Do you find yourself craving foods that you know are not healthy? I’m often asked how to quit eating junk food. Read on for my powerful tips to unchain yourself from those cravings that have been holding you (and your body) hostage. Believe me, I get it! For many years I was addicted to sugar. If it was sweet, I HAD to have it! As a child, I loved Hawaiian Punch. In high school I graduated to Cherry Coke and Tom Collins Mix. As a stressed-out college student in Germany, I lived on chocolates, Italian ices and pastries.... and the breads!!! Later, I loved "adult beverages"... like Pina Coladas, Harvey Wallbangers, Long Island Iced Tea...and those wonderful after dinner liqueurs like Amaretto, Galliano and Bailey's Irish Cream. I was also a huge fan of pasta, French bread and croissants... and deserts. My poor pancreas!!! You could rightly say that I know a thing or two about overcoming cravings and sugar addictions. Today, sugar is something I mostly avoid. Why? The after-effects! It kills my energy and makes me sleepy. Worse, I end up with excess ear wax the following day. YUK! I have found that sugar is at the root of most cravings. It is in just about everything these days, not only junk food. It is in Campbell's soup as well as flavored potato chips! Remember that simple carbs convert into sugar. In fact there is some indication that people are addicted to the sugar in alcoholic beverages rather than the alcohol itself. I have noticed that many recovering alcoholics scarf down a lot of candy, cookies and ice cream. Chocolate is a special case. The craving may be for sugar; however, chocolate also supplies magnesium. Over half of our population is magnesium deficient. I find that when my magnesium levels are correct, I could not care less about chocolate.
FACT: To get lasting results, cravings must be addressed on three levels: body, mind and spirit.Body- Eat small healthy meals/snacks when you are actually hungry. This helps to keep your insulin levels more balanced so you are far less likely to crave sugar. The best healthy snacks are fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and seeds. Chew each bite slowly- 30 times- and enjoy it!
- AVOID eating foods with artificial sweeteners! Studies show that they may be one of the leading causes of obesity, because you continue to eat in an attempt to satisfy the desire for sugar. Your body DOES know the difference!
- Drink more water. Often we mistake hunger for thirst.
- Avoid raisins and other dried fruits as they spike insulin levels. Avoid so-called energy bars. They are candy bars in disguise!
- Drink Tension Tamer Tea.
Mind Food ( including sugar) can never satisfy a hunger that is not physical. Sugar cravings are often an attempt to satisfy a hunger for the sweetness of life. If you are not happy, you are likely missing the sweetness that life has to offer you. When you live a balanced life on your own terms, you will find sweetness in your life without sugar. It is true that man does not live by bread alone! How are you feeding your soul? Are you nourishing it by doing what you love? Or are you starving it by doing everything
but what you love? If so, your cravings are an attempt to help you satisfy that emotional hunger.
Here are Six Steps to Feed Your Soul and Kill Your Cravings:- Find/notice the sweetness in your life! How? Start a gratitude practice. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you focus on what you are grateful for each day. Be grateful for the hot water in your shower, a flush toilet, sunny days and grocery stores. Say "Thank you" for everything. Even the yukky stuff has a lesson.
- Avoid the media and Negative Nellies! The media, for the most part, has us focused on the bad things happening in the world. We get so caught up in those things we forget about all of the good things. No wonder we are blind to the sweetness in our lives.
- Nourish your soul! How? Do something you enjoy doing, every single day. Get help instead of doing everything yourself. Take regular "laugh breaks". Get some fresh air and sunshine.
- Move! To move a mood, move a muscle. Take a walk. Dance!!!
- Use EFT- just tap on your collarbone to calm down.
- See if there is a connection between the particular food you crave and a situation or person who comforted you. When I realized that Hershey's chocolate brought back good memories of my grandmother, it lost its power. I found ways to keep the memory and the feeling without having to eat the chocolate.
Spirit Visualization and affirmations are powerful ways to kill cravings. Visualize yourself happy, healthy and actively doing what you love every day. Studies have shown that the brain does not know the difference. So, even if you aren’t yet doing what you love all of the time, the power of visualization will put you in the same state of mind as if you actually were already doing those things. These techniques feed and nourish your spirit! The more you do this visualization, the more opportunities will show up in your life to support you in having a happier, healthier life. How cool is that?!
Weight Loss Made Simple If you are ready to shed those pounds permanently, you’ll want to use a body, mind and spirit approach. In my Diet FREE program you’ll get tools that will help you to overcome your cravings and to lose weight permanently without the struggle. Book a Diet Freedom Discovery Call with me at lizbull.tempurl.host.
