9 Helpful Ways to Stop Your Carb Cravings

There’s no easier way to put it: maintaining a healthy weight calls for reducing processed carbohydrate intake and sugary food. That said, below are 9 great tips to control your sugar-carb cravings:

1. Hydration is important

Guzzle down more water. Apart from water, you can also sip on low-calorie drinks like iced herbal tea or sparkling water. More often than not, thirst might be confused for hunger, so it’s best to avoid dehydration throughout the day.

2. Load up on the veggies

Vegetables have numerous benefits – rich in nutrients, high in cellulose and water content – all of which do wonders for your intestines and digestive health.

3. Eat more fiber-rich foods

Fiber actually helps stabilize blood sugar levels by gradually releasing it into the blood – this mechanism helps you control your hunger and cravings.

4. Avoid Distractions While Eating

Give yourself time to sit down and concentrate on your food – it aids digestion. Focusing on each bite allows your brain to take it in, which makes you feel fuller quickly.

5. Chew more and eat slowly

Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. It gets alerted when you chew. Chewing gives the signal that food is coming. So, eating too quickly might prompt more hunger because the brain doesn’t fully register what you just did. An increase in insulin will also happen if you rush eating, and that sudden spike will make you feel hungry again.

6. Get enough sleep

The production of ghrelin is actually affected by how much sleep you get — less sleep means more ghrelin, which makes you hungrier.

7. Schedule your caffeine fix

Consider drinking your cup of coffee in the morning only, and try not to have another one in the afternoon. While it’s true that it can suppress your appetite, it can also cause a letdown and leads to dehydration. Limiting it to one cup per day may help.

8. Move and be more active

Work out, do your chores, spend time on your hobbies – do what you can to fight off boredom, because being bored contributes to carb cravings and the feeling of wanting to reach for a snack all the time.

9. Treat yourself sometimes

Make it a point to find healthy options, (for example, two tiny pieces of dark chocolate) instead of totally depriving yourself, which wouldn’t be good as well. That said, there should be no problem in treating yourself during special occasions – as long as you don’t overindulge.

Source: MindBodyGreen