Food Cravings: Kick Unhealthy Cravings to the Curb

I, myself, was once plagued with unhealthy food cravings. I remember as a child I had a nearly insatiable craving for fast food & candy. Every day I wanted to eat out for lunch or dinner at places like Wendy’s (oh how I loved the breaded chicken sandwich and biggie fries), Pete’s Fish ‘n Chips (I couldn’t get enough of the shrimp ‘n chips), Filiberto’s bean & cheese burrito or mixed burrito were favorites as well. Breakfast usually was some type of sugary cereal and then on the way to school I would beg my Mom to stop by Circle K or 7-11 so I could get a bag of Skittles or Starbursts. As soon as school let out, my friends and I would walk to Circle K or 7-11 for a Slurpee and more candy. I just craved this type of food all the time. YUCK! The thought of it now makes my stomach do flip-flops. I cannot tell you the last time I ate out at a fast-food establishment like those I just mentioned or the last time I ate candy. For me those once unhealthy food cravings are a thing of the past.

I now crave vegetables – HONEST, I do. I crave wholesome, fresh foods including hearty whole grains, garden fresh vegetable, bountiful fruits, and lean & clean protein. I was able to overcome these unhealthy cravings and subsequent habits by practicing some basic healthy eating principles. It took some effort & diligence, but the FOOD Freedom I enjoy now is worth it all and then some. If I can do it you can do it!

I’ve had countless clients who once thought they’d never be able to overcome the cravings for unhealthy foods. They have all been amazed at how quickly they are able to kick those cravings to the curb by just implementing a few simple healthy eating principles I teach.

If you find yourself craving lots of sugary, sweet treats or salty, crunchy snacks or deep-fried, cheesy, greasy foods, then listen up! Cravings for unhealthy foods are your body trying to tell you it is not getting enough good, high quality foods that it really needs. It is not getting Balanced Nutrition. You may be asking why the body would crave unhealthy foods when it really needs the healthy stuff. The craving mechanism is predominately triggered by nutrient deficiencies, insufficient caloric intake, and low blood sugar levels. Cravings typically play out one of three ways – sweets, salty, fatty/greasy. The more we give into these cravings and attempt to satisfy them with the junky foods, the more we train and condition the body to CRAVE these nutritional dead-beats.

Unhealthy cravings can be kicked to the curb by:

1. Fueling the body every 3 to 4 hours with healthy well balanced meals/snacks and never skipping meals, especially breakfast.

2. Making sure each meal/snack has a balance of carbohydrate, protein, & healthy fat.


3. Eating a wide variety of healthy foods each week in order to make sure you’re getting the full spectrum of vitamins & minerals the body requires.

4. Give the body what it really requires – if you are craving something sweet, rather than grabbing a cookie, have a sweet piece of fruit & a string cheese or a few raw almonds.

For more on healthy eating.....

Balanced Nutrition Webinar

When: Thursday March 12th

Time: 11:00AM AZ time ( 2 pm EST) OR 7pm AZ Time (10 pm EST)

Where: Wherever you are - its a Webinar!

Instructor: Melissa Guthrie, Nutrition Coach/Personal Trainer

Seating is limited so RSVP right away via email mmguthrie@hotmail.com or 800.775.0712 ext 7015. When You RSVP, you must specify which time you want to attend, then the dial-in details will be sent to you.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

Healthy Cooking Enthusiast