How to Stifle Cravings

Cravings attack without warning, driving you to consume high-calorie or otherwise unhealthy foods that sabotage your diet and weight-loss efforts. Cravings are powerful and hard to ignore, making them hard to battle. However, you can leave the roller coaster of daily cravings behind -- with some instruction and know-how, you can overcome the cravings that are plaguing you.

Instructions

• 1

  Increase your fiber intake so that you stay full for longer. Fiber expands in your stomach and slows down food digestion. When your body digests food slowly, you stay fuller for longer periods of time, which can help zap cravings. If you're like most Americans, you fail to consume enough fiber. Aim for about 25 to 35 milligrams daily through a variety of fiber-rich foods such as beans, legumes, oats, pecans, bran, brown rice and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

• 2

  Consume protein with every meal to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Drops in blood sugar produce cravings because your body needs to stabilize glucose. Eating carbohydrate-rich foods without protein causes a sharp rise in blood sugar, followed by an immediate crash as your pancreas releases insulin to remove the glucose from your bloodstream. Consuming protein with your meals slows down glucose absorption, which balances blood sugar and eliminates cravings.

• 3

  Boost your meal frequency so that you prevent long periods from passing without eating. Once hunger sets in, all bets are off, and you can end up caving in to your cravings. Eating more often helps stabilize your blood sugar as well. Aim to eat every three to four hours, adding up to five to six small meals and snacks each day. Carry healthy items such as nuts, seeds, yogurt and fruit with you when you are on the go.

• 4

  Drink more water to prevent dehydration. Believe it or not, your body sometimes mistakes thirst for cravings, according to Jennifer Workman, author of "Stop Your Food Cravings." Each day your body loses water that you must replace. When your water levels drop, cravings can appear. Drink 16 ounces of water when you experience a craving, and aim to drink 10 to 12 glasses of water daily.

• 5

  Stomp out fatty food cravings by incorporating healthy fats in the diet. Fat is a satiating essential nutrient, but Americans consume too many unhealthy saturated and trans fats. Make healthy fats a part of your diet to stop the craving for fatty foods. Eating nuts, nut butters, avocados, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese and oil fish such as salmon and mackerel will satisfy your brain's craving for fat.

• 6

  Wait it out -- you might be surprised at how quickly your craving passes. When you give in quickly, you miss the opportunity to allow the cravings to subside. Cravings typically last between five and 20 minutes, according to Workman. Keep busy or distract yourself next time a craving rears its ugly head, and it will likely disappear.