Twelve Tips to Curb Your Cravings
Looking for some solid strategies and top tips to curb your cravings? Well know you are not alone in this quest as 90% of people report experiencing food cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods!
And unsatisfied cravings are a main reason sticking to a healthy lifestyle can get derailed. We love Chef Sally Cameron’s top 12 tips as she provides a great combination of food solutions and practical lifestyle changes you can integrate today!
12 Tips on How to Conquer Your Food Cravings
1. Drink Water
What seems like a craving could be dehydration. Check your water intake for the day and drink water before you eat food. Aim for half your body weight a day in ounces of water. And if you’ve sweated a lot, be sure to include electrolytes in your water to replenish critical minerals.
2. Move
When cravings hit, get outside for a walk and get some fresh air. If the weather is bad, do laps in your house, turn on music and dance, turn on a fitness video, do jumping jacks or pushups. Just get your body and blood moving.
3. Check Your Sleep
It may not be lack of willpower, but lack of sleep creating your cravings. Not enough sleep or poor quality sleep messes with your hormones. The hormones ghrelin and leptin drive your hunger and fullness signals. Studies show you need between 7-9 hours per night. How to improve your sleep?
• Got to bed at the same time each night
• Set your room to be dark and cool
• Use a sleep mask and ear plugs to block light and sound
• Put away all screens 1 hour before bed so your mind can shut down
• Try a tool like an Oura Ring. It provides amazing information on your sleep and how to improve it (I wear one)
• Stop late night snacking
• Research a natural sleep aid supplement
4. Reduce stress
Studies show that stress has a significant effect on food cravings. Try these ways to de-stress:
- Prayer and meditation
- Use an app like Calm, Headspace, Relax Melodies or Nature Sounds
- Call a friend for social support
- Consider a natural stress-reducing herb like Ashwaghanda
- Get outside for some fresh air
5. Break Your Routine
Bad habits die hard. If your afternoon break is all about cookies, chips or that fancy sugary whipped cream filled coffee drink, change it up for something healthier and start a new habit.
6. Eat Some Protein
Protein is satisfying and suppresses hunger. Grab a hard-boiled egg, a small cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt. Try a handful of almonds, walnuts or cashews. Also good are toasted pumpkin seeds (here is my recipe). They are addictive in a good way and good for you.
7. Toss Foods That Sabotage You
Toss anything with added sugar, artificial sweeteners, junk or processed food. The food industry purposely engineers junk and processed food to be addictive so that you crave them. They don’t care about your health, only their profits.
8. Consider Supplementation
How to conquer food cravings? One line of thought is that might be the sign of a nutritional deficiency. Consider taking a multi-vitamin to fill in any gaps, and consider a multi-mineral blend too. Calcium, zinc, chromium, and magnesium deficiency can express themselves as sugar cravings.
Dr. Daniel Amen writes that N-acetylcysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic (ALA) acid, chromium, dl-phenylalanine, and l-glutamine are 5 natural supplements with good scientific evidence showing they can help take the edge off cravings.
And be sure you take an Omega-3 fish oil supplement daily as it’s good for your brain and beating your cravings. Do some research for yourself then talk with a Functional Medicine, Alternative Medicine or Naturopathic physician to see if supplements will help you.
9. Stop Skipping Meals
If you skip meals then get overly hungry, you’re putting yourself at risk for making bad food choices and giving in to cravings. Get protein with each meal, prep ahead and plan ahead so you have balanced and satisfying meals and good things to reach for.
10. Avoid Trigger Places
You undoubtedly know the smell of Cinnabon in an airport. Don’t tempt yourself. Be strong, exercise willpower, and don’t give in or place yourself in harms way. Avoid trigger place or events. Don’t walk by the bakery if pastries and cookies are your weakness.
11. Distract Yourself
When cravings hit, take a shower, get outside, take a walk, move to a different room, talk with a friend, pray or meditate, get busy in the kitchen or garage. Do something to change your focus.
12. Eat Slow Carb Not No Carb
Focus on eating lots of veggies and low-sugar fruits, whole grains and beans, and skip refined carbs like pasta, crackers, bread and the like.
We hope these tips from Chef Sally prove to be both practical and inspirational for you. If you’d like to hear more goodness on topics like this and her mouth-watering recipes, check out her blog at A FoodCentric Life
In health,
Dee, Sean and the RISE team
