Yes, You Can Get Over Your Food Addictions
Whether it's a crunchy, creamy chocolate bar beckoning to you from the vending machine, a green juice habit, or an urge to dive into a bowl of pasta the second you get home, you can conquer your cravings. It's as easy as making these smart swaps. By Ava Feuer, REDBOOK.
Coffee
Having a cup or two of java has enormous health benefits, but if it's messing with your sleep or triggering other physical ailments, you may have exceeded your personal caffeine limit. "Cold turkey isn't for everyone," says says Diane Sanfilippo, a holistic nutritionist and author of The 21-Day Sugar Detox Diet. "For some people, a weaning off method works better." For the first three days, mix 75-percent caffeinated coffee with 25-percent decaf, then gradually shift the proportion over two or three weeks. This works whether you're looking to cut out some or all java, and makes withdrawal headaches blessedly less likely. "I prefer water-processed coffee, which means in order to decaffeinate it, they've used a water process instead of a chemical one," adds Sanfilippo, who urges those who experience any trouble sleeping to experiment with nixing caffeine after noon.
Related: 25 Lazy Ways to Burn Extra Calories Just Like That
Cereal
You may wake up ready for a big bowl of puffed grains and milk-after all, you've likely eaten this breakfast since you were a kid-but even non-sugar cereals aren't the ideal way to start your day. "Most cereals are not a real food," says Sanfilippo. "The nutrients are processed out and added back in. They're synthetic and they're not naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals." Instead, whip up eggs Florentine or any other combination of whole eggs, which are rich in protein, fat, and good cholesterol, and veggies. If you're not ready to ditch breakfast in a bowl and are feeling adventurous, cook up this pumpkin-coconut porridge:
1 Tbsp tahini, raw or roasted
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp shredded coconut
1 tsp raisins 1 tsp raw honey or maple
Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Transfer to a saucepan and heat over a low flame until it reaches your desired temperature.
Chocolate
If you're dying to bite into this goodness, we say go right ahead. Just keep what you're eating pure. Instead of a nutty chocolate candy bar or a piece of cake, have a square or two of 85-percent dark chocolate. Then, dip it into a single-serving packet of Justin's almond butter for a wholesome version of a Reese's peanut butter cup, also known by us as euphoria. "This snack is very high in good, naturally occurring fats, which will keep you feeling full," says Sanfilippo. "It won't put you on a blood-sugar roller coaster either."
Ice cream and frozen yogurt
Like the urge for comfort food, this craving is likely emotionally, not physically driven-it's about the social experience of getting out of the house and visiting your favorite shop. Once you realize that you can get the same burst of refreshing dessert at home with your family and friends, you might consider less regular trips. Sanfilippo makes banana "ice cream" by freezing bananas, putting them in a high-speed blender or food processor, and sprinkling on some dark chocolate chips. Another option: Take your leftover homemade smoothie and pour into freezer pop molds to enjoy later.
Related: 31 Days of Snacks for Grown-Ups
Ice cream and frozen yogurt
Like the urge for comfort food, this craving is likely emotionally, not physically driven-it's about the social experience of getting out of the house and visiting your favorite shop. Once you realize that you can get the same burst of refreshing dessert at home with your family and friends, you might consider less regular trips. Sanfilippo makes banana "ice cream" by freezing bananas, putting them in a high-speed blender or food processor, and sprinkling on some dark chocolate chips. Another option: Take your leftover homemade smoothie and pour into freezer pop molds to enjoy later.
Green juice
It's supposed to be the healthiest thing since well, eating your greens, but hold on just a second. Much of what you're drinking likely isn't a big batch of kale, spinach, and the like, but a few veggies mixed with tons of high-sugar fruit. The sweet stuff can mess with your blood sugar and keep you coming back for more, which may be why you've so readily jumped on the green-juice-wagon. If you do decide to sip the stuff, make sure it's at least 90-percent vegetable juice, and eat it in addition to solid food, not instead of it. Otherwise, you're unlikely to get the protein you need to stay full.
Related: 21 Ways to Burn Fat Faster
Pasta
"I don't think that when it comes to pasta, people want the carbs," says Sanfilippo. "It's the texture and the interaction with the food-the twirling or whatever it is." It's not terrible to have a steaming bowl once in a while, but if pasta's become your go-to meal every night, consider trying a healthy alternative, like zucchini noodles. The best part? It's almost as easy as making a box of spaghetti. Rub a vegetable or julienne peeler on a whole zucchini, then steam the "noodles" for a few minutes and dump in marinara, meat sauce, pesto, whatever. Grazie.
Vending machine
It's 4 p.m. You only have two hours left of work. You can't sit still. You positively need something to get you through. You're right-a snack is a good idea, but grabbing a salty, crunchy nosh, like Cheetos, chips, or pretzels, will only temporarily spike your blood sugar, doing nothing to keep your energy up during the hours ahead. "It's a perceived sugar craving, but you really want something to make you feel better," says Sanfilippo, who suggests taking a 5- or 10-minute walk outdoors, if possible, to clear your head. Then pour yourself a cup of herbal tea and grab a handful of mixed nuts or a Lara bar, whose sole ingredients are fruit and nuts.
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