Beating Food Cravings - Smart Steps For Diet Success
Have you ever been struggling to achieve a health goal, be it weight loss, build up muscle tone or beat an allergy only to be regularly derailed by food cravings? Are you the kind of person that has to cross the road when you see a bakery or chocolate shop? Can you walk through a shopping centre without making a quick stop at the patisserie on the way out? Food cravings are the surest way to ruin our best health intentions.
Whether it be cravings for chocolate, cakes, fresh baked bread or other more exotic cravings, they impact nearly everyone that starts a new health program or diet.
While cravings typically are at their worst in the first ten to fourteen days of a new, healthy lifestyle, don't be surprised to find them resurfacing any time you feel stressed, fatigued or anxious.
Food is one of the quickest ways for the body to re-ground itself and the body will instinctively crave foods that through past habits have become associated with a pleasurable experience.
Fortunately, food cravings do not need to rule our lives and most certainly do not need to short circuit our plans for optimal wellness.
There are a number of strategies that have been shown to be effective in stopping food cravings in there tracks and enable our transition to a healthier way of life.
Try to make your first meal of the day high in protein and fat.
Research from the University of Alabama has indicated that consumption of a high fat meal early in the morning switched the body from carbohydrate metabolism to fat metabolism.
This led to far more effective fat metabolism through out the day than starting the day with the typical western breakfast of toast and cereal.
Obtaining our bodies energy requirements through fat metabolism avoids the spikes and drops in blood sugar and the resulting cravings for high carbohydrate sources such as breads, pastas, sugars, chocolate and coffee.
Space protein intake across three, evenly spaced meals rather than having one high protein meal per day.
The addition of a high quality protein consumed with each meal helps to reduce the effect of food consumed on blood sugar levels.
Research undertaken in Canada showed that the more easily digestible the protein, the higher these benefits were.
Good sources of easily digestible protein include eggs, lean meats, fish and chicken.
For vegans, supplementation with a rice / pea protein supplement may be necessary to ensure sufficient amino acids are available just after eating.
By avoiding a spike in blood sugar levels after food the subsequent low is averted which eliminates the bodies need for quick release energy sources and the resulting food cravings.
Magnesium and chromium are both often recommended for reduction and control of food cravings.
Studies from Tufts University in Boston showed that increasing magnesium intake was associated with a reduction in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
It has been found that magnesium improves the action of the bodies own insulin on our cells.
This improves the ability to regulate blood glucose levels and maintain a level balance, in turn preventing the need to reach for the cake or coffee.
Magnesium can be readily obtained through green leafy vegetables, particularly kale, collard greens and bok choy.
Increasing these vegetables offers a secondary benefit as the extra fibre consumed acts in the same way as protein to lower the blood sugar spike from the meal.
Magnesium supplements are also readily obtainable from most health food stores.
Finally, don't underestimate the value of diversion.
How often have you been told just to think of something else for a while? A recent meta analysis from Flinders University in Australia asked volunteers that were experiencing food cravings to imagine the appearance of a rainbow or the smell of eucalyptus.
The results showed that food cravings were reduced which, while not fixing the actual cause of the craving, can keep the cravings at bay while preparing a healthy alternative.
Don't let food cravings ruin your attempts to achieve optimum health.
With extra focus on meal planning to ensure the right mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates at each meal while maintaining high levels of magnesium these don't need to rule you life.
Whether it be cravings for chocolate, cakes, fresh baked bread or other more exotic cravings, they impact nearly everyone that starts a new health program or diet.
While cravings typically are at their worst in the first ten to fourteen days of a new, healthy lifestyle, don't be surprised to find them resurfacing any time you feel stressed, fatigued or anxious.
Food is one of the quickest ways for the body to re-ground itself and the body will instinctively crave foods that through past habits have become associated with a pleasurable experience.
Fortunately, food cravings do not need to rule our lives and most certainly do not need to short circuit our plans for optimal wellness.
There are a number of strategies that have been shown to be effective in stopping food cravings in there tracks and enable our transition to a healthier way of life.
Try to make your first meal of the day high in protein and fat.
Research from the University of Alabama has indicated that consumption of a high fat meal early in the morning switched the body from carbohydrate metabolism to fat metabolism.
This led to far more effective fat metabolism through out the day than starting the day with the typical western breakfast of toast and cereal.
Obtaining our bodies energy requirements through fat metabolism avoids the spikes and drops in blood sugar and the resulting cravings for high carbohydrate sources such as breads, pastas, sugars, chocolate and coffee.
Space protein intake across three, evenly spaced meals rather than having one high protein meal per day.
The addition of a high quality protein consumed with each meal helps to reduce the effect of food consumed on blood sugar levels.
Research undertaken in Canada showed that the more easily digestible the protein, the higher these benefits were.
Good sources of easily digestible protein include eggs, lean meats, fish and chicken.
For vegans, supplementation with a rice / pea protein supplement may be necessary to ensure sufficient amino acids are available just after eating.
By avoiding a spike in blood sugar levels after food the subsequent low is averted which eliminates the bodies need for quick release energy sources and the resulting food cravings.
Magnesium and chromium are both often recommended for reduction and control of food cravings.
Studies from Tufts University in Boston showed that increasing magnesium intake was associated with a reduction in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
It has been found that magnesium improves the action of the bodies own insulin on our cells.
This improves the ability to regulate blood glucose levels and maintain a level balance, in turn preventing the need to reach for the cake or coffee.
Magnesium can be readily obtained through green leafy vegetables, particularly kale, collard greens and bok choy.
Increasing these vegetables offers a secondary benefit as the extra fibre consumed acts in the same way as protein to lower the blood sugar spike from the meal.
Magnesium supplements are also readily obtainable from most health food stores.
Finally, don't underestimate the value of diversion.
How often have you been told just to think of something else for a while? A recent meta analysis from Flinders University in Australia asked volunteers that were experiencing food cravings to imagine the appearance of a rainbow or the smell of eucalyptus.
The results showed that food cravings were reduced which, while not fixing the actual cause of the craving, can keep the cravings at bay while preparing a healthy alternative.
Don't let food cravings ruin your attempts to achieve optimum health.
With extra focus on meal planning to ensure the right mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates at each meal while maintaining high levels of magnesium these don't need to rule you life.
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