If you want pizza, what's missing? What to do if you want “junk food”? Why do you want chips?

Many types of food can be considered unhealthy if their consumption leads to abnormal behavior (feelings of disgust, lying, etc.) or makes you feel guilty, remorseful and dissatisfied. For example, it could be chocolate, cookies, cakes and fast food that you crave despite trying to live a healthy lifestyle or lose weight. You may decide to treat yourself to these foods “sometimes,” but in reality it turns into daily abuse of it. Develop new healthy habits to get rid of such cravings for such foods.

Steps

Part 1

Don't buy "forbidden" products. Try to rid yourself of unnecessary temptations. Don't keep junk food around your home so that it doesn't tempt you. Resist the temptation to buy junk food, even if the supermarket has a promotion and the “forbidden” product is sold at a significant discount. If you don't buy it in supermarkets and other stores, you can save money and protect yourself from temptation in moments of weakness.

• Ask other family members or those who live with you to hide similar foodstuffs from you.
• If you're afraid you won't be able to resist temptation in the store itself, ask someone to buy your groceries.

EXPERT ADVICE

Registered Dietitian

Claudia Carberry is a nutritionist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She received her master's degree in nutrition from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2010.

Registered Dietitian

Claudia Carberry, registered dietitian, advises: “The first step to giving up junk food is to stop bringing it home. This will make it much easier for you to choose a healthier alternative when you want something harmful.”

Don't carry cash with you. If you are tempted every day to buy something from a vending machine when you pass by one on your way to work or school, simply eliminate the possibility. Even if the vending machine accepts credit cards, this type of payment will allow you to think twice about what you are doing and prevent you from buying junk food.

Take a break. For example, if at two o'clock in the afternoon you have a strong desire to eat something unhealthy, go online and do something interesting - watch a funny video, a new video from your favorite band, or take an interesting test - in general, keep yourself busy with something, which will distract you from obsessive thoughts about food. You can also watch a new episode of an exciting television show every time you have thoughts about unhealthy food.

Part 2

Identifying junk food cravings

1. Identify the types of unhealthy foods that attract you. Find out what foods you don't want or shouldn't eat for some reason (dietary, health, religious, etc.) but have not yet given up. Think about why this food attracts you: perhaps it has a special taste or other properties that other foods in your diet lack? Here are some common options:

   • Regular consumption of fast food such as French fries, burgers, hot dogs, fried foods and the like.
   • Pastries, cakes, cookies, donuts and other confectionery products.
   • Breakfast cereals that are high in sugar.
   • Too fatty dishes.
   • Chocolate and candies.
   • Foods that cause headaches or migraines, hives, rashes, or general malaise (this Not refers to foods that cause a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction - in which case you should know to avoid them).
   • Food that negatively affects your well-being and deprives you of energy.
   • Foods that should not be consumed due to religious or other beliefs, such as meat (such as beef or pork), unfiltered water, and the like.
   • Foods that make you feel guilty and remorseful when consumed.

2. Identify relevant physical triggers. Keep a food journal to find out how your life circumstances and your feelings relate to food. Notice what you eat, how you feel, and when exactly you feel cravings for unhealthy foods. This will help you identify the reasons that cause these cravings, which will allow you to find a suitable solution to the problem. Unhealthy cravings for certain foods can be caused by a variety of reasons, and in some cases it is best to discuss the issue with your doctor. Typically, cravings for certain types of food can be triggered by the following factors:

   • Fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels throughout the day. The drop in blood sugar that follows a sharp rise can trigger cravings for unhealthy foods.
   • Convenience. Some foods, such as overly salty, fatty and sugary snacks, are readily available and come ready-made in convenient packaging. Higher salt or sugar content makes them even more attractive.
   • Lack of sleep. Lack of sleep, whether caused by emotional stress, illness or other reasons, can cause cravings for certain types of food in an attempt to relieve fatigue.
   • Pregnancy. During pregnancy, you may have a desire to consume certain foods and even inedible substances, such as clay (craving for inedible substances is called perversion of taste, or pica).
   • Menopause. As a result of menopause, women's taste buds undergo significant changes, and they experience cravings for sweet foods because, strange as it may seem at first glance, they begin to taste sweetness less.
   • Habit. You may simply get used to a certain type of food and be unable to give it up, even if you understand that it is harmful. This is typically a form of mindless eating, where you eat something simply because it's what you've always done and don't question how it affects your health and well-being.

