Keys to Kick your Cravings, Boost Your Energy, and Still Enjoy the Holidays!
Day 1 Email- What's Blood Sugar Got To Do With It?
Starting today, I'm going to share how you can avoid triggering food cravings (which will help boost your energy). And we're going to do it while STILL enjoying our holidays!
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If you're like me, only a few years ago, you might find yourself looking for some sugar or caffeine later in the day. Then later wondering why I couldn't eat just one or say no to that extra treat. Maybe it's craving bread, pasta, or salty foods for you. (And don't worry I'm not going to tell you that you have to give up all of these completely).
Questions: When do you have these cravings? Do you notice it when you are reaching for something to satisfy that craving or after you've eaten it? Is it a certain time of the day, month, or after you eat certain foods?
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Today's video explains KEY 1: how blood sugar fluctuations can cause our cravings.
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After watching, grab a paper and pen or open your notes section on your phone and list out:
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What do you think you have cravings for?
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When do the cravings hit?
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By WEDNESDAY- grab a piece of your favorite chocolate bar to have ready for a special video treat! Don't eat chocolate? No problem! Just get any other small treat you enjoy, preferably that comes in a wrapper and get ready to savor it!
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Tomorrow I'll share 2 KEYs about keeping cravings from popping up in the first place.
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See you then,
Renee
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p.s. It's not too late! If you think any of your friends would enjoy participating this week, please share this link for them to join: Keys to Kick Your Cravings.​
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You've automatically been entered in the drawing for the free Beautycounter skincare products just for registering. Winners will be announced after the event!
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Day 2 Email-Keep the Cravings From Creeping In
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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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I hope you had a chance yesterday to answer the questions about what you crave and when because "preventing" can be the key to kicking your cravings. Once you've identified the what and the when, then you can figure out what is driving it.
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Our smart bodies send craving signals to get what it thinks it needs. Now, it might be confused about the best way to get something, however it is trying to meet its needs. Those signals can be based on actual body chemistry, dehydration, or mental/emotional cravings. Hormones can play a huge role in cravings for high carbs or sweets. Your body releases certain happy hormones (like dopamine and serotonin) and energy boosters in response to certain foods. This boost can be accomplished by making choices that keep your feeling happy longer like eating more complex carbohydrates (think fiber- black beans, quinoa, peas, squash, oatmeal, chickpeas, sweet potatoes) instead of processed sugars.
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At times, we may crave sodium (salty foods). This can come as a result of chronic stressors, exercise, or dietary challenges. Our bodies send out a salt craving message and we land in front of the pantry looking for chips or salsa. One way to keep this craving from creeping in is to stay hydrated! So, before you head out to your holiday parties, be sure to plan ahead to get your water in. It is generally recommended to drink half your body weight in ounces of water/day (so if you weigh 150lbs, your goal would be 75oz water/day).
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Certain foods we eat can contribute to our cravings-remember that roller coaster of blood sugar ups and downs from yesterday? Foods our body digests quickly spike our blood sugar. Then on the way down those cravings for sugar (or caffeine) will pop up because your body is trying to fuel itself and wants to boost the sugar that makes it feel good.
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Think about the whole why can't I eat just one chip or one cookie question. Processed foods are designed for the optimal taste, optimal crunch, and even the optimal timing to start softening in your mouth. Couple that with the fact that sugar when eaten has been found to light up the same place in the brain on a brain scan as cocaine or heroin and you can see why just not getting in the cycle of blood sugar ups and downs is easier than trying to resist that fourth or fifth cookie! So planning ahead to get the good fats, fiber and protein, good sleep, and adequate movement to stabilize blood sugar to help keep the cravings from creeping in is KEY!
CLICK here for Food Craving Swaps Chart
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Remember to grab a chocolate or yummy treat for the special video tomorrow!
