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Nigel Week Three

Beat snacking

Coping with cravings
A craving is a chemical reaction in the brain which can only be maintained for a limited time. If you start to crave your favourite treat allow your self twenty minutes to see if the craving passes. If after twenty minutes you are still craving the food you are probably genuinely hungry and need to eat something. By waiting twenty minutes you are more likely to make a conscious choice to have a healthy snack rather than frantically raiding the biscuit tin, or the chocolate or crisps.
 
The best snacking foods
The best foods to snack are those which are nutrient dense and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Examples include
2 rye crackers or oat cakes with a thin spread of hummus, peanut  butter or low fat cream cheese.
A handful (about 50g) of unsalted nuts
Dried fruits like soft dried apricots (3-4) or dried apple
A low fat yoghurt
A piece of fresh fruit
Crudites dipped into cottage cheese
A couple of slices of wafer thin ham or turkey

Distract yourself
If you are sitting in front of the TV and get the munchies it may be that you are bored rather than hungry. Try and identify the times when you are most likely “graze” on high fat, high sugar foods- a food diary will help you see the patterns. When you know your danger times follow the check list below to help you beat the munchies:
Make sure you haven’t missed meals- if you get too hungry you’ll be more likely to give into the munchies.

Try changing your routine- if you are always hungry at certain times of the day see if you can be doing something else to beak your routine like doing some exercise or catching up with a friend on the phone.
Remove your self from the situation- if you find certain situations trigger a craving- then try and take your self away from the situation for a few minutes until the craving has passed.
If you are losing weight with a friend, make an agreement that you can call one another when your cravings come.