Cravings. Damn, do we know them all so well, those lil hunger cues love to sneak up on us out of NOWHERE especially when we are coming up to our TOTM?! They are not welcome honestly.
There we are on our health kicks, and then wow the thought of raiding Cadburys seems all too tempting. They don’t half love to spoil our fun, and sometimes it can lead to a major spiral and things getting slightly out of control. Not the fun kind of out of control may we add.
Cravings have many different factors such as PMS, hormones, blood sugar spikes, lack of sleep etc. The list goes on so don’t worry it’s totally normal, and as much as we would love to crave a fruit salad, let’s be honest that's unlikely (annoyingly)!
Firstly we want to start by saying giving in to your cravings now and again is a must, life is too short to not live a little. However when these cravings start to turn into more of a binge that’s when it doesn’t feel so fun. As this starts happening more frequently it can start to have a negative impact on not just your physical health but mental health too.
Commonly, these small cravings turn into binges which lead to us feeling lethargic, lacking in energy, uncomfortably bloated & unable to focus (all fun & games).
As we said giving in to cravings at times, is essential to living a fulfilled happy life, a tasty dessert at the end of a meal is just a must! This is for those of you who feel as though they are creeping up a little too often and are starting to struggle to manage the after-effects.
Once we eat sugar it causes a spike in our blood sugar, which then leads to a huge drop which causes low energy and mood. It then becomes a cycle which can be hard to get yourself out of as you’re body is searching for the next dopamine hit. This is why we recommend staying ahead of the curve and reducing these spikes as much as possible.
Below we have added little hacks we have learnt to help manage the cravings.
Make healthier swaps
If you're someone who likes to enjoy a bar of chocolate as a treat, try switching to a dark chocolate alternative 75% & above. Dark chocolate is great for satisfying your cravings and won’t cause as much of an insulin spike. Dark chocolate is a natural mood booster full of antioxidants.
Great for PMS symptoms such as cramps, also known to improve brain function. (Dark choc is the BEST) Once you start on the dark chocolate hype trust you won't go back.
We have linked our favourite dark chocolate below an absolute staple in our fridge. Full of natural ingredients it’s a win-win and although it tastes amazing. You won't need to eat x3 large bars of eat, although tempting.
The cashew butter & vanilla crunch is a firm favourite!
Don’t mistake hunger for thirst
Often our body mistakes being dehydrated for hunger and sends signals to our brain that we’re hungry. This the majority of the time isn’t true, it’s our bodies’ way of signalling that hydration is needed. It can be easy to confuse the two, try drinking water first and see if you’re still hungry after.
Exercise
You’re probably thinking now why would I want to exercise?! Does walking to the fridge count? Exercise is a great distraction from food and surprisingly after a good workout, you usually find yourself no longer fighting those cravings. A lot of the time you forget. I know, said no one ever but those endorphins hit hard! The best distraction.
Find Healthier Alternatives
Often the majority of food we crave is processed & highly addictive. Ever eaten silly amounts & still felt hungry after? That is what processed foods do, they don’t satisfy or fulfill you and 9 times out 10 leave you hungry for more.
Hence why it’s just never one biscuit, it's more like the whole packet. Always even more than what you wanted when you started. You will often find us with healthy snacks at the ready so when hunger catches us off guard we’re prepared.
“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”
Often we lean towards nutriciously dense food, such as natural sugars which still fill the void but don’t leave us with a massive sugar crash craving x10 more.
Our rotation of snacks includes; bananas with nut butter and dates which by the way are nature's sweets, SO tasty & always hit the sweet tooth spot. Often leftover protein is great such as salmon or cooked chicken are always a winner when we’re really hungry!
A handful of nuts & seeds which are so good for your gut too! Fueling our bodies with healthier alternatives which leave us full, and satisfied is the hack for not leading into a downward spiral.
Let us know if you would like a blog dedicated to healthy snacks, which will not only taste delicious but also keep you from raiding the snack drawer!