After the excesses of Christmas how many of us make a resolution to lose weight and cut down on junk food, sugar, salt, coffee and chocolate in the New Year? You may be feeling very proud of yourself because you have already cleaned out your cupboards, refrigerator and larder and restocked them with fresh, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables and replaced refined grains with whole grains and swapped animal products like red meat for oily fish, legumes and organic eggs. 

But wait – clearing out your cupboards won’t help you get back in shape unless you have sound strategies in place to deal with food cravings when they strike. To stick to your healthy eating resolutions and weight loss plans you need to understand what makes your body crave comfort foods and what you can do differently to avoid them. 

 

Problem: Night time cravings

 

A recent study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that overweight people tend to eat most of their calories later in the day than people with a healthy weight. Obviously, one of the keys to eating “right” is to eat most of your calories earlier in the day.

 

Solution: Stop eating 2 hours before you go to bed.

 

More than that and you’ll get too hungry – and you’ll be much more likely to give in to your cravings. Less than that and you won’t have enough time to burn the calories before you go to sleep.

 

A healthy dinner should consist mainly of good quality protein and fibrous carbohydrates like veggies (can be a combination of cooked and raw). The fibre will keep you feeling full longer and reduce any cravings you may get before bedtime. And break up your evening routine by limiting mindless activity (like watching TV).

 

One of the reasons many people get cravings late at night is because they’re just plain bored. They consciously or subconsciously turn to food to give their brains something to do. Play a game, do a crossword, read a book, talk to your partner/kids – anything that at least partially engages the brain will keep it too busy to think about food.

 

Problem: Skipping breakfast

 

Skipping breakfast is one of the biggest causes of food cravings throughout the day – even late at night! And eating less in the evening will ensure that you’re very hungry in the morning, so it should be easier to eat a nice big healthy meal.

 

Solution: Simple!

 

Boost your metabolism (fat burning) first thing in the morning and breakfast like a king; a healthy king, of course, so no fry ups. Stick to fruit, live yogurt, smoothes, eggs (poached or scrambled) and whole grains cereal, oats and toast.

 

Problem: Skipping meals.

 

Skipping meals or eating on an unpredictable schedule catapults your body into a state of starvation, depriving your brain and body of fuel. This sets you up to crave starchy or sugary foods for energy. If you keep your levels steady, you simply won’t get cravings.

 

You should also make sure you have drunk enough. Dehydration confuses the body and will often make it feel hungry, especially if it’s cool outside. A small glass of water each hour will keep your stomach full and keep you hydrated.

Solution: Eat a meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours until 7 or 8 pm and plenty of water throughout the day.

Most people find this stabilises their energy and prevents impulse eating and bingeing. Eating before you run out of energy can prevent sugar cravings. By “grazing” like this throughout the day you won’t get hungry and your metabolism and energy levels will stay elevated all day long. Also, your willpower will stay intact because you’re not starving yourself.

Problem: Cutting down on carbohydrates.

Very low-carbohydrate eating plans create cravings for starchy foods and sweets. The reason: the brain runs on glucose, supplied by carbohydrates. When you don’t consume enough carbohydrates to fuel your brain, you get hungry, which many people experience as a craving for sweet foods.

Solution: Include healthy carbohydrate whole foods with your meals and snacks.

For example include roasted vegetables included root veggies, fresh fruits and whole grains, such as brown rice with your meals. Twice a day make sure you add colourful vegetables, especially greens, to your meal.

Problem: Not enough protein or fat.

If you go the other way and eat a diet too high in carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates you will get cravings for sweets.

Your body needs a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat because protein and fat slow the release of carbohydrates into your bloodstream, stabilising your energy and starving off food cravings. Protein-rich foods also pack important nutrients, and healthy fats and oils improve nutrient absorption, boost immunity and increase satiety at meals.

Solution: Include a dash of healthy fat (nuts, seeds, olive oil) and a small portion of healthy protein (legumes, tofu, and oily fish) with every meal or snack.

Problem: Too much salt.

Salt stimulates your palate and if you are used to eating foods heavily seasoned with salt it will take a while to re-educate your taste buds so you don’t crave it when you eat. Processed foods, chips, crackers, cured meats, dips, condiments and canned soups can make your calorie and salt intake — and desire for salt — soar.

