The topic is CRAVINGS. Emily Abbate, the author of this article says that a craving is a signal from your body telling you that it NEEDS something. So to suppress a craving (rather than giving in to it), there are a couple approaches: find an alternative distraction (such as phoning a friend or taking a walk), or you can recognize them for what they are and respond accordingly.

For instance, here are three common food cravings and what they may be trying to tell your body:

POTATO CHIPS. This craving is usually all about the body needing more sodium. While it's true that too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and other heart issues, it is also vital to survival. Sodium (aka salt) is an essential electrolyte for many vital functions in the body — like helping your heart beat.

And while it's easy to get too much salt in a diet built around processed and fast foods, it's also easy to lose a lot of salt if you're exercising or working outside (in the sun, for instance). In other words, maintaining a proper sodium balance isn't necessarily all that easy.

So the fix? Author Abbate says it's a good idea to keep a food journal to track intake. Then avoid turning to processed foods and you'll automatically avoid excess sodium and the stupidity of eating a low-in-nutrition diet. Instead, get your sodium from healthy, whole foods like beets (which also contain powerful antioxidants) and leafy greens like spinach, kale, and chard (which are also rich in iron and vitamin K).

Here's a great smoothie recipe I use that's pretty much taken care of my sodium cravings:

Beet and Greens Watermelon Smoothie

Serving size: 1
Calories per serving: 275.741

Ingredients:

1 red beet juiced
3 cups watermelons cubes
1 quartered apple seeds and stem removed
1 small to medium leaf kale leaf
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon flaxseed or chia seed, or both if you like
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) whole, raw almonds


Directions:

Place all ingredients in high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.

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So the fix? Swap that late-night bowl of ice cream for going to bed an hour earlier. Quality sleep has been shown to help fuel weight loss and improve overall health. Or you could opt for a 20- to 30-minute afternoon power nap. And some nice by products of power naps (besides helping with cravings), is that that they reduce stress, improve alertness, improve immune function, and boost your mood.

PEANUT BUTTER. Author Abbate reports that healthy fats are essential for survival because they're a reserve fuel for the brain. If your diet is low in another macronutrient like carbs, you may be more drawn toward fats for sustenance and energy.

What's more, it's a myth that eating fat makes you fat. In fact, certain types of oily fish high in omega-3 fats (salmon, for instance), help protect the health of the brain and nervous system and also facilitate weight loss.

So the fix? Fat helps you feel full, but because it provides more calories than carbs and protein, you need to be mindful of how much you eat. For example, a healthy portion is 1/4 avocado or 1 ounce (which equals 2 tablespoons) of nuts. And overall as a general habit, aim to consume about 20–35% of your total calories from healthy fats.

Sources:

•   www.pinterest.com
•   www.happyfoodstube.com
•   www.freepik.com
•   www.healthline.com

    Alice Osborne
    DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com