Got Food Cravings?
By Dr. Rick Kattouf
II
"How do I control my food
cravings?" This may be a question you have asked yourself many times or
you may have heard others ask a very similar question. It is very common for
many individuals to struggle with food cravings. They find themselves
"being good" nutritionally throughout the day, and then, all heck
breaks loose as the day progresses and the food cravings seem to be, once
again, at an all-time high. This leads to binge eating and overeating sessions
(which then leads to weight and body fat gain). When individuals have food
cravings, they tend to crave foods such as a grilled chicken breast with a
sweet potato and a side of vegetables, right? Of course not!! What type of foods are individuals craving when they
have these food cravings? It may be foods like pizza, burgers, French fries,
salty foods, sweets/sugars/candy, etc. Is there any hope for individuals that
have such intense food cravings? Can these food cravings be minimized or even
stopped completely? Absolutely.
We have to first look at one's
nutrition, on a daily basis, in order to understand where these food cravings
may be coming from. Typically, these food cravings arise due to an improper
fueling frequency, improper fueling timing and/or improper balance of
carbohydrate-protein-fat. In turn, this can create hormonal and
neurotransmitter imbalances within the body which can then lead to food
cravings. Therefore, step 1 is to get our everyday nutrition, spot-on. How do
we do this? It is going to start with our fueling frequency and fueling timing.
Each and every day, let's start to fuel the body right away upon awakening and
then every 2.5-3.5 hours thereafter, all throughout the day. This is going to
be absolutely critical for one's success when it comes to diminishing food
cravings. When individuals start to skip meals and/or have too much time
transpire in between meals and snacks, this can definitely lead to increased
and excessive hunger which can then lead to food cravings and overeating.
Now that we have the fueling
frequency and fueling timing dialed in, step 2 is the macronutrient balance at
every meal and snack. The key macronutrient that is going to help reduce food
cravings is what? If you guessed carbohydrate, you are right on the money. And
now you wonder why every diet is a complete train wreck, huh? These ridiculous
food fads and diets are calling for a significant reduction and/or elimination
of carbohydrates. And that’s why every food fad and diet will lead the
individual down a dark, lonely 1-way road to nowhere.
We first have to understand a bit
about human physiology in order to get to the root cause of these food
cravings. Serotonin is a powerful neurotransmitter/brain chemical that affects
mood and appetite. Things such as our sleep (in terms of quality and quantity)
and our daily nutrition affect serotonin levels. When serotonin levels are low,
this can lead to increased food cravings as well as changes in one's mood. The
amino acid, tryptophan, plays a very important role in serotonin. When
tryptophan crosses the blood-brain barrier, it is converted into serotonin and
this is exactly what we want. This is what leads to elevated mood, elevated
energy levels, the feeling of satiation in terms of appetite, etc. So how
do we ensure serotonin is being produced?
Well, as mentioned above,
individuals are drawn towards food fads and diets. And the large majority of
these food fads and diets call for high protein and very little to no complex
carbohydrate. Herein lies the problem. When we consume a protein-rich meal,
tryptophan cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. As a result, serotonin levels
are going to remain low and this can lead to food cravings. But, when we eat
complex carbohydrates, now we are on the right path for the
tryptophan-serotonin conversion to occur. Complex carbohydrates are going to be
the key in this process. Think of complex carbohydrates (when combined with the
right amount of protein & fat) as the key that unlocks the door to success.
When we consume the right balance of complex carbohydrates + protein + fat,
tryptophan can then cross the blood-brain barrier and, as mentioned by Judith
J. Wurtman PhD, will be immediately converted into serotonin. And this is just
another great example as to why fueling your body using the TeamKattouf®
Nutrition principles are going to be such a big key to your success in terms of
diminishing, if not completely eliminating out, your food cravings. When
individuals follow TeamKattouf® Nutrition, their fueling frequency and fueling
timing will be right on the money. In addition, every meal and snack will be
properly balanced with the right amount of carbohydrate-protein-fat. And as a
result, food cravings will be greatly diminished.
Now that we have our everyday
nutrition locked down and dialed in, there are some other things we can do as
well to help crush our food cravings. And much of this simply revolves around
changing our habits. Once we change our habits and we start to implement the
proper fueling frequency, timing and C-P-F ratios, we are setting ourselves up
for amazing success. As you start to follow the steps above, you will find yourself
not craving the foods like you have in the past.
Let's say that you have created a
habit of snacking on a candy bar when these food cravings hit. All we need to
do is replace this candy bar with another source of fuel and BAM!
A new habit has formed. This is where the K II Kookie Bar® and K II Brownie
Bar® will help you to create a new habit. The Go-To Energy Bar® not only tastes
great but has the perfect balance of carbohydrate-protein-fat. By replacing the
candy bar with the K II Kookie/Brownie Bar®, you be creating a new habit and
you will also fuel your body properly. And this will help lead to a successful
reduction in your food cravings. If you are ready to crush those food
cravings, simply follow the steps above and you will be absolutely amazed at
how your body starts to respond. We look forward to hearing about your success
story and how you were able to Crush Those Food Cravings.
References:
L-Tryptophan:
Basic Metabolic Functions, Behavioral Research and Therapeutic Indication
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Rick Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x
Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert and has been named one
of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World Fitness Elite® Trainers of
the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist, Heart Rate Performance
Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon Coach. He has been seen on
ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country as well as in the USA Today,
Chicago Tribune, National Examiner, Ironman.com, Livestrong.com, Runner’s
World, Bicycling Magazine, Men’s Health UK, FIGHT! Magazine, Florida Cycling
Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of
TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of
TeamKattouf® Nutrition Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever
Fit, Creator of 5-Round Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness®
workout app, Creator of Coach2CEO,
Creator of Fuel Keeper®,
Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr. Rick has personally coached
individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