Solution: Cut your salt intake in half.

Cutting your salt intake in half will help re-educate your palate making it easier for you to know when you are hungry and when you have eaten enough. Read labels, even in health food stores, and make lower-sodium selections. Add half as much salt to recipes, then try using half as much salt again the next time you prepare the recipe. At the table, replace the salt shaker with lemon pepper or sea vegetable sprinkles, such as nori, or use herbs to spice up your meal instead. (See elsewhere in this issue for more advice on cutting down on salt.)

Problem: Addicted to sugar.

If you have a sweet tooth you may find yourself reaching for sugary snacks several times during the day; the problem is refined foods high in sugar won’t ever be able to satisfy your cravings because they lack satisfying fibre and nutrients found in whole food. Sugar also stimulates your appetite — the more you eat, the more you want.

Solution: Replace refined foods and sugar with satisfying whole foods.

In the days and weeks ahead start becoming aware of how much sugar you are eating and cut down gradually. Take the sugar bowl off the table and if you add sugar to your drinks start cutting down slowly until you can drink them without.

This may seem impossible at first but ask anyone who has given up adding sugar to their tea and they will tell you that you soon get used to it and now the thought of a sugary tea is repulsive. Incorporate at least one sweet vegetable (such as carrots, parsnips, beets, sweet potatoes or winter squash) or cooked or dried fruit into each meal and snack. This will satisfy your sweet tooth at mealtime so you don’t need to search for sugary snacks between meals.

And start looking for healthier ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Fruit is a delicious alternative to high calorie chocolate and instead of ice cream try frozen fruit sprinkled with cinnamon or a fruit smoothie with a handful of satisfying nuts and seeds. 

Problem: Psychological cravings.

No amount of dessert will satisfy your emotional needs or take away your troubles. Reaching for cookies, pastries, ice cream and other high-sugar foods when you feel fearful, angry, lonely, bored, depressed or stressed usually will give you more grief: aches, pains, indigestion, excess body fat and health problems that can make you feel even worse.

Solution: Real cravings stay with you but psychological ones don’t.

If you’ve eaten enough and are hydrated, putting off a decision for 15-20 minutes will help the feeling dissipate. And when a craving strikes try distracting yourself from it. For example, if you’ve been working in front of a computer but feel the need to eat, do something else. Make a phone call or read the newspaper.

Changing your mindset might be all you need. If you start to exercise and your cravings aren’t physical, you’ll feel better almost instantly. If it is physical, you’ll never be able to really get into your workout, which is a sign that you need to eat.

Keep healthy snacks around. Sometimes you just can’t take it, especially if you’re on a restricted calorie diet. Keeping healthy snacks around will help. Have a piece of fruit or some raw veggies. If it’s not helping, you’ll know your craving was psychological.

Finally, try changing your routine. Habit can affect a craving, so shake up what you do, even if it’s just slightly. Move your desk, sit differently, get up every so often and stretch or drink water, do anything different. Forcing simple changes can make it easier to follow through with tougher ones

And when absolutely nothing else works, give in and allow yourself a little of what you fancy. Have a square of chocolate instead of a whole bar, a serving of crisps (around 20) instead of a bag, a couple of organic biscuits instead of the whole packet. And never let one bad evening throw you off course; as long as you are eating healthily 80 per cent of the time you can afford the odd indulgence.

This month’s case study is ‘Anne’ who came to the Clinic with recurrent colds and infections.

Anne’s story:

Since I reached my thirties I suddenly started becoming susceptible to coughs, colds and infections. I had always been quite well and hardly ever had a sick day until now. Not only was I getting these infections it was becoming increasingly difficult to ‘shift’ them in spite of regular trips to my GP! I was so fed up of feeling run down and realised that in spite of all of the antibiotics I was given it wasn’t helping me at all – in fact I think it was actually making me feel worse.

Every time I went to my GP it seemed that I was given a different antibiotic to try and then sent away with no real support. A new symptom that I started to develop was thrush which I had never experienced before and I had to keep using pessaries which cleared it at the time but it just kept coming back!

