| Why do we crave unhealthy foods? A healthy weight | | | | even though the new ones are based on bland, |
| loss diet program often becomes a battleground | | | | healthy foods, and the original ones were the tried and |
| between our desire to lose weight quickly, and snack | | | | true fat and sugar tasty delights. The best news? It |
| cravings based on unhealthy food choices. We may | | | | may only require one week to do it. |
| not be what we eat, but research indicates that we | | | | I've addressed some healthy snack ideas to use for |
| desire the foods that we have grown accustomed to | | | | re-training our cravings in another article. (It contains |
| eating, so you could say that we crave what we eat. | | | | healthy snack ideas that also apply to children.) For |
| If you have created a pattern of eating ice cream for | | | | now, I'll give just a few examples of healthy snack |
| pleasure or when under stress, it should be no surprise | | | | food substitutions. |
| that you will have a hankering for ice cream under the | | | | If you don't want such a jolt to your taste buds right |
| right conditions. Pavlov's Dog, by any other name, is still | | | | out of the gate, you can make it a two-step process |
| Pavlov's Dog. | | | | in some cases. For example, when the seemingly |
| But if we have, in effect, trained ourselves to want | | | | uncontrollable urge for chocolate ice cream hits, |
| unhealthy snacks or foods, the reverse may also be | | | | instead have a coffee cup or glass of Chocolate |
| true: we can train ourselves to crave healthy snacks | | | | Ovaltine and milk. Ovaltine is not like the junky |
| and food. If we can do this, a bland tasting weight loss | | | | chocolate milk mixes pitched to kids. Think of it instead |
| supplement could become just as desirable as a | | | | as a healthy fast food snack. It contains vitamins and |
| sweet roll. | | | | minerals, and if you use one or two tablespoons |
| I never craved coffee until I started drinking it. The | | | | instead of the recommended four, not too much sugar. |
| same goes for double chocolate chip ice cream. The | | | | Step two: Purchase a good chocolate flavored whey |
| taste for coffee and chocolate must be learned | | | | protein mix from your local health food supplier (or the |
| through exposure to these foods and their flavors. If | | | | flavor of your choice) and use it instead of the |
| people who live in more primitive cultures in the jungle | | | | Ovaltine. These protein supplements are not anything |
| can have a hankering to snack on creepy-crawly | | | | like they used to be. In the past, they would NOT mix |
| insects unique to their habitat, surely we can develop | | | | without a blender, and they tasted pretty bad. Not so |
| our own desire for a decent, healthy snack, healthy | | | | anymore. They mix quickly by simply stirring or shaking, |
| fast food, and healthy food recipe choices when | | | | and the flavors are quite good. Trust me. |
| preparing meals. | | | | Now you've turned a fat and sugar ice cream binge |
| So how do we re-program ourselves to turn a craving | | | | into a healthy fast food choice: a protein supplement! In |
| for sweets into something on the healthy food list? To | | | | addition, it's far more filling and satisfying. You won't be |
| quote a line from a movie, "Build it and they will come." | | | | tempted to eat anything as quickly as you would if you |
| In this case, if we build the habit of making healthy food | | | | had succumbed and eaten ice cream. |
| choices at meal and snack time, we will begin to want | | | | Don't think this will work? Well, I can vouch for it |
| those foods instead of the ones we've given up. | | | | personally, and tests done on regular everyday people |
| There is a lot of pleasure associated with these | | | | like us have proven the same. In fact, it worked when |
| snacking experiences, and most of us are reluctant to | | | | very bland but healthy food recipes and snack |
| give them up. But if we can get ourselves to substitute | | | | substitutes were used instead of the usual tasty treats, |
| some simple healthy food and snack recipes, we can | | | | and in only a week's time. People actually craved the |
| train our mental and physical taste buds to desire them, | | | | bland tasting healthy snack food in preference to their |
| and a new pleasure-association will be formed around | | | | old unhealthy treats. |
| the new healthy food choice or recipe. | | | | Go ahead and give it a try. You'll be craving healthy |
| Recent research has proven this. The results showed | | | | foods and snacks in no time. |
| that new cravings can be formed to replace old ones, | | | | |