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Craving is always one of the "torture" feelings for dieters, especially for processed and high-sugar foods. This feeling is stronger than the usual feeling of hunger, making it difficult for many people to lose weight and maintain a reasonable diet. Here are 11 simple ways to reduce hunger or eliminate cravings for unhealthy foods and sugars.
1. Drink more water
Sometimes the body can confuse thirst with hunger or cravings. If you suddenly feel a sudden craving for a certain food, try drinking a large glass of water and wait for a few minutes. Many people find that cravings fade away because you are, in fact, just thirsty.
Moreover, drinking lots of water has many health benefits. For middle-aged and older people, drinking water before meals can reduce cravings and help with weight loss.
2. Eat a lot of Protein
A high-protein diet can reduce cravings and keep you full for longer, without overeating. One study in overweight teenage girls found that eating a high-protein breakfast significantly reduced cravings.
Another study in overweight men showed that increasing the amount of protein in the diet by 25% reduced cravings by 60%. In addition, the desire to snack at night is also reduced by 50%.
3. Distract yourself
When you feel cravings for unhealthy foods and sugary treats, try to distract yourself from your cravings with other activities. For example, take a brisk walk, take a shower, chew gum... to divert attention to something else. Changing your thoughts and surroundings can temporarily reduce cravings quite effectively.
Đánh lạc hướng bản thân bằng hoạt động đi bộ nhanh
4. Prepare meals
If possible, try to plan meals in advance for the day or week ahead. Knowing what you will and should eat eliminates the spontaneous factors that lead to consuming unhealthy processed foods or sugars.
If you don't have to think about what to eat at your next meal, you'll be less tempted and have fewer cravings.
5. Avoid falling into “very hungry”
Hunger is one of the biggest causes of our cravings. To avoid excessive hunger and "fight fire" with sugary foods and processed foods, you should divide your meals into many small meals with healthy snacks.
By dividing meals properly and avoiding an empty stomach for a long time, you can prevent cravings from appearing.
6. Be careful with stress
It is a well known fact that stress is closely linked with cravings and affects eating behavior, especially for women. Many studies show that women under stress are more likely to consume processed, high-sugar foods. In addition, stress also increases blood levels of cortisol, a hormone that can make you gain weight, especially around the abdomen.
To reduce stress, you can learn about meditation, mindfulness in each activity, breathing exercises, movement to balance emotions.
7. Spinach Extract Supplement
Spinach extract is a “new” nutritional supplement on the market, with the main ingredient being spinach leaves. It helps to slow down the digestion of fats and increase levels of the hormone GLP-1, which helps reduce hunger and cravings.
Studies show that taking between 3.7-5 grams of spinach extract with meals can eliminate cravings for several hours.
Chiết xuất từ rau bina là giúp bạn loại bỏ cảm giác thèm ăn trong vài giờ
8. Get enough sleep
Your appetite is largely influenced by hormone secretion during the day. Lack of sleep disrupts the production of hormones, leading to poor appetite and strong cravings.
Studies also show that people who are sleep deprived are up to 55% more likely to be obese than those who get enough sleep. Therefore, getting a good night's sleep is one of the most effective ways to prevent cravings from appearing.
9. Eat the right meal
Hunger and lack of important nutrients can both lead to certain cravings. Therefore, eating the right meals and getting enough nutrients is very important. This way, your body will get the nutrients it needs and you won't go hungry right after eating.
If you feel like you need a snack between meals, make sure it's a healthy one. Preference should be given to foods such as: fruits, nuts, vegetables or seeds.
10. Don't go to the supermarket when you're hungry
Supermarkets or grocery stores are probably not the best place to go when you're hungry or craving food. The reason is because they give you easy access to many of the foods you desire, including those that are not healthy.
The best way to reduce cravings that happen at the store is to only shop when you have just eaten and never, go to the supermarket when hungry.
11. Practice mindful eating
Mindful eating is also a type of meditation, helping you develop awareness and eating habits, recognize emotions when eating such as hunger and cravings, the feeling after eating...
Eat Mindful drinking helps you distinguish between cravings and actual hunger, helping you to choose your actions carefully rather than consuming on a whim.
Conscious eating includes being fully present when you eat, eating slowly and chewing thoroughly. It's also important to avoid distractions like TVs or smartphones.
A 6-week study in binge eaters found that conscious eating reduced food outbursts from 4 to 1.5 per week. It also reduces the severity of drinking meetings.
Ăn uống có chánh niệm giúp bạn phân biệt giữa cảm giác thèm ăn và đói thực tế
Conclusion Food cravings are common to everyone, regardless of dieting or not. They are often the cause of uncontrolled weight gain, food addiction and binge eating.
Identifying cravings and the main triggers that cause them will help you have an effective treatment plan. It also makes it easier to eat healthy and maintain your weight loss regimen.
Following the tips on this list, such as eating more protein, planning meals, and practicing mindful eating, can allow you to eliminate cravings later on.
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