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Want to know how to stop eating junk food?
First, discover what you’re really craving, then look at what to do about it.
Distinguish between true cravings (irresistable), casual cravings (you’re not trying very hard), and food memory. I can have a mental food fest right now thinking about Reuben Sandwiches, but that’s a memory from pre-Celiac days and not really a craving.
Got it?
So, think about the foods you crave. What do these foods have in common?
Is it only one thing they have in common? Or several things?
For example, a client tells me they crave CRUNCH. Here in Texas, that means tortilla chips at best and Ranch-Flavored Doritos at worst. If I asked that person to examine more of the things they crave, she might realize that SALT is a common ingredient.
Could it be the salt she’s really after? And the crunchy stuff is just the way she’s settled on to deliver the salt?
If you look at most desserts, you’ll find that FAT is a common ingredient. Could it be you’re primarily after the fat and not the sweet? The sweet is the excuse, but the fat may be what you are actually, physically craving.
How To Stop Eating Junk Food
- Discover what it is you’re really after, and why. If you’re really craving salt, buy good Himalayan Salt and eat it freely. You’ll soon lose your taste for common table salt.
- Ask yourself if you crave foods because you’re hungry. If so, then get with the Paleo Diet (my Diet For Human Beings) and eat hearty foods on time. No fasting just because it sounds cool and is a good excuse to starve yourself!
- Are you looking for fat or for sugar? Cravings for sugar are usually cravings for fat. Yes, FAT! We’re meant to get 30 to 40% of our calories from fat. Ghee, Coconut Oil, pastured lard, almond butter, olives, Avocado Oil or Macadamia Oil are all satisfying, good off a spoon and provide satiety quickly.
- Keep your blood sugar stable. When glucose drops you’ll eat almost anything. Are you eating on time?
- See if a craving is really just food from a memory. It doesn’t mean you have to eat it….
- Watching too many child’s cartoons and movies? Do what you can to stop the advertising brainwashing of yourself as well as the kids.
- Are you deficient in a nutrient? You may not know that Brazil Nuts have Selenium, but your body knows. And if a bowl of rancid mixed nuts is the only way your body sees to get some Selenium, that’s what you’ll crave. Even French Fries have something of value in them – if that’s the only choice, your body will take it.
Bottom Line??
Eat well. Eat heartily. Eat 3 to 4 times a day. Eat a big variety of foods. Don’t skimp on preferred fats. Remember your mind can send you a message but you don’t have to listen to it.
Be well. Be happy!
Beverly
