Many of us suffer from cravings of all kinds whether its, chocolate, fast food, sweets, salty foods, soda pop, alcohol or other substances. Cravings don’t have to be bad for us, but often times we know that the foods we crave are foods we shouldn’t be eating very much of and we know that eating these foods undermine our health. What we have found is that people who enjoy a balanced nutritious diet don’t crave foods that are bad for their health.
Even the most health conscious may sucomb to food cravings when they are stressed. One patient said to me that the more stressed he was the more he craved junk food. Women whose hormones have shifted during pregnancy (and during their month cycles or during menopause) have experienced another stress that causes them to crave certain foods.
So for those of us who do have cravings, how do we combat them when they come up? Research has shown cravings may be treated with amino acids. Especially the precursors to the neurotransmitters serotonin, glutamine and dopamine. Of these, glutamine; a naturally occurring amino acid, may be taken on the onset of a craving or daily to prevent cravings.
Another way to address cravings is to plan meals in advance. Doing so keeps you from those moments when you are hungry and may reach for unhealthy choices. Some foods like potatoes stimulate our appetite, causing us to eat more than we should.
Drink more water. Often times we will mistake thirst for hunger and eat when all we need is water. Try this. The next time you have a food craving, drink some water first. If you are still hungry after drinking a glass of water, choose one of your prepared healthy (protein rich) snacks.
If after doing all of the suggestions above, you find you are still struggling with cravings (or digestive concerns) consider a nutritional cleanse to clear your body of toxins. We offer a programs that support your nutritional purification goals. Click here to find out more about those programs.
As always we welcome your thoughts, suggestions and comments. Our goal is to provide you with everything you need to lead a more healthful, satisfying life, if we can do better or if you would like to see more of a particular type of program, please let us know.
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