4 Tips to Help Cut Back on Cravings
Cravings - we all get them.
Even the healthiest among us has fallen victim to a late night pizza binge or a sweet tooth that seems to only be satisfied by chocolate cake or ben and jerry's ice cream. Cravings get the best of us every now and then, but what really is a craving?
The difference between cravings and just plain hunger is that a craving does not come from our body’s desire for energy and nourishment – it is strictly an intense mental desire for a specific food or taste.
It might be an emotional craving (i.e., your mind is wired to crave certain foods when feeling certain emotions like boredom, sadness, or anxiety), or an actual addiction (the most common culprit: sugar).
Did you know that specific cravings can actually be your body’s way of letting you know that something in your body is lacking? That something can be anything from an imbalance in hormones, fluids, vitamins or other essential amino acids that naturally occur in the body.
Understanding this primal reaction your body is having to simply protecting you should help you to disassociate any guilt or shame you have around your cravings.
Because at the end of the day... your body might actually be trying to tell you something!
If you know for a fact that you are eating enough high quality foods rich in micronutrients, fiber and minerals, but still, without reason or understanding why, you’re getting these persistent and strong cravings almost everyday, you may want to consider the following:
1. Cravings can be directly correlated with our emotions
We may be using food as a coping mechanism which means we would need to make an effort to break current habits and find other activities in order to fill those emotional voids instead of using food. This takes time, patience and consistency but can be done.
2. Your meal plan/diet should include the foods you like and enjoy
That’s right, I said it. You should NOT feel like you are in a state of deprivation even if your goal is weight loss. It is possible to still eat the foods you love and enjoy while working towards your goals- just do so moderately. If we are constantly “treating ourselves” and giving into every single one of our cravings, yes, it may be difficult to make any progress. However, making sure you are genuinely enjoying the foods you eat is also an extremely important component to staying happy and satisfied.
3. Drink plenty of water
When we’re dehydrated, we often reach for food. Make sure you are drinking at least 2-3 liters of water a day.
4. Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night
Recent sleep studies show that people who get less than 6 hours of sleep a night consistently tend to overeat by 300-500 calories a week.
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