What are your methods to deal with cravings

[greeninloanageles1]

How do you deal with cravings for cooked food? What do you say to yourself or eat or distract yourself or any other ways?

[dreamrawalwz]

Some make raw versions of the foods they're craving. Or just having heavier foods like avocado, nuts, seeds, dates, ect. You can tell yourself "i can have it tomorrow." when the craving hits. When tomorrow comes say "nah, not today, I can have it tomorrow if I really "NEED" it" and keep saying stuff like that if you need to.

[lavendarJ]

I think that's a good question green. I could certainly use some other input on this issue. I find that I just have to be honest with myself. Before, I would try to convince myself that something was yucky or whatever. But now, I just tell myself 'look you've been there and done that already, you already know what it taste like, yeah, it may taste good but what is it really good for you; stay focused on the journey'. I try to think about why am I on this journey in the first place and what benefits I expect to reap along the way. Some of the things I think about are:

- the fact that I am not bloated
- the fact that I simply "feel" better
- the fact that I am beginning to see a difference
- the fact that I am contributing to increasing longetivity
- the fact that what I am doing now is going to help heal my body and assist in the elimination of toxins from prior eating habits

I want to live to my fullest potential for the rest of my earth life. This is what motivates me to keep striving along this journey. I don't believe that we should get to a point in life and just expect things to stop working or expect illness to come. I want to do everything within my power to live in harmony and trust that God will do the rest.

[SeaGrass7]

all great advice.

For the physical body:
Something that works for me is to really remember what I feel like after I eat it (especially sugar). I feel SO much better emotionally and physically if I dont eat junk... it is remembering that that's the hardest part, but once you get that down, it's easier!

For the emotional body:
Ask yourself what emotion you are trying to escape. Food provides a vacation from our emotions. (if you do a google search with "food emotion" you will find a lot of articles making the connection- maybe you could benefit from some investigation)
What emotion are you avoiding? Identify and work it through- feel it- it will pass.

[jaurequi]

I don't get cravings on raw and never have. But when I ate cooked food and was addicted to high-carbohydrate foods like potatoes and popcorn, bread, I would do the "I'll have it tomorrow" self talk that dreamrawalz mentioned. Unfortunately, it is only a temporary fix and it would lead to an eventual binge.
The best way is to do the hard work of going raw and eating a nutritionally balanced diet and exercise. If you have emotional issues behind your eating, then get help for that because no food is going to cure you of emotional pains.

Best,

[LeanAndHungry]

Perhaps try drinking a green smoothie. Telll yourself that yes you want pizza, or ice cream, but you're going to have a smoothie instead, or "first." After the smoothie perhaps you will forget what it was you wanted earlier. I've been doing that the past couple days and I think it really helps. Usually my cravings aren't really cravings so much as a desire to eat something, anything, even though I am already full enough, probably due to boredom or some other issue like that. At least with the green smoothie I satisfy the craving while doing no harm(probably doing good in fact). I tend to make blander smoothies. One piece of fruit, like a mango to 4 big Collard leaves as an example.

If if you do succumb after the smoothie, at least you filled yourself up with good stuff so that you can only eat so much of the bad stuff(A quart of smoothie fills you up really good) Doing this consistently I would think would naturally reduce the cravings to a greater and greater extent until there was little to no desire for the bad stuff. I speak out of reason, not experience though.

[rawbeliever]

I've found that drinking a glass of water, sometimes with some lemon in it, helps. My theory is that my cravings have been so adulterated that I've been unable to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. When I solve the craving this way, I find I'm usually really thirsty, and drink the whole glass in seconds.

[star1919]

This is such a great question... regarding different ways to deal with cravings... I would love to hear more ways for doing this :D

As for me... I do a variety of things... most effective is to get moving for a walk or anything... Also, drinking water works for me too.

I also have learned to shift my focus to other things... instead of emotionally responding to food... I do things that nuture my spirit and emotions... among them are creative projects, natural beauty treatments, aromatherapy baths, getting together with friends (for things that don't involve eating), volunteer work, coming to this site to re-inspire me... lots of things. I've learned to connect my emotions and choices to things that don't involve food.

Lastly, I drink steaming hot tea in the winter... when I need something warm... that helps to keep me on track... and has made such a difference in my success with raw eating when it's cold.

[SedonaSun]

I'm not getting cravings this time around, but I'm eating simpler... mostly fruits, no recipes so far. But before I would often make a banana smoothie(water, bananas, ice, vanilla) and that would fill me up and be mighty tasty.

But for the "cravings" that are more "I miss eating this food" that's harder for me, but the banana smoothie trick is my main one.

