Get rid of food cravings in no time with these easy tricks.
Whether it´s for sodas, chocolate, pizza or donuts, who doesn’t experience cravings now and then? If you’re craving carrots or nuts, go for it! But if it’s the unhealthy stuff, you want to try to curb those cravings.
Being able to combat them and avoid gorging on unhealthy foods is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy diet and healthy weight. Find out more below.
What triggers these unhealthy food cravings that make you feel so powerless?
- stress
- your emotions
- nutritional deficiencies
- hormone imbalance (PMS)
- high-processed foods
- blood sugar imbalances in your body
What can you do about it?
According to research, a 15-minute walk can stop cravings INSTANTLY!
Professor Adrian Taylor, who led that research said:
We know that snacking on high calorie foods, like chocolate, at work can become a mindless habit and can lead to weight gain over time. We often feel that these snacks give us an energy boost, or help us deal with the stress of our jobs, including boredom. People often find it difficult to cut down on their daily treats but this study shows that by taking a short walk, they are able to regulate their intake by half.
The study involved 47 overweight people with an average age of 28. The results showed that those who’d been 15 minutes on the treadmill had much lower food cravings than those who sat quietly. Exercisers also showed lower physiological arousal to handling the sugary snacks.
Taylor concludes: “Short bouts of physical activity may reduce the craving for sugary snacks in overweight people.
More ways to overcome cravings:
Find a healthy alternative
Got a chocolate craving? Then simply drink a Women’s Best Protein Shake with chocolate flavor. It will fill you up, fight your sugar cravings instantly and will help you lose weight. Could it get any better?
Distract yourself
To overcome a craving, fill the void with something else. Go shopping, read a book, hang out with a friend, or watch a movie. This will help you feel happy and fill the void. Usually you are just craving the emotion that food is giving you, not the actual food. So, if you are lonely or bored, you have to change your social life instead of eating.
Check your vitamins
If you have frequent cravings for the same foods, it may actually be your body trying to tell you that it needs one or more specific nutrients. Here are the most common categories of cravings:
Chocolate: You may need magnesium.
Salty snacks: You may need more chloride.
Fatty foods: It’s possible that you aren’t getting enough calcium.
Sniff peppermint
Take a whiff of peppermint essential oil before mealtime. Study participants who did, nearly ate 3,000 fewer total calories each week, reporting that their hunger level decreased dramatically after inhaling the oil.
Get more sleep
People who sleep enough have higher levels of the hormone leptin, an appetite suppressant. In contrast, people who have a lack of sleep, end up with too much ghrelin in their system, so their body thinks it’s hungry and it needs more calories. Your brain thinks you don’t have enough energy for your needs. It tells you you’re hungry, even though you don’t actually need food at that time. To avoid this, aim for seven to eight hours of sleep every night.
Try “mindful eating”
Do you feel hungrier when you are stressed? Try mindful eating. This means paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both inside and outside the body. Pay attention to the colors, smells, textures, flavors, temperatures, and even the sounds (crunch!) of your food. Pay attention to the experience of your body. Where in the body do you feel hunger? Where do you feel satisfaction? What does half-full feel like, or three quarters full? Unfortunately, the old habits of eating and not paying attention are not easy to change. Lasting change takes time, and is built on many small steps.
Stay hydrated
Thirst is often confused with hunger or food cravings. If you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, try drinking a large glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that the craving fades away, because your body was actually just thirsty.
Eat high-fibre foods
Eat foods that fill you up faster and keep you full longer. In one study, participants who ate an extra 14 grams of fiber per day consumed 10 percent fewer daily calories than those on a lower-fiber plan. Foods high in fibre are oats, brown rice, legumes, beans, greens, celery, starchy vegetables or chickpeas.
Chewing gum
Have a piece of gum after meals. In one study, people who chewed gum after lunch ate fewer afternoon snacks and had less cravings for sweets than people who didn’t.
Out of sight, out of mind
Take yourself away from the food or just don’t buy it! If you live with other people, just try to not be around them when eat rather unhealthy foods.
Wherever you are in the world, have a lovely day ❤
I’d recommend naked bars as a tasty treat.
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Oo, what are they? They sound interesting.
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Im surprised you haven’t heard of them! They’re healthy bars that are made up of roughly 3-5 ingredients depending on which flavour you get, and a lot of them are one of your 5 a day. They’re super healthy and tasty.
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I honestly haven’t I must invest in some of these 🙂
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As soon as I read the section on “get more rest” something clicked. I’ve always had sleep problems after high school. Which led to my weight gain. Now I know at least one logical reason!!
I’m so proud of how far you’ve come!! I’m not yet in the healthy section of my healing process but it’s one of the greatest things we can do for ourselves!!
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I am so happy to hear you have come so far ❤
Baby steps ❤
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Absolutely! 💜 💜
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❤
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Ironic or coincidental that I started reading this after I just grabbed a snack and am eating as I read?? LOL! So clearly, I am reading carefully. 😉
And wherever I am in the world, I am glad there’s a Lovely A! 😉
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AAAAAAH! You’re too funny Gail ❤
You are too kind to me ❤
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God uses your loving kindness to encourage many… including me!
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❤
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I stop having cravings for unhealthy food by looking at them as toxins and will cause sickness.
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Oo, I like the sounds of this one.
If I tend to look at cravings like that, maybe my cravings will stop.
❤
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Something that I have noticed is when I start my day with something sweet even if it’s a piece of fruit it will trigger my craving for sweets for the rest of the day. I don’t eat anything sweet until after dinner even if it’s fruit .
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Oo, I haven’t thought about that. Maybe I need to test myself & see how I go with non-sweet things in the morning VS sweet things.
❤
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Thank you! These are so helpful, especially during pre PMS days! 😬
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I am so happy to hear that the content I supply is valuable to you ❤
Always love having your positive vibes upon my page.
❤
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