7 Questions to Help Deconstruct Your Sugar or Carb Cravings

By Laura Thomas

 

Cravings aren’t fun, I know. They can dominate your thoughts, take over your day and make you restless. Getting the better of your sugar or carb cravings, starts with a bit of analysis and a number of thought provoking questions. Here are some simple questions to ask yourself when you find you would literally bend over backwards for that warm chocolate chip cookie.

1. Have you eaten in the last 4-5 hours?

If you haven’t eaten in a few hours, chances are the cravings could be linked to low blood sugar. Fill up on a meal or get hold of a protein rich snack. Nuts, cheese, carrots and hummus are all good choices.

2. Are you thirsty?

Dehydration can often cause cravings. Get a large glass of water down and wait 20 minutes to see if your body was in fact craving hydration.

3. Are you tired?

Lacking in the sleep department is a quick-fire way to bring about sugar and carbohydrate cravings. Ensuring you get enough sleep should be your number one health priority if you’re seriously trying to overcome your cravings and don’t want to be on the back foot before you even get out of bed. When I was dominated by sugar, a lack of sleep would nearly almost certainly have me craving hot chocolate at 10:00 am for that extra energy boost.

4. Are you bored?

If you aren’t tired or hungry, are you simply craving distraction? If you work at home or in an office, we often want a break from the computer. Visiting the cafeteria can often feel like the default response. First, rank your true hunger from 1-10 and then try doing something else for 20 minutes. Give someone a phone call, catch up on some social media sites or go for a walk outside.

5. Is it lifestyle imbalance?

Ask yourself if your emotions are driving your cravings? Has it been a bad day? Do you want something to make you feel good, a quick fix of happy hormones? If you’ve got used to relying on food as a quick emotional ‘pick me up’ then you may need to look at how you enhance more fundamental elements of your lifestyle to fill the void. Is there a new hobby you could take up? Is your relationship working? Do you need to make a change to your career or work?

6. Could it be hormonal?

Hormones can have very strong influences on cravings for some individuals. If you suspect this might be the case, start keeping a diary to track any patterns so you can improve your understanding and start to anticipate your strongest cravings. When you know they’re due, prepare substitutions and distractions in advance.

7. Do you really want ‘something’?

If your craving is still there with a vengeance, and a walk round the block isn’t doing it for you, you may just need to substitute. A cup of chai tea with extra cinnamon, some sweet cashew nuts or indulgent full fat natural yogurt are all things that got me through some of my most stubborn cravings. Find your own favorite substitutions, use them consistently and eventually you’ll start craving your healthier alternatives.

Bio
Laura Thomas is a holistic health coach who specializes in sugar addiction, helping individuals get control over their sugary habits so they can live in peace without the burden of daily cravings. A former sugar addict herself, Laura understands the emotional and social difficulties of re-wiring your sugar habits. Sign up to Happy Sugar Habits for a free low sugar snack guide and six months worth of weekly sugar-busting tips.

Curb Carb Cravings to Reduce Health Risks

Dr. Julian Whitaker

By Julian Whitaker MD
(courtesy of Citizens for Health)

Do you get intense carbohydrate cravings? Are there times when you just have to have a snack or can’t resist a cookie? These cravings are not just a road to an expanding waistline – they are also a warning sign. Carbohydrate cravings are often associated with insulin resistance, which in turn is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

In individuals who have insulin resistance, the beta cells in the pancreas make plenty of insulin – the hormone that moves glucose from the blood into the cells – but the cells are unresponsive to insulin’s actions, leading to a rise in blood sugar. The pancreas responds by churning out more insulin, but it may overshoot the mark, driving blood sugar too low and creating an immediate demand for more glucose. This often manifests as carbohydrate cravings.

Unfortunately, when you heed the call, a vicious cycle is set into motion. More glucose demands more insulin, and over time, your body’s blood sugar-regulating mechanisms cannot keep up and signs of insulin resistance become more prominent.

