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3 Ways
To Ward Off Food Cravings
Food cravings aren't all in your mind. You crave
foods because your body "remembers" the physiological
effect the food had when you consumed it in the past. In
fact, research has shown that the foods we perceive as
enjoyable or rewarding actually activate the same "reward
pathways" in the brain that are triggered by certain
drugs of abuse, like cocaine. When you experience a "food
flash," you are really experiencing a milder form of the
drug cravings that afflict recovering addicts.
That's why the smell of food is often all it
takes to get you feeling all "cravey" and distracted.
Haven't you on occasion walked past a bakery or entered a
friend's kitchen and suddenly the aroma of delicious
foods hits you, leaving you tempted? Face it, the smell
of food can make you feel hungry as much as the sight of
food can. That's a biological fact we're stuck with. The
solution is to remind yourself, "That's the aroma of fat
cells I don't need."
Luckily, there are other things besides drugs,
food, and smells that can activate the reward pathways of
your brain. In fact, you can start many of the same
internal reactions through exercise, meditation, and
believe it or not, laughter.
Exercise: Exercise, even moderate exercise,
can serve as a tremendous anti-anxiety agent. Research has
proven that people who exercise have an enhanced sense of
control over their bodies and their lives. Even better, the
most recent research indicates that you don't have to
workout to the point of exhaustion. The old proviso of at
least thirty minutes of exercise three times a week is being
modified shorter bouts of exercise are just as effective.
That means a little bit of physical activity for merely ten
minutes at a stretch a few times a day is just as effective
as the traditional thirty minute routine. It would seem as
if this new research was tailor-made to fit the time needed
to overcome the average craving.
Meditation: Whether it is Transcendental or
any other kind of meditation, it has been shown to induce a
biological state that is the exact opposite of that of
stress. Meditation is food for your soul. It satiates the
hunger that is not satisfied by food alone. And when your
soul is fed, you have less need to overeat. When you
directly experience the fullness of life, then you have less
need to attempt to fill the void with
food.
Chill Out: Don't take yourself and your
weight-loss efforts so seriously that you become grim about
it. Laughter lifts depression, soothes anger, and relieves
anxiety. Many of my clients keep on hand a videotape of a
favorite old comedy or sitcom episode, something that just
makes them laugh out loud. You can't laugh and eat at the
same time. Humor kills food cravings.
Exercise, meditation, and laughter are three
nonfood alternatives that are not only healthy and fun,
they give you the scientific edge. With these three
substitutions you are not only protecting yourself from
the craving, you are changing the underlying chemistry
that leads to craving, preventing later
attacks.
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