Learning how to stop cravings is the worst feeling. Your body does not want to let go. And stress at work and home can make cravings worse. It’s time to stop being the victim.
The first thing to do is try to eliminate. There is a very good book on elimination diet called Fat Flush. This is a link to the newly revised book on Amazon:
Even though I did read this whole book, I do not advise you to follow this diet the way it is laid out. It does help with finding the foods you are sensitive to, but it is very limited and can cause weight gain if not followed properly during the maintain stage. If I had money on it, I bet you already know what foods bother you. If you really don’t know, then start with wheat. Wheat is in many many many foods. Wheat is what Americans live on.
How to do this
First, you need to realize that food elimination does not mean forever. It is a temporary elimination to see how you feel. This elimination needs to happen over a period of 2 weeks. The hardest days will be between days 4 and 8. You will feel headaches, nausea, and other symptoms. Its ok, you don’t need to stop the elimination. Here is a list of what you should eliminate (as many wheat products as possible):
- Bread (wheat, rye, multigrain, white, spelt)
- Crackers (wheat, rye, multigrain, white, spelt)
- Cakes and cookies (all)
- Pies and desserts with crusts and crumbly toppings
- Rolls (all)
- Beer and malt beverages
- Gravy and sauces made with thickeners
- Cereals (wheat, bran – check the labels)
- Pizza and subs
- Breaded food
- Anything made with flour
- When in doubt, check the label
Give this elimination TWO WEEKS. If you start feeling better, then you have found a sensitivity. This does not mean you can never eat wheat again. It only means your body can not handle too much wheat.
Find your tolerance
You will need to find your tolerance after the two weeks are over. The first day of the third week, try adding 1/2 wheat serving at one meal. If you feel fine the next day, add another 1/2 serving. The following day, skip wheat. See if you feel better on that day than you did on the previous. If you seem to be doing ok, you can add more. The idea though is moderation. You do not want to go back to the cravings.
What next?
If you want to try other sensitivity tests, do the same thing with other foods. The most common culprits for food intolerance are wheat and milk products. These are milk products:
- Milk (cow, goat, sheep, basically any mammal)
- Cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, grated cheeses (all except vegan cheese)
- Whipped cream, heavy cream, light cream, creamers, sour cream, cream cheese, ice cream (all creams)
- Yogurts
- Butter
- When in doubt, check the labels (whey and lactose are common milk additives)
I could go on to others, but you get the idea. Each time, give the elimination 2 weeks. Then reintroduce slowly. This should help your body start to recover, you will lose a few pounds and feel loads better.