-
Step 1
In one study, women who took a daily 1,000 mg. supplement of chromium picolinate - a trace mineral abundant in lean meat - no longer intensely craved carbs, the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics reports. Chromium keeps blood sugar from spiking.
-
Step 2
Skimping on sleep triggers a 15.5% plunge in the appetite suppressing hormone leptin and a 14.9% rise in the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. The result? You experience a rise in cravings! Being awake for long periods of time may make your body think it needs more food for energy. Fortunately, getting seven to eight hours of shuteye a night can keep hunger hormones in check.
-
Step 3
Next time the urge to snack strikes, reach for a stick of gum. A new study reveals that chewing one stick of gum per hour can keep cravings at bay for three hours straight. What's more, people who chewed gum before snacking took in 25 fewer calories than non-gum chewers. Gum's secret? The act of chewing tricks your body into feeling as if it's full.
-
Step 4
Fool your senses with vanilla. Just open the bottle and inhale. Vanilla extract's strong aroma saturates your senses and alters your sense of taste, according to scientists. Another option: grapefruit essential oil. Dab a few drops on your wrist and cravings for sweets should diminish immediately. Limonene - a natural compound that gives grapefruit its pungent aroma - triggers a rise in appetite dampening proteins.
-
Step 5
Chili can help, too. All those beans are abundant in the digestive hormone cholecystokinin, which is a natural appetite suppressant.
-
Step 6
Building muscle helps level out your blood sugar by making your body's cells more sensitive to insulin.
-
Step 7
Many cravings are psychological and will go away if you wait about 15 minutes
-
Step 8
Enjoy a small portion knowing that one cupcake won't ruin your diet.
