How To Curb Cravings: ‘Pause Before You Pounce’, Says Dietitian

I’m a sucker for chocolate, cake and biscuits. Lord help me if there’s a brownie in my eye-line.

Despite knowing full well such sugary treats aren’t great for my health (a diet high in sugar has been linked to everything from dementia and tooth decay to cancer), my brain still caves whenever one finds its way in front of me. Or even if they’re sat in a cupboard nearby…

If, like me, you give in to cravings at the drop of a hat, a dietitian has shared a relatively simple mindset trick that might just help you finally combat them.

Food cravings happen for several reasons, one of which is our brain chemistry, according to The Temple Clinic.

When we eat something tasty, our brains release the feel-good hormone dopamine. Your brain then wants to repeat this feeling, making it all too easy to reach for the sugar in future.

Your body might also crave sugary foods or carbs when your blood sugar levels drop – although often, reaching for a biscuit can simply result in a blood sugar crash not long after.

Hormones can also play a part in our cravings, added the clinic. Cortisol, our stress hormone, can encourage us to reach for dopamine-boosting foods.

Speaking to Today.com, registered dietitian Joy Bauer noted we’ve got “two systems running” at the same time – one signals our biological need for food, while the other is fuelled by our “hedonic system” (which centres around pleasure and reward).

“In a world where tempting food is everywhere (ahem!) on every corner, in every feed – that reward system can get loud. Loud enough to drown out the signals telling you you’ve already had enough,” she explained.

If your brain easily takes you to temptation central, Bauer wants you to try one simple reset.

The expert recommends for snackers to “pause before you pounce”, giving yourself five or 10 minutes before you grab something to eat “because cravings tend to rise like a wave and then soften on their own”.

During those empty minutes, she advises naming the feeling behind the craving – are you tired, stressed or maybe even bored? – as determining “the real driver takes a surprising amount of the power out of it”.

This trick has been recommended by the NHS, too. A patient leaflet from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust calls it “urge surfing”.

“Some people notice waves of desire; the way urges can build and then diminish has been compared to a wave in the ocean and this is where the name urge surfing comes from,” they explain.

If that doesn’t work for you, here are some other techniques to try:

1. Have a drink of water – Healthline noted that sometimes thirst can be confused with hunger or cravings.
2. While you’re ‘urge surfing’, find alternative activities to pass the time until the craving or urge has passed – this could be going for a walk, messaging a friend, completing a task at work, doing something you enjoy (ie. knitting or colouring).
3. Increase your fibre intake. There’s been a bit of an obsession with fibremaxxing in recent times – and it seems the trend could help curb sugar cravings. Miranda Pascucci, Head of Clinical Education and dental therapist at TePe, previously shared that “when meals are more filling and fibre-rich, people are often less likely to graze on sugary snacks throughout the day”.
4. Chew gum – there’s some research to suggest chewing gum can help combat cravings for high energy snacks.
5. Get plenty of sleep – sleep deprivation can disrupt your hormones which can, in turn, result in cravings.