Tips for Getting Past a Food Craving

Archives for August 2017

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You know what I'm talking about.

You’ve been doing well all day, maybe even for several days.

You’ve exercised regularly and stuck to your eating plan.

You’ve done everything right and are starting to feel and see a difference.

Then along comes a craving and you’re staring at the bottom of a bag of chips.

People try lots of different ways of keeping their food cravings in check. Some people try eating just a tiny bit of the food they crave each day in hopes that will keep them from wanting them.

But cravings don’t come from feeling deprived.

They don’t come from being hungry either.

Cravings happen for a couple of different reasons. If you understand what they are, then you’ll know how to get past them.

2 Things Causing Your Food Cravings

1. You're Thirsty

woman drinking water tips food craving

One reason that cravings happen is that you're just plain thirsty.

You might think that a dry mouth or sense of being parched would be the sign of thirst, but that isn’t always the case. If your body needs water, it also needs energy.

That’s why your brain tells you to eat something sweet or salty – for the fast energy that it provides.

  • The first thing you should do if you have a craving is to sit down and have a big glass of water, then wait 20 minutes.

Chances are good that your cravings will go away. If you still feel like you need something sweet, instead of water, drink a sweet-tasting herbal tea.

Once you’ve addressed the immediate need, remember to drink a gallon of water each day to keep yourself from getting dehydrated again.

  • Another way to fight off a craving for something sweet is to counter it with a bitter taste.

Cacao nibs are a great answer to a craving.

They have a satisfying crunch and have the added benefit of being high in important nutrients. Cacao is high in protein and iron, plus it has more zinc and Vitamin C than most vegetables do. I highly recommend Cacao Bliss! It can actually help support your health and fitness goals, plus, it reduces cravings!

Most important of all, it has high levels of chromium, a mineral shown to reduce sugar cravings.

Keep a container of cacao nibs handy and pop a few to boost your serotonin levels and satisfy your search for sugar.

2. You're stressed out

woman stressed out tips food craving

The other reason that cravings occur is when you are dealing with stress or a particular type of stimulus that triggers a food response.

Want to know what we mean?

Imagine if when you were a child, every time you got hurt your mom gave you a bowl of ice cream. That might have felt great at the time, but it can also mean that when you feel blue or sick as an adult, you crave ice cream again.

That type of craving is a hard one to break because it's tied to your oldest memories.

  • The best way to fight these cravings off is to be aware of them and to break the habit.

The more times you are able to resist them, the less the chance that you will return to your old ways going forward.

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. I hope you will share this info. with your friends who struggle with food cravings and I want to hear more from you too! Just drop me a line in the comments below. What's the one food you always find yourself craving?

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Today I'm going to answer a question that I get asked all the time!

You already know that working out should be a part of your daily routine.

You know you feel better on the days you work out. There's no question, it improves your health and boosts your mental well-being.

To make sure that you're getting the most out of your workout, you need to focus on more than the exercise you’re doing.

You also need to think about the fuel you’re powering your body with, and what your body will deplete during the course of your workout.

To make the most of your workout, pay attention to what you eat both before and after you exercise.

First Things First: don’t skip eating

Even if you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t want to lose muscle, so you need to feed your body when you exercise.

When you push your body to move, you use amino acids. When you use these up, they need to be replenished as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is by eating protein.

Good protein choices include:

broccoli best workout meals

  • nuts
  • broccoli
  • peas
  • brown rice

Taking in carbs is important too.

  • Carbs give you energy and help carry glycogen to your muscles.
  • They also keep your cortisol levels down.

Choose healthy carbs like quinoa or fresh whole fruits that are loaded with fiber.

What you eat before your workout is what gives you the energy to go the distance. It fuels your improvement and intensity.

If you skip eating, you may find yourself giving out early, or even feeling light headed. You also may end up with sore muscles the next day.

What about the timing of these meals?

Your pre-workout meal should be eaten an hour before, and should be made up of good, lean protein to help keep you feeling full.

After your workout, make sure that you eat within one hour to help keep soreness away and help you recover. To give yourself an extra shot of energy, eat something that has a few complex healthy carbs with a little bit of fat.

With so much going on in your life and so many things to do, your pre-and post-workout meals also need to be convenient. Good choices include things that are easy to make, and easy to take with you.

