Sweet cravings are something the majority of us suffer from but some people have cravings to an intensity they can’t control. Sweet cravings can also get in the way of our weight loss attempts and can be an annoying everyday issue that we obsess over.
To learn how to stop sweet cravings we must acknowledge that the dreaded sweet tooth is something natural. Mother’s milk is sweet to keep baby wanting more (nutritionally) and to soothe/calm baby when in distress. In this way we can see from birth we are naturally inclined to want something sweet. I know my son never turns down any fruit I give him, but other things like veggies he isn’t so fond of!
Because favoring sweet things is natural, it should be something we aren’t afraid of. It should be something that we give in to but of course with the right sweet foods, otherwise it can lead to excess weight and sugar crashes!
The best way to stop sweet cravings is to nourish your body with the right foods. In terms of allowing your sweet tooth to be catered for make sure you eat plenty of fruit. Eat as much fruit as you desire before every meal. This is much easier on your digestion and will leave you feeling satisfied after a meal. Think of it as having your dessert first. Dessert usually caters for our sweet tooth and is the extra something we need to feel content after eating. Fruit is delicious and can satisfy you in a better way if enough is eaten. Don’t be afraid to eat 4,5 or 6 pieces of your favorite fruit before a meal.
Unlike desserts, refined sugar, honey and other processed sugars, fruit will not lead to a sugar crash. Fruit sugar will keep you sustained and will pass quickly in the bloodstream to your cells giving you instant energy. The only time that fruit sugar can cause an issue is when there is too much fat in your diet. If you are consuming over 10% fat in your diet, it is highly likely it will interfere with your ability to eat fruit. For more information on this you can read this article about what causes yeast infections. Cutting your fat intake and increasing your fruit intake will lead to excess weight falling off but be careful. Many of us search out fattening foods to repress feelings, so if you change your diet to a low fat one make sure you don’t comfort eat.
Comfort eating is something that can trigger sweet cravings too (and not just our biological needs). If you find that when you feel bored, stressed or another emotion, you suddenly crave sweet foods then you are an emotional eater. To make sure that your emotions do trigger cravings, observe and monitor your food intake and cravings during the course of a day. This will allow you to get a better understanding of why you choose to eat and why you crave, so you can overcome sweet cravings for good.
The few points mentioned above are good starting points for anyone wanting to over their sweet cravings, For more information: stop sweet cravings
Many people believe that cravings are a result of nutrition deficiencies. While this may be true on some level, for the most part it isn’t. Some foods are physically addictive and most cravings can be pinpointed to emotional eating.Physical addiction to food is quite common because everyday foods that we eat are full of addictive ingredients. Most foods that are craved contain wheat, dairy, chocolate and sometimes many of us crave meat. For example let us have a quick look at chocolate and milk:
Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine (a stimulant similar to caffeine), phenylethylamine (an amphetamine-like substance), traces of compounds similar to THC (the active ingredient in Marijuana) and targets the same part of the brain that heroin does.
In 1981, Eli Hazum et al discovered that cows milk contains morphine. Morphine is a highly addictive opiate and cows’ produce this in their bodies, to keep their young calm for bonding and nutritional purposes.
In order to overcome the physical addictiveness of foods, we can cut the food out completely or make sure that our body is getting plenty of nutrient rich foods. Most people do not get enough whole ripe foods into their bodies and this leaves them over to severe cravings as well as poor health!
So here are 2 tips to help your overcome physical cravings to food:
1. Eat a wholesome breakfast. This is key to prevent cravings later on in the day. A good breakfast can really make a difference. Make sure the breakfast is high in fiber. In one study, volunteers snacked 75% less during the day when eating a high-fibre diet compared to eating eggs and bacon. You could start your breakfast with a large fruit smoothie. I sometimes have a smoothie of 5-10 bananas and this keeps me sustained until lunch and longer. You could eat a few pieces of fruit at the start of your breakfast thought.
2. Eat fruit before every meal – as much as you desire. This is like eating your dessert first. Most of the time people search for that extra something at the end of the meal – this is your body wanting fruit (the sweetness!). So give it just that to begin with. Your meals should then leave you feeling more satisfied and less likely to crave.
