Three Ayurvedic Tips to Avoid Cravings

Chances are that you have trouble managing your cravings. If you are not hungry then it is unlikely that you will have cravings. Sometimes because of emotions, anxiety or boredom cravings can arise, but one strategy for alleviating cravings is to keep yourself feeling nourished. The more nourished that you feel the more able you are to avoid the cravings.

• Eat until you are satisfied.
  • Not all meals are created equal, just as not all calories are not created equal.  It is important to leave the table feeling full and satisfied. This does not mean to overeat, but to choose meal options that include all six tastes and are at least 75% vegetables. By following these basic guidelines you will be more able to create meal options that feed you in a different way. The volume of water contained in vegetables make for a low calorie meal helping you to feel satiated with without worrying about extra weight.
• Digest fat
  • Fat is becoming one of the most important macronutrients after a decade of low fat diets that don’t work. For example many Eskimos can have one meal every few days and feel satiated until the next meal. Our ability to digest fats will allow us to feel fuller longer. This depends on the health of the gall bladder. If the gall bladder and liver are healthy then increasing your intake of meat, nuts, avocado, olive oil and other healthy oils. By choosing this in conjunction with a high volume of vegetables then you will support the body’s ability to find its optimal weight.
• Choose foods that are assimilated over time
  • Many of the foods I have mentioned so far can assist in delaying or eliminating cravings because they are nutrient dense. The more nutrient density in the food the more time it takes to assimilate the nutrients. Other foods that can be beneficial in addition to healthy fats, vegetables, non starchy grains and wild game meats.
    

All of these strategies are simple. Yet, simple interventions are often the most effective. Try them as experience is the best teacher.