Natural Tips Against Cravings
Cravings – How to fight against these feelings of irrepressible hunger? How to end your food urges and your sugar cravings naturally and effectively? Discover some solutions that will help you!
1. Adapt your Diet
If you are prone or prone to cravings and the snacking that follows, it may be simply because you are not eating enough at main meals or you are not eating enough to make the sensations disappear. Hungry until the next meal.
It can be the case if you have a habit of consuming foods with a high glycemic index. These foods have a perverse effect: after the increase in blood sugar level, which immediately follows their consumption, they cause a sudden drop in this sugar level with a feeling of hunger and sometimes sweating. This unwell feeling then forces you to eat something to feel better, and usually, it is something sweet.
To fight against this phenomenon, it is, therefore, necessary to adapt your diet by:
- Replacing ultra-processed, high glycemic index foods with low to medium glycemic index foods. Limit pastries, rusks, white bread, sweet cereals, rice, white pasta, fries, or mashed potatoes in favor of legumes, bread, rice, pasta, and whole grains!
- The consumption of proteins, if possible in the morning, more satietogenic, and vectors of amino acids precursors of dopamine and serotonin, two neurotransmitters involved in controlling cravings.
2. Snack Smart
“The best way to resist temptation is to give in to it,” said Doctors.
If you are starving, then it may be best to satisfy that hunger so that it does not lead to frustration, which could lead to even greater cravings down the road. Crack, yes, but crack intelligently!
Choose pleasure foods that will satisfy your desires without compromising the nutritional and caloric balance of the day and keep you full until the next meal.
Simple and effective: a small handful of chewable almonds will quickly healthily calm all feelings of hunger. Rich in fiber, vegetable protein, and magnesium, these nuts are, in addition, rich in unsaturated fatty acids and help naturally reduce cholesterol!
More original: the tiger nuts! This small tuber from a plant in the Mediterranean basin eats like a treat, and its sweet taste will quickly and healthily soothe all sweet tooth cravings and cravings thanks to its “appetite suppressant” effect. Tigernuts, also commonly called “tiger nuts,” can be bought in organic stores.
3. Drink (Water)
Occasionally we think we are hungry when thirsty, and our brain plays tricks on us and confuses the two sensations.
In case of hunger pangs, start by drinking one to two large glasses of water before jumping on food. Sometimes this gesture alone is enough to calm your desire to eat.
To avoid this phenomenon, hydrate yourself regularly throughout the day by drinking at least 1.5 liters of water in tap water, spring water, or unsweetened infusions.
On the other hand, escape sodas at all costs, even if they are “zero.” Although sugar-free, these tend to whet your appetite and increase your cravings for carbohydrates!
4. Take out a Natural Appetite Suppressant
Achieve a synergy of appetite suppressant essential oils by mixing:
- 20 drops of vital oil of rose geranium,
- 20 drops of lemon essential oil,
- and 20 drops of verbenone rosemary essential oil,
- in 2 ml of olive oil (or extra edible vegetable oil).
When the urge to eat appears, place two drops of this mixture on a neutral tablet, then let it melt under the tongue to cut the cravings clean.
In this synergy, the roast geranium regulates glycemia, the rosemary on hunger hormones, and the lemon on the neuro-hormones of well-being, pleasure, and vigilance. However, be cautious not to use this mixture in children under six years of age, in people allergic to essential oils, in people with or having been affected by hormone-dependent cancer, in people with asthma, in people with epilepsy, and in pregnant or breastfeeding women.
If your cravings are more focused on sugar cravings, bet on Gymnema. In India, this plant recycled in Ayurvedic medicine is called gurmar, meaning “which destroys sugar.” And for a good reason: it is enough to place the powder of this plant under the tongue to temporarily inhibit the taste buds sensitive to the sweet flavor and make its food instantly bland. Therefore, it is quite possible to use it as a natural appetite suppressant by opening a plant capsule under your tongue as soon as you feel an irrepressible desire for sugar.
However, to avoid drug interactions, we should talk to your doctor before taking it, especially if you are under treatment for diabetes and cholesterol.
5. Boost your Serotonin Level
When one succumbs to a craving, it is very often to obtain pleasure rather than by real hunger, and this can be because his serotonin level is at the lowest level.
Serotonin is called the neurohormone of happiness. We are marked with sadness, more sensitive, and prone to “emotional bulimia when it comes to lack.” The food then plays the role of a comforting blanket, and we are then more willing to go to fatty and sweet foods that provide immediate pleasure.
By boosting your serotonin level, you reduce cravings and your attraction to sugar.
The good news is that it can be done naturally using a plant: Griffonia, rich in 5-HTP (HydroxyTryptoPhane), a precursor of serotonin. Presented as a mother tincture, in capsules, or standardized extracts, Griffonia is taken around 4 p.m. and then at bedtime to say goodbye to sugar urges. By also helping to fall asleep, Griffonia also helps fight nighttime cravings.
Griffonia is, however, contraindicated in pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, people on anti-depressant treatment, people with Down’s syndrome, or suffering from scleroderma. In general, it is advisable to seek advice from your doctor before using it.
6. Pamper your Gut Microbiota
The intestinal microbiota is nothing other than the set of microorganisms that inhabit our digestive tract. Involved in our digestion and our immunity, it can also regulate our feelings of hunger.
In the event of imbalance, it is the production of intestinal hormones regulating insulin that disturbs, which affects satiety. In addition, the “good” bacteria that compose it produce short-chain fatty acids, which also play a role in satiety.
Taking repair of the balance of your intestinal flora can then help to feel full over time. To do this, nourish your “good” bacteria by emphasizing prebiotics in your diet. It is more precisely soluble dietary fiber, undigested by intestinal enzymes. But serves as growth support for the intestinal bacteria beneficial to our good health and satiety.
Thus, strengthen your microbiota by promoting:
- the fruits and vegetables that need eating at each meal. And especially those most decadent insoluble fiber such as garlic, salsify, the artichoke, asparagus, apples or even leeks,
- the foods rich in beta-glucans such as shiitake or oatmeal,
- The foods rich in polyphenols as oilseeds, red fruit, and dark chocolate,
- the sources of resistant starches such as sweet potatoes, pasta, and brown rice.
