Friday, June 6, 2008

Coping With Food Cravings

by Sheryl Walters

Strong cravings for starchy, sugary foods often go hand in hand with being overweight, chronically tired, feeling blue or other symptoms of ill health. They can be the result of out of whack blood sugar levels, Candida (yeast overgrowth), and adrenal fatigue. These imbalances can potentially cause disease, premature aging, and us to feel far less than our most fabulous selves.

Fortunately, there are some great ways to overcome your cravings. Here are some tricks that will keep you from longing for that cake and desperate for that large packet of potato chips.

Avoid your cravings for 2 weeks

"You crave what you eat, so if you switch what you're eating, you can weaken your old cravings and strengthen new ones," says Marcia Pelchat, PhD, of the Monell Center.

Research shows that even after 5 days you will find that your body will yearn for your trigger foods far less, and after two weeks the cravings are nearly gone.

On a physical level, your blood sugar will begin to balance out, so your body won't be crying out for foods that it falsely thinks will balance things out. On an emotional level, you will know that it is possible to live without those foods, and you will most likely notice some improvement in your wellbeing, which will keep you motivated. Read more tips in the entire article.

Licorice Root is an herb I have used when I had sugar cravings. This herb has been used for various food cravings and to feed the adrenals from the effects of stress. Historical uses of Licorice Root include:

Adrenal Exhaustion
Circulation
Caffeine Withdrawal
Endurance
Energy
Tonic
Mood Swings
Addison's Disease
Depression
Poor Concentration
Hypoglycemia
Hyperactivity
Mental Alertness
Brain Fog
ADD
ADHD
Chronic Fatigue

Licorice can be taken as a single herb, a concentrated capsule, or in extract liquid form. When I had hypoglycemia in the 80's I used a lot of capsules, but for a fast pick-me-up the extract was great to mix in water. It became known as my Licorice Cocktail.

Read more about Licorice Root.

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