There are several reasons why water is the perfect thing to reach for when you are feeling the need to snack. The first is purely because water is something that will fill your stomach. When you are feeling hungry, even if you know that you are not, you can use water to make you feel full. Drinking water before and after a meal can help you eat less. You’ll also avoid those hunger “crashes” that make you reach for the nearest candy bar.

Water also helps reduce cravings at the molecular level. Your entire body needs water in order to function.  Proper water consumption will ensure that your body has the hydration that it needs to metabolize your food. Without the presence of enough water, your body will not be able to get the nutrients from the food that you eat.  Many food cravings are based on your body’s need for specific nutrients.  If you don’t have enough water in your body, you’ll continue getting cravings for food no matter how much you eat.  Your body won’t be able to process the food you are eating effectively enough to be helpful.

Water is essential to using fat properly.  When your body isn’t processing fat the way that it should it only has one other option: storage. The more fat you have, the more food your body needs to maintain it’s “set point” weight, and anything under that means that you’ll be craving food. In order to curb your cravings, you need to turn your body into a fat burning machine and that’s just not possible without proper water intake.

Your liver is one of your main fat burning organs, when it is able to do its job properly. But if you don’t have enough water, it starts a chain reaction of events that inhibit the liver and your fat burning potential. Your intake of water makes your kidneys work properly, but if you are dehydrated they will suffer. The kidneys will rely on your liver more heavily, which means that the liver can’t do everything that it is supposed to – namely burn fat! When you drink enough water, you are keeping your kidneys active and making it easy for your liver to burn fat.

Water also plays an important role in using another helpful “curb your cravings” ally: fiber. You may have read that in order to reduce your cravings and lose weight, you need to eat a lot of fiber rich foods. Fiber is very important, but only if it is activated in your body. If you don’t drink enough water, your fiber intake won’t have as much impact. Fiber only works for you when it is combined with water. It gives you that “full” feeling and helps flush toxins from your body only when it absorbs the water that is in your body. If there isn’t enough water to spare, your body won’t allow absorption, and the fiber will remain useless.

Diana Walker, Cravings Coach, CEO, Diana’s Healthy Lifestyles

Very interesting point about how to curb cravings. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge. Cucumbers can be used  for quick healthy snacks.

As Diana Walker, Cravings Coach – If you can utilize more healthy whole foods in your diet, I know that you can curb cravings for sugar and curb cravings for junk food.

The Amazing Cucumber – I personally love cucumbers.  I remember having “cucumber sandwiches” – well, little tiny rounds of cucumber on delicate bread – in London England – when I lived there in my 20s.  I felt so elegant!


I would suggest being sure to purchase organic cucumbers, if possible.  Eat them as they are or use in whole food recipes. Cucumbers could help to stop sugar cravings and junk food cravings.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
6. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

Wishing you Vibrant Health and Freedom from Cravings!

Diana Walker, Cravings Coach,

Author, Craving Secrets book

Relaxation and meditation have two important roles when it comes to curbing cravings. The first is biological. Recent studies have shown that there is a strong link between nutrient absorption and your stress levels while you are eating.

For decades leading diet doctors have tried to figure out why people in other countries like France and Italy can eat seemingly “bad” foods and still stay thin. It turns out that your emotional state can effect how your body absorbs nutrients. Eating in a relaxed, enjoyable environment allows you to get what you need out of your food.

One of the major reasons you experience cravings is because your body isn’t properly using the nutrients that it is receiving. If eating in front of the tv, eating while you’re stressed or eating quickly means that you’ll have more cravings, shouldn’t you take steps to slow down and relax while you’re eating?

Eating in a more relaxed manner may take some getting used to, but the results will be well worth it. By incorporating relaxation and even a bit of meditation, you’ll be able to use your food more efficiently and reduce your cravings. You can start by having real “sit down” meals. When you take the time to relax while you are eating, you’ll be able to really enjoy your food and digest it as well.

When you eat a meal or a snack, make sure to take your time and relax. Enjoy your meal as you are eating it, and don’t rush through the process. Remaining relaxed through the meal is very important to digestion. If you eat on the run or when you’re feeling sad, angry or stressed, you’ll end up having food cravings shortly afterwards.

Relaxation can also have an effect on your ability to deal with cravings as well. Often times, cravings are just a result of being bored or being stressed out. You can use meditation and other relaxation techniques to help you curb cravings.

If you’ve never meditated before it may seem intimidating. Really it’s nothing more than just sitting in a quiet spot and focusing your attention on something fixed. Some people try to think of one word like “peace,” and others try to clear their mind entirely. It’s up to you to find what’s most pleasing and relaxing for you. The point is to find a method that helps you get your mind off of food and on to what is really important, your relaxation.

Meditation is associated with Yoga, which I practiced for several years in the 1970s. I got away from it for about 30 years, and then started to practice yoga again recently. I love yoga, and it helps to relax you. Yoga studios and online help are available.