I was looking through a magazine and I read an article on ‘Boosting your Immunity Naturally’. It talked about foods to eat more of to provide your body with all the essential nutrients and specific vitamins, minerals and herbs that could be incorporated. It had a very interesting section on the ‘over-use’ of antibiotics and how in the long term we can become resistant to them and they don’t work. It also said that if an infection is viral then antibiotics would not work at all!

This really resonated with me. There was a contact number at the end of the article for The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic to book a consultation with one of the Nutritionists. I decided this was the best thing to do because I wanted to get a tailored programme rather than just taking ‘random’ supplements and trying to help myself!

My first consultation was one hour and the nutritionist took a very detailed medical history and went through my ‘typical’ diet. She commented on the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables and the abundance of ‘ready made’ meals and alcohol! I explained that because I worked long hours I had little time to prepare fresh food so I had to rely on prepared meals. The nutritionist explained how important it is to include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables each day because they provide the body with immune boosting vitamins A, C, and E which are classed as antioxidants

These antioxidants protect the body from damage by ‘free radicals’ which can lower our immunity. She asked me to eat more vibrant coloured vegetables like sweet potato, butternut squash, red and green peppers and carrots which contain amazing amounts of these antioxidants. I was advised to eat more garlic as this has amazing abilities to boost the immune system because it is naturally anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I didn’t realise just how unhealthy some of the prepared meals could be as she explained they are often high in salt and very low in vitamins and minerals. She gave me recipe ideas and menu suggestions which really helped!

The nutritionist wanted to check my mineral status, particularly concerned about my zinc and selenium levels as these are vital for immunity. I performed a Hair Mineral Analysis which was a very simple test I collected at home and then sent to the lab. It gave valuable information about my mineral levels over the last three months. The test picked up low zinc which is a vital mineral for the production of white blood cells. It was recommended that I eat plenty of seeds, especially pumpkin which are rich in zinc and shellfish – including oysters!

The nutritionist explained how damaging alcohol is on our immune system by stressing the detoxification processes and causing vital nutrients such as zinc, B vitamins and Vitamin C to be depleted from the body. Alcohol is also very high in sugar which adds more burden to our immune system. She advised me to avoid it altogether for three months to get the best out of my programme. I knew it would be difficult but I was determined to get my health back.

She also talked in depth about antibiotics and how they eventually have a damaging effect because we become resistant to them over time, plus they destroy our ‘friendly’ bacteria which she explained would be the reason for why I was getting recurrent thrush. I did not realise how linked our gut (bacteria) was to our immune system and that we need a good supply of the ‘friendly’ bacteria to keep our gut in good order and boost our immune system. The bacteria in our gut provide our system with our first line of defence against viruses and harmful bacteria.

The nutritionist also recommended me specific vitamins and minerals to boost my immune system which included a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral, an antioxidant complex with Vitamin A, C, E, selenium and zinc, together with a friendly bacteria supplement and the herb echinacea. Echinacea has been used by herbalists for years for it’s ability to increase white blood cell production and it is the white blood cells which keep our immune system strong by ‘clearing up’ the bacteria and viruses.

Within the first month I was generally feeling stronger and had not had thrush for the first time in about 12months! I was really enjoying the new way of eating and found that it wasn’t as difficult to cook from fresh as I thought. One of my favourites was roasted butternut squash with garlic and olive oil in the oven which was so easy and tastes delicious!

Six months on and not a cold in sight and I was feeling great! I had not even had a day off work! All my friends and colleagues commented on how well I looked and asked what I was doing! I hadn’t even been near the GP’s surgery! I continue to eat well and take all my supplements and am really motivated to keep it up to keep strong and healthy in the long term. I do have alcohol, but occasionally rather than every day as before. In fact when I do drink now I feel very lethargic and find it then triggers my thrush so that’s motivation in itself not to drink!

All I can say is I wish I’d found the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic sooner.

Marilyn’s comments:

Anne’s story is a perfect example of how important a healthy diet is to boost our immune system and a few simple changes can make such an enormous difference. We see it all too often where people are given antibiotics as a ‘blanket’ treatment and ultimately they don’t work and can in fact create more health problems as we have seen with Anne.

