How do you deal with cravings once they are there

[freelive]

Since today is my fourth day(and for some reason it is the hardest for me always), please share with me the ways you deal with cravings once they are already there:

Here are a few I came up with:

Drink green smoothie
Go for a walk or anywhere to get out of the house
Work-out
Go to this forum
Call raw food buddy
Meditate:"I am craving raw fruit"

Any more ideas?

[freelive]

ONe more I forgot:

Go to the store and buy the best fruit you want even if it is expensive(for me it is blueberries)

[EZ rider]

Go to the store and buy the best fruit you want even if it is expensive(for me it is blueberries)Thats a good idea, If I get any more cravings I will try to think of something thats is raw and I want and make a quick run to get it. I am on day 20 of RAWgust and the cravings have been gone for awhile now. :)

[ChaiLife]

Sorry, hon. Just green smoothies. I try to think of a way to make my favorite SAD dishes into raw counterparts. I also think about how BAD I feel when I eat SAD. Kind of makes cheating not worth it. At least it works a lot of the time, not all the time.:o

[freelive]

Come on, afternoon is aproaching(my dangerous time) and I need all the ideas i can get! Please...

[being]

green smoothies are great...

my surefire craving-beater is to eat fruit. doesn't matter how much i've already eaten that day, i'll eat a banana. and then another banana. and then another banana....

some days i just have to eat TONS of fruit to get through the craving.

i'd MUCH rather eat 13 bananas than end up at the bottom of a package of _______ covered in crumbs :rolleyes:

have some celery to munch on too, that helps me as well...

don't worry about how much you're eating at first, just eat eat eat, as long as it's raw.. !:D cravings pass ;)

[EZ rider]

In the afternoon I like to make a thick cold soup. I usually use whatever I have handy. Today's soup is going to be tomato - mushroom - avocado.

chop up a small box of mushrooms and put in 1 quart bowl
3 tomatoes into the blender (no water) and blend
2 small or 1 large avocado into the bowl
pour the tomato base into the bowl

Enjoy :)

[Stina]

I read Raw literature. I count the many blessings in my life thanks to the raw lifestyle. I imagine the future with two scenarios: 1. me ageing gracefully and beautifully being raw and 2. SAD and haggard and in pain.

[juliebove]

I guess I am lucky. I very rarely have cravings for food. Went through my whole pregnancy without any. Tonight I was craving a tomato and I had a big huge one just waiting for me. I was sick yesterday and ate very little. Am probably dehydrated. When I do have a craving like this, I just figure there is something in that food that I need so I eat it.

I guess I am also lucky in that I very rarely have a craving for something that isn't good for me. I do have food allergies and at times I might think I want something I am allergic to. But I know how sick I will get if I eat it and that it enough to put me off.

I'm also a very picky eater and tend towards food aversions. I can't stand the texture of certain foods. Or the flavor. And if I've ever eaten something and gotten sick right after, that's enough to put me off of it for good.

[freelive]

green smoothies are great...

my surefire craving-beater is to eat fruit. doesn't matter how much i've already eaten that day, i'll eat a banana. and then another banana. and then another banana....

some days i just have to eat TONS of fruit to get through the craving.

i'd MUCH rather eat 13 bananas than end up at the bottom of a package of _______ covered in crumbs :rolleyes:

have some celery to munch on too, that helps me as well...

don't worry about how much you're eating at first, just eat eat eat, as long as it's raw.. !:D cravings pass ;)

Thank you all so much. I was wondering how long it takes to get rid of all the cravings?

[tanishamarshall]

I know what you mean freelive

[Veganforlife]

How long? Can't answer that. Every BODY is different.

[Stina]

I occasionally am getting mild waves of cravings but I think it's due to my liver or intestines doing some detoxing and releasing old crud that triggers them. Knowing I'm detoxing and becoming healthier makes me appreciate the process without caving in. I went back and forth eating raw and then eating crap due to giving into cravings and it was really really hard. I'm ready to put that behind me. Oh, I have put that behind me!

