Ever wonder why you crave certain foods at certain times of the day? What about the times you crave a particulate type of food (for example popcorn) when performing a certain activity (watching a movie)? Whether your cravings are psychological or physical, here are some basic ways to stave off your unhealthy cravings while creating better eating habits and patterns:
*Exercise – Physical activity increases our serotonin levels. If you practice working out (moderately) at least 30-45 minutes per day your serotonin levels will increase (the feel good hormone) and balance out your cravings for carbohydrates.
*Sunlight – Safe exposure to sunlight helps to increase our vitamin D levels when it touches our skin. Vitamin D is known for preventing depression and osteoporosis, which in turn helps to keep our hunger levels at bay.
*Portion control – Most of us were trained to "clean our plate". Waste not, want not, right? Wrong. Instead of looking at your left-over food as "waste" save what's left for another meal (tomorrow's lunch?). It would be better to eat smaller portions and save the leftovers than to overeat out of guilt.
*Hobby – Learning to keep yourself pre-occupied by doing what you love will help you in your pursuit to stay focused on your goal of wellness. Something as simple as a hobby can help break the cycle of food addictions and unhealthy eating habits. Replacing "eating" with "doing" is always a positive reinforcement method.
Cravings come from our body responding to what it knows. Controlling cravings is the result of what we command our body to do. Both are under our control when we take control of our wellness.
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