There is a myth that food cravings mean that our bodies are trying to tell us we are lacking something. However, if you think about some of the cravings that you may have had in the past, they may have been for foods that weren't so healthy. I have read more than once that cravings are more psychological than physical. Many cravings stem from remembering a pleasant memory of eating a particular food or meal.
Diets and Cravings
People who are on a diet tend to have strong cravings for foods they are trying to avoid. I know that feeling all too well. Usually, I would crave all of my favorites because to me, they were my comfort foods. I associated feeling good with eating those particular foods.
Giving into Cravings
Denying your cravings can be tough. It's common to want something you know you can't have. Therefore if you are making certain foods off limits that you used to eat regularly, you will want them even more. If you are trying to be a clean eater, you will definitely have cravings in the beginning. Don't feel bad if you give into them in the beginning. However, you should do your best to cut back on them more and more.
Variety Helps
As you become more of a clean eater you will discover a new way of eating foods that aren't processed and full of stuff our bodies don't need. You will begin to have variety in your meals, learn how to prepare meals differently, and eventually you may no longer crave the foods you used to. It all takes time but a good way to start is to learn more about cravings, how they work, and know that you can overcome them.
Have you had a hard time dealing with food cravings? How did you handle it?
Resources:
How Food Cravings Work
Eating clean can be tough when you're traveling but it isn't impossible. If you travel to areas that have health food restaurants or supermarkets, then you are in luck. Unfortunately that isn't always the case so you have to be prepared for what is available. Depending on your mode of transportation, there are ways to prepare as much as possible for when you're going out of town. Below are some tips for eating clean while traveling.
Locate Supermarkets
Find the closest supermarkets and plan on visiting them to stock up on food in your hotel room. Google maps is a great resource for this. Simply type in a keyword and the city you'll be in and a list of stores should pop up. For example, type in "health food" plus the city. Compared to dining out, purchasing your own food at the market gives you much more control. Before you book a room, find out if a mini-fridge is available as well as a microwave.
Locate Types of Restaurants in the Area
Before you reach your destination, find out the types of restaurants that will be in the area. (Google maps will work here too.) Maybe there are familiar ones in which you already know how to order. If you're lucky, you may find some restaurants geared towards the health conscious individual. Make a note of where you plan on dining when you go out.
Pack as Much Food as You Can
You can prepare individual servings of healthy snacks which can hold you over until you can get to a supermarket or restaurant. If you're driving, it's easy to pack a cooler of healthy foods. If you're flying or other transportation, pack what you can in a carry-on bag until reach your destination.
Don't Stress Out
Chances are even if the restaurants around the area you travel too aren't the best, you can always find a way to eat somewhat healthy in them. Choose grilled items when available, double up on vegetable portions, etc. Just keep in mind that you may not be able to eat 100% the way you would like, but at least you have prepared beforehand.
Do you have any travel tips to share?
Healthy eaters are always on the lookout for new recipes to make at home and I discovered a new book in my inbox this morning which looks like a great option. It is called Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You. It is written by Terry Walters and features mostly vegan meals using seasonal ingredients.
I read the overview of the book and what is appealing about it is that it contains over 200 recipes using foods that are seasonal. You should be able to find the same ingredients in your local supermarkets. The recipes are also majority vegan which means that they could work well for the clean eating lifestyle.
There does seem to be some recipes which use some processed foods like lemon snaps and frozen pie crust. I think for the most part it seems to be a good cookbook to add to the collection. If anyone has it and tried any of the recipes, please leave feedback in the comments. 
Have you ever met someone who doesn't like water? Or maybe you are that person. I have met a lot of people who don't like drinking plain water. They either have to add some type of flavoring like a sports drink powder or they skip drinking it all together. I know people that drink soda all day long because they don't like water.
I'm sure most health conscious individuals who dislike water would like to drink more of it if they knew some cool ways of flavoring it naturally.
Flavoring Your Water
There are some cool things to add to water to give it some flavor and make it tastier to drink. One of my favorites is adding cantaloupe or honeydew melon slices to a container of water and letting it get ice cold. It is really refreshing to drink.
Here are some other ideas for flavoring water. Simply start with a container of water and add in your choice of:
- Citrus fruit slices (oranges, lemons)
- Berries (blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
- Mint
- Ginger
- Cucumber slices
If you use any type of fruit, be sure to slice them so they can flavor the water and if you use herbs such as mint, crush them to release their flavor.
These are great ways to flavor water without artificial flavors and sweeteners. Do you have a cool recipe? Share in the comments.
