Everyone has times throughout their day or week where they have a sudden urge for a particular food, and it is normally not a healthy food. It doesn’t matter how many fruits or vegetables you have eaten, or how physically active you have been throughout the week, once in a while our bodies and our minds crave certain foods.
Occasional cravings for a particular food are nothing to worry about. But cravings that occur consistently can lead to weight gain, lab abnormalities, high blood sugar, and an overload of fat, salt, or sugar.

Lots of people I talk to mention that the hardest part for them when on a diet, is to deal with food cravings. Cravings range from chocolate, crisps, alcohol, biscuits, sweets, desserts, etc. Anything high in fat and sugar.

When people think of "going on a diet", they generally think of depriving themselves of everything they like to eat. Are you like that as well ?

What are you depriving yourself from when on a diet ?

My clients are always very surprised when I talk about nutrition. I always start by asking them to write a food diary and when they do eat something that is high in sugar or fat, I also ask them to write down what made them eat it, what went through their mind at that moment, how stressed they were, and if there was a specific trigger that made them crave that specific food.

A diet in my opinion is not about deprivation, or cutting out food groups. A diet is a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating habits that you can keep for the rest of your life. And healthy and balanced, doesn't mean deprivation.

Most people I know that deprive themselves from their favorite foods, end up by bingeing on them at some point. Then feel very bad and disappointed about themselves, which doesn't help in any way. And when they deprive themselves of something, they get cravings to those specific foods, or related food items.

Cravings generally occur due to some imbalance in your body. Be it from having cut out certain food groups hence not having the needed in your body to function properly, or because you haven't eaten for quite a while, your blood sugar levels are low, and your body sends out a signal saying that you need a quick fix to get your sugar levels back up asap.  But cravings potentially can also occur during stressful times, or through hormonal changes, mainly in women.

So how do you cope with cravings ? Here are some tips that might help you next time:

Drink more water

Sometimes you feel hungry, but your body actually needs water to rehydrate. So when you feel hungry, first of all start by drinking 2 glasses of water, and wait 15 minutes. The craving and feeling of hunger might just go away. Obviously, if you haven't eaten for more than 4 hours, it might indeed be hunger ! Still, drink the water and eat something healthy and balanced.

Don't buy high fat, high sugar foods

If you don't have temptation in the house, you'll be less likely to reach out for it. Try and find some healthier alternatives that will give you a similar result. If you crave sugar, maybe have some grapes or watermelon handy. If you really fancy a biscuit, have some oatcakes in the house. Personally, I love carrots, as if they are good ones, they do give me that sweetness that I sometimes crave. Cherrie tomatoes might do as well. Or in the summer, I crush some fruit and juice them, and the freeze it and have it as substitute for ice cream. Try and find the substitute that works for you.

Eat regularly and don't cut out food groups

Eating regularly will keep your blood sugar level throughout the day. And eating slow release carbohydrates, will avoid spikes and drops in your blood sugar levels as well. Try and always combine eating carbohydrates with some protein and a little fat at every meal to make sure you feel fuller for longer, and have energy throughout the day. Ideally you would like to eat a small meal and/or snack every 3-4 hours.

Always eat breakfast

Some of my clients claim that when they eat in the morning, they are hungry for the rest of the day. After checking their food diaries, I always find that this is the case when they eat a non balanced meal for breakfast, such as toast with jam or marmalade. Or just a piece of fruit. So a meal that is only made out of one food group, such as carbohydrate only, or protein only. Having a balanced breakfast combining carbohydrate and protein, with some little fat, will guarantee you keep fuller for longer with less chances of having cravings.

And on a non food related level, try and destress and relax

Some cravings just come from a habit of doing something or eating something while being stressed. Doing something to relax, like having a nice relaxing bath, going for a massage, even going for a walk, a swim, or the gym can help cope with cravings.

Don't deprive yourself

And don't forget, if you are out at a special occasion, and the chocolate cake looks inviting, do have a slice. It's all about eating everything on occasion, in moderation, and not feeling deprived.

If you need help with your diet, feel you're not coping well with your cravings, feel free to contact me, Anne Iarchy, Personal Trainer North London and Barnet, on 07880627944 or email me at anne@barnetpersonaltrainer.co.uk

 

Do you have any other tips on how to deal with cravings ? Feel free to share by leaving a comment....