Healthy Ways To Channel Your Food Cravings

November 08, 2018

Handle your cravings the healthy way

Remember that intense craving to eat that yummy cupcake or a packet of crunchy chips? Such strong cravings are nearly impossible to resist. To channel them in healthy ways we need to understand what our body is telling us through these cravings.

Understanding Food Cravings

Food cravings could be caused by various physiological, emotional or lifestyle-related reasons. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common reasons.

The Hormones Behind Cravings

Leptin and Serotonin are two hormones that are linked to cravings. Leptin's primary job is to suppress our appetite after having enough. When there is excess fat stored in our body, our ability to perceive our actual appetite is dulled. This is known as Leptin resistance.

Serotonin - the feel-good hormone is also linked to cravings. When our serotonin levels are low, our brains think, “Oh! that cake or doughnut is going to make me feel better!” A low serotonin level can be attributed to poor gut health, alcohol consumption or depression.

Eating Disorders

Food addiction and emotional eating are two major eating disorders. A recent study has revealed that our brain gets addicted to so-called ‘comfort foods’ similar to how smokers get addicted to cigarettes. Emotional eating can be triggered by negative emotions like sadness, boredom, stress, poor self-esteem, negative body image, and the list goes on. Emotional cravings are referred to as 'phantom hunger' since the food cravings are often fleeting and disappear within an hour. The best way to deal with eating disorders is replacing them with healthy and effective coping strategies.

Handling Food Cravings

How we choose to fulfil a craving can make all the difference.

Stay hydrated

A crucial step in controlling cravings is to keep drinking water throughout the day. Staying hydrated allows you to keep a check on your hunger.

Avoid sugary foods and processed carbs

Stay away from sugary foods and processed carbs to prevent leptin surges and blood sugar crashes that pump up your appetite. When indulging in tasty treats, opt for snacks that are low sugar, high fibre, made with high protein ingredients like dark chocolate, almond, cassava or bean flours. These ingredients won’t trigger cravings.

Exercise and stay rested

Exercise and good habits boost serotonin levels helping you say no to sugary treats and extra carbs more easily. Other feel-good habits include meditation, journaling and getting enough sunshine.

Avoid trigger foods for 21 days

If you really want to break food cravings, one of the best ways is to completely avoid eating some of your favourite guilty-pleasure foods for a fixed period. Your taste buds will change over time and your body will start to crave the healthy, whole foods once you begin to make them your new habit.

The key is understanding that food cravings are driven by your own body and reducing the number of times you indulge them. Try to substitute it with healthier food choices rather than picking up something that’s processed.

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