3. Think about the emotional reasons that cause cravings for unhealthy foods. A food diary will also come to your aid here. Cravings for junk food due to stress are widely known. Many people “eat” stress with certain types of food in an effort to regain peace of mind. Reduced serotonin levels in depression can also cause cravings for certain foods. Finally, people often seek comfort in food when feeling lonely and disconnected from others.

Part 3

Changing eating habits

Make a plan. Think about what types of food you would like to eliminate from your diet. A food diary will help you determine exactly what and how much you eat, and how you feel (emotionally and physically) afterwards. You can discover a lot of new things. The food you want to give up first may be your favorite, or you may perceive it as a desirable treat, despite the health risks. Start with one type of food that you would like to eliminate from your diet and try not to eat it for a week. Don't replace it with other foods or eat more other types of unhealthy foods in an attempt to compensate for the loss. Try drinking a glass of water instead. Of course, it's not the same, but this way you will fill your stomach and get closer to your goal of healthy eating.

• Try to determine what food throws you off track. For example, caffeine and sugar often have a negative effect on sensitive people.

1. Do not hurry. If you have been craving certain foods for a long time, it will take you some time to break the habit. Perhaps you should give up one type of food every week. Be patient in discovering what works for you, and most importantly, be gentle with yourself—mistakes and relapses are inevitable when breaking bad habits.

   Avoid situations that provoke you. If there are places or circumstances that make you more likely to crave unhealthy foods, stay away from them. If you can't do without your favorite candy while watching a movie in the cinema, don't go to the cinema. If you always order certain cakes when visiting a restaurant with your friend, change the restaurant and go to a place that doesn't have cakes. Try to stay away from temptations.

   Eat regularly and control your portion sizes. Eat small meals regularly throughout the day and make sure your diet is healthy and well-balanced. This will help you maintain consistent blood sugar levels and prevent cravings for unhealthy foods. Try to eat as little sugar as possible. Sweets are delicious, but they cause your blood sugar levels to rise and then plummet.

Part 4

Lifestyle change

Find other rewards to replace food. After a week of abstaining from any junk food, reward yourself by going to the movies, buying your favorite band's new record, or doing anything else that brings you joy. Develop the habit of rewarding yourself with something other than food.

Do something new. Join an interest group - join a book or travel club, join a political organization. This way, you'll meet new people, get involved in new activities, and be able to forget old habits more easily. If you still prefer solitude, take up, for example, knitting or fishing. Do something new and exciting to take your mind off food.

We often hear that our body knows what it needs - you just have to listen. The problem is that the inner voice often whispers: “Pink glazed donuts, fried potatoes, soda…” and so on. What to do in this case? Should you listen to your inner voice or try to fight it? First, let's figure out why we crave junk food instead of broccoli.

If we want something that brings us unhappiness, this indicates that somewhere inside the connection between our desires, possibilities and goals is broken. Food that leaves behind a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, acne on the face, and excess weight on the hips cannot be desired; it must be associated with a negative experience. But everything happens the other way around: the moment we eat junk food flavored with flavor enhancers, we get the pleasant emotions that we crave so much. After an hour, the euphoria wears off, and now we need a new portion.

Many people blame self-control and begin to criticize themselves for their weak character, but in reality the issue here is something else. In the absence of awareness. Yes, again about awareness.

When we go on a diet or make drastic changes to our diet, we are trying to change ourselves through willpower, restrictions, and resistance. We think this is the most effective way. We are afraid to trust ourselves. “I’ll immediately gain weight,” women respond to the invitation to let go and relax. If you think about it, this is not very healthy behavior.

