3 VITAL WAYS TO REDUCE CRAVINGS…
Taking a holistic approach to wellbeing and looking at the bigger picture rather than just one specific element is so important for optimal overall health. There is no way to compartmentalise health into sections that you can decide to nurture or neglect - all lifestyle factors are intricately intertwined.
For example, some people become fixated on having the ‘perfect’ diet or spend hours each day in the gym trying to curate their version of the ‘perfect’ body. However, if you aren’t taking into consideration the wider aspects of health, such as how much sleep you’re getting and whether or not you’re managing your stress levels, this will be influencing any progress in the specific area of your lifestyle that you’re so focussed on changing.
A barrier that comes up a lot in clinic for individuals who are wanting to make changes to their health is cravings. When it comes to cravings, there are three main areas that I focus on with clients and these are diet, sleep quality and stress levels.
DIET
When we’re underfueling, restricting, or sleep deprived, our glycogen stores become depleted and our blood glucose levels destabilise. The reason we tend to crave more energy dense foods, such as biscuits, cakes, crisps and chocolate, is because our bodies are super intuitive and so are directing us to refuel on high energy foods that will replenish stores and restabilise our glucose levels.
Trying to include a source of protein, complex carbs/fibre and fat with each meal and snack is a great way to keep blood glucose levels stable. This is key when it comes to avoiding that 3pm energy slump where you’re craving a large coffee and a third slice of that cake that your colleague brought in for their birthday, knowing full well that if you go ahead with said craving, you’ll be up all night and stressing about the lack of sleep you’re having. It’s no wonder that we crave these foods when we’re feeling exhausted, burnt out or stressed, which again highlights how all of these lifestyle elements are linked.
Tryptophan is an amino acid found in protein sources such as eggs, soya, meat, fish, cheese and this is a precursor for the production of both serotonin and melatonin, hormones important for mood regulation and sleep. These hormones are only effective at helping with sleep when eaten with carbs, which is another reason why we should be celebrating carbs, not cutting them out!
Also, if certain foods have been put on a pedestal or have been labelled as ‘bad’ or ‘off limits’ it is more than likely that these will become the foods that we crave. Typical examples of these include sweet, sugary, salty or higher fat foods. And while it’s always so important to highlight that there is nothing wrong with occasionally having these (as all foods have a place within our diet) it’s important to be aware of how we view these items. For example, if you’ve categorised ice cream as being a ‘bad’ food that you restrict, you’re much more likely to crave it and then binge on it when you get the opportunity to.
Equally as important as what we are eating is both our mindset towards food, aiming for a neutral approach, and also how we are eating it. For example, lunch aldesko with your eyes glued to the screen or scoffing a sandwich on-the-go will create stress within the body, which has a knock-on effect for your digestion (hello bloating). Where possible, try to sit at a table with no distractions so you can stay in tune with your hunger and satiety signals.
SLEEP
The importance of a good night’s sleep is something which has gained a lot of traction in recent times, and rightly so! ‘Sleep hygiene’ is another buzz word which has been added to the list of wellness words but what does it actually mean?
Sleep hygiene refers to both the environment in which you sleep as well as the daily habits and routines you have in place in order to optimise the quality of your sleep. These include wake up time, exposure to daylight first thing, meal times, caffeine and alcohol intake, wind down routine and screen time. Our circadian rhythm is our natural wake up and sleep cycle that occurs daily and is influenced by all of the factors listed above.
Exposure to daylight and getting outside first thing has been shown to help regulate this cycle as it helps to modulate the production of our sleep hormone, melatonin. Finding daily routines that work for you is important, as we all have different preferences and requirements when it comes to sleep. With that being said, we should aim to be getting at least 7-9 hours sleep per night and reducing screen time in the lead up to bedtime, as this interferes with our melatonin production which can negatively impact our sleep quality.
When we are sleep deprived, this causes an increase in our hunger hormone ghrelin and a decrease in levels of leptin, our satiety hormone, typically leading to an increased appetite and cravings. These tend to be foods higher in fat and sugar, as the body is needing energy and fast!
STRESS
We are all becoming acutely aware of the negative impacts that stress can have on both our physical and mental health. The hormonal disruption caused by stress is a key crossover point with cravings. Cortisol is our body’s stress hormone, and an increase in cortisol can lead to increased feelings of anxiety, racing thoughts and ultimately make it more difficult to sleep. Equally, sleep deprivation can increase levels of cortisol in the blood, so it’s easy to see how one can fall into a negative cycle of lack of sleep - craving sugary foods and caffeine - not being able to sleep etc.
While it’s not possible to control all the stressors which are present in our lives, finding ways of managing stress levels that work for you is so important. This could be taking 10 minutes to do some stretches or listen to a guided meditation or pop out for a quick walk at lunch. It could also look like meeting friends for dinner or taking yourself out to a cafe to get lost in a good book. Carving out small spaces in your diary to check in with how you’re feeling helps you to become more in tune with yourself which in turn will positively influence your perception of your hunger and satiety signals (I wasn’t joking when I said that these things are ALL linked!).
You could have the most nutrient-packed diet and partake in triathlons during your spare time, but if you don’t sleep well or manage your stress levels, these things could prevent you from reaching your health goals. Small changes like adding a dollop of nut butter to your smoothie so you’re getting some protein and fat along with those fruity carbs, or going to sleep 10 minutes earlier each night for a week until you reach an optimal bedtime, or drinking your morning coffee by an open window to get some daylight exposure first thing might all seem tiny and insignificant at the time. However, it really is the accumulation of small changes which can soon result in big changes like increased energy, reduced levels of stress and a real boost in your mood.
Whilst implementing a few small but powerful nutrition and lifestyle interventions, it really is amazing to see my client’s cravings naturally disappear as the body’s different systems start to work together in harmony.
If you’d like to have a chat about this in further details, please do get in touch via Instagram, email or book a discovery call.
