3 MINDFULNESS STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CRAVINGS
Cake, cookies, ice cream—these are some of the foods I crave, and the ones I wish were healthy to eat them in unlimited amounts. Every time I go to a restaurant I check out the dessert menu and decide which one I’m going to order, which I rarely do, but I like to feel like I have the option.
So just like any other person, I need help controlling my cravings. Here are my 3 strategies that I’ve been applying recently (almost every day) to help control my seemingly uncontrollable cravings.
Eat When You Eat
Multitasking while eating is one of the worst things you can do. Not paying attention to your food will make you not chew properly (which causes bloating and tummy problems), and it’s very easy to overeat and to be passive with our not-so-optimal food choices (because if you’re really paying attention, you probably wouldn’t eat the whole bag of chips).
While you eat, eat! No TV, no working at your desk, no talking on the phone. Being present when you eat will help you make better food choices, chew better, digest your food better, and enjoy the moment. We miss so many small, but great moments because we’re distracted.
Close Your Eyes
If you want to take it a step further, close your eyes. Let’s say you’re eating a wrap. Take a bite, close your eyes and in your mind go over what you taste. “I can taste the chicken, the avocado, the tomato, the mustard”. Enjoying the flavors will make a meal so much more satisfying. If you take the time to taste your food and eat it slowly, it’s less likely that you’ll have cravings later. Most of our cravings come from mindless eating, stress and not knowing what the body is really asking for, which brings me to my third point.
Ask Yourself This…
Lets When you have a craving, take a second to tune into your body and ask yourself “what do I really need right now?” Let’s say you’re craving a slushy, stop and ask yourself “what do I really need right now?” And give your body a second to respond. Maybe it’s thirst, maybe it’s hungry, maybe you just want something cold and fresh.
The body communicates with us through symptoms, pain, energy, and cravings. But I think cravings are misunderstood. For example, the body needs healthy carbs to turn into glucose to help our brain and nervous system work optimally. But if you mostly eat processed carbs and eat a lot of high sugar foods, then when the body needs glucose, it will crave sugar. Not because it needs those cookies, but because it’s the only thing the body has been trained to ask for. Ask your body what it needs, and you’ll be surprised what it’ll tell you.
Having said all this, don’t punish yourself for giving in to your cravings. The things you say to yourself cause more damage than the food you just ate. Be kind to yourself in your food choices and also in your word choices.
Over to you: tell me which food you crave the most and what you think this craving is trying to communicate.
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