Detoxes, extreme stomach cleanses (which should remove bad bacteria that provoke appetite), fasting days on cucumbers come onto the scene... But in the end, the problem is never solved, because in order to form normal eating behavior, awareness is needed, not the above.

We are so afraid of this word because it is not clear what it means. Everything is clear with the diet - 7 days on kefir, but what is mindfulness, with what is it eaten?

Yes, the notorious mindfulness takes a lot of time, but answer yourself the question, how many times have you gone on a diet over the past few years and what results have you achieved? If none, then wouldn’t it be better to try changing tactics and try something different?

Listening to your body is wonderful. You will stop craving junk food, overeating, and eating at night. Food will become a source of health, lightness, energy and good mood for you. You'll stop counting calories and choking on those green detox soups you hate. You will eat delicious food and digest it normally. Stay slim, even allowing yourself your favorite desserts from time to time. Isn't this happiness for a woman? Let's try to formulate what is needed to turn on awareness and improve eating behavior.

1. Accept that you need time. You won't lose weight in two weeks, a month, by summer or by wedding. Everything will happen when it happens. But! You should be encouraged by the fact that this will definitely happen. One day you will be slim, healthy and happy. Just give yourself time and don’t dream of quick results.
2. Don't put yourself under stress. You shouldn’t make your diet extreme - eat healthy foods that you don’t like, greatly reduce portions, go hungry, sharply give up sugar, and the like. Food is a source of pleasure. If you turn it into flour, then you only accumulate stress and bring the time of breakdown closer. Instead of mocking yourself, learn healthy but tasty recipes, gradually introduce new eating habits, and don’t limit everything at once. It will be easier for your brain to adapt to the new power system, and it will not be capricious.
3. Don't ban certain foods. If you love pizza but know it's not healthy, don't boycott it. The law of the “forbidden apple” will kick in and all you will think about is pizza, pizza, PIZZA. Agree with yourself: yes, pizza is very tasty and you love it so much, but it is not very healthy. Perhaps you will allow yourself a couple of slices a week? If you suddenly want to eat a whole pizza at once, remember your agreement. Pizza will become less desirable without being banned.
4. Be in the moment, even while overeating. Never say: “Today I’ll allow myself to eat whatever I want, but starting on Monday I’ll definitely go on a diet!” You are already working on yourself, right now. The fact that you need to pause and eat from your heart is part of the journey and should not be denied or discounted. You are not making a mistake, you are just in the process. When you put another piece in your mouth (which may no longer fit), ask yourself why you are doing this, why are you eating? And move on to the next point.
5. Be aware of your feelings. Perhaps the feeling of hunger wakes up because you are lonely or you are tired of keeping everything under control? Understand the problem and look for a solution. See a therapist if you have the opportunity and discuss your eating problems with him.
6. Be kind to yourself. Don’t reproach yourself for mistakes, unsatisfactory results, failures. The main thing is that you work on yourself, experience accumulates, habits become stronger - one day it will all work out and you will succeed.

The human body is very similar to a computer. Follow his testimony very carefully.

For example, before I had never had a passion for this or that dish, but suddenly I wanted it to the point of impossibility. Not by chance. This internal computer sends you a message via ICQ: your body lacks certain microelements. It's time to take action.

If you have never liked sweets, but suddenly have a craving for chocolate, diagnose yourself: magnesium deficiency. The same thing happens if you want something sour. At all, listen to your body more often. If you reach for something richer and drink carbonated drinks, it’s bad for calcium. Once you achieve balance, you will immediately lose your desire. We ate bread uncontrollably, and then “gave up” - before there was not enough nitrogen, but now everything is tip top.

Previously, they looked at food with longing and felt complete indifference to it (deficiency of manganese and vitamins B1, B3), but now they are ready to swallow an elephant (bad with silicon and tyrosine) - everything has its own explanation.

