How to Stop Sugar Cravings

• It is better to allow small amounts of a chocolate cake once in a while for example, if this is what you crave, otherwise you may end up giving in to a suppressed craving and eating the entire cake.
• Exercising for thirty to sixty minutes will help you relieve stress and forget about the cravings.

Food cravings can be the downfall of any healthy diet or weight loss attempt. Food cravings are an intense desire for a particular food type or item, such as salty or sweet, and can be specific. Chocolate is a food that many of us crave, especially women during menstruation. Chocolate’s ingredients include magnesium and phenylethylamine, both of which create a more relaxed and calm feeling. Cravings do not mean that you must go off your weight loss plan or gorge all the time, and there are ways to prevent, reduce, and handle cravings so that you stick to your diet and weight loss plan. Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables are not what we crave when we get these feelings, or the issue would be so much easier and everyone would be a lot healthier. Most of the time we crave things that we probably should not eat such as salty potato chips or a candy with a very little nutrition.

There are some things you can do to prevent cravings. Some opinions say you should not keep foods that you crave in the house, making them much harder to get to if a craving occurs. This may have the opposite effect, however, because you will feel deprived and then end up binging and eating way too much as soon as you give in to the cravings. We are all human beings, and failures may happen when dealing with cravings. It is better to allow small amounts of a chocolate cake once in a while for example, if this is what you crave, otherwise you may end up giving in to a suppressed craving and eating the entire cake. Moderation should be the key to eating, and it is okay to have a treat once in a while. If you crave candy bars, keep one in the house. When a craving hits just eat a small piece very slowly, savoring every morsel. You will not be deprived, and should not feel guilty about a small piece. Wait after the craving starts, and try to hold out for ten or twenty minutes before indulging in a small amount, and this will help lessen the cravings as well. A helpful hint for chocoholics, dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate and may actually be more efficient for satisfying cravings.

A good support system can help when cravings hit. If you have friends and family members to talk to about your cravings or other matters, this can help take your mind away from the food. Remember, high levels of stress can dramatically increase cravings. You will probabaly notice increased cravings for sweets after a particularly tense day. Some people have diet buddies, who offer support and encouragement through hard times, and these buddies can help talk you through your cravings so that you do not give in as often. If you can not talk to someone, watch a movie or read a good book. Do something to take your mind off of the cravings you are experiencing. Meditation is an excellent way to reduce stress and therefore cravings.

A terrific way to fight cravings is to exercise. Go for a walk, do some jumping jacks, or go to the gym. Exercising for thirty to sixty minutes will help you relieve stress and forget about the cravings. Plus if you still want these foods after the workout, at least you do not have to feel as guilty about the calories as increased metabolism will help offset the extra calories. Exercise can help combat cravings and tension by flooding your brain and body with feel good chemicals like endorphins, a neuropeptide that can ease pain and create a sense of well-being. This can leave you feeling great and not even considering giving in to the initial craving.

Food cravings do not have to be a diet downfall, or the start of an unhealthy way of living. Manage your cravings by including these foods in small amounts in your diet. If you do give in and go on a binge, forgive yourself and move forward. Try to eat as healthy as possible, and wait when cravings first strike. Exercise, meditation, deep breathing, and moderation in eating are all great ways to mediate cravings and help yourself stick to a healthy diet regimen.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.