Part of the problem is that chronically elevated levels of insulin, which are characteristic of insulin resistance, promote weight gain. That’s because insulin is the body’s primary fat-storage hormone – it ushers fat as well as glucose into the cells. So the higher your insulin level, the greater your potential weight gain.

To make matters worse, obesity throws fuel on the fire. Adipose tissue (fat), especially in the abdominal area, releases fatty acids that impair beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity, as well as immune cells that lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, increases insulin resistance and risk of diabetes.

The answer to the problem is to interrupt this insidious cycle as early as possible. Start with your diet. Sweets, potatoes, bread, pasta, and most everything made with sugar or refined grains – think white foods – have a high glycemic index and load. This means they rapidly drive up blood glucose but may be followed a couple of hours later by reactive hypoglycemia, a compensatory blood sugar dive that makes you tired, sluggish, and so hungry you feel like you could eat anything in sight.

To avoid this very common phenomenon, eat more fiber-rich vegetables and beans and include some protein with every meal. These foods are not only bulky, filling, and lower in calories, but because they cause a gradual rise in blood sugar, they’ll keep you going longer and are less apt to stimulate food cravings.

There are also some interesting supplements that can help control cravings. One of them is saffron, a bright yellow culinary spice that has been used in traditional medicine to tame inflammation and ease digestive woes. Saffron helps raise levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood, influences hunger and satiety, and helps put the brakes on food cravings – especially for carbohydrates. This makes saffron a real boon for people trying to lose weight.

Look for saffron supplements in your health food store. You can also purchase my Saffron Snack Stopper by visiting www.drwhitaker.com or by calling 800-722-8008. Aim for the study dosage of 90 mg twice a day with meals. Note: It can take up to four weeks to see results, so be patient.

Another supplement for carb cravings is 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). A direct precursor to serotonin, 5-HTP boosts levels of this important neurotransmitter and helps curb carb cravings. This supplement is particularly helpful for people with hormonal imbalances and those eating low-calorie diets, particularly low-protein diets, which may not provide enough of the amino acids required for serotonin production. The suggested dose is 50 to 100 mg, taken between meals. Do not take 5-HTP if you are on an SSRI antidepressant.

The most important tool for reversing insulin resistance (and potential diabetes) is weight loss, and reducing cravings is an important step toward that end. So stock up on fiber-rich foods, eat protein at every meal, and try supplemental saffron and 5-HTP, and you just may be able to keep carbohydrate binges at bay.

About Dr. Whitaker. Dr. Whitaker is Director of the Whitaker Wellness Institute and Editor of Health and Healing newsletter that provides important health advice for more than 500,000 people nationwide. Dr. Whitaker graduated from Dartmouth College in 1966 and received his MD in 1970 from Emory University Medical School. He completed his surgical internship at Grady Memorial Hospital in 1971, and continued at the University of California in San Francisco in orthopedic surgery. In 1974, Dr. Whitaker founded the California Orthomolecular Medical Society, along with four other physicians and the Nobel prize-winning scientist Dr. Linus Pauling. Dr. Whitaker is the author of several books including the best-selling Shed 10 Years in 10 Weeks. 

Curb Those Cravings (CTC) Interview With Celebrity Trainer Kathy Kaehler

CTC: I have read that your fitness and health philosophy builds awareness of “how simple daily choices about nutrition and fitness” promote a healthier and more productive lifestyle. Can you give a couple of examples of these choices and how this works?

Kathy Kaehler: Making good choices 90 percent of the time allows you to have fun and not feel guilty during the 10 percent of your time that you’re “just living life.”  Also, make exercise a priority that you can't let the sun go down without your exercise done. 

CTC: Your approach focuses on workable fitness solutions for today’s busy world. Can you give examples of this --- how do you help people find the time.
Kathy Kaehler: Knowing that you can have exercise in small increments and understand that those increments add up at the end of the day gives you more motivation to get up and take the stairs, do manual labor for the benefit of exercise, multi task home/work chores with physical activity. Dancing to your favorite song, playing tag with your children, washing windows, jumping rope or rearranging your furniture are fun ways to get in some exercise.
 