Still, it’s better not to wait for signals from the body, but to try to balance your own diet, taking into account what is contained in what product. And here's what you should remember.

Magnesium- chocolate, nuts and fruits.

Phosphorus– these are fish, beef, liver and nuts.

Calcium– this is cheese, cabbage and mustard.

Sulfur- these are egg yolks, cranberries, garlic, horseradish.

Iron- this is meat, fish, cherries, greens, seaweed, a mug of cocoa a day will come in handy.

Zinc- this is meat and seafood.

Vitamin B1- these are nuts, beans and liver.

Vitamin B3- these are beans, meat and halibut fish.

Another way to recognize what is missing in the body is by symptoms.

The heart is acting up– low potassium - eat fruits and vegetables.

The skin is peeling– problems with iodine - eat seafood, onions and carrots.

Teeth turn yellow- it is not only the addiction to smoking that is to blame, but also the deficiency of certain microelements - eat beans, fish and bananas.

What is missing in the body, if you want...

peanuts (peanut butter)- lack of B vitamins (found in nuts, beans, meat and fish).

bananas- lack of potassium or drink a lot of coffee, hence the lack of potassium (found in tomatoes, white beans and figs).

melons- lack of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as vitamins A and C.

dried apricots- lack of vitamin A.

olives and olives- lack of sodium salts.

milk and dairy products- lack of calcium or essential amino acids - tryptophan, lysine and leucine.

ice cream- lack of calcium (people with impaired carbohydrate metabolism have a special love for it).

seafood- iodine deficiency (use iodized salt).

herrings- lack of the right fats.

sunflower seeds- lack of antioxidant vitamins (especially common in smokers).

butter- lack of vitamin D.

cheese- lack of calcium and phosphorus (found in cottage cheese, milk and broccoli).

of bread- lack of nitrogen (found in meat, fish and nuts).

chocolate- lack of magnesium (found in unroasted nuts and seeds, fruits, legumes and legumes).
I just want something...

sweet- lack of glucose (found in fruits, berries, honey and sweet vegetables).

salty- lack of chlorides (found in unboiled goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt).

sour- lack of vitamin C (found in rose hips, lemons, kiwi, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, currants and strawberries).

smoked meats- lack of cholesterol (found in red fish, olives, avocados, nuts).

fatty foods

burnt food- lack of carbon (found in fresh fruits).

cold drinks- lack of manganese (found in walnuts, almonds, pecans, blueberries).

carbonated drinks- lack of calcium (found in broccoli, legumes and legumes, cheese, sesame).

in the evening drink tea with cookies- during the day we didn’t get the right carbohydrates (found in meat, fish, legumes and nuts).

liquid food- lack of water (drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, with the addition of lemon or lime juice).

solid food- lack of water (the body is so dehydrated that it has already lost the ability to feel thirst. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day).
But if...

zhor on the eve of critical days- lack of zinc (found in red meat (especially internal organ meat), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables).

general invincible zhor- lack of silicon, amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine (found in nuts, seeds, cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, spinach, green and red vegetables and fruits).

my appetite has completely disappeared- lack of manganese and vitamins B1 and B2 (found in walnuts, almonds, nuts, seeds, legumes and legumes, meat, fish and poultry).

I want to smoke- lack of silicon and the amino acid tyrosine (found in nuts, seeds, orange, green and red fruits and vegetables).

I want to bite the ice- lack of iron (found in meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, cherries).

I want paint, plaster, earth, chalk- lack of calcium and vitamin D (found in eggs, butter and fish),

Passion for food...

Chocolate-sweet passion.

More often than others, caffeine fans and those whose brains especially need glucose suffer from “chocolate addiction.” This also applies to other sweets. If you have an unbalanced diet, your body will also need glucose - as the fastest source of energy. Namely, chocolate copes with this task perfectly. But keep in mind that this product contains a lot of fat, the excess of which is dangerous for your blood vessels and figure. Eat more vegetables and cereals - they are rich in complex carbohydrates. And for dessert, choose dried fruits or honey with a small amount of nuts.

