5 Ways to Trick Your Brain to Beat Food Cravings

According to Psychologist Anywhere Anytime, there are around four million citizens in the United States with a food addiction. While the term “food addiction” might be something people commonly take as a myth, it has been proven that the condition is real. Cravings are a result of your brain becoming addicted to certain types of food –your body feels like it needs these binge foods, thus creating cravings and resulting in compulsive eating. Studies have proven that there are ways to control your addictions, including addiction to binge eating. Training and tricking your mind can be an effective solution to help you beat food cravings.

Eating Disorder Hope reported that food addiction can be related to biological, social or psychological reasons. Some of the most common psychological reasons for this addiction include a low self-esteem, not being able to cope with certain situations, traumatic experiences and even emotional or sexual abuse. While there are various factors that relates this condition, addiction can be overcome by introducing some simple elements and changes into your life – changes that will help control the psychology behind your addiction.

1. Ensure you get enough sleep
As reported by WebMD, sleep is an important aspect of controlling your cravings. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can cause an increased appetite. Cravings are more common to appear if you haven’t had a good night’s rest. Without the proper amount of sleep, the brain’s Ghrelin levels are raised and the Leptin levels are lowered. Ghrelin is responsible for stimulating hunger. Leptin is responsible for signaling satiety to your brain, which also leads to a suppressed appetite.

2. East slower and chew more
A study conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has proven that eating slower aids with controlling your appetite. The study was conducted in Ames within the United States and different types of patients participated in order to conduct a thorough investigation. Some of the patients were overweight or obese, while others were at their normal weight. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 45. The participants were asked to eat pizza and were allowed to eat until they were full at a comfortable level. Three tests were conducted on each participant. They were first asked to eat at their normal rate, then to chew more two times (one and a half time more and then two times more).

The results found that the amount of food consumed when the participants chew more were around 9.5% to 14.8% less.

Eating slower and chewing more can be an effective strategy to control your appetite and make your body feel fuller for longer. It takes around 15 to 20 minutes for your brain to signal your body that it is full. This is why it is important to make a meal last longer and not consume as much as you can within this time period.

3. Avoid the dangerous foods
When you crave something that are not accessible, it means that you will not be able to provide your body with what it wants. This is also a golden opportunity to provide your body with what it needs instead of what it wants. Take notes of everything you eat for a couple of days and use this data to figure out what your trigger foods are – this could be chocolate, candy bars, crisps or any other unhealthy habit. Once you have determined what your trigger foods are, it is time to remove them from your immediate presence.

You should stay away from these foods for at least 2 or 3 weeks. This will help your body forget about those tastes. During this time, you can replace your trigger foods with some healthy alternatives such as nuts or berries.

4. Exercise your cravings away
In May 2012, a study was conducted to test the effects of exercise on cravings and the neuronal responses your brain has to food. The study was completed by multiple medical professionals. A total of 60 participants were tested in the study and the conclusion was that there was a reduced rate of neuronal response to food after the exercises was completed. PubMed reports that the results also concluded a reduced motivation to eat.

When your cravings strike, simply take a walk, go for a jog or do some kind of exercise routine. This will dramatically decrease your cravings and can even help to avoid them completely.

5. Listen to some music
Stress can be one of the main reasons why a craving occurs. During our everyday lives, we face many challenges that put us in stressful situations. This leads to impulsive eating. Taking a break once in a while can do a lot of good and even help you control and beat your cravings.

Music have been proven to be one of the most effective methods of reducing stress and simulating happiness. Whenever you feel a craving that come as part of a stressful situation, take a step back and listen to some music. This will help calm you down and can help you reduce and avoid bingeing.

Conclusion
There are several factors that can lead to food cravings. Being prepared beforehand will help you trick your brain to beat the cravings. These tips will help you overcome those situations where you want to binge without having a reason to. It is important to remember that cravings have a psychological connection and by taking it upon yourself to control these emotional feelings, you will be able to avoid your cravings.

References:
http://www.psychologistanywhereanytime.com/addiction_psychologist/psychologist_addiction_food.htm
http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S2212-2672%2813%2901375-0/abstract