Late Night Snacking: Curb Cravings Now!

January 28, 2010 by admin
Filed under Featured, Nutrition

Eating late night is one of the biggest diet no-no’s, but sometimes the cravings take hold. Even if we’ve eating a proper dinner, it ’s very common that when we are tired or stressed, our bodies crave an adrenal stimulant. Many times we reach for this in the form of chips, ice cream, cereal-usually a quick carb boost. Really though, what does this do for you?

Nutritionally speaking these foods are doing absolutely nothing. And in fact, eating late night is actually stopping our bodies from digesting and cleaning out the foods of our day. Simply put, your body takes out the trash at night. And if you introduce something new (chips, your midnight snack, whatever the carb may be), you are stopping that process and making your body take care of the new food you just introduced into your system.

I know that too often we as women, girlfriends, wives, mothers often are tired or stressed. So know that, and own it. Instead of reaching for the kitchen cabinets, let’s figure out what to do to curb those cravings. First step is to have a strategy in place. Here are some of my simple tips:

Keep Out Forbidden Foods:

We all have our “Forbidden Foods”. That’s right, those foods that we simply cannot resist, no matter how we try. Whether salty potato chips, Ben&Gerry’s ice cream, or a favorite chocolate chip cookie, these are the foods we find so hard resist, or put down once we get started! These are also the foods that (if you can’t resist) should be kept out of the cabinets at all cost. If it’s not there, it can’t be eaten. And that means the possibility of creeping in and consuming it late night is gone. You, and only you, know the foods you cannot have in the house. Be honest with yourself and keep them out!

Buy Yourself Time:

Quite often it is impulse that forces us to reach for a late night snack, and if we simply buy ourselves some time, we will find that we really don’t NEED it. One great way to do this is to make yourself a cup of herbal tea, and force yourself finish it (slowly), to give yourself time to examine if you really are hungry. Or perhaps take on another task to take your mind away from the refridgerator. If we give in to the impulses, or keep our focus on food, food, food, then before we know it we will be reaching for it. Take some time to figure out if and what you are really hungry for.

Have Alternatives:

If in the end you decide you need that late night snack, make it a good one. Fortunately, with the forbidden gone, you will be forced to reach for something that is good for you. If you absolutely have to have something try a hothouse cucumber, the crunchiness and volume are there without the calories, and flour. And, an apple or piece of watermelon might satisfy that sweet craving you may have. If need be reaching for the salty, a few crackers are better than that bag of chips. But remember, just because it is good for you doesn’t mean excess of it is. If you are reaching for the wheat thins to curb that salt craving, make sure you take only a few out of the box and put the box back in the cabinet. Sitting and eating from the box is dangerous! And if a snickers bar somehow made it in to the fridge, and you cannot resist, then cut a little piece off and immediately throw the rest down the disposal.

Follow Up The Morning After:

The morning after can be a regretful or rewarding time. Keeping ourselves accountable, and also remembering the progress we have made is incredibly important. The next morning journal how you felt as you made it through the night without eating something your body did not need. How did you feel when you woke up and your stomach was flat and not bloated? Amazing! These are all significant victories that are not to be overlooked, but instead focused on. Start out each day with a positive outlook, and move forward to another personal achievement.

By Heather Harvey

Harvey Heather Harvey is a mom, wife, and entrepreneur here in NYC. She has two little ones and also recently created and launched her very own health product, The MeasureUp Bowl. She created MeasureUP Bowls after the birth of her second child, when she realized that she was out of shape, tired and really needed to make some changes. The creation of the bowls that make portion control easy changed her body shape and her life! For more information on Heather and MeasureUP Bowls go to her website.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com