With all the information and ideals out there about being healthy and eating healthfully, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
When I was first learning about healthy eating, I felt frustrated trying to keep up with all the different versions of ‘perfection’ that were out there.
It made me feel bad about myself, like I wasn’t ‘healthy enough’ and ultimately like I wasn’t good enough…
Well, I want to help you get past that feeling of overwhelm, indecision and immobilization by jumpstarting your healthy eating habits!
One of the best places to start is by figuring out how to overcome those pesky cravings. So today I have 3 ways to do just that!
1. Change Triggers
This is what cues your cravings, and could be anything but common triggers are:
- Stress
- Boredom
- Sadness/depression
- Guilt
- Feeling bad about yourself
Being aware of your trigger(s) is the first step, from there you can try to avoid, change or manage your situation as much as possible.
My change was pretty drastic – I quit my job. There were many reasons other than the gummy bears, I wouldn’t have quit just to beat a craving!
Sometimes you just need a small change – even just a break in your routine for a few days – to break yourself out of bad habits or cravings.
2. Change Reactions
Sometimes it’s not possible to change the thing that’s triggering us, at least not right away. Not everyone can quit their job.
Then what you can look at is changing your reaction to your trigger(s). Believe it or not, we do have a choice of how we react.
It’s not easy, but we can choose what we take on of someone else’s triggers. Trying to understand where they’re coming from, or trying to understand why you’re reacting a certain way can help overcome the knee-jerk reaction that leads to cravings.
Like I said, this isn’t easy, which is why solution 3 is my favorite!
3. Change Solution
So your solution currently is to give in to a craving, and most likely if you’re feeling bad about yourself it’s an unhealthy craving – something like chocolate or wine or coffee or cheese.
Mine in this example was gummy bears. So the simplest solution is to swap those gummy bears for something healthy – dates or bananas or maybe mango-coconut ice cream.
This is my particular area of expertise – finding healthy solutions to cravings. I love it! It works not only because you’re avoiding the unhealthy food, but those foods often lead to cycles of cravings.
Do you ever notice that if you give in to a chocolate craving, it only leaves you craving more chocolate? Or if you eat a handful of chips, you suddenly find yourself at the end of the bag?
The refined sugars and high amount of salt in junk foods set up an increasingly downward spiral, and often lead to full-on addictions.
So what we’re doing here is breaking that negative cycle by giving your body something healthy that actually satisfies and nourishes you.
PDF Cheat Sheet: Healthy Alternatives For Cravings
The other side is that maybe your solution isn’t food! Sometimes if I crave a snack, what really satisfies me is to go sit with the sun in my face for 5 minutes, or go for a walk, or a run.
Food is gone in a flash, but if you can figure out what you really need to satisfy your soul you’ll find lasting happiness and fulfillment. Maybe what you need is to:
- go for a massage
- go out to a movie with friends
- take a long bath
- break your routine and reset with a short cleanse
Your Turn!
Ok, I told you about my gummy bear addiction, how it manifested, and how I dealt with it. Now I want to know…
- What are your triggers?
- How do you react?
- What cravings do you indulge, or do you have an alternative solution?
Let me know below! Maybe I have a solution for you – maybe it’s even in that cheat sheet!
