How To Deal With Your Toughest Cravings
On the path to better health, one of the biggest road blocks in dealing with cravings. Knowing whether to give into your cravings or ignore them is one decision that many of us grapple with. If you give in, you could go overboard. If you ignore them, you could end up overdoing it as well. But the key to dealing with cravings is to give into them in a gentle and beneficial way. This way you do not restrict yourself for long periods of time, and risk totally gorging out. To battle your cravings, it is best to meet them head on individually. This means finding the best approach to each of your food vices. Here are some times of how to deal with your toughest cravings.
Fast Food
Many people have cravings for fast food, so you are not alone in this one. This is because fast food is listed as one of the most addictive foods on Earth. One way to beat these cravings is to mimic your favorite fast foods at home. Try making a similar version that will give you the fix you need, without all the harmful substances and ingredients in most fast food.
Sweets
Sweets and candies are another tough craving to beat. But the worst thing you can do when trying to get over a candy craving is to try to go cold turkey. The best approach is to wean yourself off little by little, this way you can gradually reduce your candy intake. Trick your brain with a few pieces here and there, and you’ll eventually see that your cravings for candy have reduced.
Carbs
Just about everyone loves a good carb. There is something so satisfying about warm bread and a big bowl of pasta. One of the reasons we crave carbs is when we are feeling low on energy. This can be why carb cravings are so high at night after a long day. The later you go to bed, the more susceptible you are to carb cravings, so try to get to bed earlier so that your tired body won’t call out for carbs.
Cheese
Cheese is a vice for many people, and it is one that is loaded with calories. But cheese doesn’t necessarily have to be totally cut from your diet. You can begin to improve your cheese intake by opting for healthier cheeses. Look for cheeses that are reduced fat. Also instead of grabbing a hunk of cheese or having a huge cheese pizza, shave some Parmesan over a side of veggies or a salad.
Comfort Food
This category can include a number of things, but everyone has their go to comfort foods. But decreasing the intake of your favorite comfort foods is really about training your brain to want it less. From a psychological standpoint, it is important to reduce your access to these foods. This could mean having them occasionally, but not having a stockpile of comfort food in the house that you have to constantly avoid.
Salt
Salt is one of the hardest cravings to avoid because it is added to much of prepackaged foods and snacks. If you have a salt craving, you just have to put down the salt shaker for the most part. But you can still get your salty fix with items like lime or lemon juice, or even vinegar, which all have that twang that is similar to salt.
Caffeine
Coffee is an addiction that is known around the world. It can be a big craving that is hard to manage when you are trying to change things up. If you can handle limiting your caffeine intake and still have enough energy, try to go a few days without that cup of joe. If not, then replace it with black tea instead. This can give you a smaller caffeine hit that can still provide somewhat of the energy boost you might need.
Chocolate
Chocolate is another hard habit to kick. Everyone loves a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate bar or baked treat with chocolate chips. But what many don’t know is that buying cheap chocolate could make chocolate cravings worse. This is because cheap chocolate has less of a flavor hit, making you just want to go for more of it. Buy some high-quality dark chocolate, and you will satisfy your chocolate craving in less quantities.