Does one biscuit end up becoming three or four or maybe even the whole pack?
What about bread?
Does one slice end up becoming half the pan? Or maybe you stand in the shop planning to make a good choice but end up going for the chocolate bar or donut once again?
Oh yes, good old cravings are at it again! Why can’t you say NO? Why can’t you stop at just one? Why can’t you stay in control? Cravings are often the vain of people’s lives. They often undermine or destroy best made plans especially when it comes to weight loss. You can be good all day or all week and one major breakout can undo everything!
Cravings can be a very powerful force. Very often they are based on the need to restore blood sugar levels, fill nutritional deficiencies or to stimulate the release of endorphins (feel good chemicals) from our brains. There is a point at which no amount of willpower, positive thinking or inner strength will defeat them. A basic biological force to maintain existence or feel better takes over and controls our very thinking!
It might surprise you to know that a huge portion of cravings are self-created. They are not just a mysterious event. There are many things we do and many things we don’t do that set us up to get cravings. Armed with the right knowledge and tools, there is much you can do to minimise and even avoid your cravings. So let’s look at the most common causes and what you can do about them!
Skipping Breakfast! We all have well and truly heard about the importance of breakfast for many reasons. However you may not realise that skipping breakfast is probably one of the greatest causes of cravings. Think about it! You probably haven’t eaten since 7 or 8 the night before, so if you skip breakfast and wait until your mid morning break, your body has now been critically deprived of vital nutrition for close to 14 hours. This wreaks absolute havoc on your blood sugar levels and virtually ensures you will crave lots of sugary products by mid morning. Make sure to have some breakfast even if it is just one item like a slice of toast, a yogurt or piece of fruit. Break your fast at all costs!
Sugary products! This includes not just the obvious sweets, drinks and chocolates but all the not so obvious sources of sugar like many of our cereals, breads and even juicing our fruit. A high dose of sugar whether in junk form or healthy form is all the same to the body! It results in a surge of insulin to lower the sugar level and this starts a vicious cycle of low sugar, cravings, sugar intake, insulin again, low sugar again and so on. You can spend your whole day in a cycle of cravings! Change some of your shopping to wholegrain or wholemeal cereals, breads and grains and go back to eating whole fruits and nothing but the whole fruit. Nominate one or two days per week where you will focus on avoiding all sugary products!
See part 2 for some more of the most common causes of cravings when it’s added in the coming days!
