Ways to Stop cravings for Unhealthy Foods and Sugar

Food cravings are the dieter’s worst enemy.

These are intense or uncontrollable desires for specific foods, stronger than normal hunger.

The types of foods that people crave are highly variable, but these are often processed junk foods that are high in sugar.

Cravings are one of the biggest reasons why people have problems losing weight and keeping it off.

Here are simple ways to prevent or stop unhealthy food and sugar cravings.

Thirst is often confused with hunger or food cravings.

If you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, try drinking a large glass of water wait a few minutes. You may find that the craving fades away, because your body was actually just thirsty.

Eating more protein  may reduce your appetite and keep you from overeating.

It also reduces cravings, and helps you feel full and satisfied for longer.

One study of overweight teenage girls showed that eating a high breakfast  reduced cravings significantly.

Stress may induce food cravings and influence eating behaviors, especially for women.

Women under stress have been shown to eat significantly more calories and experience more cravings than non-stressed women

Furthermore, stress raises your blood levels of cortisol, a hormone that can make you, especially in gain belly area

Try to minimize stress in your environment by planning ahead, meditating and generally slowing down.

Your appetite is largely affected by hormones that fluctuate throughout the day.

Sleep deprivation disrupts the fluctuations, and may lead to poor appetite regulation and strong cravings

The bottom line

Cravings are very common. In fact, more than 50% of people experience cravings on a regular basis.

They play a major role in weight gain, food addiction  and binge eating.

Being aware of your cravings and their triggers makes them much easier to avoid. It also makes it a lot easier to eat healthy and lose weight.