Craving food? Here a few ways to resist ✋
Ahh, cravings. The little demons that can somehow take you from your best intentions of eating your home-packed salad and sandwich lunch at the office, to throwing all financial and dietary caution to the wind and following your colleagues out to the Mexican food truck for burritos and an extra side of guac. 🌯
So, first of all, I should be clear that a big part of what I believe makes us healthy, both physically and holistically, is listening very carefully to our bodies and the signals they give us. Sometimes if you are craving something, that overwhelming desire and draw to that particular food might be due to a deficiency. I recently had an incident which led me to being severely anaemic, and all I craved was red meat. You can’t say that’s pure coincidence! 🥩
However, we have to be real and say that my Chinese food cravings are probably more due to a developed taste for the addictive and dangerous combination of salt, MSG and sugar... doesn’t that sound delicious?! It’s in this kind of situation where cravings are leading you to poor food choices at every turn, when one might want to develop some strategy for resisting cravings.
How to kill cravings
I think drinking water is one of my favourite tips and tricks to resist the urge to munch. This is especially as hunger can often be mistaken for thirst. A good hack is to have a good glug of water before indulging, give it 20 minutes, and then see how the land lies. Not to mention all of the wonderful health benefits of hydration - drinking water can never really be a bad idea. I like to keep a sippy cup of cool water with a slice of lemon in it to hand at all times - for some reason having it to hand and in a cup with a (reusable) straw makes me more prone to drinking it. 🚰
Another tip is to eat a good amount of protein. This keeps your hunger sated for longer and can help to reduce your tendency for cravings. Adding an egg to one of my routine breakfasts of toast seems to keep me feeling more satisfied and less likely to crave a croissant mid-morning! 🍳
Sometimes, it’s more than just food
It’s also important to realise that stress and sleep greatly affect your feelings towards food and the types of things you crave too. A good night’s rest and a spot of meditation can keep you feeling more stable and in control of your reactions, leading you to make more reasonable decisions. 🧘
I think it’s important to realise that our relationships to food are pretty personal and ultimately, sometimes “giving in” to your craving is the best way to let it go and move on with your day. After all a little of what you fancy definitely does you good in my book. 🍕 + 🍇 = ⚖️
I also believe that the more you restrict yourself or think about denying a craving, the more you’ll want it, as with any forbidden fruit. That seems to be where the problem lies with many people, creating issues around cravings and guilt which can be difficult to navigate.
Cravings are super common and not something to beat yourself up about. Being aware of your cravings and the triggers around them are key to feeling good around your decisions towards food. 🤗
If you want to feel in control and to take charge of what you eat then perhaps some of these tips will help you to get to a place where you feel great around food!
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