3 MINDFULNESS STRATEGIES TO CONTROL CRAVINGS

In my last blog post I went over the two types of cravings: emotional food cravings and physical food cravings. In my workshops, when I ask women what’s getting in the way of having a healthier lifestyle I hear things like:

I really want to, but I can’t resist certain foods

I feel like my cravings control me

I have no willpower

It’s hard to eat healthy when everyone around me isn’t

I know what I'm supposed to do, but I don't know why I don't do it

After a year of diving deep into how to deal better with those crazy cravings, I came up with tips and strategies to help reduce your cravings.These strategies will help even if you’ve struggled with cravings for a long time, if you only have cravings before your period or if you struggle with stress eating or emotional-eating.

Today, I want to share with you 3 things that you can start to do today.

CLOSE YOUR EYES

Today when you eat, I want you to try something. You might want to be alone, so you don’t feel kinda silly. When you put a bite into your mouth, close your eyes and try to identify all the flavors you can taste.

You know how they say that when you lose one sense, the others are heightened? Today, just for a minute, eliminate your sight, so your sense of taste will heighten. You’ll be amazed how food tastes different and how much more you’ll enjoy it.

Now write down in your journal (or in the notes app in your phone): How did you feel when you closed your eyes while eating?

THINK OF WHERE FOOD CAME FROM

Another easy way to control cravings is by thinking of where the foods that you’re eating came from. You don’t have to research (unless you feel inspired to), but it’s more about using you imagination. For example, if you’re eating grapes from California, you can imagine:

The grape seed being planted and growing

The vines being watered and receiving sunlight

The farmers taking care of the vineyard and picking the grapes

The grapes being packaged and shipped to your city

Being mindful of where our food came from can help us make better food choices and also appreciate the blessing of having so many foods quickly available.

Now write down: How did thinking about the source of your food change your food choices or how you felt about certain foods?

SELF- COMPASSION AFFIRMATION

What do you say to yourself when you promised you would stop eating certain foods and then you find yourself a few hours later eating them? I know I say some horrible things to myself that I would never say to a friend. Sometimes it’s easy to have compassion for others but we struggle in applying this same kind of kindness to ourselves.

Today, when you find yourself stressed or in a difficult situation do this:

Take a moment to pause

Reach up to your heart

Take a few deep breaths

Acknowledge what you're feeling (stressed, anxious, guilty) and see if you can treat yourself with as much kindness as you would a dear friend or a child who was struggling.

Say a self-compassion affirmation: “May I remember to treat myself with love and kindness”

Stress is one of leading causes of emotional eating. If we can tackle stress, we can tackle the cravings that come with it. Real change can only come from love and compassion, and never from guilt or punishment.

Which of these 3 mindfulness strategies did you find most useful? Let me know over on Instagram.