[rawfigure]

How do you deal with cravings for cooked food? What do you say to yourself or eat or distract yourself or any other ways?

I crave certain dense raw foods, not cooked. I am trying to eat a higher volume of fruits and greens to combat craving. In my case they come from under eating.

[sport]

I made it a game or a competition.
I would think of the cravings (don't have them anymore) as someone trying to beat me in a compition and me as determined to win.
If I gave in then they would win.
Instead, I WON

[carousel]

i agree with lavendar. although i'm only on day three, i've had several temptations come up. i work in an office building where there is always food laying around: bagels, pizza, jelly rolls, and all free. my DH also eats a SAD diet around me, and it makes it difficult. but i always have to tell myself "Chill out!! It's just food!! why is this making you crazy? there are tons of other, more important things to think about!" and once i walk away from it and start thinking about other things, i'm fine. i haven't found myself "hungry" yet, so that probably helps too.

[Guppy]

All of the above has been GREAT advice. Personally, as a somewhat competetive person, I LOVED what Sport said about making it into a competition. I will definitely use that! Thanks Sport!

The other thing I wanted to say, is that you can really make good raw substitutions for many of the cooked foods we crave. I tell myself I can have as much of the raw version as I want and not feel guilty or gain weight. It works for me. Storm and Jingee's Garden Diet ebook has a whole section of what Raw foods to eat in the face of different cravings.

Sometimes, of course you just have to tough it out and be the grown up who "knows better", rather than the kid who wants what she wants NOW.

Good luck,
emily

[Veganforlife]

I am ending my seventh week of 100% raw and I have not had ONE craving - none! Of course before this I was a Vegan, so I'm sure that was a big factor with that. In fact, I am eating items that I had previously given up. RP's brownies for example. I had given sugar up and what a treat to eat them. I make them every two weeks...YUM!
I guess I am fortunate that this transistion was so easy. I didn't eat chips and sugar and junk...
I also agree that I feel soooo good eating this way. No more migraines, I'm sleeping well, waking up refreshed. Life is good!!!
I'm still counting the weeks, but soon it will be so many as this is how I will eat from now on. I will never go back to cooked/altered foods.

[LeanAndHungry]

Here's bizarre method. I would almost call myself a conspiracy nut. I believe the powers that be are leading us to an economic collape. How severe and sudden I don't know, but probably very. In light of this, I think, how do I prepare myself to deal with that situation? One way is to assure I am in the absolute best health possible when it happens. For one my teeth are really bad, and I need to heal those. I can't count on an existing dental industry to always be in existence to provide care for me, (of course natural methods of dental rejuvination are appealing anyway, and far less painful), so I have to do what is necessary to become dentally self-sufficient by the time "it" happens so that once it happens my teeth are in a state of excellent health and will be able to last the rest of my life. Basically, I consider it a survival situation. Kind of like a warrior mentality. Make it your mission, not just a goal, to stay raw.

Also, i have to remind myself how good I feel when I eat mostly green smoothies.

[therawdeal]

When I was less than 100% raw, I did have cravings. What I did from day one is think to myself "I have had this food my ENTIRE life!". I would just keep thinking about how I have spent the majority of my life eating whatever I wanted........JUNK,JUNK,JUNK. It really worked for me. It helps to just repeat to yourself why you want to be RAW in the first place. ~Kelley~

[spicyfull]

I now crave RAW...........

[sport]

Here's bizarre method. I would almost call myself a conspiracy nut. I believe the powers that be are leading us to an economic collape. How severe and sudden I don't know, but probably very. In light of this, I think, how do I prepare myself to deal with that situation? One way is to assure I am in the absolute best health possible when it happens. For one my teeth are really bad, and I need to heal those. I can't count on an existing dental industry to always be in existence to provide care for me, (of course natural methods of dental rejuvination are appealing anyway, and far less painful), so I have to do what is necessary to become dentally self-sufficient by the time "it" happens so that once it happens my teeth are in a state of excellent health and will be able to last the rest of my life. Basically, I consider it a survival situation. Kind of like a warrior mentality. Make it your mission, not just a goal, to stay raw.

Also, i have to remind myself how good I feel when I eat mostly green smoothies.
Victoria Butenko was talking about inventing an exerciser for the jaw. You should get one for the following reasons
1. If you are taking a lot of green smoothoes then you are probably not chewing enough and need it.
2. If you loose the ability to use your teeth in the future as a result of the way the world is going then you will be in a position to take all the food you need as smoothies.

[chi-iris-73]

Think how you will feel after eating it...