Marcia,
This is one of the more prevalent problems preventing most people from being able to lose weight. We first have to determine what is the cause of the cravings and only then can we recommend the appropriate remedy.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be hypoglycemic.
Here are some recommendations to improve your cravings do to hypoglycemia:
· Make sure to eat three solid meals a day, and don?t skip any meals. (Even if you are trying to lose weight, don?t skip meals, and don?t use a shake as a meal supplement.)
· Each meal should be mostly protein and vegetables. You can have a small portion of complex carbs as well.
· Mix in some good quality fat into each meal. Examples: Coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, avocado. These oils slow down the digestive process, and fill you up for longer periods of time.
· Snack between meals. Your snack should consist of a protein, some fat and maybe a vegetable. Example: Nut butters such as almond butter with some celery sticks. A hand full of raw almonds with some salad vegetables.
· If you still develop cravings, or get the ?jitters?, you?ve gone too long without food.
2. Emotional Eating: Often we eat when we are either depressed, or we need some emotional nurturing. This can be either a deep emotional barrier that could come from childhood, or it could be that you are unsatisfied in a present relationship either with a spouse, a parent, or significant friendship that is not providing you with the nurturing that you feel you need. When we feel unsatisfied emotionally, we try to fulfill the lack with food.
3. Stress can lead to cravings as well. There are many ways to deal with stress. Here is a simple but effective program for stress reduction:
· Exercise daily. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise work well here.
· Daily meditation with deep breatihing.
· Supplentation: Vitamin B, Vitamin C and Pantothenic Acid and adptogenic herbs all strengthen the adrenal glands which become weak when the body is undergoing too much stress
· Body work: Cranio-sacral therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, Network Spinal analysis, acupuncture can be very beneficial in relieving stress.
4. Supplements that can be beneficial in controlling cravings.
· Gymnema is a herb that can be taken with each meal. I have used Gymnema successfully in my practice as an adjunct to a wholesome diet.
· Licorice root can be made into a tea, or you can actually chew on the root. It?s great for cravings, and chewing licorice is far better than chewing gum since even the sugarless gums can stimulate a pseudo insulin reaction in the brain. This means that the body mis-interprets the gum to be sugar.
Hope This Helps,
To Your Health,
Dr. Miller
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