My mom didn’t allow me to eat anything before dinner, saying “you cannot eat dinner if you eat something before it.”
I was very unhappy about it but she was right.
After I started working, nobody stops me when eating chocolate and cookies endlessly. It sometimes ended up with skipping dinner and I regretted snacking too much. Sugar cravings ruin our healthy eating habits.
But after I learned how to avoid this unhealthy situation, my snacking habit faded away.
What I learned was to take enough protein at breakfast
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, men are recommended to take 60g of protein a day and women are to take 50g. It is better to take it evenly throughout the day, i.e, take a similar amount of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
When we take enough protein in the morning, our mood becomes better and stable.
Protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, soya beans, eggs, and dairy products contain tryptophan.
“The body uses tryptophan to help make melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and serotonin is thought to help regulate appetite, sleep, mood, and pain,” according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
But our breakfast sometimes doesn’t have enough protein, Japanese breakfast included. If the menu includes only miso soup and rice, there is not enough protein.
So, to take enough protein at breakfast, eat multiple kinds of protein.
For example,
Egg & Tofu
Fish & Cheese
Chicken & Tinned Tuna
The second tip to avoid sugar cravings is ...
Don’t put snacks in your sight
When we see them, it is difficult to stop the cravings. The same thing happens to our smartphones. When our smartphones are in our sight, it is difficult to stay away from them.
When we cannot push our sugar cravings away…
Change our strategy to mindful eating.
Eat snacks mindfully. Smell & taste 100%. If possible, choose healthier options such as fruits and nuts.
But first, try to take enough protein at breakfast and see how it goes.
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