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Oct 26, 2024 · 3. Eat more fiber. Eat more fiber: beans, apples and oatmealwithout sweetener are all good examples. (I use unsweetened oat milk and sea salt on my oatmeal. It might seem unappealing, but it’s become delicious. Leave room for your tastes to change.) Replace bad-for-you foods with these high-fiber foods.
5 ways to stop cravings. There are a number of theories about how to help yourself resist a food craving, or even prevent the craving. Drink more water. A study found that drinking 500ml of water ...
- Drink enough water. Studies show that around 37% of people confuse thirst for hunger, often because the same part of the brain interprets both signals.
- Eat more protein. You may associate a high-protein diet with people looking to build muscle or gain weight. However, protein is an essential nutrient for making up virtually every tissue within the body, from skin and nails to muscles and bones, and also plays a significant role in regulating appetite.
- Eat wholesome foods. If you’ve ever had cravings after consuming fruit juice or sugary carbonated beverages or eating cookies, processed meats, and fast food, this may be because these foods contain empty calories.
- Drink some coffee. Coffee is loved for its energy-boosting properties, but did you know that it also works as an appetite suppressant? This is because it contains caffeine, a natural stimulant with thermogenic effects that may temporarily increase your metabolism and decrease your appetite.
- Overview
- 1. Drink Water
- 2. Eat More Protein
- 3. Distance Yourself From the Craving
- 4. Plan Your Meals
- 5. Avoid Getting Extremely Hungry
- 6. Fight Stress
- 7. Take Spinach Extract
- 8. Get Enough Sleep
- 9. Eat Proper Meals
Awareness of cravings and their triggers makes them easier to avoid. Strategies like eating more protein, planning meals, and eating mindfully can also help reduce them.
Food cravings are the dieter’s worst enemy.
These are intense or uncontrollable desires for specific foods, stronger than normal hunger.
The types of foods that people crave are highly variable, but these are often processed junk foods that are high in sugar.
Cravings are one of the biggest reasons why people have problems losing weight and keeping it off.
Here are 11 simple ways to prevent or stop unhealthy food and sugar cravings.
Thirst is often confused with hunger or food cravings.
If you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, try drinking a large glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that the craving fades away, because your body was actually just thirsty.
Furthermore, drinking plenty of water may have many health benefits. In middle-aged and older people, drinking water before meals can reduce appetite and help with weight loss (1, 2, 3).
Summary
Eating more protein may reduce your appetite and keep you from overeating.
It also reduces cravings, and helps you feel full and satisfied for longer (4).
One study of overweight teenage girls showed that eating a high-protein breakfast reduced cravings significantly (5).
Another study in overweight men showed that increasing protein intake to 25% of calories reduced cravings by 60%. Additionally, the desire to snack at night was reduced by 50% (6).
Summary
Increasing protein intake may reduce cravings by up to 60% and cut the desire to snack at night by 50%.
When you feel a craving, try to distance yourself from it.
For example, you can take a brisk walk or a shower to shift your mind onto something else. A change in thought and environment may help stop the craving.
Some studies have also shown that chewing gum can help reduce appetite and cravings (7, 8).
Summary
If possible, try to plan your meals for the day or upcoming week.
By already knowing what you’re going to eat, you eliminate the factor of spontaneity and uncertainty.
If you don’t have to think about what to eat at the following meal, you will be less tempted and less likely to experience cravings.
Summary
Hunger is one of the biggest reasons why we experience cravings.
To avoid getting extremely hungry, it may be a good idea to eat regularly and have healthy snacks close at hand.
By being prepared, and avoiding long periods of hunger, you may be able to prevent the craving from showing up at all.
Summary
Stress may induce food cravings and influence eating behaviors, especially for women (9, 10, 11).
Women under stress have been shown to eat significantly more calories and experience more cravings than non-stressed women (12).
Furthermore, stress raises your blood levels of cortisol, a hormone that can make you gain weight, especially in the belly area (13, 14).
Try to minimize stress in your environment by planning ahead, meditating and generally slowing down.
Summary
Being under stress may induce cravings, eating and weight gain, especially in women.
Spinach extract is a “new” supplement on the market, made from spinach leaves.
It helps delay fat digestion, which increases the levels of hormones that reduce appetite and hunger, such as GLP-1.
Studies show that taking 3.7–5 grams of spinach extract with a meal may reduce appetite and cravings for several hours (15, 16, 17, 18).
One study in overweight women showed that 5 grams of spinach extract per day reduced cravings for chocolate and high-sugar foods by a whopping 87–95% (18).
Summary
Spinach extract delays the digestion of fat and increases the levels of hormones that can reduce appetite and cravings.
Your appetite is largely affected by hormones that fluctuate throughout the day.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the fluctuations, and may lead to poor appetite regulation and strong cravings (19, 20).
Studies support this, showing that sleep-deprived people are up to 55% more likely to become obese, compared to people who get enough sleep (21).
For this reason, getting good sleep may be one of the most powerful ways to prevent cravings from showing up.
Summary
Sleep deprivation may disrupt normal fluctuations in appetite hormones, leading to cravings and poor appetite control.
Hunger and a lack of key nutrients can both cause certain cravings.
Therefore, it’s important to eat proper meals at mealtimes. This way, your body gets the nutrients it needs and you won’t get extremely hungry right after eating.
If you find yourself in need of a snack between meals, make sure it’s something healthy. Reach for whole foods, such as fruits, nuts, vegetables or seeds.
Summary
Sep 13, 2021 · Staying hydrated is important for avoiding cravings. Drink 64+ ounces of water per day. Spice it up by adding cucumber slices, fresh fruit, or mint leaves. Get enough sleep. Studies show that sleep deprivation adds to the likelihood of food cravings. Instead of eating a late night snack, just go to bed.
- Founder
May 24, 2023 · Put the raisin on your tongue and let it sit while it slowly moistens. Notice how it feels in your mouth. Move the raisin around in your mouth with your tongue and slowly chew it as you notice the sweetness and stringiness of its flesh. Chew it enough times so that it completely dissolves into a liquid.
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Jun 2, 2021 · Rather, simply pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues and feed your body when it needs fuel. 4. Eat filling, nutrient-dense foods. A simple way to keep cravings in check, feel fuller for ...