Cheese passion.

Spicy, salty, with or without spices... You cannot live a day without it, its taste drives you crazy - you are ready to consume kilograms of it (in any case, you eat at least 100 g per day). Nutritionists claim that cheese is loved by those who have an urgent need for calcium and phosphorus. Of course, cheese is the richest source of these much-needed and extremely beneficial substances for the body, but fats... Try replacing cheese with cabbage and broccoli - it has a lot of calcium and phosphorus, and almost no calories. If your body accepts milk well, drink 1-2 glasses a day, and eat cheese little by little (no more than 50 g per day) and together with raw vegetables.

Passion is sour and lemon.

Perhaps your diet is dominated by difficult-to-digest foods, and the body is trying to increase the acidity of gastric juice to make its work easier.

When you have a cold, you may also be drawn to sour fruits and berries - an excellent source of vitamin C. Choose dishes with moderate fat content and do not mix many foods in one sitting. Avoid fried, overly salted and overly spicy foods, as well as those that have been overly processed.

If you notice problems with digestion (especially in the liver and gallbladder), be sure to be examined by a gastroenterologist. Smoked passion.

A passion for smoked meats and similar delicacies usually overcomes those who are on an overly strict diet.

Long-term restriction of fat-containing foods in the diet leads to a decrease in the level of “good” cholesterol in the blood, and smoked meats contain a sufficient amount of saturated fat. Don't get carried away with low-fat foods - choose ones that still have some fat. For example, buy yogurt, kefir or fermented baked milk with one or two percent fat content. Eat at least a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of butter per day, even if you are on a strict diet. Scientists have experimentally proven that those who consume a sufficient amount of fat lose weight faster. Food passions and diseases

Onions, garlic, spices and seasonings. An urgent need for these foods and spices usually indicates problems with the respiratory system.

Olives and olives. Such an addiction is possible due to a disorder of the thyroid gland.

Ice cream. People with carbohydrate metabolism disorders, hypoglycemia or diabetes mellitus have a special love for it.

Bananas. If the smell of ripe bananas makes you dizzy, pay attention to the state of your heart.

Sunflower seeds.

Every person at least once in his life ate something harmful at night; many understand that this is not possible and feel remorse after such an act. Where does this unhealthy desire come from? Employees of the scientific publication “Brain Imaging and Behavior” conducted a whole study to explain the phenomenon of night hunger. The trial participants included 15 women of different ages, they were shown photographs of ready-made meals and their brain reactions were monitored using MRI. The test was carried out in the morning and evening, and the reaction at different times of the day was different.

Late in the evening, any food caused strong brain activity, calorie content did not matter. A particularly active reaction was observed in the striatum, this area of ​​the brain responds to incentives and rewards. Hence the conclusion - in the evening, the brain perceives food as a reward for things done during the day, which is why people are drawn to junk food. When consumed, floury and sweet foods provoke the production of the happy hormone serotonin, which is why most people crave them at night. The intense hunger that you experience at night has nothing to do with the real needs of the body, it is just a fantasy of your brain. Eating well during the day will reduce attacks of night hunger and give you better sleep.

If you skip main meals and replace them with the wrong snacks, your body will suffer from a lack of energy during the day, and in the evening it will try to compensate for this lack.

As a result, a person suffers from a lack of energy during working hours, and in the evening, when it’s time to rest, he overeats and, as a result, gets overweight, poor quality sleep and lack of appetite in the morning. If you eat irregularly, it is almost impossible to cope with evening hunger and lose weight, since the body works according to a program of saving and storing energy in the form of fat deposits. Rational nutrition implies the following division of the diet: breakfast - 25%, lunch - 15%, lunch - 35%, afternoon snack - 10%, dinner - 15%.

Another reason for evening hunger is nervous tension; many people have the bad habit of using food as a cure for stress. If this applies to you, then try to find a substitute, for example, take a bath, do yoga or go for a massage. There are many ways to distract yourself from problems that do not involve the absorption of harmful foods.

