Cravings By Christine Behlmann West

What is my Craving?  I love to have late night snacks even when I know my stomach isn’t really hungry

Why do we get Cravings?  “Brain chemicals regulate thoughts and obsessions about food” (Curtin)  “…amino acids can affect cravings and moods” (Curtin)  We NEED amino acids in order for our nervous system to work properly  Without the amino acids helping the nervous system and neurotransmitters to work, our brain fails to get the proper messages and instructions (Curtin)

Do Diets Work to Overcome Cravings?  Most diets will help you lose weight, but it is not the healthiest when getting rid of cravings  By going on a Low-Saturated Fat Diet, you are actually hurting yourself further > Without Saturated Fat, our stomach can’t decide if it’s full or not and so eventually leads you to an eating binge! (Curtin)  Low B Vitamin Level Diets will block out the beneficial bacteria needed to break down waste and will end up causing a very gross digestive system (Curtin)  Low-Calorie Diets will make you lack the vital nutrients that the body needs in order to function and will only leave you asking for more and more food (Curtin)

What Should I Do with this Craving?  Recognize Pain as Feedback >How much am I willing to suffer?  Examine the Experience of Craving >Awareness heals  Reflect on the Costs of Craving >How much money could I be saving?  Recognize Underlying Thoughts and Beliefs >Dig deeper than the craving

More Ways that May Help  Indulge an Attachment >How good does that first snack taste compared to the fourth?  Frustrate an Addiction >Can I go without out for a couple of nights?

Are There Other Ways to Overcome Craving?  Get rid of the craved item >Deem it to be a “No-sweets-in-home” policy (Williams)  Drink lots of water! >By doing this, you are filling yourself up with something natural instead of trying to starve (Williams)  Replace the need to crave with something else >When you feel like eating something late at night, replace it with exercising or healthier foods than chips and Oreos  Eat healthy food as much as possible (Williams) >these foods release their nutrients at a slower pace so it makes you feel fuller, longer

What is the Best Method to Ridding Off Cravings?  For me, it’s just about going at my own pace  By trying to starve myself or go on a diet I know I will never stick to, I’m not really helping myself but continuing to hurt myself  Chances are I would go with the Frustrating the Addiction Exercise because it’s easier to try to stop eating late night snacks one step at a time, seeing how far I really can go before I “need” to cave  Along with this, I would also drink lots of water in order to give myself the feeling that I’m full, but still being able to eat when I know I NEED to eat… not when I WANT to eat  Finally, exercising is something that really should become included in the daily life because not only does it help me become healthier but also keep my mind distracted from thinking about food and what the pantry holds

Works Cited  Curtin, Janice MA. “Why We Crave”. The Weston A. Price Foundation. N.p. 06 July Web. 29 January crave. crave  Williams, Shemiah. “How to Curb Sweet Cravings”. LiveStrong.com. N.p. 11 August Web. 29 January curb-sweet-cravings/. curb-sweet-cravings/