Eat what you crave.

Don’t try to ignore your food cravings; that makes it nearly impossible to deal with them. If you instead give into your cravings consistently, the foods you crave with be less special. You won’t see them as forbidden or off-limits, and, therefore, you’ll pay attention to how much actually satisfies your desire.

The fear of giving in to cravings is that you’ll start eating chocolate 24/7. When you first start allowing yourself to give in to the cravings, you might eat the sweets or treats more often than before. As time goes on, the novelty will wear off, and you’ll feel much more balanced with the indulgent foods.

Enjoy the food slowly and mindfully.

Savoring your food is a big key to satisfying cravings. If you eat it quickly, you’ll miss the point of satisfaction. You also might end up with a stomach-ache if you’re eating something more rich or sugary. Take a break after each bite. Use your senses, and take in the appearance, smells, textures, and tastes.

Pay attention so you know the moment you’re satisfied. When you give in to your cravings and practice the slow, mindful approach to your food, you’ll more quickly find that point of satisfaction. Some days you might be satisfied when you’re just a few bites in! Other days you’ll eat it all. Allow your body and mind to work together to dictate how much you eat.

Let your cravings lead you to higher standards for your food and indulgences.

When you’re craving ice cream, eat the real thing (milk alternative ice creams count as “real”). Don’t go for the low calorie, diet version of the food you’re craving. When you choose the low calorie option, the package usually says, “just x number of calories in a whole pint.” They do that to encourage you to eat the whole pint!

Rather than choosing the low cal version, choose the full fat, full calorie, high-quality ingredient option. It will taste better, and the higher fat content will allow you to feel satisfied sooner.

Whatever the craving, get the tastiest version of it you can find. If it’s something you can make at home, find the freshest ingredients and highest quality, organic options when possible. I always tell the dancers I work with that I love a peanut butter cup, and Reese’s used to be my go-to snack. Now, the overly processed, overly sweetened ingredients don’t taste good to me at all. I’ve upgraded my PB cup obsession to Theo’s. (Ingredients are just: Cocoa Beans*+, Peanut Butter, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Powdered Sugar, Peanut Flour*, Salt, Rosemary Extract, Ground Vanilla Bean*.) I’m satisfied with just 1/2 or 1 cup!

Put the food you’re craving on a plate.

As you deal with cravings, never eat straight out of the container. It encourages you to eat more than you want or need. Putting food on a plate is respectful of the food and your body. It honors your food choices. You’re not hiding your choices by eating quickly or out of the container.

Pick a lovely plate or bowl. Make your food look nice and super appetizing. Taking the time to do these things will encourage you to take your time as you eat. Don’t rush. Slow it all down.

When cravings aren’t about the food.

Some cravings are connected to a nutrient deficiency or a need for emotional support or social interaction. Pay close attention to things you crave regularly. Look into possible nutrient deficiencies tied to particular cravings; you will crave things that your body needs. A craving for chocolate may signal a need for magnesium while you might crave meat or eggs if your body needs protein.

Be empowered to choose the foods that will satisfy your needs AND make you feel good.

If you’re feeling lonely or needing social interaction, you might crave certain foods to fill that void. Ask yourself every single day (in fact, throughout the day) how you’re feeling. Need to connect with a friend or someone in your family? Allow yourself the time and space to prioritize that connection.

Some foods are addictive.

When food is more processed and higher in fat and sugar, it can be addictive. Foods such as cheese and processed sweets or desserts, have an effect on the pleasure centers of our brains that can have an addictive quality.

If you’re drawn to something every single day or throughout each day, take some time to assess if the food desire has become an addiction. It might be time to scale back or fill your meals with more nutrient-dense foods to dampen the need for the addictive food.

The trouble with “self-control”.

The common response to cravings is to practice “self-control.” That might work for a while but when you can’t control it anymore, you might give in, go totally overboard, and binge. A few bites of cake or even a few pieces of cake over the course of a month (or honestly, even a week) is a much better approach than staying away from it completely, then eating a whole cake in one sitting.

You can eat the foods you desire and reach your personal best dancers’ body. Food fear is what’s holding you back. Allow yourself to get to a peaceful place with food by slowly letting yourself enjoy the foods you fear. The less stress you put on your food choices, the better you’ll be at following your body’s cues.

How do you deal with cravings? What approach works for you? What have you tried? Have you upgraded your indulgences to higher quality versions? Share your thoughts in the comments!!!

The post An Unexpected Way to Deal with Cravings appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Eating out used to make me totally anxious. More recently, it’s become a great way for me to reconnect to my body and recognize when I’m hungry and full.

When you’re overthinking your food choices, it’s easy to get anxious in a variety of food scenarios – holidays, dinners with friends, visiting new restaurants, they can all cause worry.

Amidst all the Nutcrackering you might also be going out to eat with friends or family who come to town to see you perform. Hey, eating out is also just a part of life that we all experience at one time or another.

Don’t let it stress you out, instead – enjoy it AND discover how it can actually help you with your eating plan.

Whenever possible, check out the menu ahead of time. If you’ve got friends coming to visit you from out of town, you might be in charge of picking the place! Find a place with a mix of indulgences and healthy options. You want to refuel your body with nutrient packed food after all those trips through the land of the sweets but still allow yourself to indulge – it’s the holidays!

Consider sides to make or complete a meal. Lots of restaurants have nutrient dense greens – broccoli, spinach or broccoli rabe as a side dish. You can also add a side salad to your entree for some added nourishment.

Try to find balance – last night I had pasta filled with veggies (dense nutrition for energy and immunity), white beans (for fiber, protein, and antioxidants) and pasta (simple carbs – simply tasty and indulgent)! I even enjoyed some red wine and bread dipped in olive oil.

Eat only what you’re hungry for – remember, this isn’t your last meal or even your last meal at a restaurant. Last night was not the last time I’ll eat pasta, I ate about half the portion and was extremely satisfied. Plus – leftovers!! Added bonus.

Allow yourself to indulge. An easy trap to fall into with food is the pattern of restricting or avoiding certain foods and then going totally overboard. When you allow occasional treats, you’re less likely to gorge yourself on “bad” foods.

Share – it’s more fun! This is the perfect tactic for dessert. As long as you’ve allowed yourself to eat and enjoy your meal you aren’t likely to be super hungry when it’s time for dessert. Share with a friend or the whole table and have a few tastes to satisfy the craving.

Eating out strategies can help, but you might still be wondering how exactly eating out can help with your eating plan. Whenever I binged or overate it was usually a time when I was alone. I usually felt ashamed and it wasn’t something I would willingly admit to even my closest friends. I didn’t think eating half the jar of peanut butter was something to brag about – but it totally happened (if you’ve been there, I get it – you are soo not alone).

When you eat out you’re enjoying the company of others and it can also be a “safer” environment to indulge. Use eating out as an opportunity to feel your fullness cues. Don’t feel any pressure to finish something if you’re no longer hungry – even if you’re feeling pressured by those around you. Stay present with those you’re dining with and enjoy the company of your friends in the joy of the holidays!!

Photo by ronsaunders47 on TrendHype / CC BY-SA

The post How to improve your eating while eating out. appeared first on The Whole Dancer.