

Why Do Food Cravings Happen & How To Conquer Them?

Originally from: https://truweight.in/blog/food-and-nutrition/why-do-food-cravings-happen-how-to-conquer-them.html


Conquer your food craving
Conquer your food craving
Conquer your food craving
Food cravings are way common than we think they are. In fact, more than 50% of people experience food cravings on a regular basis. They play a major role in weight gain, food addiction and binge eating.

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Being aware of your cravings and their triggers makes them much easier to avoid. It also makes it a lot easier to eat healthy and lose weightFood cravings are the dieter’s worst enemy. These are intense or uncontrollable desires for specific foods, stronger than normal hunger. When hunger strikes, your mind tells your body to eat one of these comfort foods.

When a craving strikes, it is your mind that tells your body needs to eat that food and that’s when you realise that you are craving something. The organ that is to be blamed is the brain, because there are certain regions of the brain that include insula, caudate and hippocampus that get activated as soon as you crave any food.

These areas of the brain are responsible for linking memory and pleasure to food cravings. So, if you experience a food craving and further satisfy them at some points, it is likely that these areas of the brain will get activated again and again making you feel hungry or crave for certain foods more than once.

The types of foods that people crave are highly variable, but these are often processed junk foods that are high in sugar.Cravings are one of the biggest reasons why people have problems losing weight and keeping it off.

10 Simple Ways to Prevent or Stop Unhealthy Food and Sugar Cravings

1. Drink Water


2. Eat More Protein

Eating more protein may reduce your appetite and keep you from overeating. It also reduces cravings, and helps you feel full and satisfied for longer. Increasing protein intake may reduce cravings by up to 60% and cut the desire to snack at night by 50%.

3. Distance Yourself From the Craving



4. Plan Your Meals

If possible, try to plan your meals for the day or upcoming week. By already knowing what you are going to eat, you eliminate the factor of spontaneity and uncertainty.


Meal plan
Meal plan


5. Avoid Getting Extremely Hungry


6. Fight Stress


7. Practice Mindful Eating


8. Get Enough Sleep


9. Eat Proper Meals

Hunger and a lack of key nutrients can both cause certain cravings. Therefore, it’s important to eat proper meals at mealtimes. This way, your body gets the nutrients it needs and you won’t get extremely hungry right after eating. If you find yourself in need of a snack between meals, make sure it’s something healthy. Reach for whole foods, such as fruits, nuts, vegetables or seeds.

10. Don’t Go to the Supermarket Hungry

Grocery stores are probably the worst places to be when you are hungry or have cravings. First, they give you easy access to pretty much any food you could think of. Second, supermarkets usually place the unhealthiest foods at eye level. The best way to prevent cravings from happening at the store is toshop only when you’ve recently eaten. Never ever go to the supermarket hungry.

5 Healthy Foods to Eat When Cravings Strike

1. Fresh Fruit

Fruit is naturally very sweet and a great choice when you get a sugar craving.In addition to tasting great, fruit is an extremely nutritious snack. It provides prebiotic fiber, antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds, all in very few calorie.

2. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt tastes creamy and indulgent, but it’s also really healthy. It’s higher in protein and lower in sugar than regular yogurt, and it’s a good source of calcium, B vitamins and beneficial bacteria.

3. Dark Chocolate

If you are craving chocolate, you can try swapping your regular milk chocolate for a small amount of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate that is made with at least 70% cocoa is not only delicious, but it also contains a high amount of antioxidants.

4. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a mild-flavored cheese product that’s low in calories but very nutritious.

5. Dates

Dates are a type of pitted fruit that’s often consumed after being dried. They are very sweet and contain a high amount of sugar. However, they are a rich source of antioxidants and contain fiber, potassium, iron and a number of beneficial plant compounds. If you’re craving something sweet, one or two dates can help satisfy your urge, while providing your body with other beneficial nutrients. 

Got useful cues about mindful eating and how to avoid overindulging from this article?  Let us know your views in the comment section. For more insight on weight loss, clean eating and lifestyle, talk to our expert Truweight Nutritionist today. The first consultation is on us. Click here to avail.

The post Why Do Food Cravings Happen & How To Conquer Them? appeared first on Truweight Blog.


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