Some of my favorites are:

protein drinks best workout meals

  • Sliced apples or Ezekiel bread smeared with a bit of almond butter
  • A hard-boiled egg
  • A delicious protein shake made of clean, plant-based protein

Be careful of low-carb, high protein bars. They're easy to grab, but they usually have a lot of extra sugar and fat.

One of the best ways to power your workout is with some super-charged coffee.

Studies have shown that drinking coffee or black tea before a workout helps burn 15% more calories after.

It also may reduce muscle pain and offset the loss of muscle strength.

Here's my recipe for giving your pre-workout coffee an extra kick of superfoods. I can't stress enough how important it is to make sure your coffee is organic!

Super Charged Coffee

1 cup of freshly brewed organic coffee

1 tsp coconut oil

½ tsp raw cacao or Cacao Bliss

¼ tsp turmeric

1 tsp collagen powder

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

organic coconut sugar to taste

Blend all ingredients well and enjoy!

Yours in health,

Danette

P.S. Please share this with your fitness loving friends, and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below too!

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Join me today in my kitchen and see exactly how easy it is to make these healthy blueberry muffins.

 

Your kids won't even realize they're eating something that's good for them when they taste this yummy recipe!

 

HEALTHY BLUEBERRY

MUFFINS

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup grass-fed butter
  • 2 cage-free eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 cups Gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour
  • 2 cups  fresh or frozen blueberries

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients and pour into a lined muffin tray.

2. Bake at 350ºF for 12 to 20 minutes depending on elevation.

Enjoy!

 

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

 

P.S. I invite you to share this yummy recipe with your friends and I always love reading your comments below!

 

You may also be interested in:

Super Healthy Banana Oat Flax Muffins

Yummy Carrot and Apple Muffins

 

Danette May Healthy Blueberry Muffins

 

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Tune in to learn a few preventive steps you can do before you think about surgery, to alleviate knee, back and hip problems!

I'm here to help you feel your best as I introduce you to a few key stretches, beginning with your piriformis muscle.You by Skechers shoes help knee hip back pain

Grab a lacrosse ball, foam roller, and a mat, and let's work together to release tension, and hopefully avoid surgery!

Another thing I recommend is to be sure you have a GOOD pair of comfortable shoes. They make all the difference in the world. I personally love my You by Skechers shoes. They're so easy to slip on and off too!

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Please share this video with your loved ones who could use some relief from knee, hip or back pain and don't forget to leave a comment below. Have you found other techniques to relieve your knee, hip or back problems?

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Mmmmmm, pasta! Who doesn’t love a piping hot bowl of spaghetti, or a plate full of luscious linguini?

As much as you enjoy pasta’s texture and taste, do you avoid it because you're watching your weight?

Boy, do I have good news for you!

It turns out that there’s a simple trick that can cut pasta’s fattening effect in half. And you don’t have to switch out a single ingredient!

How could that be? Read on.

The Problem with Most Pasta

First, let’s look at why pasta is a problem in the first place.

Most commonly used pasta is a simple carbohydrate, and when you eat this type of carb it's broken down in your system and then absorbed as a sugar.

This spikes your glucose levels. When they fall, you get hungry again.

This is precisely why we turn to complex carbs (the ones you should eat every day) instead – they release glucose into our system more slowly and keep us feeling full longer.

What you probably didn’t know – and few people do – is that you can change the chemical makeup of pasta just by letting it cool down. Once pasta has been cooked and cooled, it changes its structure so that it becomes what is known as “resistant starch”.

Resistant starch is a carb that doesn’t break down in our guts. It resists our stomach acids, passing through undigested.

There are four types of resistant starch:

make pasta healthier seeds in bowls

1. Seeds, whole grains and legumes
2. Corn, raw uncooked potatoes and raw green bananas
3. Starchy foods that have been cooked and cooled
4. Man-made starches (not recommended)

Resistant starches actually help you lose weight because you feel full longer and don’t give you a sugar spike. They also have the advantage of helping good bacteria grow in your gut!

Pasta that has been cooked and allowed to cool falls into the third category of resistant starch.

It acts like insoluble dietary fiber, moving through your digestive system slowly. You'll eat less and feel full longer.

So, How Do You Turn a Hot Pasta Dish into a Resistant Starch?

A science reporter in London ran a test in which he had volunteers eat pasta that was either freshly cooked, cold, or reheated. He took blood samples to see how their glucose levels responded, and found that cold pasta had a smaller spike in blood glucose than fresh hot pasta.

