4 Ways to Outwit Food Cravings Now! (16 Recipes Included)
Having STRONG cravings for food is a REAL thing. The impulses to indulge can sometimes overpower our will and leaves us feeling defeated and guilty.
This sinister cycle shouldn’t be conquered with extreme self-discipline or eliminating those foods completely because it will only result in secretly binging as if we are hiding something we are ashamed of. Instead, we should eliminate our craving by outwitting them!
Here are four simple strategies that can outwit food cravings now with a link that will give you 16 Recipes for Alternative Junk Food!
FIRST: The cravings cycle works like this…
First comes the urge (the craving), followed by the behavior (finding a food that satisfies that craving). Then, you get the reward (eating the food you wanted). That last part is accompanied by a release of dopamine, giving your brain a “hit” of pleasure.
From there it can snowball: The more often you reward your brain, the more likely it is to stimulate the craving, and the stronger that craving may become.
1) Give Your Craving a Timeout
When you have a craving, PAUSE and sit with that craving for 5 minutes. This is to determine if you’re actually hungry for something or just wanting junk food because you’re bored, stressed or in need of immediate comfort.
If you wait the 5 minutes, at least you’ll be able to make closer observations of what this cycle really is. In the future, you’ll know the exact situation that make these impulses come to life.
When we cave into our cravings, it’s usually an automatic action without any time to be “aware” and observe what the situation was that made the whole cycle start in the first place.
2) Choose Activities That Doesn’t Involve Chewing
Cravings are more psychological than physical. Unless you’re experiencing extreme trauma and grief, intense feelings usually only last 15-20 minutes. So whenever you have an intense craving, shift the focus on doing something that doesn’t involve chewing something.
When they happen get up and do something that will take 15-20 minutes like walking outside, send a few emails, call a friend to talk to, make an awesome playlist on Spotify, practice a sport, stretch, foam roll, or do an ab routine on a fitness mat.
The main trick is to shift your focus away from the craving long enough that it disappears.
3) Eat The Right Foods Throughout the Day
If your body eats vegetables, protein, fruits, healthy fats and good carbs; craving sensors usually get shut down. When high quality foods continuously enter the body, the body and mind focuses most of its attention in eating, swallowing, digesting and distributing nutrients to give you energy which takes close to 2-3 hours.
If you eat healthy foods every 3 hours, your body and mind will have no time to crave anything else. Usually sometimes, cravings arise when we go long periods of time without eating.
Your body says “at this point, eating whatever is fine.” So guess what you’ll most likely eat with that offer given to you…you’ll eat all the things you WANT to eat which is most likely your favorite junk foods.
Foods that are whole and less-processes have all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber that will keep you feeling full for long periods of time. Don’t give your mind a chance to think about junk food.
4) Make Cravings Worth the Effort
If you want ice cream, pick a place that has the best ice cream that’s more than 15 minutes away. If you want pizza, pick a place that needs time to make the best pie like wood-fired pizza.
Notice how we’re allowing craving to be responded to but in order to get to it, we have to make it pricey, time-consuming and inconvenient for you to get.
Another option is to have it but you have to make it.
That’s right: Potato chips need to be sliced from actual potatoes and cooked in the air fryer. Cake needs to be baked in the oven. Ice cream needs to freeze.
If you want it that bad, WORK FOR IT. Nothing good comes from anything that was easy to get!
CLICK HERE for 16 Food Alternatives to Junk Food!
Thank you all for reading! Feel free to comment and ask questions. Send me any topics or questions you’d like me to write about, I’m open to anything!
- Carl Anthony Grande
Creator and Owner of Empyrea Group Training (Cedar Grove, NJ)
Follow me on IG and FB: @trainempyrean
