How to reduce cravings effectively

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Cravings for foods that include sugar will be the worst enemy for dieters. This craving is very intense and hard to control. However, this is not a real need of the body. So, is there any method to help reduce this craving?

1. Simple planning steps can help suppress cravings

1.1. If you're hungry, eat a full healthy meal

This is simple, but it's important to realize that appetite is not the same as hunger. Because that is not the time when the body needs energy. It's just kickstarting the brain to look for something that releases more dopamine in the nervous system.
When you're both hungry and hungry, it's hard to resist. In fact, the combination of cravings and hunger is a powerful motivator that most people go through during this difficult time.
If craving when hungry, one of the best tips is a healthy meal made immediately. And then, you should stock your kitchen with healthy foods to be able to respond when this happens.
Protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, and eggs are especially good for curbing hunger.
However, when craving for sugary foods, using food will not bring you appetite. But if you really want to lose weight, you need to strictly follow a low-sugar diet.

1.2. Take a hot bath

Some sugar cravings have found that taking a hot bath or shower can effectively reduce cravings.

1.3. Brisk walking

When you have an appetite, you can go out and walk. The purpose of this activity is to help you stay away from the foods you are craving. Moreover, it also helps you to release endorphins or chemicals in your brain and helps to eliminate cravings.
If you can't go out for a walk, you can do some exercises like push-ups, squats or any other exercise to forget or eliminate cravings.

2. Some measures to reduce cravings

2.1. Drink water

Thirst is often confused with hunger or cravings. If you feel a sudden urge to eat a certain food, try drinking a glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that your appetite fades away, because at this point your body is really just thirsty, not the lack of energy causing the feeling of hunger.
Furthermore, drinking lots of water can be beneficial for health. In middle-aged and elderly people, drinking water before meals can help reduce appetite and help with weight loss.

2.2. Eat a lot of protein

Eating a lot of protein can reduce appetite and keep the body from wanting to overeat. Furthermore, it also helps to increase satiety for longer.
A study conducted in overweight girls showed that eating a high-protein breakfast significantly reduced cravings. Another study in overweight men found that increasing protein intake by 25% of calories reduced cravings by 60%. In addition, these people also reduced their nighttime snacking by about 50%.

2.3. Keep your distance from appetite

When you feel cravings, try to stay away from foods. Instead, do some physical activity to quench your cravings. For example, you can take a brisk walk or take a shower to shift your mental state into another realm. So a change in mindset and environment can also help suppress appetite. A study has shown that chewing gum can help reduce cravings.

2.4. Plan your meals

If you can, try to plan your meals every day or every week. This way, you'll establish what foods your body needs while at the same time eliminating foods that are spontaneous and can affect your appetite and weight.
Meal planning will save you from having to think about what to eat at your next meal, which in turn will help you reduce thoughts related to food and reduce cravings.

2.5. Avoid letting the body get too hungry

Hunger is one of the biggest reasons why we feel cravings. To avoid going hungry, you should probably eat a full meal at each meal. At the same time you can use some healthy snacks to alleviate hunger.

2.6. Limit stress

Stress can cause cravings and have a sizable effect on eating behavior, especially in women.
Women who are stressed have been shown by studies to eat more calories than women who are not stressed. What's more, stress increases blood levels of cortisol, a hormone that can contribute to weight gain, especially in the abdominal area.
Therefore, trying to minimize stress in life as well as work will help rebalance the activities in the body.

2.7. Use spinach

Spinach extract is a new supplement made from spinach. It has the effect of delaying fat digestion, increasing levels of hormones such as GLP-1, thereby helping to reduce appetite and hunger.
Recent studies show that taking 3.7 - 5 grams of spinach extract with meals can reduce cravings for several hours. In another study, overweight women were given 5 grams of spinach extract each and it resulted in a reduction in cravings for chocolate and high-sugar foods by 87-95%.

2.8. Get enough sleep

Appetite can be largely influenced by hormones that fluctuate throughout the day. Sleep deprivation is a condition that disrupts this transformation and can lead to an increase or decrease in appetite.
Scientific studies have supported this hypothesis and have found that sleep-deprived people are up to 55% more likely to be obese than those who get enough sleep. For this reason, guaranteed sleep can be a powerful way to suppress cravings during the day.

2.9. Eat right meal

Hunger and lack of important nutrients can both cause cravings. Therefore, it is paramount to eat at the same time every day. This way, the body will receive the necessary nutrients, and the body will no longer feel hungry after eating.
If you find yourself needing to eat a snack before a main meal, consider and choose healthy healthy foods. For example, you can eat fruits, nuts or vegetables.

2.10. Don't go to the supermarket when you feel hungry

Going to the supermarket or grocery store while hungry is the worst thing that makes you feel cravings. Because, then it will be a good condition that allows you easy access to a variety of foods and you can choose from any food on the shelf. That, may not be good if you choose unhealthy and unhealthy foods.

2.11. Practice mindful eating

Mindful eating is a type of meditation related to food and eating behaviour. It will provide you with awareness of eating habits, emotions, hunger, cravings...
Mindful eating also helps you distinguish between reduced appetite and actual hunger. What's more, it can also help you respond to your body's cues, rather than acting without thinking or spontaneously.
Mindful eating involves eating behaviors such as chewing slowly, chewing thoroughly. The most important thing is that it avoids the distractions of the surrounding environment. A 6-week study in adult eaters found that mindful eating reduced meals by 4 to 1.5 per week.
Food cravings are quite common. In fact, more than 50% of people often have this feeling. This increases the risk of uncontrolled weight gain. Implementing some eating habits plan can help reduce cravings even when the body is not hungry.

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Articles refer to the source: healthline.com