CTC: You’ve worked with a lot of celebrities, including celebrities who train (like Jane Fonda) and trainers who are fitness celebrities (like Jack La Lanne). What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from Jane Fonda or Jack LaLanne?
Kathy Kaehler: With Jane and Jack it was seeing first hand that age plays no role in fitness that you can start and continue with your fitness quests at any age. Their roles as fitness icons are what I rely on for motivation personally but also for those out there who remain skeptical.

CTC: What are the differences between training celebs and non-celebs? Can we (most of whom are not celebrities) learn something from this?
Kathy Kaehler: To be honest, there is no difference between training a celebrity versus a non-celebrity. Celebrities want the same things from fitness as anyone else. We all want to get in shape for weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and seasons. For celebrities they can add on movie roles but some non-celebs might have to be shape for their jobs. What people need to learn from this is that comparing yourself to a celebrity will not get you anywhere. It is time to learn that you must focus on yourself and be the best that you can be. 

CTC: Many people, especially women, suffer from carb cravings. What tips can you offer Curb Those Cravings! readers to help cope with, work with or combat those cravings?
Kathy Kaehler: It’s really important to find something that will satisfy your cravings. Cravings are natural and if you put them off and try to ignore them they will come back with a vengeance. Look for a treat or snack that is lower in calories and will give you the satisfaction you are looking for without blowing it. Smooth and Dreamy from Breyers is what I choose and I have a huge chocolate tooth. With the bars and sandwiches at 120-160 calories, I can have one, love it and then move on.

CTC: What is your Sunday Set-Up?
Kathy Kaehler: Sunday Set-Up is a simple food routine that is about stocking up on all your good food in the beginning of the week and prepping it so that you will have all your healthy staples to grab for snacks and meals all week long. Some great photos and examples from my shopping list is at www.kathykaehler.net under Sunday Set-Up.

CTC: Can you tell me about your Mini Workouts? Kathy Kaehler: I am constantly doing workouts featuring myself, my kids, celebrities and others. These workouts might be 1-30 minutes long, shot in numerous locations and focus on strength, cardio and stretch. They are free and easy to follow.  

CTC: One problem I have myself is motivation in sticking to a program. Can you offer some advice as to real-world motivation other than just fitting into that swimsuit or that pair of pants?
Kathy Kaehler: Your health should be the best motivation. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke, blood pressure are all risks that can be reduced with exercise. 

CTC: You live by your 90/10 rule, which encourages individuals to watch what they eat 90 percent of the time and indulge here and there during the other 10 percent. Is this do-able or too hard? What are ways people can indulge in that 10 percent which you recommend?
Kathy Kaehler: This is the easiest way to eat and live, as you can manage it easily. My 10% is satisfied with dark chocolate and sandwiches and red wine!

CTC: Any general suggestions especially for young girls (since teenage girls --- I have a teenage daughter myself --- are more prone to eating and body-image disorders than are boys) in terms of eating, exercise and body issues?
Kathy Kaehler: The time is NOW to get the routines and habits established. Eat well balanced foods, limit sugar and salt. Also, take part in physical activity on a daily basis. Find something you love to do and do it, as you will be so thankful you did.

About Kathy
A “Today Show" fitness expert, Kathy Kaehler is the author of the books Fit and Sexy for Life, Kathy Kaehler Celebrity Fitness and Real World Fitness with Kathy Kaehler. Her workout videos include “Kathy Kaehler Basics: Total Fitness Workout” and “Kathy Kaehler Basics: Workout Class.” Clients include celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Cindy Crawford and Samuel L. Jackson. Kathy’s website is: www.kathykaehlerfitness.com

Craving Carbs: Is It Depression?

Craving Carbs: Is It Depression?

