How to Conquer your Cravings

NUTRITION

Jan. 24

Written By Lisa Mastracchio

Cravings.

Sweet.

Salty.

Crunchy.

Or a symphony of all three.

Whatever combination your palate desires, falls under the food frenzy of cravings. They typically hit later in the day. Maybe spike at about 3pm but can last well into the late evening. They can suddenly strike when happy, stressed, sad, bored, and everything in between. They are signals from our brain, our psyche… not necessarily from our true physical hunger cues. They are impulsive and sometimes irrational. In short, cravings are a “thing”. Most people I work with often tell me about these cravings and how they wish they had the willpower to shut them down with a victorious strike. But alas, no. They cave into the craving. And instead, feel the guilt of “what just happened?” and “why did I do that?” until the next episode happens once again. A habit cycle that spins them into frustration.

Can you relate?

Have you stumbled on your journey of health and wellness over the chasm of “craving-dom” ?

I think at some point or another we all have. Myself included. My best intentions, my knowledge of nutrient-dense foods, my love of healthy non-processed foods… yet still a chocolate chip cookie can have such power over my decisions! How can it be?

Here’s possibly WHY these cravings hit:

Reason 1: Food Overload

We live in a food-saturated culture. I don’t have to travel far… maybe a 5 minute car ride at best and I have a multitude of food choices at my fingertips. A grocery store, Starbucks, McDs, and a gas station with a huge ad showing a ginormous muffin and coffee for $1.99. Social media feeds, radio ads, TV commercials all on repeat. These constant messages are being filtered all day long and take a toll on our mental muscle aka willpower.

Reason 2: We are wired to want highly-palatable foods

These are tasty foods that are far too easy to overconsume. Ever have just one chip? One small square of chocolate? Maybe you have. But it takes a ton of practice to achieve such a high level of self-control in the face of what our DNA naturally desires.

Food scientists know this of course and design foods which are meant to be overeaten. Studies have even shown that if we even just think about the pleasure principle before eating, we will likely over consume! Now I’m not saying don’t take pleasure in your meals by all means, but your mindset before even taking a bite does have an influence on what and how much you will actually eat.

Also, our food culture is set up with this in mind. Food products are chemically created to make us want more and more. Even grocery store isles are positioned and stacked with this purpose in mind…eye-level products, beware! And portion sizes at restaurants are exaggerated too where the average meal contains 1200 calories to up to 1500 calories. Now again, I’m not saying don’t dine out but be aware that the likelihood of overeating skyrockets when your sitting at your favorite resto. Our brain wants pleasure and seeks it and the reward that often follows… remind yourself of that fact.

Reason 3: We tell ourselves we have a vaild reason… our mindset matters!

“I was tired”

“I had a fight with my husband”

“ My kids drive me crazy”

“ I was lonely”

“ I have a sweet tooth, just like my dad”

“I have PMS”

“ I’m perimenopausal”

“My boss is driving me insane!”

Now all of these are valid emotional scenarios. But our coping mechanism shouldn’t be a pint of ice cream or a donut. And telling ourselves on a regular basis (ie. forming a mindset habit of self-talk) will NEVER help us conquer a bad habit or something we truly want to change. Again, research shows that what we say to ourselves about ourselves has a huge impact on our behaviour. If you always say, “I have a sweet tooth… and so I always crave sweets” What do you think is gonna happen when you see a donut in your staff room at work? You don't need my answer… you know. What we repeatedly say to ourselves has incredible power over our behaviour, actions and ultimately our habits!

Steps to shift your mindset are critical then, but how? Well one thing is by catching your self-talk that sabotages your efforts for change. This will rewire your brain and thinking patterns. So stop saying and thereby reinforcing the “thing” you want to change.

Instead of “I always have cravings after supper”, start talking about it in the past tense. For example, “ I used to cave into to all my cravings for sweets, but I’m learning how to better cope with my stress and emotions”.

What now?

Now you know why cravings might crash into your afternoon or evening, but how to navigate those waves is the what will help us steer our ship back to safe waters.