This time of the year it is increasingly important to think about eating to nourish your immune system with coughs and colds being more prevalent. If this story resonates with you and you are forever coughing and sneezing and seem to catch everything around you, you may like to think about seeing one of my nutritionists at the clinic.

If you are interested in having the test mentioned here please see the resources page.

Since the Food Standards Agency introduced its salt campaign in 2004, it has raised public awareness of salt in the diet and the consequences of an intake that exceeds the 6g per day recommendation. Consuming high levels of salt is known to cause fluid retention (bloating) and high blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart disease. But many people shy away from a low-salt diet because they think the taste of their food will suffer.

I’m not suggesting that you banish salt completely from your diet. The components of salt, sodium and chloride, are essential nutrients and, with potassium, they are the main regulators of the body’s water-balance system but I am suggesting that you cut down as the average person in the UK regularly consumes at least double the 6g per day recommendation – 6g of salt is about a teaspoonful. This is not a large amount, especially when you consider that 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy making it easy to overdose on salt without realising it.

Here are some ways to keep your salt intake under control:

• Take the salt cellar off the table.

• Cook without salt, and taste the food before adding it after it’s nearly cooked. Once you’ve cut back on salt, you’ll find most foods actually need very little, if any.

• There are lots of ways to add flavour to your cooking without using any salt. For example:

  • Add fresh herbs to pasta dishes, vegetables and fish.

  • Marinate fish in advance to give it more flavour.

  • Use garlic, ginger, chilli and lime in stir fries.

  • Make your own stock and gravy, instead of using cubes or granules, or look out for reduced-salt varieties.

  • Roast vegetables such as red peppers, courgettes, fennel, parsnips and squash to bring out their flavour.

  • Squeeze lemon juice onto fish or seafood.

  • Try using different types of onion – brown, red, white, spring onions, shallots.

  • Make sauces using ripe flavoursome tomatoes and garlic.

• Retrain your taste buds to appreciate herbs and spices in place of salt. Basil, bay, dill, garlic, lemon juice, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme are particularly good salt replacement herbs.

• Frozen, dried or chopped fresh herbs will add flavour and enhance the taste of your meal e.g. basil, oregano, tarragon, parsley, coriander, mint.

• Freshly ground black pepper, curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, ground ginger and ground coriander are just some of the spices you can use to add flavour in place of salt when cooking but watch out for the ready mixed herbs and spices in the supermarket e.g. Cajun mix, as these can be high in salt

• Read labels: There is salt in most of the foods we buy today, especially those that also contain chemicals, additives and preservatives. Some foods claim to be ‘reduced salt’ or ‘low salt’ but this can be misleading. Most manufacturers use the term ‘sodium’ for salt. To find out how much salt there is in the food you buy, multiply the sodium content by 2.5. Aim for less than 6g sodium/salt a day. Watch out especially for tomato-based products and soya sauce as they easily can use up your sodium allowance for a day.

• Use salt substitutes sparingly: If you have to use salt, sea salt is richer in natural minerals and lower in sodium than table salt so fine to use sparingly. Probably best to avoid reduced-sodium alternatives even though they contain less sodium than standard salt and taste similar. But they are not sodium-free, so you will still be adding sodium to your food if you use these products. Also because reduced sodium foods taste salty they don’t help you get used to less salty flavours. It’s better to gradually reduce the amount of salt you add when you’re cooking and eating, until finally you use hardly any – or none at all. It doesn’t take long for your taste buds to get used to less salt and then you might appreciate some other flavours more.

• Avoid all salty foods: These include cured or smoked meats, smoked and pickled fish, tinned meats, salted nuts, salted butter, ready meals and biscuits and vegetables in brine.

• Eat more potassium-rich foods, such as oranges, bananas, mangos, melon and beans- you’ll excrete more sodium in your urine than the average person.

• Don’t go overboard: Although too much salt in the food is not healthy don’t go overboard and ban it completely as a diet too low in salt is also bad news and you do need some salt – about 6g a day – in your diet.

When it comes to the sensible use of salt in your diet moderation, as in everything is key; you need neither too much nor too little.