Another aspect to cravings is emotional cravings. These are when an emotion triggers you to crave. It has also been called phantom hunger or emotional hunger because you aren’t really hungry but your body is using food to suppress feelings. Usually with emotional hunger you tend to overeat and want more even when you are stuffed. Below are two tips to help your recognize emotional hunger and to overcome it.
1. Observe yourself throughout a day. Observe your eating patterns and what triggers it. If an emotion does write it down. When you can see clearly what exactly is triggering your cravings, you can overcome them.
2. Write a list of things you can do instead of eat to overcome cravings. This can be as simple as sitting alone and allowing yourself to feel the feeling you would normally suppress with food, going for a walk or having a relaxing bath. Write a large list of alternatives to eating. Getting support is also important when first tackling our emotions head on.
Stop Food Cravings
Craving Fatty Foods
Previous Post: Cravings For Junk Food
Craving for junk food and fast food are a common problem in the Western world. Not only are there advertisements everywhere and popular chain stores around every corner, junk food meals target our very instinctual, primal diet – our sweet and meat tooths, making it that much harder to resist.
Giving up junk foods can be tough and to stop craving them can be tougher but it is possible. To stop eating junk foods you need to know firstly what to put into your body to nourish it enough not to crave these empty calories and to satisfy these cravings for sweet or junky foods. You then need to address your craving triggers and learn to avoid or to use something else instead of food as the solution.
Now, I am not saying that you need to diet. In fact you probably tried that and that just made you crave junk foods even more. Diets simply don’t work because even the word diet implies restriction. This can send one into a panic, and then into a junk food binge. I know I have been there. The best approach is to introduce good nutrient rich foods at the beginning of meals and at the beginning of your day. The beginning of the day is the easiest time in terms of cravings. Cravings usually appear as the day goes on. If you introduce nutrient rich foods at the beginning of meals you will find cravings diminish also. Instead of completely changing your diet, making a small change like this is something one is able to stick to because you know you will be getting your usual food afterwards.
Once you have successfully added in good foods to your diet, you should find you cravings diminish dramatically if not altogether. If they disappear and you are able to continue life without any problems that is great. Of course though for many physical cravings is only half the battle and they must deal with emotional or phantom hunger.
Emotional hunger is when one experiences a sudden urge to eat as though they are hungry, after emotions. For example some people find that spending the evening in front of the TV bores them. This feeling of boredom triggers them to want to eat – and eat they do! Others find that stress at work can trigger a sudden urge.
The best way to find out your triggers is to observe yourself throughout a day. When you know your triggers you will be better able to overcome them. Instead of eating, write a list of things you can do instead and carry it with you. Sometimes simply allowing yourself to feel the feeling is enough to get over the phantom hunger. If it isn’t eat some fruit (4-5 pieces).
Most people experience both physical cravings and emotional cravings so it is worth taking the time to work out your triggers. In a society where food is used to celebrate, to mourn and to enjoy ourselves, it is no wonder that most people eat due to emotions – so make sure you spend just as much time on this aspect of your eating as the physical cravings.
Stop Junk Food Cravings
Cheese addiction is fairly common in the Western world but most people don’t realize they are addicted to it. It seems crazy but a lot of the foods we eat have physically addictive properties and keep us hooked and coming back for more time and time again. Not only do we have to battle with the physical addiction of these foods but also the emotional addiction. We are a society of comfort eaters.
So what makes cheese addictive?
In 1981 Eli Hazum and colleagues (referenced in Breaking The Food Seduction) discovered traces of a chemical in cow milk’s that was similar to morphine. They put it through several tests only to conclude that in fact it WAS morphine. Morphine is a highly addictive opiate, but what is it doing in cow’s milk?
Well cow’s produce morphine in their bodies. This is most likely to cause a calming effect on their young to make sure they continue to feed to get the nutrients they need but also to make sure they bond with their mother.