In order to ensure quality sleep and a healthy appetite the next morning, you should eat dinner about three hours before going to bed. Follow this rule, and then you will not suffer from surges in glucose and insulin, as well as an imbalance of night hormones that work to restore the body. If it is too difficult for you to fall asleep on an empty stomach, you can drink a glass of kefir with a spoonful of bran; herbal teas help you relax.

The evening meal should consist mainly of protein products, with priority cottage cheese, turkey cheeses, these products contain not only a lot of protein, but also tryptophan, which is processed by the body into serotonin. Never skip breakfast, build your diet so that you eat small portions, but often. Make sure you drink enough water, sometimes people confuse hunger and thirst. Try to deprive yourself of temptations; if harmful products are not in the most visible place, your hand will not accidentally reach for them.

If you notice that your cravings for food at night are more than a bad habit, for example, if you begin to feel unwell without eating before bed, immediately consult a doctor and describe your symptoms. Flashes of hunger in the evening can be caused by hormonal imbalance, as well as a sharp decrease in blood sugar levels, which is a deviation.

Have you noticed that the need for sweets and fatty foods wakes up in the evening? Scientists from Harvard and Oregon universities explained the unhealthy pattern. The study, published in the journal Obesity, demonstrates the connection between appetite and the body's biological clock. According to biorhythms, the body stores energy before going to bed, which is why hunger peaks in the evening hours. And, conversely, at 08:00 the appetite is “in a half-asleep state.”

Thus, in ancient times, an evening meal helped our ancestors accumulate the necessary energy for the morning hunt, while morning overeating could cost their lives. Times have changed, but nature has not changed the hands of the internal clock.

Uncontrollable desire to eat

Stephen Witherly, an eating behavior expert and author of Why People Love Junk Food, has spent 20 years studying junk food, trying to understand why burgers, chips and buns are so popular.

The first secret is in an incomparable complex of sensations: not a single balanced dish can be sweet, salty, fatty at the same time and at the same time melt in the mouth (but chips can).

The second is in the very composition of “junk food”. Such food quickly saturates the body, sending appropriate signals to the brain, but after half an hour the excited organ demands a new portion.
Manufacturers spend millions of dollars to find the “perfect taste,” develop crispness, and achieve a fluffy consistency. And the faster food “melts in your mouth,” the less caloric it seems.

Why do taste preferences change?

If before you couldn’t live a day without pickles, but now you eat only lean foods, don’t lose sight of this fact. A sharp change in taste preferences often indicates serious disorders (this does not apply to pregnant women).

• Those who like sour foods should check their stomach acidity. People with... can experience a passion for sauerkraut.
• If you want something spicy, you don’t have enough digestive enzymes (hot spices stimulate digestion).
• If you want something fresh, you may have an ulcer, gastritis, or liver and gallbladder disease.

Products you don't know are harmful

Sometimes you want to give up on all the recommendations and still eat “something like that.” There's nothing wrong with little weaknesses. However, calorie bombs are often hidden under the guise of harmless desserts. Here are three of the most popular food hypocrites.

Be sure to pay attention to the fat content of dairy products and read their composition, warns nutritionist Lydia Ionova. The glazed cheese deserves special attention. “You can study chemistry based on its composition. Natural cottage cheese has given way to synthetic cottage cheese products, and butter has given way to vegetable fats. But that's not so bad. Manufacturers do not spare chemical “improvers”. In addition to all these “delights” there is a high calorie content: 40 grams of cheese contains more than 160 kcal.”

A sausage sandwich is also not the best option. In terms of its calorie content, this is not even a snack, but a full-fledged afternoon snack, and with a hidden threat. “Ordinary sausage contains practically no meat, but it contains more than enough fat and salt,” explains the specialist. - Nitrites and nitrates give the product an appetizing pink color. These compounds themselves are not dangerous, but under the action of enzymes in the body they are converted into the carcinogen nitrosamine.”