CRAVINGS

What do we crave? Why do we get cravings? Stress Boredom Low Blood Sugar Nutritional Famine How do we deal with cravings The Habit Cycle

STRESS Physical, Chemical or Emotional Stress Common Stress Craving Cycle I feel stressed at work Eat chocolate (or something else bad) I feel better Large amount of processed energy consumed Sharp blood sugar and insulin spike Excess energy not required – stored as fat

Dealing With Cravings - Stress Addressing the stress craving cycle Cue: I feel stressed at work Routine: Eat chocolate (or something else bad) Reward: I feel better Look at the “Cue” or the stressor first If the Cue can’t be changed, change the routine. New routine: Go for a walk, have a drink of water, gather your thoughts The reward: I feel better Introduce a new habit when dealing with stress

BOREDOM Why do we eat due to boredom? Are we really hungry? Cycle of habits You feel bored You look for food to provide excitement You find and eat whatever is closest to you Boredom eliminated This is usually followed by feelings of regret

Dealing With Cravings - Boredom Cue: You feel bored Routine: You look for food You find and eat whatever is closest to you Change the routine. Go for a walk, read a book, watch TV etc. What you really craving is an activity to eliminate your boredom, not food. Don’t keep tempting foods in the house Prevent boredom by planning different activities in advance

Low Blood Sugar Symptoms: Feeling faint, cranky, tired, craving sweet foods... Why/how do we get low blood sugar? Length of time since last meal Last meal didn’t contain the right nutrients we need, ie high sugar, high fat meal. This can cause a craving cycle that is hard to break

Nutritional Famine Symptoms: Constantly hungry – even after you have eaten a big meal. Craving sweet food, tiredness after a meal, tiredness or lacking energy in general... Can result in a constant cycle that is difficult to break What causes nutritional famine? Dieting – calorie restriction Including the wrong types of foods with each meal Not having enough of the right types of nutrients with each meal As a result, your body is constantly craving more food in order to get the nutrients it really needs.

Dealing With Cravings An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Cravings from low blood sugar and from nutritional famine are similar. Your body is really craving the correct nutrients it needs Include the right nutrients with each meal Eat consistently – every few hours Include plenty of leafy green vegetables Include a variety of plant food Include protein and omega 3 with each meal Improve gut bacteria

Dealing With Cravings What if all else fails? Don’t deprive Famine response Holding a volleyball under water Big binge Have what you really want, but include the right protein, plant food and omega 3. Plan mistakes Cravings reduce over time