I do a kind of positive self-hyponosis. I'll say positive affirmations out loud. Stuff like, "I love eating raw food. I love feeling happy, healthy and beautiful thanks to raw food. I feel so close to God thanks to Raw food." It's really helped. Keeps my mind distracted if cravings crop up. Like Alissa says, don't entertain the thought!

[freelive]

I agree, that's why the best for me to get out of the house early evening-this is my worst time!
I know that everyone is different, but I just wanted to know how long it took for you to get rid of the cravings?

[iamacranberry]

I used to crave food like mad whenever I had strong emotions...I started using the herb passionflower and I haven't had this problem at all since I started using it almost a month ago.

Another thing that helps is essential oil of bergamot...rub a little bit behind your ears and under your nose if you start to crave food due to emotions.

[samariah]

the longer you are raw, the more cravings diminish. cooked things i used to love don't even appeal to me anymore.

[LemonFlower]

It seems like the longer I'm raw, the more cravings I have. It's been 4wks today and I was very seriously considering having some cooked food today. Luckily I didn't, but it was really, really hard. I do eat lots of green smoothies and they do help. Avocados and bananas help too, but I don't know if that will cause problems for me later on. Working out is a good suggestion, and taking a nap works if you can make it happen. I dunno.... It would be nice if this would seem as easy for me as it did the first week :-)

[EZ rider]

I mentioned this on page one of this thread but this works so well for me I'm going to post it again but with more detail.
I start my day with juice and I do nothing but juice for about 4 to 7 hours everyday. When I move from juice to solid foods I have to have something that sticks to my ribs or the craving are voracious. The first thing I eat after juicing is a very thick chunky cold raw soup. Here's the one I had today:

Put a chunked thick slice of sweet onion into a big bowl
chunk up 4 oz of white mushrooms and into the bowl
put 3 tomatoes into the blender with no water and start the blender
put 2 large avocados into the bowl
pour the tomato paste into the bowl

mix with a big spoon and dig in for a man sized thick and yummy fresh treat.

This makes about a quart of very thick chunky soup that stops my urge for more food in its hungry bear tracks. I vary this soup everyday basically using whatever I have handy. After this soup meal I am good for a good while and then I basically graze on very little for the rest of the evening when I feel the urge. Before I started kicking my appetite heavy duty after all that juicing I was like a hungry man on a rampage. But this one large bowl of thick, crunchy soup puts the monster to sleep for me. I hope this helps you tame your monster.

[iamacranberry]

That dish sounds delicious; thank you for reposting.

[Azura Skye]

I'd just like to point out that lots of the responses here are advocating doing something to get rid of the craving, going out, eating something else - I don't think this is actually meeting the craving, this is ignoring it = and i think if we have problems in life we should face them not run away =
saying this, I have my feet in both camps

on one hand i agree with Alissa saying "Don't entertain the thought"

but on the other i think if you have a craving you just need to feel it and tell yourself you have a choice - you can choose to follow through and feel the consequences or not and benefit from a raise in self esteem in honouring the promises you have made.

I am slightly paraphrasing from Eating Less by Gillian Riley - she is a great author on cravings.

but i hate that term Eating Less - because what's less? I've never seen it for sale in a shop! Eating is an activity, and eating less - or saying that just reinforces the word EATING in our minds. I think we need different vocab. "Not put stuff in mouth" I think is better : )

Cravings can be really hard - if we panic. If we remain calm and remind ourselves that it's no big thing, just a feeling and we can do whatever we like for today. tomorrow might be different, right now you can choose whatever you like to do. Perhaps a bit of both is good = say that you can choose, and if you choose that you truly don't want the food item or whatever your craving THEN you can do something to get your mind off it.

And I find as soon as I've chosen I don't want something and I step away from the bread bin for example, I praise myself only a LITTLE bit, because if i feel too smug I get really happy and then for some reason, when I'm like that I want to eat so I get right back in front of the bread bin again!