But he also found that when the pasta was reheated, it cut blood glucose in half.

The bottom line is that heating up leftover pasta can now become your diet secret!

In fact, the best way to make pasta is to prepare it the day before you plan to serve it, then reheat it the next night.

Of course, if you really want to give your pasta a healthy boost, opt for one of these 6 seriously healthy types of pasta.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes for a healthy pasta dish for the whole family that's made with reheated pasta!

DM Frittata Di Pasta

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Please share this good news with all of your pasta loving friends and I love hearing from you in the comments below. What's your all time favorite pasta dish?

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Yes, you read it right, I am recommending fat to lose weight.

Yet, not all types of fat can help you this way. Only certain fats will keep you healthy and actually help you lose weight.

If you're looking for superstars among such healthy fats, omega-3 fats are the right kind.

Although, it sounds counter intuitive to eat fat and lose weight, here is the science behind it:

1. Eating the right type of fat cuts down on unhealthy refined carbohydrates.
2. Breaks the cycle of overeating and cravings.
3. Helps to improve blood sugar balance.
4. Healthy fats also help promote the growth of good gut bacteria.

If you notice all the above points have a direct impact on body weight! This is why we need to include more of omega 3 fats into our menu.

How Does That Work?

Cuts down on unhealthy carbohydrates:

eat fat to burn fat salmon

Eating more omega – 3 fat means you'll probably eat fewer carbs. That's because omega -3 fats like salmon and cold water fish are rich in protein and omega -3, and lack carbs.

Plant omega-3 fats like flax seeds and hemp are high in fiber, and protein. Besides supplying omega-3, fats they're jam packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Breaks the cycle of overeating and cravings:

The protein and fat content in omega-3 foods make for a seriously filling meal. When you feel full, you don't have cravings which lead to overeating.

The right combination with a fiber-rich diet can break the cycle of overeating and craving.

Grab a handful of walnuts for a healthy omega-3 rich snack that's also full of fiber to curb sugar cravings.

Helps to improve blood sugar balance:

A meal with the proper ratio of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins helps your blood sugar.

Fluctuating blood sugar causes fatigue and stimulates hunger pangs. This can lead to over eating.

A healthy omega-3 rich diet improves your blood sugar and your energy levels.

Eat a protein rich breakfast like free range omega-3 rich eggs or wild caught salmon for lunch. It's sure to keep you satisfied and help stabilize blood sugar.

Promotes the growth of good bacteria:

What you eat affects your gut bacteria. Gut bacteria play a vital role in a host's body.

It boosts your immune system, detoxifies and promotes digestion. It also prevents the growth of bad bacteria in the gut.

The more diverse, good bacteria you harbor, increases your chances for a healthy body weight.

One case study showed that when subjects took 600 mg of omega-3 fats daily it boosted good bacteria levels in the gut.

How Much Omega-3 Should You Get Daily?

Plan to get 3.5 to 4 grams of omega 3 fats every day. At the least, my recommendation is to take 1 gram per day. You can also consider a high-quality omega-3 supplement. Be sure to look for EPA and DHA the two key omega-3 fatty acids in your supplement.

Foods that are loaded with omega -3 include:

eat fat to burn fat hardboiled eggs

  • Wild caught salmon
  • Mackerel
  • Sardines
  • Herring
  • Flax seeds
  • Hemp seeds
  • Walnuts
  • Chia seeds
  • Pasture-raised, free range eggs
  • Grass fed beef

5 Easy Ways to Get More Omega-3's

1. As a dietary supplement (just be sure you know you're dealing with a reputable brand.)
2. Start your day with this Quick and Delicious Chia Pudding.
3. Include omega-3 rich chia seeds and walnuts as part of your trail mix.
4. Enjoy wild caught salmon in this power packed salad.
5. Grass fed beef patties on Ezekiel bread for lunch.

Keep in mind, the type of fat we eat matters. The wrong fats increase bad bacteria and increase your body weight. Choose the right ones like omega -3 fats to enjoy a healthier body weight and to help with your weight loss goals.

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Please share this with your friends that may think they need to avoid fat to lose weight. What's your favorite Omega 3 rich food from the list above?

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The term ”gluten free” is everywhere and the mixed use of the terms gluten and wheat can be confusing.

