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Reducing Cravings for Certain Foods
We all crave food on a daily basis…It is called hunger. That’s not
what we are talking about here though. I’m referring to
food
and drink cravings that can be caused by a nutritional deficiency,
your emotional state or simply by habit.
Some people self medicate themselves when they are lonely, sad or just
feel bad in general. After a while this turns into cravings for food
when they experience those feelings. Eating a lot of food, especially
foods filled with sugar causes the blood to rush to the stomach and a
release of serotonin, resulting in feeling better – at least for a
little while.
Food cravings also appear when you are lacking certain nutrients. For
example, people with iron deficiencies often crave red meat.
We also tend to get in a habit of thinking we need a certain type of
food at a certain time. If you always have popcorn while watching a
movie, sooner or later you will crave it as soon as you sit down to
enjoy a new film. You're training yourself to eat popcorn whenever you
watch a movie.
Are Food Cravings Really Dangerous Or Addictive?
In general food of course isn’t dangerous or necessarily addictive. In
fact it is necessary for us to eat every single day. However, food can
become dangerous or addictive when we become too emotionally involved
with it, or overeat because of the food addiction. Food cravings can
also cause us to make unhealthy food choices which can affect our
overall health and well being and even shorten our life-spans.
Unhealthy food choices, such as too many fatty or sugary foods can lead
to diabetes, obesity, heart problems and a variety of other health
conditions. This is why it is so important that you take control of your
food cravings as soon as possible.
What Can I Do To Reduce Cravings For Certain Foods?
The best way to
curb
food cravings is to make sure you eat a balanced diet and provide
your body with all the nutrients it needs. If you are an emotional
eater, you also need to make a conscious effort to not allow your
emotions to control what you eat and stop emotional eating altogether.
When you encounter a craving for let’s say chocolate, ask yourself… “Why
am I craving this chocolate bar? Is it because I feel sad?”
Acknowledging the emotional connection is the first step to stopping
your emotional eating. A good next step would be to deal with the
feeling instead of medicating it with food.
Become more aware of your food cravings and the reason behind them. Then
take steps toward dealing with the cravings. If you eat out of habit,
break the habit by doing something else. If you crave food when you are
bored, call a friend or go for a walk instead. Speak to your physician
or a nutritionist about an appropriate supplement if you feel your food
cravings are caused by nutritional deficiencies. Take it one step at a
time and before you know it, you will have control over your food
cravings.
Are cravings controlling your life? Diana Walker's book
www.CravingSecrets.com will show you why you have certain food
cravings, how they affect your health and your mood, and what you can do
to beat them and live a healthier life.
Your Secret Weapon for a Healthy Eating
Lifestyle
Would you like us to come up with most of your grocery list? Join the
Healthy Menu Mailer
today. We will send you 7 healthy dinner recipes a week with a grocery
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copyright 2007 Val Selby www.busymommawellness.com
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