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Putting 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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