SOrry for rambling- cravings are so interesting though : )

[PammieTaj]

And then too, how do you tell what kind of craving it is? Is it an emotional craving?

Or is it something that your body is bringing up to get rid of some kind of toxicity. This never really occurred to me the first time around with raw, and my cravings (and caving to them) really did me in. I thought I was just incapable of sticking with it. I just think I really didn't know how to deal with what was going on with my body at the time.

I'm not back to 100% raw, but I'm working on it, and kind of looking at it in a new light.

[Azura Skye]

here's a link to Gillian riley's website - with extracts from the book.

http://www.eatingless.com/extracts-chapter.html

[Trolltyget]

I always drink some water and/or brush my teeth. That does the trick for me almost every time!

[iamacranberry]

True, some cravings may be an indication that our bodies need nutrients, but I'd say the majority of the time, especially for those of us who suffer strong emotional attachments to food and/or have dealt with eating disorders, those cravings are not genuine indications of need but instead a mere emotional response with the subconscious expectation that food will solve the problem.

Ask yourself, "Am I hungry?" And if you can't answer that, ask, "Would I eat a salad right about now?" Chances are that if it is just an emotional craving, you won't be in any mood to eat a salad. But if you are truly hungry, you will have a better idea of this after asking yourself that question.

[Portia2012]

Ok, here is a question that perhaps someone can help me with. My current situation is that I work for McDonald's which is one of the most unhealthy food chain in America. Any suggestions on how I can stop the craving when french fries are calling me. My other issue has to do with emotional attachment to food. I was severely abused all my life until almost 2 years ago. While I feel I am cutting the cord to my past in many ways I still see my eating as a link. Any helpful ideas as far as this goes? Anyone willing to be a support person for me :)


~Portia~

[joyfulGIRL]

Quick-like I whip up a green smoothie (even if it doesn't sound good at the time) and drink.

Bam! Craving gone.

ETA - Portia - Watch "Supersize Me" and that might help you avoid the fries. Or even "fast food nation". I will support you. :)

[Portia2012]

Thank you for the support. I have already seen the movie. The food is horrible and the negative energies there leave me weak after work.


~Portia~

[youraw]

I have only been trying raw for 4 days, and I do get cravings....but my favorite thing at the moment that helps them go away is whipping up a smoothie..a couple of bananas, a few generous spoonfuls of almond butter, some raw agave or raw honey and a bit of water (or nut milk if you make your own) YUMMY!

[Riiiya]

Ok, here is a question that perhaps someone can help me with. My current situation is that I work for McDonald's which is one of the most unhealthy food chain in America. Any suggestions on how I can stop the craving when french fries are calling me. My other issue has to do with emotional attachment to food. I was severely abused all my life until almost 2 years ago. While I feel I am cutting the cord to my past in many ways I still see my eating as a link. Any helpful ideas as far as this goes? Anyone willing to be a support person for me :)


~Portia~

ah it IS hard to work with crappy food and sticking to raw. i work in our college cafeteria now.... it all smells amazing, and yet it's so disgusting i just can't believe they feed this to students. it's like cows are fed dead cows' meat mixed with grains and stuff ... same here- dead foods :eek:

ANYway, i stopped eating at McDonalds at least 2 years ago (been raw for less than 2 months) so i will not swallow a french fry even under torture..... but the smell..and the emotions they evoke... :(

BE STRONG! YOU CAN DO IT! just enjoy the smell.. you know it's not worth eating

p.s. i can get ANY craving to go away fwith my favourite treat- frozen bananas+dates+cocoa powder...and some nuts on top! mmm
p.s.2 -sorry i didn't really say much about your past and the link to food... well, i can just say that i got a lot of spiritual motivation for the transition to live foods with David Wolfe's book "sunfood diet..." it really made me look at eating in a completely different way..