10 Tips for Dealing with Cravings

Cravings usually occur when blood sugar levels drop and the body needs energy to raise them again. This creates a desire for something sweet, salty, or fatty. However, cravings can also be triggered psychologically; factors such as stress, boredom, or frustration play a significant role. For example, stress, boredom, or frustration can trigger cravings.

What is the difference between true hunger and cravings?
You can recognize true hunger when, for example, your stomach starts to growl, you can’t concentrate properly, or you even feel dizzy and your hands start to shake. With cravings, all these physical signals are absent, and you may only have a specific taste in mind that you desire, or you feel "forced" to eat something because people around you are eating or talking about food.

Cravings thus originate in the mind and have nothing to do with true hunger for energy. Interestingly, women tend to suffer more from cravings before their period than at other times. This is related to the biochemical cycle and is also referred to as a premenstrual symptom.

To prevent you from immediately reaching for the nearest candy, here are some tips on how to satisfy your cravings with healthier alternatives.

1. Craving for sweets – your body wants glucose. Prefer to eat fruit or reduced-sugar/sugar-free sweets.
2. Craving for chocolate – your body wants magnesium. Prefer to eat bananas, oatmeal, or reduced-sugar/sugar-free chocolate with a high cocoa content.
3. Craving for chips – your body wants salts. Prefer to eat olives, fish, whole grains, or opt for alternatives like shrimp chips, rice cakes, or bread chips.
4. Don't give cravings a chance – eat a small meal every 3-4 hours so that cravings don’t even have a chance to arise.
5. Distract yourself quickly – during a craving, you usually can’t think of anything else but that one thing you want to eat. Find a distraction, such as calling friends or starting to read.
6. Drink a large glass of water – often, it helps to drink a large glass of water or tea first, so your stomach has "something to do."
7. Chew gum – chewing gum stimulates your digestion and simultaneously tricks your brain into thinking you are eating something.
8. Don't buy sweets – to prevent yourself from reaching for chips or gummy bears, banish these snacks from your home.
9. Ensure adequate sleep – at least 7 hours of sleep positively affects the body's regeneration processes. If your cravings are unstoppable, check out our shop for healthier alternatives!