We all know cravings are a diet killer, but what can we do when we hear that evil voice inside telling us to give in to fat, salt, and sugar--the enemies of life changing healthier habits? Weight loss is hard-- eating healthy can mean big changes that can be really overwhelming and make us want to give up! Cravings are natural and expected. We can actually take comfort in this because we don't have to be taken off guard by our cravings. Here are a few tips I have collected for beating food cravings.
- Drink more water- Many food cravings are just your body's way of telling you it needs more fluids. Thirst triggers a growling in your stomach we sometimes mistake for hunger pangs and makes us crave salt. Many of us don't get enough water--especially in winter when a cold glass of ice water doesn't sound as refreshing. I have been "off" soft drinks and most juices for several years and find from personal experience that only water truly quenches my thirst without triggering further cravings. If you eat a healthy diet, you can expect to absorb about 20% of your body's fluid needs from the foods you eat, the remainder must come from water and other liquids.
- Eat more Omega 3's- It is natural to crave fat because our body needs fat to operate properly. The problem comes when we eat the wrong kinds of fat in our effort to satisfy our craving. Most of us know that most saturated fat is bad for us and make some effort to avoid it, but we also need to pay attention to the balance between the good fats our body needs. The suggested ratio between Omega 6 and Omega 3 oils in our diet is 1:1. Unfortunately, Americans consume dangerously low levels of Omega 3 oils and our ratio is more like 20:1 to 50:1. Recent research has indicated that low levels of Omega 3 deadens our pleasure for sweet foods causing us to crave them and eat more to get pleasure out of eating them. How can you correct your ratio and give your body the fat it is craving? Here are a few sources from food and supplements: Flaxseed, walnuts, asparagus, organic eggs or eggs from chickens on vegetarian diet (not regular eggs), fatty fish like crab and salmon, fish oil or cod liver supplements.
- Get enough sleep- CBS News reports that being tired can cause hormonal changes in your body, triggering a need for more energy -- which your mind interprets as a need for more food. Aim for at least seven hours a night so your body can restore itself through rest.
- Focus on Fiber and Whole Grains- Consider this from Disabled World, "Getting enough fiber each day will help you control your weight. When you eat fiber-rich foods, you'll feel fuller for longer periods of time. You won't experience drops in your blood sugar, which make it easy to succumb to food cravings. When you emphasize fiber in your diet, you'll also be eating more nutritious foods.
- Reduce your salt intake- While it is recommended that adults consume no more than 1500 to 2300 milligrams of salt per day, the average American consumes upwards of 3500 milligrams per day. The culprit? Processed and Fast food. Only 5-11% of our salt intake comes from the salt we add in cooking. Besides the serious health risks that come with eating too much salt, excess salt in the diet contributes to craving even MORE salt as well as an increase in sugar cravings.
- Indulge in moderation- There is something about "forbidden" food that makes us want it more. Rather than totaling eliminating your favorite "bad for you" foods from your diet, consider how indulging in these foods can become a part of an healthy overall eating routine. Make yourself accountable to what you are eating by figuring out an appropriate portion size for your treat and calculating the calories you are eating.
- Find food replacements that satisfy you- My husband loves cakey foods. It is pretty unlikely that an apple will satisfy his craving for something moist and cakey. I am addicted to crunchy, salty foods and find it hard to manage when these items are totally eliminated from my diet. What have we done to deal with these cravings? I have made a serious effort to "healthify" some muffin recipes for my husband and for myself I have replaced chips with nuts and seeds and slowly reduced the levels of salt in my diet. The point is that everyone is different. Treat healthy eating as a journey where instead of setting yourself up for failure by establishing harsh restrictions from your favorite foods, find healthy or slightly healthier foods that satisfy your cravings.
- Don't let yourself get TOO hungry- Most diet programs recommend that you eat five small meals a day to help regulate your blood sugar and keep you from experiencing real hunger. When blood sugar drops, our tendency is to reach for a quick fix to bring up our sugar levels, but high sugar foods low in nutrients do little to stop our blood sugar levels from careening out of control again. I am personally a big fan of "second breakfast"--that's what I call my mid-morning snack. I take this snack as seriously as I do first breakfast because if I don't plan for it I inevitably end up filling up on candy from the office candy basket to try to stay off my hunger. That leads to my next point.
- Plan meals and snacks- Armed with a plan that is, and this is important, EASY to implement and routinize, we will be much more likely to see longterm changes in eating habits. But here's the catch, a plan isn't enough....the key is really to take the time to put the plan into action by setting aside time for meal preparation and packing snacks so they can easily be grabbed when we are on the go. Otherwise, we will end up in the fast food drive-thru or in front of the vending machine wondering where our plan went wrong.
- Learn your triggers- I tend to eat when my kids are being extra exasperating. When I have to be the stern parent, I feel like I deserve a bit of a release or reward to alleviate some stress. What are your triggers? Simply recognizing the emotional connections to our eating habits can help us become better prepared to fight these tendencies. We won't always be successful, but simply recognizing the why behind our bad habits can put us back in control so that our food addictions no longer control us.
Article by Leah Smith, author of the food blog, Kitchy Mama Meals.
Kitchy Mama Meals provides 1600 calorie meal plans that put the above principles into action so you feel good about what you are eating, conquer cravings and experience weight loss success. Check out Kitchy Mama Meals at www.kitchymamameals.com
Resources:
Presidente. 16 November 2008
Accessed 7 January 2011
Weatherby, Craig. 10 June 2005 "Omega-3 lack may fuel sugar cravings"
Accessed 7 January 2011
Rola, Olinda. 6 2010 2006. "Correcting low fiber intake for your diet can help you achieve regular bowel movements necessary for optimum health."
Accessed 8 January 2011
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