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B y : A ngelique Millis F itness P rofessional & Lifestyle C oach

WHAT ARE CRAVINGS ?

Cravings are strong yearnings for specific foods , usually those with high sugar or high fat content . Unlike the normal hunger that we experience between meals on a daily basis , cravings are triggered by emotions , situations , or pleasant associations . They are linked to our mind ’ s reward system and many times these associations stem back to childhood , holidays or other past experiences ( ex : your mom rewarded you with vanilla ice cream and a handful of animal crackers if you did all of your chores when you were little ) . id you know that your senses are powerful enough to trigger a full on craving episode ? When you eat a food you long for , your brain releases dopamine ( a natural chemical linked to pleasure ) making this mind-body connection an inevitable reality to deal with . In fact , many soothe their feelings of stress , depression or boredom through “ emotional eating ” which provides them with a sense of comfort that they associate from eating specific foods . If not identified or controlled , this pattern can lead to binge eating or other eating disorders . Understanding the power of cravings and your relationship with food is the first step towards combating this problem . they advertised it as “ C runchy , C heesy , C hewy & Melty ” in order to satisfy any and every late night cravings all at once ! ( Too bad th that “ 4 meal ” will end up costing you 5 60 calories ( 29 7 calories from fat ) . The best way to begin understanding and controlling your cravings is to explore your personal relationship with food . B egin by making a list of your most “ craved ” foods . Next , try to determine what categories they fall into so that you can seek an alternative when you get a snack attack . There are plenty of healthy recipes out there to satisfy cravings : all crunchy , cheesy , chewy , melty , spicy , salty , sweet and sour of them ( almost sounds like the 8 D warves of a fast food fairy tale ; ) addiction is educating yourself on what you are consuming . You will know something is high in sugar if it contains one or any of these names appears first or second in the ingredients listed on the food label : brown sugar , corn sweetener , corn syrup , dextrose , fructose , fruit-j uice concentrate , glucose , high-fructose corn syrup ( hfcs ) , honey , invert sugar , lactose , malt syrup , maltose , molasses , raw sugar , sucrose , syrup

Pre-packaged , processed or “ instant ” foods A lthough they may be convenient , processed foods contain chemicals that will only make you more dependent on them .

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CRAVINGS

A lthough many cravings are linked with emotional or psychological triggers , when our bodies are deficient in specific vitamins or minerals , we begin to crave things that are spicy , salty , sweet or sour . A ccording to the D iet C hannel , if you crave salt , you may be lacking iodine or potassium in your diet . A ccording to C hinese Medicine , sour cravings can mean a weakness in the immune system / liver & spicy cravings may be an indication of weakness in the lungs or an irregularity in your blood sugar levels . If your cravings are for something sweet , you may have an overgrowth of yeast in your intestines , therefore you should try eating more vegetables to control your sugar cravings . You may also be lacking minerals in your diet so it is suggested to try taking trace mineral supplements .

FOOD FLAVORS & TEXTURES

Surprisingly , many times it is not a specific flavor that we crave , but the texture of the food that long for : Taco B ell had it down to a science when they came up with the “ C heesy Gordita C runch ” -

30 Natural Muscle Magazine March 2017

COMPROMISE WITH YOUR CRAVINGS

Your body is an amazing machine . It knows exactly what it needs & asks you for certain foods for reasons described above so it ’ s important to listen to your body ’ s signals within reason . Sometimes a lower fat substitute will do j ust the trick . F or example , If you can ’ t stop thinking about that slice of pecan pie , try baking a sweet potato , blending in some dry oatmeal , pecans , a touch of cinnamon and brown sugar . V iola ! A healthy version of a piece of “ pecan pie ” with all the nutrient benefits and none of the sugar�

FOODS TO AVOID TO COMBAT CRAVINGS

SUGAR The effects of sugar do not live up to its sweet-sounding name . D id you know that the average A merican consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week� �ighly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose ( table sugar ) , dextrose ( corn sugar ) , and high-fructose corn syrup are processed into food and will only lead to food cravings� it is a vicious cycle . The first step in breaking a sugar

Try avoiding : C anned foods ( contains a lot of sodium ) White breads � pastas made with refined white flour �opt for wheat ) P ackaged high-calorie snack foods ( chips , etc ) igh-fat convenience foods