| How to Curb Carbohydrate Cravings! | | | | wounding blow to the late afternoon "snack |
| You are free to publish this article in its entirety, | | | | monster". |
| without changes as long as the Copyright and | | | | Five steps to avoid carbohydrate cravings: |
| Author's Bio, remain in place and the URLs and | | | | 1. Incorporate protein in to your breakfast AND |
| links remain intact and working. | | | | lunch. Protein is key to controlling carbohydrate |
| == | | | | cravings. The RDA of protein for women is 60 |
| As a weight loss mentor it never ceases to | | | | grams a day. For women wanting to lose weight, |
| amaze me how people inadvertently set | | | | health professionals recommend approximately |
| themselves up for a huge snack attack mid | | | | 100 grams of protein daily. Why? One of the |
| afternoon. For many, the set up is so complete | | | | principle advantages of protein is that it creates a |
| that it is almost impossible to control! The result is | | | | feeling of fullness and satisfaction in the body that |
| that people think they are weak-willed and lacking | | | | makes overeating much less likely. Source your |
| in discipline. Often the answer has little to do with | | | | protein from ultra lean sources so you don't pick |
| character or determination. More often the reason | | | | up unwanted calories and saturated fats. |
| for the mid afternoon carbohydrate cravings is | | | | Even better, than providing a sense of sustained |
| due to gaps in understanding how our body works | | | | fullness, protein can block the triggering effect |
| and responds to diferent types of food. Read on | | | | that carbohydrates can have on the brain. If you |
| to see what you can do to control those mid | | | | eat protein with a carbohydrate it will reduce the |
| afternoon cravings. | | | | cravings caused by eating the carbohydrate. |
| Trigger foods | | | | 2. Never skip meals. Research has shown that |
| If you want to control those cravings there are a | | | | people who skip meals are more prone to obesity |
| few principles you must be aware of. The first is | | | | than those who regularly eat 3 meals a day. In |
| concerning trigger foods. Nutritional research has | | | | fact, people who space their daily food |
| documented, carbohydrates trigger the brain to | | | | requirements by making appropriate use of |
| crave more carbohydrates, leading to a cycle of | | | | healthy snacks do even better. Why is this? When |
| carbohydrate eating that becomes hard to control. | | | | you skip meals you are more likely to get hungry |
| Trigger foods keep you fat. The goal is to have | | | | and fill up on easily obtained fast foods which are |
| control over these foods rather than allowing | | | | often trigger foods. |
| them to have control over you. | | | | 3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the |
| What do trigger foods look like? Well, they vary | | | | day. For some people sugar laden soft drinks are |
| from person to person, but typically look like soft | | | | a trigger food. Make sure you don't get thirsty in |
| drinks, potato chips, corn chips, peanuts, french | | | | the first place. Water creates a sense of fullness |
| fries, cheese, pizza, chocolate chip cookies, | | | | and has a host of other health benefits. |
| pretzel, apple pie, candy bar and so on. These are | | | | 4. Plan the timing of your meals so that you don't |
| the foods that for many, "once we pop, we can't | | | | get hungry. Despite having three healthy meals a |
| stop!". | | | | day, sometimes your work schedule can mean |
| Isn't it amazing that all these types of foods are | | | | the spacing of those meals still does not guard |
| available from take-away places? They are so | | | | against the carbohydrate cravings. If you have a |
| readily available and have crept into our daily | | | | long gap between meals, make sure you carry |
| routine without us even planning it to happen. We | | | | healthy snacks to cover the distance, otherwise |
| get hungry, we are busy, we are distracted, and | | | | hunger will set in |
| one serve leads to another; and we don't realise | | | | 5. Plan your snacks. Plan out your weekly snack |
| just how much we are eating as the triggering | | | | schedule with some delicious, healthy snacks. |
| effect takes place in our brains. By eating a small | | | | Purchase these with your weekly shopping so |
| portion of any of the above you can easily | | | | that you are fully prepared. If you need to, get |
| consume anywhere from 350 to 1000 calories. | | | | up a few minutes earlier in the morning so you |
| Two serves could be 700 to 2000 calories! Most | | | | have time to prepare and take your snacks to |
| women on a weight loss program are aiming for | | | | work. Remember, healthy snacks don't live in a |
| between 1200-1400 calories a day, so you can | | | | vending machine! You are less likely to get hungry |
| see that one snack can seriously sabotage your | | | | when you have a ready supply of healthy |
| plans. Does this sound like you? I can hear the | | | | snacks. |
| deep sighs of regret and frustration! Don't worry, | | | | 6. Carry emergency supplies of nutritional protein |
| there are answers for you. | | | | bars in your handbag or brief case. When you feel |
| You can be empowered to take control when | | | | a carbohydrate craving, eat the protein bar |
| you know how to avoid the nutritional set up that | | | | instead and wait 30 minutes before acting on the |
| will drive you towards trigger foods. | | | | craving. More often than not the craving will pass |
| Here are a few simple principles that will deal a | | | | and you will be in control again. This truly works! |