How to surf the “crave wave”:

Prep and Plan:
The first step is somewhat of a no-brainer. If you know that every day at about 3pm you “crave” chocolate, anticipate the wave and plan ahead. In other words, be proactive instead of reactive. Have an action plan set up to help you gain power over this reoccurring scenario. Don't play the victim if you are fully aware that certain events or time of day trigger your craving response. Awareness is knowledge applied. Being aware means you now “see” and with this lens, you can now focus on positive action steps instead of a passive default response. Remind yourself, you have the power, when you have the right tools in place.
Swap & switch:
You love the crunch of chips but know they’re not the best choice that align with your goals…. so swap it out and switch the chips for a healthier option that offers the same crunch factor. Now that can be many things from carrots, rice cakes to veggie chips. Instead of ditching the chips altogether, for some people, the swap and switch tactic works and satiates that craving ((pleasure/reward) they are seeking. They can equally enjoy a healthier option that won’t tailspin them into a guilt-trip. For others, cutting the craving altogether is best. But going cold turkey is not for everyone and in fact can backfire in the long run. But ultimately, experiment and see what works for you; remember, no two people are alike.
Out of sight, out of mind:
Fact…if it’s in your face, you’re more likely to eat it. You can clench your teeth and muster every ounce of willpower but seriously.. why? Why make it harder for yourself by having the plate of cookies on the counter in full view and so easy to grab? For a habit to be broken, it must be made more difficult or less pleasing to continue.
So maybe it’s time to reorganize your kitchen and what foods are in full view, which ones are placed in a cupboard, and which ones never make it to your house in the first place. Yes, you live with others. Of course, you can have the chips and cookies in your home. But that doesn’t mean they need to be placed under your nose. Give yourself and your mental muscle a break and put those items either on a hard-to reach shelf, in the freezer or stored in another pantry, out of view.
Don’t try to be heroic in fighting a battle that you’ve lost in the past. Ever take a kid to an ice cream store, have her look at all the flavours and topping and then leave empty-handed? If you did that, the kid would be quite unhappy to say the least… more like a loud temper tantrum! Don’t put yourself in that position on the front line, exposing yourself to a habit you truly want to conquer. Give yourself a break!
Do Something else:
Cravings hit when you get home after work? Distract yourself with other activities instead of hanging out in your kitchen hoping you’ll overcome your desire to pull out the Nutella jar. Why stay in the space that’s causing you mental anguish. And by distraction I mean go for a walk, read a book, call a friend, take a shower, clean out a drawer, etc. Find some simple and even mundane things you can do to get your mind to focus on something completely different. You may be surprised on how the wave passed, you surfed it and didn’t crash this time. The art of distraction works incredibly well when habits need to be broken.
Breathe.
Cravings and stress often go hand in hand. And stress in today’s world is a chronic, ongoing reality, unfortunately. Sleep deprived, caffeinated, social media overloaded, energy-depleted… these are just a few of our daily doses of balancing life in our modern world. Our “fight or flight” or stress response is switched to ON MODE all the time. And in that state of being, if a craving hits, it’s likely meant as a signal from the brain to keep your energy up! In order to relax, sure you can take a yoga class, but at 3pm sitting at your desk or at 5pm in a traffic jam, that likely won’t happen. But what you can do is breathe… as in deep breathe!
Shallow breathing causes shortness of breath and can make you feel anxious and in fact increased tension… the perfect storm when a craving hits. But deep breathing is when air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs and your lower belly rises. Full oxygen exchange happens here and our heart rate slows down and blood pressure stabilized. This relaxation technique can work wonders but it takes practice and patience… especially if you are a “go go go” Type A personality. Also, you don’t need a 30min session to reap the benefits. Starts small, even just 2-5 minutes of deep breathing relaxation and you can calmly override the waves of a craving you thought were too strong to resist!
Bottom Line:
Overcoming these cravings takes only one small action step at a time. There is no magic formula, no one-way to combat cravings. And of course, sleep deprivation, chronic stress and the demands of life can often hijack our best intentions to resist cravings and eat in alignment with our goals.
We always need to look at the whole picture with all puzzle pieces shaped together because we are complicated creatures living in a messy world! But we also need to remind ourselves that we are not defenceless victims of our food choices, that we can have control and power over what we consume and how much.
Once we develop this “skillpower” and a mindset to match, we no longer need to rely on willpower’s weak grip. We can conquer the craving, feel empowered and reclaim control over our many food choices we make on a daily basis!