It can be difficult to resist the urge to eat a chocolate bar instead of just wanting one piece. If one is not careful, hankerings like these can get the better of, leading to overindulge and deviate from balanced eating goals.
First and foremost, don't feel bad for eating food that isn't really good. We all crave it from time to time, and depriving ourselves of everything we want will take the fun out of eating. We can jeopardies good nutrition and healthy weight when certain food cravings occur frequently.
Pangs can strike for a number of reasons, and learning how to manage cravings when they strike — or at the very least ride them out in a safe manner — can help to stand up to their allure.
How can one control their cravings?
Any food can be included in a well-balanced diet if consumed in moderation. However, if one feel that their food cravings are interfering with their weight loss or other health-related goals, consider the following strategies:
Drink Water
Thirst is often mistaken for hunger or food cravings. If one has an unexpected craving for a certain food, drink a large glass of water and wait a few mins. Since the body was genuinely thirsty, and found that the desire fades away.
Drinking plenty of water can also have a number of health benefits. Drinking water before meals can help minimize appetite and reduce the risk of obesity in middle-aged and older people.
Consider this before anyone starts doing 100 burpees: a high-intensity exercise will make one feel much more hungry, while a low-intensity practice, such as a brisk walk or a short bodyweight home workout, may have the opposite impact.
According to one study, it could cause one to consume half the amount of chocolate one would normally consume. If someone is feeling adventurous, they can also consider walking backwards the next time the hunger strikes.
The root cause of craving
Although a general sweet tooth can indicate a sugar addiction, and everyday food cravings are habitual, random cravings may reveal a lot about one's well being and what their bodies are trying to say.
Salty cravings, for example, can indicate dehydration, while sweet cravings can indicate a hormonal imbalance or shift.
Investigate what particular craving entails, and then provide the body with the nutrients it requires to eliminate the craving.
No food rules
Recognize that consuming a diverse range of foods will help to improve balanced eating and weight loss. Consume what you really want, but do it in moderation. When selecting foods rich in calories and fat, be mindful of what constitutes a serving and practice proper portion management.
Finally, practice constructive "self-talk." Restriction will lead to bingeing. Binge eating has been linked to dieting and dietary control. This restrict-binge loop is the very opposite of a healthy, mild, and peaceful approach to food and nutrition.
Eat often but slow
Eating every few hours will help to maintain a stable blood sugar level and reduce the likelihood of a hunger pang. Divide breakfast and lunch into two parts so that one will have plenty to eat in between. However, one can still eat slowly.
It can take up to 20 minutes for the stomach to give the signal that it's full to the brain. Running for sweets right after dinner can seem less tempting when slow down and try to enjoy each bite. When one eats like this, they start enjoying the food rather than just dumping it in the stomach.
In General: Don’t crave, it’s just a trick by brain
Though food cravings can seem and sometimes sound to come from stomach, they are actually caused by the brain.
People's cravings for fat, sugar, and salt seem to have existed since the Stone Age. Fatty meat (a good source of calories), sweet vegetables (which were often healthy to eat), and salty liquids (which helped their body retain fluid) were all eaten by early humans, but these foods weren't necessarily readily accessible.
As a result, once our forefathers enjoyed them, their minds received the signal that they had done something positive, programming them to desire more as a way of survival.
Despite the fact that food is more plentiful and accessible today, this primitive drive nevertheless manifests itself from time to time. Boredom, fatigue, fear, and isolation are all factors that influence when cravings occur.
Neurotransmitters, the brain chemicals that carry messages across the body, may be affected by certain foods and even lifestyle decisions. Food will affect our mood, even though eating is a way for certain people to relax.
