Strategies to Help Curb Cravings over the Holidays
No matter what our dietary enemy is,
we can count on it being near us during the Christmas season! We’ve survived all the Halloween candy and
all the Thanksgiving foods – so we CAN survive Christmas without setting ourselves
back 15 steps!
Here are a few strategies to help us
manage cravings, either sweet cravings, salty cravings, or just any craving in
general:
1.
Keep the enemy out of the house and out of
the office! If we don’t see it we will
be less likely to think about it. I
don’t know about you guys and how your cravings are – but I work at CVS – the
candy capital of the world – and I see my cravings all day long! One thing that I do that helps tremendously
is not buying any junk or candy at the grocery store or my store – it doesn’t
come in the house and isn’t here for me to think about.
2.
Have a protein shake for breakfast. This will keep you full for hours and starts
your day off on the right foot. I have
Shakeology EVERY DAY to start my day with a healthy dose of nutrition and
protein. It’s full of protein and I add
fruit to the shake for my complex carb component – this is nutrition that
sticks with me through the morning. And
it’s FAST, making it easy for me to have breakfast.
3.
Eat stabilizing foods. Keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady
all day with lean protein, healthy fats, slow-release high fiber carbs (whole
grains, fruits/veggies & beans) and leafy veggies.
4.
Eat by the clock – don’t skip meals or
space them too far apart. Try to eat
breakfast, and then eat at least every 4 to 6 hours.
5.
Write everything down – keep track of what
you’re eating. If you see it on paper,
you are more likely to behave.
6.
Substitute some of your favorite foods with
healthier versions. Eat sweet potatoes
instead of white potatoes. Use
cauliflower to make mashed “potatoes” instead of white potatoes. Use quinoa instead of rice.
7.
It’s ok to have a COUPLE bites of whatever
it is that you are craving. Satisfy the
craving and move on.
8.
Get enough sleep! Lack of sleep raises your hunger hormone,
gherlin, and decreases your leptin hormone.
Leptin is responsible for making you feel full. When these 2 hormones are out of balance, you
will have more cravings.
9.
Exercise!
Burn more calories to make up for extra that you might eat.
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