Sunshine For the Mind, Jack Challem

Sunshine For the Mind, Jack Challem

Discomfort Food: How to Calm Carb Cravings

By Jennifer Sygo
Edmonton Journal


If you woke up this morning to another grey, blustery pre-winter day and thought to yourself, "Why get out of bed?" then you’re not alone. While the bright lights of the holidays can bring cheer, at least for a while, the bleak days of January are not far off, and with them comes the desire to hibernate until the days are longer and spring flowers have broken through the frozen ground.

With the winter blahs also comes the desire for comfort foods, rich in carbs and fat, which can seemingly pick us up when we’re in the doldrums. The pile of mashed potatoes that seemed only mildly appealing in the heat of July suddenly feels like just the ticket on a day when it’s dark by mid-afternoon. Are we just weak, or is there something more to it?

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Discover How to Fight Food Cravings with These Supplements

Discover How to Fight Food Cravings with These Supplements

Do Sugar Cravings Have You by the Neck?

by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP

It’s that time of year again when it seems like sugar is everywhere. For some of us the push-and-pull of holiday sweets starts at Halloween and lasts all the way through until New Year’s Day — and it can feel like a wild rollercoaster ride. My patients often tell me they can’t wait to get off, but many aren’t quite sure how. Most women I talk with at the clinic and in my personal life have experienced sugar cravings, no matter what time of year — or time of the month. Whether it’s having a taste for something sweet after dinner each night or speeding to your local supermarket for the biggest bag of Swedish Fish you can buy, I know craving sugar can be a powerful urge. And the disappointing truth is that once we start to include sugar into our daily routine, it becomes more and more difficult to stop.

As humans we’ve evolved to appreciate the instant energy sugar provides us, but food is a highly emotional topic, especially when it comes to sweets. We often associate sweet foods with love and acceptance, and scientists have looked at our brain chemistry to understand how food can directly affect our “feel-good” neurotransmitters like serotonin. There are many other physical causes for sugar cravings, too, like hormonal fluctuations, intestinal yeast, and stress, to name a few.

Sadly, we’ve been told for far too long that indulging in sweets is connected with a lack of self-will or some other character flaw. This is just not true! Craving sugar is not simply about willpower, nor is it simply about emotions. There may be several underlying physiologic causes feeding your desire for sugar, and it may take some perspective and investigation to get to the bottom of it. Let’s take a closer look at what might be behind your sugar cravings and how you can develop a healthy, loving relationship with sweets.
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Cravings, stress and exercise

by Dr. William Dunn

Many good and useful tips are known to help stave off cravings. We know what they are, and what they can do for us. You don’t need a doctor to tell you that cravings can make you end up eating the wrong things.

Typically, for overweight people, the cravings of concern aren’t those that make us hungrier for nutrient or fiber-rich foods. It’s the cravings for high-calorie-dense foods that seem to tear down every effort we make to keep the pounds off. It seems every time we start a diet, no matter what it is, we feel even hungrier for those high calorie foods.

Although conventional strategies to overcome cravings definitely help, unfortunately, for the majority of dieters, they eventually fail.

We hear it again and again: eat a big breakfast, avoid snacks, eat smart, exercise ... easier said than done! It makes so much sense, so why is it so hard?

Let’s look at each one:

1. Eat a big breakfast? The alarm goes off. ”Just 10 more minutes”, you think, and you hit the snooze button. Your 10 minutes are gone in what feels like 10 seconds. You force yourself out of bed, you get your kids up, make their lunches, shower, dress, rush through traffic, arrive barely on time, and that leaves you time enough for coffee and a donut. Sometimes you’re not hungry at all. “Big breakfast? Shall I have my maid prepare that for me?”, is probably your first impression.
2. Avoid Snacks? What is a snack? Are “good foods” a meal and bad foods snacks? If you eat an apple at 2:00 pm, is that a snack? If you have potato chips with your sandwich at noon, that’s considered lunch. If you skip lunch and eat potato chips at 2:00, is that lunch? For those desperate to lose weight, all meals and snacks become potential sources of guilt. We try to skip “snacks” and pay for it by eating bigger meals. We try to have lighter lunches, and feel tremendous cravings about 3 o’clock to have a “snack.” In short, snacks are what we perceive as extra food between traditional meals, but, especially after breakfast, at the end of the day your calorie intake is all that matters.When we were children, snacks may have been less important to us. It seemed recess or play activities were more important than food, and our parents even worried if we didn’t finish our plates. But as we get older, stress and work replace play. In a very recent publication, Maastricht University confirmed what we probably guessed: stress can make us eat even when we’re not hungry! Cravings only intensify this hunger-less baseline urge to eat.
3. Eat Smart? “I’m smart, I already know I have to eat fiber and vegetables and everything that tastes bad.” We know what’s good for us. If only we could crave carrots and spinach! But when we’re faced with stress, we don’t want extra work, extra sacrifices. “I have so much to do — carrots and broccoli in plastic bags are my reward? Are you kidding?”
4. Exercise? Nobody has to tell you that exercise isn’t comfortable and fun. Some who tend to be “showoffs” in their size zero dresses will tell you how thoroughly they enjoy aerobics. It’s true, stress levels decrease with exercise, which in turn leads to less baseline desire to eat. But for you, it’s squash and broccoli all over again. You know it’s good for you. But with stress, at the end of the day, with screaming kids, flashes of your angry boss
   crossing your mind, co-workers who drive you crazy, dinner to prepare, phone calls from telemarketers, bills … and a warm cozy bed and television just a few steps away, is exercise something you perceive to be the logical thing? Of course not!
   Self-inflicted pain for your reward? You’re smarter than you think.

Cravings are natural
They alert our system of certain needs, especially in energy deficiency. However, cravings increase in proportion to our weight and degree of insulin resistance to the degree of imbalance. There are several tricks to reduce them to a manageable level. But you’re fighting the war on two fronts, with stress on one side, cravings on the other. Not only does stress increase your involuntary food intake,it also makes it difficult to apply the several tips we can use to curb our cravings.

Managing stress is a whole topic in itself. If you can manage stress, then cravings will be much easier to handle. However, for most, that’s a lifelong challenge. That leaves us with only one choice: to push out of our mind that food is there to comfort our stresses. Again, easier said than done.

Recognizing stress as an important problem, and knowing how difficult and sometimes impossible it is to keep it out of our lives, now you can place the tricks you’ve heard in perspective.

They aren’t just cute tips. They’re your lifesavers. You have more control of this than the often random factors that lead to stress, so play it smart. You have a lot more choices than you think with all the tips available to you. But recognizing how important it is, you will dedicate the extra time you need to tend to your day’s food. You’ll make it a habit to pack your snacks. That way, you are in control, you are the master. But it takes a little work.

For example, you don’t have to eat raw broccoli for your snack. For those moments you really must have a quick stress break, tell yourself: “I promise, on Wednesday, I’ll have that brownie, but for now, I’ll have peanuts and seltzer.” Again, you have endless possibilities. But why peanuts for example? Because they have a very low glycemic index (GI). That means your insulin isn’t going to spike, leading to hunger right afterwards. A prepackaged ounce of peanuts should do the trick — but don’t open four or five. Plan ahead and only take one to work. Don’t eat it for lunch! This is your snack! Take one for lunch if you will, but it’s important you save something for stack time.

What about breakfast?
If breakfast has never been a part of your life, give it a week or two. Wake up a little earlier. Eat with your kids for a change. Start slowly. Keep adding a little more. There are so many studies showing the benefit of a big breakfast — this is the time you don’t have to feel guilty about eating a lot (just don’t go to breakfast buffets daily.) Eat your fill. Try to get protein and fiber in there one way or another — strawberries and yogurt is a good choice.

If 7:00 am breakfast still isn’t you, don’t substitute it for a 10:00 bagel. It’s all for nothing. You’ll eat and feel hungry again anyway for lunch. If that’s your habit, change the bagel again for a prepackaged low GI snack like almonds. Make the extra time to reward yourself with mozzarella cheese and fruit slices. It’s worth it.

