How often will you overcome with your desire of devouring a cheeseburger or chocolate bar? Even the most nutrition-conscious people need to learn the way to cope with cravings, at times, for foods that are not really nutritious, and it may be true but not necessarily. Cravings are commonly stimulated by emotional cues, but fuelled by physiological ones. This is because you are imagining what it is going to be like if you eat the food that you want to have. Therefore, to be able to avoid mindless munching, you will need to identify your cravings’ causes and be set up with methods that can subdue them. There are tips that can help you do just that.

1. Considering what your body needs – All cravings are essential because they will give you clues on what you are feeling and what is happening in your body metabolically and biochemically. There are signs that your body is in need of more of a particular nutrients, like for example, a strong taste for red meat means that you have low iron. 

2. Looking for a distraction – Before you start to nibble on anything that your mind wants, take several minutes to drink one glass of water and walk around the block. These 2 steps will be helpful because they are separating you from your cravings. That separation will give you the space and time for reflecting upon the healthy diet that you want to maintain and about how eating this food will take you off-course from that plan. You can also sip something warm such as herbal tea. 

3. Asking whether you are hungry – It could be simple but people are commonly neglecting to identify their hunger level before they even start to nosh. Determining that there could be no actual hunger is the first step to not give in to each craving. Always remember that you could be starving and you have to eat a full meal. If that is the case, try to consume a healthy dish and reassess your desire or craving. 

4. Paying attention to what you are craving – Your desire for particular kinds of fare may also be a warning sign that you have health issue that must be addressed. If you are consistently craving for starchy foods and sweets, this means that your body is not normally metabolizing carbs. It means that your body cannot move glucose into your cells for energy, and thus, you end up having a feeling of deprivation and desire to eat more carbohydrates. 

5. Cutting yourself a break, but a little one – If you have assessed your hunger, and you waited but cannot kick your craving, it is time to give you but in small doses. Try to eat only ¼ of the portion size that you really want, and put the rest away and distract yourself for fifteen minutes. See how you would feel when that time passed. 

If you have followed these tips and you still feel compelled to devour particular foods, you should consult your doctor.
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