bit about our health
and food nutrition can help when it comes to making
wise decisions.
Many people struggle with food "cravings."
Studies tell us that it's fairly common for food cravings
to happen at certain times, quite often at around bedtime.
Your guard may be down, you may have had an unusually
hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way to
find that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress often combine
to take their toll on the best of intentions.
When
food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as
a bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding
frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or
appreciate. We head to kitchen and every other place
where food can hide, clearing a path as we go.
Most
food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional
need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally
related, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony.
Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood,
however our knowledge about this subject continues to
grow.
Listed
below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings:
-
If the food isn't available, you can't eat it!
Empty the cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy
food choices on-hand.
-
Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up
to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when
you’re bored, lonely, or stressed? If you can identify
a trigger, you can deal with the emotion that’s
making you desire a certain food. Try to deal with the
triggers in the best way you can.
-
Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about
to happen doesn't seem to help. Don't beat yourself-up.
There is always tomorrow. Call a friend, make good use
of your support network and share your feelings with
someone.
-
Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re
more likely to crave things.
-
Never give-up. When you "slip", press-in,
bear-down, get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain
control. Try to practice restraint most of the time,
but don't get legalistic and un-balanced in your weight
loss approach. Think moderation and not abstinence at
all times!
-
Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves,
won't cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for
control, you will fail. Forming caring and supportive
relationships is required. If you do not currently have
a support network, start building one TODAY.
-
Exercise. It increases feel-good endorphins that
cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes
of physical activity every day.
-
Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself
with every kind of food hoping that your craving will
go away, eat 100 to 200 calories of your "craved"
food.
-
Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs.
If you’re hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate
yogurt. Try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving.
-
Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours.
Try six smaller meals or regular meals with nutritious
snacks.
-
Understand that hunger craving are oftentimes stress
related. Practice other ways to treat chronic stress
– a walk in the park, spiritual connections, a
cozy fireplace, baths...all these stimulate neurochemicals
that activate regions of the brain that stimulate pleasure.
Relaxation techniques may work by reducing the psychological
drives on stress output, which can be the root causes
of stress. Bottom line, substitute pleasurable experiences
for comfort foods.
-
Beware of certain medications. They can stimulate
appetite. Drugs used for the treatment of depression
and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants. Other
drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may influence
appetite as well. If you are on a medication, and troubled
by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist.
You may be able to find an alternative that doesn't
send your cravings out of control.
-
Distract Yourself. What's that old expression...idle
hands are the devils workshop? Get busy. Do anything
other than cave-in to your desire for food, and keep
doing it until the cravings subside.
-
One final thought, take a look inside your refrigerator
and kitchen cabinets and do some general "house
cleaning." Throw-out all that unhealthy stuff
that is waiting to sabotage your diet, and start shopping
more wisely. A little forethought and careful planning
will go a long way for improving your chances of success.
Eat
wisely, be happy, and live long!
1howto.com
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