I drove over to my parents home the a few weeks ago for dinner. I arrived early, and asked my mother if I could help her finish preparing dinner. The smell of mom’s pot roast in the oven really got my mouth watering and I couldn’t wait to eat.
She sent me to the pantry to retrieve some bread. I opened the pantry and was amazed at what I saw. Of course their was the standard pantry fare, but many other items were lurking in that pantry. Here were a few: crackers, cookies, potato chips, tortilla chips, oatmeal crème pies, white bread, sun chips, frosted corn flake cereal, pop tarts, and popcorn. No kidding, these were all in her pantry.
I asked my mother if she ate these items often. She said, “Yes, I’m hungry all the time so I just snack on the stuff all day”. She said she eats three meals a day, but gets hungry so she snacks on crackers, chips, etc., then an hour or so later she is hungry again, so she eats more snacks.
The carbohydrate frenzy- trigger foods
Eating the fore mentioned types of carbohydrates all day will make anyone hungry and crave food every hour or so. You see, eating these types of snacks causes our blood sugar to spike and fall very rapidly, triggering our body to crave more food all day long. It’s a viscous cycle with no end. This type of cycle not only sets up our body for weight gain but the possibility of diabetes and a whole host health problems.
How to conquer these carb cravings once and for all
By reading this article I know you are motivated enough to stop these cravings for good.
Here are some free tips to get you on your way to healthy eating and craving free!
1. Eat three balanced (protein, carbohydrate, fat) meals a day plus two healthy snacks. This stabilizes blood sugar, reduces cravings, turbo charges your metabolism (your body will naturally burn more calories), and helps you with weight loss.
2. Spend some time in your pantry and even your refrigerator. Pitch all the cookies, crackers, white bread, chips, store bought fruit juices, etc.. These foods have no nutritional value, only empty calories that will no doubt cause you to crave more foods and gain weight faster.
3. Eat healthy snacks such as protein shakes, nuts, fruit, veggies with dip, etc. At each snack, eat a small portion of protein, carbohydrate and fat. These healthy foods have a positive impact on your body. They give your body vital nutrients, and most importantly, stop the cravings. You’ll feel better, and won’t be as tired during the day.
4. Drink plenty of water.
5. Limit your amount of caffeine. I know, I sure love drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. If you are a caffeine addict, meaning you drink three cups or more of caffeine a day, try to cut it back to one or two. As far as cravings go, caffeine sure gives our bodies a jolt and can make us feel good and even more alert, but after that initial jolt and you “come back down” your body will either crave more caffeine or carbohydrates.
6. The ultimate goal is to eat healthy foods, which in turn gives our bodies proper nutrition, which in turn makes us feel better. But this can take time. If you are used to eating junk food, and always craving food, don’t worry. Start out slow if you have to. Your body will take time to adjust to a new way of eating. You may even feel lousy for a few days or even a week, while your body adjusts to the healthy foods.
Follow these tips for a few months and you will feel great!
By Jeff Lugeanbeal – www.worldwideweightloss.com
