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May 28, 2023 · Method 1. Curbing Cravings Quickly. 1. Pop a piece of gum. Chewing gum can trick your brain into feeling satisfied, especially if you have a craving for sugar. Choose sugar-free gum and pop a piece whenever you get the urge to indulge in a dessert or that afternoon cupcake.
- 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
- Balanced Blood Sugar. Keeping your blood sugar balanced is one of the best things you can do for overcoming cravings. That’s because healthy blood sugar is tied to healthy blood flow.
- Combat Stress. Stress drives food cravings. Do everything you can to keep stress levels down with relaxation. Some of the best ways to do this is by getting regular exercise, practicing yoga or meditation, not rushing, practicing deep breathing, and engaging in hobbies and pursuits you enjoy.
- Restful Sleep. Make sure you get 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night. Poor sleep and sleep deprivation affect the levels of hunger and appetite hormones, which can create food cravings.
- Take Targeted Supplements. Nutritional supplements can go a long way toward keeping cravings in check – especially if they’re formulated to manage the mechanisms that drive food cravings.
Jun 24, 2024 · The first steps to overcoming a food addiction include listing the pros and cons of quitting trigger foods, finding healthy food alternatives, and setting a fixed date to start the journey...
Aug 23, 2024 · Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just eat healthier, food cravings can tempt you away from a balanced diet. Overcoming these cravings might be tough now, but with a few tips and tricks, you can retrain your brain and take control of your eating habits.
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- There are many ways to distract our bodies when the cravings strike. Take a multivitamin, preferably a chewable or gummy vitamin, with a glass of w...
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Jun 2, 2021 · 1. Eat enough calories. It’s important to fuel your body properly to keep it healthy and functioning at its best. Without enough calories and nutrients, it’s natural that your body signals...
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May 10, 2018 · Before you can stop a craving, your first step is to determine whether you’re desiring food for emotional (stress, for instance, or depression) or physical (e.g., hunger) reasons. Not sure? Check out our cheat sheet: Your craving is emotional if: You’re hankering for high-fat and high-sugar comfort foods.