On top of milk containing morphine, it also contains casein which when broken down during digestion frees a whole host of opiates. Casein is in a much higher concentration than in just milk too. So as you can see cheese is highly addictive.
So how do you overcome your cravings for cheese?
First of all you need to nourish your body properly. Feed your body healthy foods and the right foods so you no longer feel the physical craving for cheese. A tip to get you started is to eat as much fruit as you desire before each meal. This will satisfy you enough for you not to crave anything after your meals.
Cut dairy out completely or reduce it dramatically. Don’t eat cheese, not even a little as it is much harder to avoid the first bite then the second.
Lastly make sure you are not craving cheese for emotional reasons. Observe yourself throughout a day and see if emotions/stress trigger you to crave cheese. If so you can then begin to address the emotions you are feeling and stop using food to suppress them. If need be get support from others so you can turn to them when you are feeling stressed as opposed to cheese.
You can overcome cheese addiction, you just need to become aware of your triggers and nourish your body with the right foods to stop physical cravings arising.
Overcome Cheese Addiction
Chocolate craving is a common occurrence among women. It can consume us especially when our period is about due. Most women simply give in to their craving and don’t think that it is that big a deal, but for others the cravings are so intense that it becomes almost life consuming. If you are turning your house upside down to find chocolate or going out late to specifically get chocolate you are not alone! 90% of women experience chocolate cravings but often it is not taken seriously enough.
No matter whether you crave a little or a lot, chocolate is addicted and targets the same area of your brain as heroin does. On top of having an opiate like effect on your brain, chocolate also contains caffeine, theobromine (a stimulant similar to caffeine), phenylethylamine (an amphetamine-like substance) and also traces of compounds similar to THC (the active ingredient in Marijuana). So you are fighting a physically addictive substance here and it shouldn’t be taken so light heartedly!
On top of physically craving chocolate, chocolate is also a comfort food used by many us. Of course it isn’t the only one – other junk foods are also commonly used to emotional numb us, take away boredom and relieve us from stress. However the physical addiction of chocolate as well as the emotional addiction can lead to disaster and can make it almost impossible to overcome.
So what do you do when cravings hit? Here are 5 tips to help you overcome the physical cravings to chocolate.
1. Eat a nutritious satiating breakfast.
Eating a good breakfast will not only help you overcome cravings but if help you fight them off later in the day. I know if I don’t have a good breakfast I can get intense cravings very easily in the afternoon. Be careful what you choose to eat also. Whole foods are the best type of food to eat in the morning as they will give you the energy you need and won’t have been stripped from nutrients, so try to consume plenty of fresh fruit with your breakfast. Dr Neal Barnard in his book Breaking the Food Seduction, sites a study stating that when volunteers ate regular oatmeal over instant oatmeal they snacked 35% less during the day. This shows you how important it is to eat a less refined breakfast and one that is nutritious and will sustain you.
2. Eat regularly.
Try not to leave a huge gap between meals or leave time for you to start feeling too hungry. Being too hungry can lead to uncontrollable cravings.
Eat regularly to avoid getting overly hungry. Five mini-meals spaced out throughout the day may work best. But if that is too hard to accomplish go for three main meals with two healthy snacks.
3. Don’t even have a little chocolate.
Many people advocate giving yourself a little “treat” now and then. I think that to have only a small treat of something you crave so much is dangerous and always leads to eating more. That has always been the case for me. I don’t eat it now and haven’t for a long time. I don’t miss it either! So be strong. Your cravings will diminish completely after a few days or so.
4. Identify what triggers your cravings.
Do you crave chocolate when you are bored, stressed, angry? Find out what triggers your cravings and find something else to overcome the feelings you are having. This can be as easy as allowing yourself time alone to feel the emotion and let it pass, to going for a walk or talking to someone.
5. Wait it out.
Sometimes cravings only last a few minutes. So you can try waiting it out. If you find it doesn’t subside and are still craving badly have some water or eat some fruit. Don’t stock chocolate in your house either as this makes it easier for you to get a hold of and more likely you will cave.
For more tips and information about chocolate cravings:Stop Craving Chocolate
