Simple Hacks to Curb Your Unhealthy Food Cravings

Do you often find yourself craving something sweet or salty? While there’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself once in a while, always giving in to your cravings can impede you from your weight goal, or worse, lead to obesity and serious health problems.

Going cold turkey can do you no good, and might even result in you overeating. However, all hope is not lost. Here are simple hacks for you to curb your unhealthy food cravings:

Drink some water

If you feel the sudden urge to reach for a certain snack, try drinking a glass of water, and wait for a few minutes. You might actually be thirsty, not hungry. Plus, drinking some agua will boost your brain function and energy level, so it’s a total win anyway. 

Add herbs and spices to your diet

A common reason why people get turned off by ‘healthy’ food is that they’re usually bland in flavor. Healthy food need not be boring. You can use ginseng and fenugreek to trick your mind that you’re having something sweet or curry spices if you’re into savory Thai or Mexican dishes. You should be able to enjoy what you eat. 

Avoid getting too hungry

The hungrier you get, the higher chance you won’t be able to fight your food craving. Always have a healthy snack on hand (an apple or healthy chips, perhaps?) so you won’t get too hungry even while you’re extremely busy. 

Fight stress

A lot of people turn to food for comfort when they’re stressed out. You may be thinking to yourself, “I deserve it.” While you do deserve a little reward sometimes, you shouldn’t make it a habit. Instead, try taking a short break and meditate. 

Brush your teeth

After you’re done eating your meal, brush your teeth. This will condition your brain into thinking that eating time is over. Plus, the minty flavor toothpaste leaves in your mouth will make it hard to eat anything afterward. The food won’t taste as good as you thought it would.

Repeat after me: food is not the enemy. You shouldn’t totally restrict yourself from food that you love (unless you’re allergic because that’s a different story). While it’s okay to treat yourself at times, you shouldn’t overdo it. It’s all about finding balance.