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Winter and Carb Cravings

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:02:50 -0800

If you crave carbs during the short days of Winter, you are not alone. There seem to be a couple of physiological factors involved. Since there is less sunlight, due to shorter days, our bodies make less vitamin D (aka the sunshine vitamin). It helps keep your mood nice and sunny since it naturally boosts serotonin levels. Serotonin is the feel-good brain chemical that modulates mood, emotion, and sleep. Carbs provide a serotonin rush, so eating all that bread and pasta is a means of self-medicating with food sources. Exercise also creates serotonin, so don't skimp out on your workouts. You need them during these long nights of Winter to keep your spirits up!

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Five Food-Craving Killers

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Sometimes I get fixated on a food craving, and it's all I can think about. But a few hours later, my fixation feels silly. Most times, you can avoid giving into cravings by using simple strategies or healthy substitutes. Check out my slideshow for five ideas for killing food cravings.
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Diet Idea: Limit Don't Eliminate Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:45:00 -0700

Now that Spring is almost here, many of you have your minds on bathing suit season. Summer is inevitable. If you're trying to maintain the weight you have or to lose a couple pounds, it's true that you can't stuff your face with tons of junk food. That doesn't mean, however, that you need to completely deny yourself the foods you love. Practice a little self-control and limit those not-so-healthy foods you crave, but don't ditch them altogether.

I'm not saying you should eat unhealthy food all the time, but every once in a while, you need to let yourself indulge. Having a few bites of your favorite food can help curb your craving so you don't end up obsessing about it, breaking down, and devouring an entire plate of brownies. Make the word "moderation" your mantra.

Fit's Tips: When you go out to eat, if you want to get some French fries or a brownie sundae, order a kid-sized portion, or split them with a friend.

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Food Cravings: What They Really Mean

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Cravings can get the best of us. Nothing is worse than craving a big hunk of yummy dark chocolate and then realizing it is completely unattainable (i.e., there is no dark chocolate to be found in your pantry). What about a substitute? NaturePathyWorks.com has come up with a great list of foods we crave, what the craving is really saying we need and how to get it healthfully.

If you crave this...	What you really need is...	Here are healthy foods that have it...
Chocolate	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Bread/Toast	Nitrogen	High protein foods
Oily Snacks, Fatty Foods	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, cheese, legumes
Chewing Ice	Iron	Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Cool Drinks	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
Burned Foods	Carbon	Fresh fruits
Pre-menstrual cravings	Zinc	Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables

To see the full list, visit NaturePathyWorks.com.

Why We Overeat: We Crave Fattening Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:38 -0700

Juicy hamburgers, crispy French fries smothered in cheese, brownie sundaes topped with ice cream - why can't we say no to these fattening foods? We can't help it, according to Health magazine. Dr. David A. Kessler, author of The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite says, "We’re hardwired to hunger for fatty, sugary, salty foods because, back when our ancestors were foraging for every meal, palatable eats meant extra energy and a leg-up on survival."

Well thank you Mr. Caveman for my desire for greasy pizza and cheesecake. Not only do high-fat foods taste great, but when you devour them, a signal is sent to your brain that you're satisfied and happy. Your brain also forms long-term feel-good memories of the experience, which makes you crave it again and again. Even seeing or smelling certain fattening foods can spur pleasant thoughts that make us crave it. Well I guess old habits die hard. It does make me feel better to know that my brain's hunger for triple chocolate mousse pie is a force stronger than my willpower.

How can you combat this hardwired desire? Find out when you read more.

The best thing you can do is know which high-fat foods are triggers for you. Dr. Kessler says since certain moods, times of day, or places can spark our need for our favorite treats, avoid giving into your cravings. This will prevent the link from forming between foods and their triggers. Also set yourself up for success by avoiding foods that you can't say no to. That means you might want to find a different route to work that doesn't take you past a chocolate shop.

Food Review: Clean Cravings Gluten-Free Crusts

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

I experimented with a gluten-free diet in college for a variety of reasons. My strongest memory from that period of my life was missing pizza. Crust was a digestive curse. Now if Clean Cravings and its line of crusts had been around, things could have been much different. The brand has created a line of crusts made without wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, yeast, soy, corn, sugar, peanuts, or nightshade vegetables. For folks with food allergies, this is a blessing.

To see how Clean Craving mini crusts taste and their caloric content, read more.

