How To Reduce Food Cravings?
Food cravings are a strong desire for a specific food or type of food. They are a common phenomenon that most people experience at some point in their lives.
Food cravings can be triggered by various factors, including hormonal changes, emotional states, or a lack of certain nutrients in the diet.
They can also be a sign that your body is lacking certain vitamins or minerals. In most cases, food cravings are harmless and will pass on their own.
However, if they are disrupting your daily life or causing you to regularly eat comfort foods rich in saturated fats and sugars; it may be a good idea to speak with a dietitian who can pinpoint the reasons of those cravings, guide you and give you a personalized plan.
For starters, here are 13 tips to reduce your cravings:
Eat regular, balanced meals / Avoid skipping meals: Eating regular meals that include a variety of healthy foods can help keep your blood sugar levels stable, which can reduce cravings for sugary or high-fat foods as well as feeling starved or HANGRY.
Increase your intake of protein and fiber-rich foods: Protein such as lean meat, fish or chicken and fiber such as whole-grain breads, brown rice, beans, nuts and seeds. They both slow the rate of digestion causing you to feel fuller for longer periods of time.
Stock up on healthy food: Keep fruits and foods like yogurt, nuts, seeds and dried fruits within reach for when sugar cravings hit.
Find healthy substitutes: If you have a specific food craving, try to find a healthy substitute that can satisfy the craving without derailing your healthy eating habits. For example, if you're craving ice cream, try a frozen banana with dark chocolate or a fruit smoothie instead. Make sure to make the substitute appealing to you!
Give in a little: Restricting yourself when you have a craving will only make the craving stronger! Enjoying a little of what you love can help you steer clear of feeling denied. So, if you want ice cream, go ahead and have some!
Drink plenty of water: Dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, so it's important to stay hydrated. Drinking water can also help fill you up and reduce cravings.
Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can increase the production of hormones that drive hunger and cravings, so make sure to get enough rest.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity can help reduce stress and improve your mood, which can in turn decrease cravings.
Change your routine: Our environment often triggers certain cravings that we get used to out of habit. For example, if you always have a bag of chips while watching your favorite series at night, try to read a book instead while sipping an herbal tea or to simply switch the chips with home-made pop-corn or carrots and lemon juice sticks.
Limit your intake of stimulants and trigger foods that increase the appetite: Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners and processed foods.
Practice mindful eating: Pay attention to your body's hunger and fullness signals and try to eat when you're truly hungry. Avoid eating when you're stressed, bored or anxious, as this could lead to mindless eating or overeating.
Use the HALT acronym: It is a term used to describe the impact that being hungry, angry, lonely, or tired can have on an individual's behavior and decision-making around food. It reminds us to take a moment (HALT, which means STOP) and ask ourselves if we are feeling Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. For example:
If you let yourself become extremely hungry or starved, you will most likely not be able to control your food intake.
If you are angry, you might impulsively or mindlessly eat a bag of chips while thinking of what is bothering you.
If you are lonely, you might eat a piece of cake because you are trying to fill out the void.
If you are tired, you might ignore your body’s signal that tells you to sleep and end up eating to compensate for the lack of energy.
It is important to recognize when you are feeling hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, and STOP – take a step back and address those feelings in a thoughtful way.
This may include eating a nutritious meal, expressing your feelings in a healthy way, reaching out to friends or family, or getting enough rest. By managing your emotional state, you can prevent the negative effects of the HALT effect and make healthier choices.
13. Keep a food and mood diary: A journal will help you identify the times of the day and situations when your cravings are hitting, and help you recognize what your triggers are. Stress, emotional eating or loneliness are usually a common cause for cravings; try to find other ways to cope with those feelings.
Try some of these tips this week and see how they help you reduce your cravings!
References:
"The benefits of eating protein and fiber-rich foods for reducing cravings are supported by a study published in the journal Appetite." (Patel et al., 2017).
"The finding that giving in to a craving a little can help to reduce cravings in the long run is supported by a study published in the journal Obesity." (Hofmann et al., 2016).
"The evidence that exercise can help to reduce cravings is supported by a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise." (Eisenberg et al., 2015).
Stéphanie