What about eating smart?
“Do I have to eat tree bark and hay for lunch?” The answer is no. You can eat your fill. The trick is to know the good tasting foods that will dot this, and at the same time cut the cravings to a manageable level until dinner. There are two concepts to be aware of for lunch:

1. Make your entire meal a low GI meal. Does that mean eating whole-grain bread alone? No way. But know this: meat has no GI, neither does fat. That means getting them in the right balance. If you’re a vegetarian, there are high-protein foods, especially legumes, eggs and even bread. But mixing these foods will bring the average GI of any carbs you eat down. Also, bumping up the protein component will curb your afternoon craving. So slow down on the dinner rolls and desserts — both high GI sources. There many choices for low GI starches — e.g. whole wheat bread or pastas. There are even low GI desserts. But don’t look for them in restaurants. Again, you’ll have to make time for them by preparing them (e.g. example, banana bread made with whole wheat flour and a natural sugar substitute or apple sauce).
2. Want more for less? A lower energy density in your foods will increase the amount you can eat with fewer calories. A full stomach takes longer to digest, meaning better chances for you to make it to dinner without major cravings. One significant way to do this is to decrease the fat component of your lunch. Typical sources of high fat include sauces and toppings like mayon-naise. There are low-calorie alternatives readily available. Don’t kill your efforts to eat a healthy salad only to top it with oily or fatty toppings. Look for low-cal dressings instead.

What about exercise?
Yes, some have made it to the age of 100 without it. Probably they weren’t running marathons though. Chances are, especially in the days of walking to the corner grocery store or to church, it was easier to meet the minimum equivalent of 30 minutes of walking a day. If you walk on the job, you’re there already. If you don’t, you’ll have to squeeze it in one way or the other. That means parking a little further from every place you go to. Think of the fewer dents your car will have. In my neighborhood, in warmer months everyone is walking about a half hour nightly — it’s a new trend.

But what about exercise in winter? It’ll get old to walk the mall every day. So start by estimating how many minutes you are walking at work. Subtract from 30. Let’s say that leaves 20. That means two 10-minute walks. If you really are snowed in, you can briskly walk in place
while you watch TV for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Add hand weights for better tone. (If your joints or muscles hurt, talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine.) You may think that exercise would make you hungrier. Of course, long, vigorous exercising will in fact make you hungry to replace some of energy you burned. But it’s not likely you’ll be hungrier from the nice short walks we’re talking about.

In fact, researchers found that brisk walking curbs chocolate cravings, as well as cigarette cravings. Another group of scientists demonstrated that exercise improves short term appetite control as well.

Finally, it’s old news that exercise helps our stress levels too, which in turn will help you to follow your snack and meal routines more easily. In short, there’s no magic way to curb your appetite. It’s going to take work and some experimenting. Accept that stress is part of the problem that may never go away completely, but that you can do your part with some planning and choices to eat the best foods. Give it the time it deserves — your health is so important—you’ll keep not only the pounds away, but cancer, diabetes and heart disease as well.

Dr. William Dunn is a cancer doctor dedicated to disease prevention through weight loss. He can be contacted through his website, www.lightenforlife.com.

7 Simple Strategies to Kill Carb Cravings

By Dr. Leslie Van Romer

1. Satisfy Your Hunger Drive 
A cultural myth that many people believe is that you must control your hunger drive to lose and maintain ideal weight. Delete that myth from your brain! Your hunger drive cannot be controlled. It is a natural instinct, and like all human instincts, it keeps you alive.

When you’re thirsty, you drink. When you’re sleepy, you sleep. When you’re hungry, guess what? You should eat. Simply fill up on the right foods that satisfy your hunger drive.

Cravings, triggered by hunger, can be crushed, if you stop waging war with your hunger drive and start satisfying it by filling up on the best-for-you foods.