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Talk soon,
Renee
p.s. It's not too late! If you think any of your friends would enjoy participating this week, please share this link for them to join: Keys to Kick Your Cravings.​
If you've missed any part of the event materials, you can find everything here through November 26.
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Day 3 Email- Intentional Chocolate
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Do you have your chocolate treat?
If not, please go grab it now.
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Anxiety, overwhelm, and sleep problems can all contribute to food cravings.
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So far this week I've given you two tools to help:
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Identify what foods and when you crave them
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Easily accessible food craving swaps
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Today I want to talk about holding space for eating and how slowing down when we eat can impact how we nourish our body and soul. How we "show up" to eat and how eating can be a relaxing time are important to send the messages to our brain that we are satisfied. This way we can move into our parasympathetic (relax and digest) nervous system. When we are calm, we are less likely to experience food cravings. I hope you enjoy this video and your treat!
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Click to watch video​
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Think about how you can sit down to eat and incorporate the feeling you had while participating in the above video with all your meals, especially through the holidays. Consider how slowing down and enjoying the community and food you are eating can help to kick your cravings.
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See you tomorrow,
Renee
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p.s. It's not too late! If you think any of your friends would enjoy participating this week, please share this link for them to join: Keys to Kick Your Cravings.​
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Remember if you missed any part of the event materials, you can find everything here through November 26.
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Day 4 Email- The Bottom Line
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I hope you enjoyed the chocolate experience yesterday. Sitting down and slowing down when we eat aids in our digestion and absorption of nutrients. It helps us to nourish our bodies.
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Today I want to show you the KEY foundation (the bottom line) for kicking your cravings, boosting your energy, and enjoying your holidays.
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One single night of sleep deprivation causes a 40% reduction in your ability to handle glucose. Glucose (blood sugar) fluctuations drive cravings.
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Ongoing sleep deprivation doubles the risk of obesity.
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Let that sink in.
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Sleep helps to balance our appetite hormones. If sleep is short, leptin (our feel full hormone) levels fall and ghrelin (our hunger hormone) increases. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and promotes fat storage. So, sleep deprivation increases your appetite and can intensify food cravings making you more likely to consume sugar. Sleep deprivation often leads to surges in cortisol (our stress hormone) which can result in mismatches with glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity helps regulate cravings and the body is more sensitive to insulin during sleep. An imbalance in these hormones associated with poor sleep send us reaching for coffee, soda, sweets, and carbs because our body is in search of a quick fix for one thing...ENERGY.
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Take this short sleep QUIZ here
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Navigating the holidays while keeping good sleep habits can be challenge, but it’s not impossible.
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If you'll be traveling, think ahead about time zone changes and where you will be sleeping. Moving your sleep and wake times 30 minutes a few days before travel can be helpful. It is often worth it to purchase a pillow if the pillow when you arrive at your destination isn't great for you. Take a look and listen around your sleeping area to see if there is any light or noise that can be addressed. If you struggle to sleep while away from home, consider how you can incorporate some of your regular sleep routine into your holiday schedule.
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If you'll be at home, remember staying close to your regular sleep and wake cycle helps you maintain quality sleep (provided you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep in general). Think about what boundaries are healthy for you, both with food and gatherings. Schedule time to relax. Sit and enjoy your meals. Notice how that changes how you feel when you finish eating.
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KEY: Regular good quality sleep can help reduce food cravings, improve mood, and increase patience. All these things can help set us up for success when making food choices and enjoying, as well as connecting with, those around us. You can learn more about improving your sleep on my video podcast here.
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See you soon,
Renee
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p.s. If you're looking for help with sleep problems, digestive issues like bloating or, food cravings, exhaustion or anxious feelings, schedule a free call here​
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​Winners of the Beautycounter skincare products drawing will be announced soon...might be a little later with the Thanksgiving holiday so it won't get lost in all your Black Friday emails!
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If you've missed any part of the event materials, you can find everything here through November 26.
​Day 5 Email- Coming Soon
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