If you struggle with gluten intolerance, you likely know exactly how to spot gluten-free foods.

But, did you know “wheat-free” does not mean the product is ‘gluten-free' and vice versa.

Among gluten foods, wheat is one of the main grains that are rich in gluten.

Yet when the label reads ”wheat-free” it is not the same thing as ”gluten-free”. The terms are not interchangeable.

To understand this difference let's take a close look at what it means to be allergic to wheat and gluten.

wheat free vs gluten free

Wheat allergy: If you're allergic to wheat it means that you're allergic to any of the four types of wheat proteins.

Wheat proteins include albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. Exposure to wheat triggers allergic reactions in your body.

This means your body will react in a negative way from eating wheat or even inhaling wheat flour.

Gluten intolerance: This means your body doesn't react well to gluten, one of the wheat proteins.

You're unable to digest gluten well. The condition results in abnormal immune system reaction and can lead to celiac disease.

There's a lot more than meets the eye when you're seeking the truth about gluten.

Wheat-free Vs Gluten-free

There's a huge difference between wheat-free and gluten-free.

In a nutshell, if you're allergic to the protein in wheat, choose wheat-free products.

So, don't choose “wheat-free” to avoid gluten proteins, it's better to choose “gluten-free.

If you're avoiding wheat as a plant component in your food, ”wheat-free” is a good choice. I recommend EVERYONE to avoid wheat.

If you are allergic to gluten, the term “wheat-free” alone is not enough. You'll have to choose a gluten-free product.

This is because gluten can come from other crops too like barley, rye, spelt, and Kamut.

Here's a way to remember that can make it simpler for you –

“While all wheat contains gluten, not all gluten comes from wheat.”

Sources of wheat proteins

wheat free vs gluten free blueberry muffins

  • Most baked items like cookies, muffins, cakes, bread and bread crumbs
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Couscous, farina, semolina, Spelt
  • Many pastas (but not all pasta)

Other hidden sources: 

wheat free vs gluten free

  • beer
  • hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  • a lot of sauces
  • many dips
  • ketchup
  • most processed meat
  • dairy products

Non-food sources include cosmetics, play dough and a lot of bath products.

Please note that the above is not an exhaustive list, do consult your allergist for a detailed list.

Sources of gluten

  • Wheat (including semolina, durum, spelt, triticale)
  • Rye
  • Barley
  • Oats – They don't contain gluten by composition, but may get cross-contaminated in the facility. Choose oats labeled ‘gluten-free' to be sure.

Want to go wheat-free AND gluten-free?

Some good choices include:

  • Raw fruits and vegetables
  • Proteins from lean meats, and beans
  • Grains that do not contain wheat or gluten like rice and quinoa
  • Baking alternatives like coconut flour, and almond flour

If you're not allergic to grains other than wheat, a wheat-free diet is less restrictive. BUT… whether you are gluten intolerant or allergic to wheat, it is best to avoid wheat at all cost.

Wheat can wreak havoc on your digestive system no matter who you are. It's a huge source of gut irritation, and can cause silent inflammation.

Avoiding wheat will help you lose weight too since good gut health equates to easier weight loss!

Try Ezekiel bread from sprouted grains as an alternative to wheat bread. It's my favorite and I recommend it because it's high in fiber and low on the Glycemic Index.

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Please share this with your friends and I welcome your comments below. Did you realize wheat-free and gluten-free and not one in the same?

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I get asked a lot about what I take in the way of supplements, so I made this quick video to answer that very question for you today.

This is what I am taking currently, and I remind you to stay tuned to my YouTube channel, as I am always researching and updating my supplement process.

Here's where you can get –> Turmeric + Ginger Capsule <– and start reaping all the benefits!

My current daily dose: (as mentioned, these change)
1. B vitamin
2. Multi-vitamin
3. Turmeric
4. Fish oil
5. Ashwagandha

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. If this was helpful for you, please share with your friends and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Which supplements are you taking now?

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Are you using the power of your mind to design the life you desire with intention?

Today I'll walk you through 3 steps to create the life, the body, the relationship and financial landscape that you desire by using these empowering tools to manifest your intentions.

I challenge you today to focus on:

1. People
2. Environment
3. Healing diet

Want more mindset videos like this one?  SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel!

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. If you enjoyed this video please share it with someone you want to inspire with the power of intention, and I invite you to leave a comment below too!

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.