Food can be our biggest healer or it can destroy our health slowly. If we consume overly processed foods, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. In short, what we eat is central to our health. So having the right kind of food in our home is crucial.
Here are 5 ways to prevent or stop unhealthy food and sugar cravings around the house:
Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration is often confused with hunger or cravings. If you start to feel a craving towards a certain food, drink a glass of water and wait a couple minutes. If the craving goes away, you were just thirsty.
Eat more protein
Eating a certain amount of protein may reduce your appetite and keep you from overeating. It can also help with cravings, and you will feel fuller and satisfied for longer periods of time.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep may lead to poor appetite and strong cravings. Getting the proper amount can be a powerful way to prevent cravings from showing up.
Snack Smart
Swap out unhealthy snacks and introduce alternatives.
Here are tips for healthy snacking:
- Plan your snacks and/or meals ahead of time
- Make eating your veggies fun and tasty by pairing them with hummus, peanut butter, or a low fat cheese dip.
- Swap out chips for skinny pop popcorn, ice cream for plain yogurt with fresh fruit.
Never Grocery Shop While Hungry
You are more prone to make unhealthy choices while spending a lot of money on food that doesn’t have nutritional value. You should always enter the grocery store with a plan.
A little goes a long way, and just by introducing and swapping, we can really make a difference in our relationship with food.
We help Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine professionals communicate their message. We believe:
“Wellness is more than the absence of disease, and methods of diagnosis and treatment of illness that address the root cause(s) are preferable to approaches that simply treat symptoms of a disease or condition.”
— Mike Gemmell and Tasha Spradlin, co-founders, Health Marketing Innovations