2. Fill Up on Good-Guy Carbs
For all the carbohydrate confusion, there is one glaring fact. All carbs are not created equal. The good-guy carbohydrates, sourced by whole, fresh fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains (brown rice, not breads) and legumes, satisfy your hunger drive, thereby calming cravings. When a bad carb craving hits, fill up on nature’s best-for-you foods first and the craving will fade.

Hint: For cravings to disappear, you must eat enough of the best-for-you foods to really and truly fill you up.

3. Ditch Bad-Boy Carbs
Bad boy carbs incite cravings so steer clear of them. The more refined sugar, desserts, baked goods, breads, salty snacks, and chocolate you eat, the more hooked you get. If they are out of sight, they are much easier to avoid.

The natural sugars and sodium in fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains, and legumes, are your biggest allies to successfully fight and conquer carbohydrate cravings. When cravings call, be sure to first load up on these foods, especially whole fruits and vegetables, to render those sabotaging urges powerless.

4. Graze on Fruit for Breakfast
Fresh fruit expedites your freedom from cravings. The challenge is eating enough fruit when traditional food faves demand attention. Rather than feasting on the typical bad-boy carbs which trigger cravings (dry cereal from a box, quick oats, brown-colored white toast, pancakes, pastries), fat-laden bacon and eggs, or just a cup of coffee, why not fill your morning with nature’s best craving crushers – fresh fruits?

Pay attention to your hunger drive and eat enough whole fruits, approximately four to ten, to fill you up and satisfy you. Grazing on whole, fresh fruits until noon helps shut the gate before the cravings get out, gain momentum and sneak attack later in the day. Try it. See how many whole fresh fruits fill you up and behold your incredible shrinking cravings!

5. Keep Healthy Snacks Handy
Whether at home, work, or on the go, think ahead and keep healthy snacks with you at all times – cut-up veggies, fruit, and raw, unsalted nuts and seeds. That way, when cravings start, your fortifications will stop them dead in their tracks.

6. Stop the Diet-go-Round – Forever
Sure diets work, for a while – until they don’t. But they are excellent at one thing – adding red-hot fuel to your cravings.

First, diets deprive you of your food faves - until you can’t stand it, give in, and sneak them back into your life. Second, diets restrict calories and portions, leaving you hungry, making you crave more, and building that food frenzy to a height that consumes your thoughts and your life until … you give in. Third, diets often limit the major nutrient, carbohydrates. With a shortage of good-guy carbs, cravings take control and you grab the first bad-guy carb in sight. The result: you feel like a hopeless failure one more time.

7. Add and Wiggle!
Okay. Let’s face it right now. You’re not perfect. You will never be perfect. Nor do you have to be perfect to finally be free from food cravings. So give yourself some wiggle room. Instead of proclaiming that you’re never ever going to be seduced by one of your food friends again, try a new strategy.

Think addition, not subtraction. In other words, instead of trapping yourself in a restrictive food-box of “can’t haves,” think about which foods you “get to” add to your day that will give you the most nutrition for your calorie buck. These are the very same foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes – that will stop those cravings.

Then, follow the 80/20 Rule. Eighty percent of the time when meals and snacks are routine without holidays, birthdays or get-togethers, add and fill up first on those best-for-you foods. The other twenty percent of the time, don’t worry about it and wiggle! Just beware you don’t wiggle too much.

No matter how diligent you are at incorporating these strategies in your daily life, if you are a mere mortal, there will be times when things go awry. No worries, with persistent mindfulness, time, and patience, you can free yourself from cravings and build your body-dream-come-true.

With years of experience, and a thriving private prac-tice, Dr. Leslie Van Romer helps her clients with the prevention of diabetes, breast cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, fatigue and premature aging through healthy and conscious lifestyle and diet choices. Her new book, Getting Into Your Pants, empowers readers to lose weight and boost self-esteem, energy and health with do-able food and life-style choices. For more information, visit www.gettingintoyourpants.com or call 1-888-375-3754.