The Spice Diet: Beating Food Addiction With Healthier Alternatives

If you need a quick way to lose weight, you won’t find it because if there is, there won’t be more than 300 million obese adults all over the world. According to the World Health Organization, 115 million of these people that are considered obese are suffering from health problems related to their condition. If you’re noticing your waistline gradually gets bigger in recent years, then maybe you’re on your way to getting obese. Dropping a few pounds is an uphill battle and it doesn’t just happen overnight. Many have tried and failed. Not just once – some of them multiple times.

Eating less and moving more is the most effective way to cut out some pounds, whether you want to admit it or not. The problem is, it’s easier said than done because it takes an enormous amount of sheer will to stand up to food cravings. All effort crumbles when you give in to those uncontrollable urges to munch on some brownies or cookie chips and in the end, ruin your weight loss program.

So How Do We Overcome This Huge Dieting Roadblock?

An Illinois chef found answers by having smart eating choices that deal with specific food cravings. By satisfying his desire for a particular food with healthier alternatives, chef Judson Todd Allen lost almost 160 pounds. After years of packing on the extra pounds due to addiction to fatty, salty, and sugary foods, he found his health declining and his self-hatred went sky high. But his love of food – being a chef – also led him to find the best solution that could work not only for himself but also for other people.

It is highly likely that you’ll ditch the carrots if the ice cream is calling out your name, but his methods are different and more specific than that. Instead, he used spices in his strategy to ward off the craving for unhealthy foods.

Salty Cravings

If he ever craves for salty foods, he instead turns to vinegar and other citrus fruits. It is very common in American diet to contain abounding amounts of sodium in processed foods that their taste preference adapts to strongly desire these kinds of foods. It is thanks to research that once you cut back on your sodium intake, you’ll likely prefer foods that don’t taste salty over time.

According to Allen, the zest and juice of citrus fruits like limes, oranges, and lemons can awaken your taste buds, and their fresh, acidic taste pleases even the strongest urges to eat something salty. He also mentions vinegar as a brilliant choice for adding flavor to food and a substitute for salt. Furthermore, research has shown that eating spicy foods – paprika, chili, cayenne, and chipotle – will trick your brain into craving less salt.

Sweet Cravings

One of the greatest contributors to the worlds obesity rate and diabetes is the highly addictive nature of sugar. Once you let yourself give into a sugar craving, you’ll find yourself eating more and more. According to Allen, you can address sugar cravings by adding cloves to your food. This spice has a unique sweet flavor and also soothes your stomach and regulates your blood sugar.

Fenugreek – a staple food in the Middle East and India – is also another good alternative. Its seeds have a similar taste as that of a maple syrup. It is also famous as a remedy for diabetes in Indian herbal medicine. You can use it in yogurt, tea, meat rubs, and other spice blends.

In general, spices are a great way to control your appetite. A great starting point is cinnamon. It can work in savory as well as sweet dishes. A quarter of a teaspoon is already enough to boost your metabolism, and you can enhance the flavor of your morning tea or coffee, soups, and sauces.

The power of a healthy diet is part of the key to a fit and healthy body and we are reminded of that, time and time again. Having the proper knowledge of addressing particular food cravings without compromising your healthy eating plan will give you the body you always wanted.