7 Food Hacks to Tackle Mid-work Cravings

While we all experience food cravings from time to time, they’re known to set off binge-eating episodes that can lead to obesity, eating disorders and a host of issues that affect both physical and mental health.?Below are some research-proven ways to address food cravings:

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1. Identify the root cause and substitute with healthy options?

Researching your craving and understanding what it means can be a great first step in giving your body healthy alternatives and curbing the cravings altogether. So if chocolate is what you want, go for a square of dark chocolate (75% or more cacao) instead. If it’s carbs that’ll do it, try some whole wheat pasta and organic cheese. You just have to get a little creative and have some patience while your taste buds adjust to the healthier options.

2. Stabilise your blood sugar?

Keep healthy snacks handy and make sure to have them about an hour before you’re actually hungry in order to prevent low blood sugar. Getting enough sleep and cutting down on caffeine are two other things you can do to keep your blood sugar levels stable and your mind craving-free.?

3. Double up on foods that prevent cravings?

Before you resort to Googling ‘how do I overcome intense food cravings’ or ‘stop chocolate cravings,’ focus on keeping your body happy. You can do this by making sure you’re feeding it essential nutrients—a balance of proteins, fibres, carbs, healthy fats etc.

Foods that are high in fibre can also keep you full longer, preventing those blood sugar fluctuations we just talked about. This way, your body needn’t send you into craving mode in order to have its basic needs met, and you can scratch at least one common cause of food cravings off your list!?

4. Play Tetris for 3 minutes???

What to do in the throes of a craving for chocolate lava cake? Instead of reaching for the food delivery app, download Tetris on your smartphone and play the video game! According to a study by the University of Plymouth, just 3 minutes of the game can make cravings (for food, cigarettes, drugs or sex) subside. Worth a try, right? ??

5. Wait 20 minutes?

The whole thing about a compulsion is that it seeks instant gratification. So, waiting for a food craving to go away may seem like a pointless suggestion. But food cravings, while intense, tend to be short-lived. If you can find a way to distract yourself with an episode of your favourite sitcom or get on a call with a friend, you just might find that you’re no longer craving those fries!

6. Go for a brisk walk?

Again, this is probably the last thing you want to do when you want to reach for that jar of Nutella, but research suggests that a brisk 15-minute walk can be just the thing you need to stop those cravings! Evidence suggests that short bursts of moderate-intensity exercise can make you feel more energised than a cup of coffee.

7. Think long-term!

The next time your mind is hell-bent on visualising a cheesy burger with a side of fries, try this instead: Imagine what this meal would do to your cardiac and overall health in the long run. Research tells us that this line of thinking activates the part of your brain that is associated with self-regulation and inhibitory control, making you much less likely to give in to the craving.?