The scientific literature doesn’t have a very thorough
understanding of cravings – why we get them or what they mean. So, I’m going to
share with you two ways to stop cravings from the literature and two ways that
I’ve discovered in my life.
Get Sleep
This is a surprising cause of cravings. But there is
evidence that the more sleep deprived we are, the more we seek out high fat,
sugar, and salt foods. So if you want to get rid of cravings, create a plan to
get more sleep. What can you take off your “to-do” list? Turn off that screen
and hit the hay.
Don’t Go Too Long
Between Meals and Snacks
When our blood sugar drops, we’re driven by our bodies
towards high fat, sugar, and salt foods. Did you skip lunch and now you find
yourself in the fast food restaurant on the way home from work? It’s because of
a biological drive – not a lack of willpower. Don’t try to work against Mother
Nature; you won’t succeed. Instead, eat when you’re just starting to get
hungry. For most people this is approximately every 4 hours. Now this doesn’t
mean all-day grazing. But, it may mean planning and eating a healthy afternoon
snack to prevent the afternoon trip to the vending machine.
Increase Protein and
Decrease Sugar at Breakfast
I was always a toast with jam for breakfast kind of woman.
But I also always craved candy every afternoon. A couple of years ago I
switched my breakfast to plain yogurt, usually Greek, topped with hemp hearts
and fruit. This winter I’ve been on the overnight oats bandwagon, adding this
to my yogurt mixture. I’ve found that my craving for sweets has gone from daily
to a couple of times a month. Which is a huge change! Switch up you breakfast
and see if it decreases your cravings.
Have Other Tools in
Your Emotional Care Toolbox
Often we crave high fat, sugar, and salt foods as a way of
numbing our emotions. I became such a cliché after my divorce, literally
drowning my sorrows in tubs of ice cream. You don’t need to be a dietitian to
know that a couple of tubs a week isn’t healthy. So I decided to create other
ways to take care of my emotions. Now I have a lot of tools in my toolbox.
Tools like a gratitude practice, yoga, surfing, trail running, art therapy, and
the occasional tub of ice cream. Ask yourself the tough question of whether
you’re really craving that food because you don’t want to deal with difficult
emotions. Take the time to develop alternative tools to take care of
yourself.
Kristen Yarker,
MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition
today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms
asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program.
Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com
www.KristenYarker.com
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