For those who have a healthy diet and regularly exercise, it should be possible to live by the rule of moderation for all types of food in your diet. Occasionally, you might find yourself with some insatiable cravings that seem to take over, though!
Why exactly do we crave specific foods. Research has proven that those who have a tendency to binge have been restricted. While we don’t know if this is purely psychological or not, we do know that sometimes you simply want what you are not allowed to have. Whether your cravings for particular foods are because you are a little down, or your diet has been too limited, it can be hard to prevent. Here are five ways you can try to stop cravings for foods.
Stay hydrated. Often, when you feel hungry, your body is sending you a signal to drink more water. Water not only acts as an appetite suppressant, but it will keep your stomach full while fending off food cravings. It is also beneficial for digestion and overall well being.
Hold off before taking that bite. Often, craving will go away after just a few minutes. If you ignore your urge to indulge, you may realize that you didn’t need that junk food after all. If the craving is distracting you, find something to do to forget about it. Wash your dishes, make a phone call, walk the dog – after about fifteen minutes, the craving should pass.
If you have trigger foods, avoid them. You crave what your body is used to, so switch your eating habits. Eliminating caffeine or refined sugars and replacing with healthier options will train your body to feel full, and the urge for the old foods will diminish.
Remember when eliminating trigger foods that the first few days may not be easy. Your body is essentially “detoxing” from the bad habits. Over time, you will begin to crave trigger foods less often once you have avoided them.
Replace your bad habits with good ones. Sometimes it just doesn’t work to ignore your urge or drink water. On these strong urge occasions, pick a healthier choice. I would recommend a big glass of water, and about 1 ½ ounces of mixed nuts or seeds (without salt) to help curb the cravings.
Don’t totally avoid the food cravings. Allow a treat and indulge every once in awhile. This is a great strategy for many people. Portion control is key -so for those days when you need chocolate, pick a few small pieces of high cocoa chocolate. Seventy percent and higher cocoa has been shown to have the most antioxidant to fight disease.