Cravings in general do not have to necessarily be “bad” things. It’s all in how you respond to them. In this post, I’ll explain how to healthfully handle cravings.

Identify Your Type of Inner Voice – and Squash It!

Reflect on the last time you had a memorable craving, what “voice” did you hear?

The Seductive Seller

“You know you want me. I’m sooooo good. You deserve it. You worked so hard.” The seductive seller accentuates all the positive aspects of the food and none of the negative. It preys on the food-as-reward mentality (which is a dieter’s trap). The problem is responding mindlessly to the food seduction rarely gives you the satisfaction you are actually looking for. Maybe you don’t even need food. Maybe you need a hug or a kiss – or some sleep! Don’t let the seductive seller sweet-talk you. Make sure when you choose to eat something you take your time and enjoy each and every bite.

The Inner Critic

“You are so weak. You fail at everything you do and you’re going to fail at this, too.” The inner critic is all about demoralizing and sap motivation techniques. The self-hate it perpetuates is toxic to your well-being. Listening to these messages makes you more vulnerable to them. Next time you hear the inner critic come out, confront it. Be aware that these are just words flowing through your mind. You don’t have to follow them.

Respond to Cravings with Awareness and Mindfulness

As I said at the top of this post, cravings don’t have to be a bad thing. You are in control. Recognize a craving when it comes on, squash the voice and choose to take a mindful approach. Ask yourself “am I hungry or do I need something else?”. Maybe you need some rest, a hot bubble bath, or a chat with a close friend.

If you do feel hungry or if you just want to respond to the craving even though you know you’re not, it’s OK. Giving yourself permission to respond to cravings can be very liberating. But make sure you choose a reasonable portion size of your food and really take the time to slow down and enjoy each wonderful bite. Notice the taste and the pleasure it brings you. Experience it with all your senses. You may not even finish it before feeling completely satisfied. So stop early.

Taking the mindful approach to cravings is a healthy way of living a life you deserve. Next time you have a craving, embrace it!

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How to Healthfully Handle Food Cravings

Its method for working its power impacts the brain’s craving and reward system. It is here that it unleashes its ability to block the craving drive that leads to overeating and binge-eating.

While the drug is still waiting FDA approval for consumer use, obesity experts believe that this cocktail approach to weight loss pills is the face of the future. Such treatments target numerous biological pathways from appetite suppression and cravings to blocking fat and blocking starches.

In regards to side effects, nausea, headaches and constipation were the most commonly cited. In addition, results of the clinical trial showed that Contrave helped more than half of the subjects lose more than 5 percent of their body weight in a year.

But many medical professionals have been quick to point out that while these results may be better than doing nothing at all, the weight loss effects are still not incredibly substantial. And what is still not known is that once a person reaches their weight loss goal, will they have to be on weight loss medication for the rest of their lives in order to maintain their lost weight? Medications like Contrave are being bred to be just that: Chronic diet pills that support long-term weight loss.

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Contrave is a New Weight Loss Drug Promising to End Cravings

Why in the world would I do this to myself with everything I know about nutrition, processed food, and metabolism?!? On the one hand, I was probably craving something sweet as I was trying to get a few more things accomplished before going to bed and starting the next work week. The real reason goes slightly beyond bad habit, unfortunately; it is learned behavior.

When I was very young, my father made my mother promise never to eat her favorite butter and brown sugar sandwiches in front of me because he thought it would be an awful habit for me to pick up. True to her word, I was unaware of this quirk until I was a teenager. I’m pretty sure that she finally divulged when she found out that I was eating Oreos and orange soda as an after school and sports practice snack. I played three sports in high school and often craved quick calories after an intense practice. That was a bad habit, but easily broken.

The brownie mix my mother and I discovered together and shared frequently. It was a fast and easy way to fix a chocolate craving. My mother also taught me how to mix Bisquick with a little water and sugar to create a sweet dough that we would eat without baking. Then there was the version of s’mores I created with the microwave and Quick powder….

I would not suggest any of the above to anyone. They are obviously not healthy options, nor are they really that satisfying. It would take me nearly as long to walk across the street and purchase a made from scratch Ghiradelli brownie, so it isn’t even really about convenience and certainly not about quality. The treats in which we indulged as children often seem more intriguing when we are adults.

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My Dirty Diet Secret

US magazine polled some of Hollywood’s most famous moms for which foods they couldn’t eat enough during their nine months of pregnancy. The cravings seem to fall into two categories: sweet or salty. Here’s a look at who fell into which category.

Pass the Salt!

New mom Ashley Simpson confessed to eating green olives with everything as did Minnie Driver, while Jessica Alba ate ham and cheese sandwiches almost every day of her pregnancy. Halle Berry noshed on bread, salt and pickles while she was pregnant with daughter, Nahla.

Singer and fashion designer, Gwen Stefani carried around a bottle of Tabasco sauce in her purse and devoured salty chips, spicy salsa and Mexican fare while pregnant the second time around.

Sweet like Sugar

Tori Spelling, mom of two, couldn’t eat enough of rocky road ice cream and Katie Holmes satisfied her sweet tooth with gourmet cupcakes. Gwyneth Paltrow surrendered to cravings for banana toffee pie while pregnant with first child, Apple. Debra Messing ate bowl after bowl of frosted mini wheats when she was pregnant and eating-for-three Rebecca Romijn noshes on soy cream cheese and drinks lemonade by the pitcher.

Angelina Jolie was rumored to have the sweet-salty craving while she was pregnant with her twins. Deep-fried onion rings dipped in mustard,  fast-food french fries dipped in milkshakes, dark chocolate flavored with Mexican chilis and cinnamon and cupcakes topped the list of this mother of six’s pregnancy taste buds. Julia Roberts also had a hankering for the sweet-salty combo and indulged in french fries dipped in chocolate.

Calling all moms out there: DietsInReview would love to know what your pregnancy cravings were. Don’t be shy – the more whacky, the better!

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Pregnant Hollywood Stars’ Food Cravings