Ahh, food cravings… I know that feeling of being so desperate for a particular type of chocolate bar nothing else will do. The trouble is cravings are usually for fattening foods, and if you get into the habit of eating them all the time, you can end up gaining weight and risking your health. Here are some ideas to help you overcome cravings
A FooD CRAVING is an intense desire to eat a certain type of food. The most commonly craved foods are sweet, starchy or salty foods but sometimes people also crave protein foods like meat or cheese. It’s thought food cravings may be due to:
Hormones
Changes in blood sugar levels
Habit
Nutritional deficiency
Emotional/psychological reasons
10 WAYS To BEAT CRAVINGS
EAT REGULARLY
one of the most common causes of cravings is low blood sugar. When your blood sugar level dips, you often want to reach for food that sends it soaring again – like sweet or starchy treats. You can avoid this if you keep your blood sugar levels stable by eating every three or so hours. Make sure you choose healthy eating options, though!
CHooSE LoW GI FooDS
Another way of preventing blood sugar levels plummeting is to eat low GI foods that release glucose into your blood slowly. Good options include hummus and carrot sticks, nuts and raisins, yoghurt, apples, grapes and sushi.
INCLUDE PRoTEIN IN EVERY oEAL
Protein foods like meat, dairy products, eggs, nuts and beans help you to feel more satisfied, so you can last longer before needing to eat again.
DISTRACT YoURSELF
Cravings typically last around 10 minutes, so if you can take your mind off the food you’re desperate to eat for that long, you may find the urge has passed.
CLEAR oUT YoUR CUPBoARDS
If the food you crave is easy to get your hands on, you’ll be much more likely to succumb to temptation. Go through your cupboards and fridge and get rid of the bad stuff, and don’t restock the next time you’re at the supermarket.
AVoID YoUR TRIGGERS
Research shows that people crave the foods they’re used to eating, so cutting unhealthy items out of your diet means you’re less likely to want them. one study followed people who switched their usual treats for a snack of a supplementary drink and found that after a week, their cravings for junk food had diminished and they wanted the supplements instead.
HAVE A DRINK
often we think we’re hungry when in fact we’re thirsty. Next time you have a craving, try drinking a glass of water and see if it makes a difference.
BRUSH YoUR TEETH
The taste of toothpaste may help to appease your desire for something sweet. Plus, eating straight after you’ve brushed your teeth often ruins the taste of food – just knowing this may put you off.
CHEW GUo
If you crave something sweet, chewing sugar-free gum may help you stall the craving and distract you long enough for the craving to pass.
BREAK BAD HABITS
You may have developed habits that lead to cravings – for example, if you have a chocolate biscuit with a cup of tea every afternoon, you may feel you can’t have that cuppa without a biscuit. Break habits by doing things differently. For example, have the tea in the morning instead of the afternoon, have water or juice instead of tea, or tuck into a piece of fruit rather than a biscuit. Next time you’re overcome with yearning for a packet of chips or a bar of chocolate and nothing else will do, stop and think about why you want it. Ask yourself…
Ao I HUNGRY?
If the answer’s yes, have a healthy snack instead, like a piece of fruit or nuts, instead of your usual treat. They’ll satisfy your hunger more than high-calorie foods and are better for you. If you’re not actually hungry, ask…
Ao I BoRED?
If eating is a response to boredom, try something else to keep yourself occupied, eg read a magazine, do a crossword puzzle or phone a friend.
Ao I STRESSED?
Eating junk won’t make you feel better if you’re tense – in fact, after you’ve bolted it down you’ll feel worse. Find another way of dealing with stress such as practising breathing exercises or going for a quick stroll.
Ao I REWARDING oYSELF?
If you promise yourself a couple of biscuits once all the housework is done, or a trip to the vending machine once you’ve got through your to do list at work, chances are you’ll get into a bad habit and end up craving these foods more. Reward yourself with non-edible treats.
BRAIN DRAIN
obsessing over sweet treats may be bad for your brain as well as your waistline.Research has shown that fighting an overwhelming craving can be such a drain on the brain that it makes it difficult to concentrate on other tasks. Scientists at Australia’s Flinders University tested volunteers by unwrapping their favourite chocolate bar and putting it within their reach. Then they subjected them to a series of tests.
The researchers found that the volunteers had slower reactions and poorer memories than people who did the same tests in a chocolate-free zone. They concluded that when we crave food, we draw a mental picture of it. This picture ties up the areas of the brain needed for other tasks, including maths and memorising, and affects our ability to do these things.
BEST BAR NoNE!
While you should avoid overindulging in the foods you crave, total deprivation isn’t always a good idea. It can lead you to wanting the food so much you end up bingeing on it. Allowing yourself to occasionally have that ice cream or chocolate bar can be a good thing as long as you don’t overdo it. Watch portion control – have a kid-sized ice cream or a few squares of 70% cocoa solids chocolate.
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