Meditation, no matter what form it takes, is a terrific substitute for succumbing to cravings. Any steps you take toward relaxation will help you reduce your cravings and fulfill your weight loss or eating better plans.

Diana Walker, Cravings Coach, CEO, Diana’s Healthy Lifestyles

Cravings are a sign that either your body has become too dependent on a substance (like salt or sugar) or that your body is missing out on important nutrients.

When you fill up on empty calories and junk food, your body will feel like it still needs to eat because it hasn’t received any nutrients with your meals. That’s why one of the most effective ways to reduce your cravings is to eat a balanced diet.

A balanced diet full of whole, unprocessed foods gives your body exactly what it is looking for. When you receive the same kind of nutrients that are necessary for proper body functioning, you won’t have as many cravings. Reduced cravings means that you won’t overeat and you’ll naturally lose weight.

The first step is to get rid of any processed foods that are a regular part of your diet. Packaged foods that are processed in a factory have excess chemicals and are normally higher in fat and calories than whole foods. Eating a lot of these types of foods will leave your body wanting more of both the chemicals and food in general. When your diet relies on these type of foods, you will feel full but will literally be starving your body of nutrition.

Vitamins cannot replace the natural nutrients and minerals that are found in fresh, whole foods. In order to reduce your cravings and get back on track with eating better, you’ve got to shift your diet. One of the easiest ways to tell if you are eating right is to take notice of where you do most of your shopping at the grocery store. If you concentrate your shopping on the outside aisles, then you’re eating fresh, whole foods. Most processed foods are found in the center rows of a grocery store. Stick to the fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, meats (if you eat them) and you’ll see a reduction in cravings.

In addition to craving more food than you should eat, you may also experience cravings for food substances like salt or sugar. Unfortunately, with these additives the more you eat, the more your body wants them. In order to curb this craving, you’re going to need to take steps to remove them from your diet entirely.

It may be hard at first, and you’ll definitely go through a withdrawal period where you experience an intensification of your cravings. Increase your water intake, start an exercise program and keep eating healthfully. Chemical additives and excess sugar and salt can sometimes be hard food addictions to break. Commit yourself to eliminating these things from your diet for at least 2 weeks and you’ll see a big difference.

The best way to eliminate cravings from your life is to incorporate fresh, whole foods into your diet. Remove harmful substances from your diet and once you get over the initial withdrawal, your health will be better and you won’t experience cravings any longer.

GREEN TEA HEALTH BENEFITS, CURB CRAVINGS, LOSE WEIGHT

Green tea has a long history of health benefits and its qualities are significantly more effective than black tea.

Both teas come from the camellia sinensis plant but green tea leaves are steamed rather than fermented like black and oolong teas. This prevents a powerful anti-oxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from being oxidized and therefore diminished.

Antioxidant Properties

High amounts of catechins polyphenols, particularly EGCG, are present in green tea. And EGCG has twice as much resveratrol as red wine, making it a powerful weapon towards lowering cholesterol, inhibiting blood clots and negating the effects of a fatty diet.

EGCG is also used to treat diabetes and is reported to have glucose-lowering effects. In addition glucose can cause a person to feel hunger and by controlling insulin levels, you control appetite. Try drinking a mug of green tea at the first hunger pain and you are well on your way to managing your appetite.

Thermogenesis

Thermogenesis literally means heat generation. Green tea increases thermogenesis in the body, becoming a potent appetite suppressant and increasing fat oxidation, helping the body to use fat as an energy source. This means the body is preferentially burning fat over protein.

Green tea also raises the body’s metabolism, increasing the rate at which calories are burned. In a recent study, green tea burned more calories than those given a placebo. This can help with weight management and fat loss.

Add to its thermogenesis benefits, green tea also has energy-boosting properties, which makes it a perfect breakfast tea or mid-afternoon pick me up.

Other Possible Health Benefits Documented

There are many other conditions in which green tea is reputed to be helpful:

Killing cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells untouched

Treating Rheumatoid arthritis

Lowering LDL cholesterol

Preventing thrombosis which causes heart attacks and strokes

Addressing cardiovascular disease by inhibiting abnormal formation of blood clots

Preventing infection

Improving impaired immune function

Stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s)

Treating multiple sclerosis

Preventing tooth decay by killing the bacteria that causes dental plaque

When you compare the heath benefits of green tea with the harmful effects of regular and diet soda, coffee and other damaging drinks, it is easy to see why green tea has a long and successful history of benefiting the drinker.

Adding Green Tea to Your Diet

Green tea has become so popular that it can be found in mainstream grocery stores as well as gas stations and convenience stores. There are many flavors and varieties of green teas so you will be sure to find a combination of flavors you’ll enjoy.

Consider also adding green tea water to some cooked foods. Adding tea to a pot of boiling pasta will affect the flavor in a fresh new way. Toss that same pasta with pine nuts, pesto and a dash of olive oil and you have a healthful dish with many antioxidant properties. Challenge yourself to find new and exciting ways to add green tea to your diet.

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