	1 5-inch crust	1 5-inch crust (rosemary)
Calories	160	160
Total Fat (g)	1.5	1.5
Saturated Fat (g)	0	0
Cholesterol (mg)	3	2
Sodium (mg)	280	290
Carbs (g)	34	34
Fiber (g)	3	3
Protein (g)	2	2
Calcium (mg)	2 %	0 %
Iron (mg)	6 %	4 %

These crusts have a satisfyingly moist and chewy texture, and they're full of nutty flavor with subtle sweetness. Use them to make pizza, top them and serve as appetizers, make sandwiches, cut and toast them and serve with dip, or eat them on their own. As far as gluten-free foods go, I've tried my fair share, and these really do taste good. So far, my favorite way to eat them is to smear on a layer of pesto, sprinkle some mozzarella cheese, and add a slice of tomato. Pop it in the toaster and this savory snack tastes warm and chewy with a hint of crispiness. You can buy a three-pack of five-inch minis for $5.99, or a single 12-inch crust for $7.99 - definitely not cheap, but to avoid stomach cramps and still eat tasty foods, I'd say they're worth it.

Speak Up: What Are Your PMS Food Cravings?

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0800

I try hard to eat healthy most of the time, but when PMS strikes, it's hard for me to stay on track. I end up craving everything sweet and salty like ice cream and mozzarella cheese-covered french fries. What about you? What are your fattening, greasy, creamy, fried, sugar-coated, chocolate-covered PMS cravings?

It's True! We Really Do Crave Fatty Foods When We're Stressed

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:00:42 -0800

If your chocolate cravings are any indication, you may have already suspected that high-fat foods are a woman's go-to snack when stressed. Now there's evidence to confirm your suspicions - UCSF recently conducted a study to examine the relationship between eating habits and chronic stress.

Researchers surveyed 600 overweight or obese women regarding their diet and stress. Issues classified as chronic stressors included job dissatisfaction, financial worries (like inability to pay rent or mortgage), or dealing with an ailing loved one. The women dealing with these taxing personal issues reported a higher likelihood of being unable to control what they ate, and a tendency to eat more fattening foods. Chronically stressed women were also more likely to force themselves to keep a regimented, strict diet to control weight gain, even skipping meals. The downside is that it's hard to keep up a regimented program, and being stressed means a plan like this is bound to backfire - ultimately there's a breaking point, and we're more likely to overeat.

To learn more about stressed-out eating, just read more.

While this study may not offer any groundbreaking info, it does serve as a healthy reminder: Be conscious of when you're actually hungry, and remember, there is such a thing as emotional eating. Be more mindful of your mental health and how it affects your food choices, and make healthy eating a priority. If you need some creative, healthy snack alternatives, visit our Snack Attack group for ideas.

Keep the Craves at Bay

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800

We have all heard that variety is the spice of life, but more than that, variety is your number one enemy against food cravings.

A study from the journal Obesity found that diets lacking variety can increase food cravings. To keep those unwanted cravings at bay, make sure your daily meals include diverse tastes, textures, and colors. Swap out eggs for morning cereal. Don't take the same lunch to work every day - eating a turkey sandwich every day, even though it is a healthy choice, is bound to leave your taste buds bored. Not only will meals containing a wide variety of foods keep you from craving, but eating a rainbow of foods will also ensure that your diet is full of diverse and essential nutrients.

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Reality Check: Ashlee Isn't a No Carbs Kind of Girl

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:02 -0800

Even though she lives the So Cal lifestyle, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz told Women's Health that she doesn't starve herself for a Hollywood figure; she simply loves food, and one of her favorite feasts features Mexican fare. Once a week Ashlee and her hubby, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, invite family and friends over for taco night. Ashlee told the mag that she's not afraid of cheese, eats cheeseburgers with ranch dressing, and indulges in French fries. But don't spread the rumor that she's eating for two, because she's not, and Ashlee shares that she's even slimmer than ever.

She boasts about devouring whatever she wants, doesn't deprive herself of the foods she craves, and still has such a great figure. To find out what she asys is her secret, read more.

Ashlee's secret weapon is Bronx Pilates! Her 1-year-old son is in her arms all day, and carrying around that extra weight has helped to really tone her arms.

Before she gave birth, Ashlee had gained 50 pounds, and her breasts were up to a size E when she was nursing. So once baby Bronx was two weeks old, she was ready to start losing the extra pounds. A home-delivery meal plan didn't work since she's a big eater. She says, "If I want a grilled cheese sandwich, I'll eat a grilled cheese sandwich." So she turned to exercise, and with the help of a personal trainer, the new mama set up a home gym and started circuit training. Four weeks later, Ashlee had lost half her baby weight. Her diligent workouts have definitely paid off. Of course, this young actress also has her youth and genes to thank. Though she looks amazing now, Ashlee dispels the notion that her bod was a result of Hollywood stress. She says, "I wasn't in a rush to get back to this body for anyone else. It was more like, 'I wanna look good [for me]? I wanna feel good.'"

Ashlee is feeling great and very appreciative of her family and all life has blessed her with. On top of a great career and a healthy son, her hubby is a great source of comfort and support. "Pete isn't worried about stretch marks, " she says, "He always makes me feel sexy."

The way she explains it, she doesn't really do anything currently to maintain her figure. Do you believe it?