Stop Food Cravings

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 ❤