News Articles » Outsmart Your Cravings

Want Steak?
Cravings aren’t always about feeding a bad habit, sometimes your body simply craves the nutrients it needs.  If you can’t stop thinking about red meat, you probably need iron, especially if it’s during the week of your period when your iron stores may be depleted.
REACH FOR: Sirloin or brisket – lean cuts that will curb your saturated fat intake.  And note that you can further replenish your iron supply with a handful of cashews or almonds, or a little tofu in your salad.

Want Cookies?
When you eat sugary, simple-carb-filled foods, you wind up sstuck in an endless loop, says Rena Greenberg, author of The Craving Cure. Your blood sugar spikes, giving you a quick mood-and-energy boost, which can be followed by a huge crash that leaves you tired and run down.  So what do you do? Grab another cookie.  And another, and another . .. .
REACH FOR: Wheat bread with peanut butter or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk.  You’ll satisfy your hunger, plus, the complex carbs in these combos raise blood sugar levels slowly, stabilizing energy and eliminating the possibility of “the crash.”

Page 12, October 23 & 30, 2007 issue Quick & Simple