Kick Your Cravings to the Curb

We all get them: those nagging, persistent, compelling urges to chew, taste, indulge and devour. They call to us in the middle of the day, at the end of the day and for some of us even late at night. So what do we do? Do we give in, do we give up? NO, instead we need to learn how to control those impulse reactions by acquiring the necessary tools to do so. Read on to learn ways to control your cravings …

So, you may be wondering, what is a “craving?” Many times a craving indicates a lack of something in the body related to a hormonal imbalance, stress, lack of nutrition or even forced deprivation. Our bodies are telling us that we need to stop and pay more attention to replenish and restore our energy levels with food, sleep or just simple relaxation.

Tips to decrease your cravings:
1. Eat regularly
One of the best ways to manage your daily intake is by eating small, nutritious foods throughout the day. About every 3-4 hours is ideal as that ensures you never get too hungry: a main cause of over-eating and weight gain. Another benefit of small, frequent healthy meals is that you are more likely to meet all your nutritional needs for the day which promote a healthy mind, body and boosts your metabolism. Eating well makes you feel better and this will keep you on a healthy track, making healthy choices all day long. Examples of small meals could include 3 oz grilled chicken/fish, 1 cup of steamed veggies and ½ cup of brown rice, OR, 6-8 ounces plain low or non-fat yogurt with 1 cup of whole grain cereal and ½ cup berries.

2. Get plenty of sleep
Many researchers speculate that 8 hours of sleep is the magic number, however, studies also reveal genetics can also affect how much sleep you require for full restoration. It is best to pay attention to the way you feel when you wake up. A sign that you are NOT getting enough sleep is if you have to hit the snooze button more then once and/or you feel as though you are dragging or fatigued during the day. Further, if you engage in moderate to heavy exercise more than 4 times a week your body may need an extra hour or 2 of sleep for full recovery and repletion. When our bodies don’t get the adequate rest it requires it instinctively seeks out high calorie/fat foods that it knows will provide quick energy. Moral of the story: the better you sleep the fewer calories you’ll consume.

3. Stay hydrated
We often get confused between a thirst signal and a hunger signal as they both come from the same area of the brain, the hypothalamus. The easiest way to understand the difference between a hunger signal and a thirst signal is to remain adequately hydrated throughout the day. An easy way to do so is to keep a water bottle with you at ALL times and WHEREVER you go. Stainless steel bottles are the safest and most highly recommended as they are BPA free, a harmful chemical found in plastic and some aluminum bottles. On average, about 8-8 ounce glasses is the minimum amount of water you should drink per day, however, this may not be enough if you exercise regularly. One way to test your hydration level is by the color of your urine as it should appear colorless or slightly yellow. Keep in mind that most other beverages and foods contain water as well such as soups and raw fruits/vegetables.

4. Deal with stress
Taking control of your stress levels via healthy techniques such as exercise or deep breathing will help you feel calm and keep hormones in balance. This may instantly help decrease cravings. Many of us deal with stress with rather harmful habits that lead to poor health over time and can disrupt hormonal/chemical balances which is what leads to addiction or severe cravings. Studies show that some bad habits such as smoking, drinking and OVER-eating can become very addictive over time as the body starts to crave these substances to fill the “void.” By replacing these habits with healthier ones you can reverse the damage and train your body to stop signaling for it. Next time you’re feeling super-stressed, call up a friend to chat, or better yet, use that stress to fuel a high intensity workout at the gym. When we do good things for ourselves, it can become one of the healthiest addictions out there and that’s a craving we all should want to keep around.

5. Moderation
So you’ve done all of the above, and you still can’t seem to kick the craving. Now is when we have to just give in. And no, that doesn’t mean run to the store buy a whole box of chocolate chip cookies and shove them in your mouth before you even get to check out. It means treating yourself to small portion of whatever it is that you have been thinking about. By allowing yourself to have your favorite foods once in a while, you will be much more successful at controlling cravings.  Deprivation is not the way to go, as your body will almost ALWAYS bounce right back like a rubber band. That’s why crash dieting never works and those fat free donuts just never seem to suffice. Your cravings will become so intense, you may even really find yourself one day out of control, in the back of the corner store, scarfing down those Entenmann’s cookies. Yummy! Be honest with yourself and give yourself a little break once in a while when you know you deserve it. Here is where I will use my favorite line, EVERYTHING IS OKAY IN MODERATION.
Keep the cravings on the curb and your health will stay in the home! 

**Please note, if you have been experiencing severe thirst, hunger or any other cravings that do not go away, please consult with your primary physician as this may be a sign of more serious medical condition or endocrine disorder**

I would like to thank Lisa Moskovitz for writing this article.
Lisa is a Registered Dietitian and recent graduate of NYPH Dietetic Internship who has gone on to secure a job working as a clinical dietitian at a long term care facility in the Bronx. Ultimately, she is working towards building up her own private practice and becoming an established consulting dietitian/nutritionist for the NYC community. Her specialities include sports nutrition, digestive disorders and general wellness.