Cancelling Cravings A healthy diet is great for people that want to be awake, conscious and striving for evolution. Not everyone is interested in such things. We get in the way of health by congesting our cells/selves with processed food and negative thoughts. Live food infuses one’s being with fresh vibrant energy, capable of resisting disease and feeling clear and bright. Though for some, a gradual transition is what feels right. Many find that as the seasons change into spring, summer or fall and good time for new beginnings. It’s so worth it. To stop familiar fare abruptly can be a shock to the body. Start each meal with something raw. Make one meal a day raw. Have salad as the main dish rather than a. side. Try a new fruit or vegetable every week. Eliminate heavier unhealthful foods you know better than to eat. If you eat something cooked, steamed vegetables, amaranth, quinoa, millet, baked winter squashes and sweet potatoes are preferable choices. Have baked or steamed rather than fried foods. Let go of prepackaged foods, instant fixes, frozen meals, ready to eat chemically tainted and refined empty foods that damage health. If you overdo sugars, eat greens and fats to balance. Have cooked food at the end of the day to decrease how much you will feel you need to eat. If you feel cold, have miso soup or hot tea. Replace dairy, eggs and meat with avocados, nuts and seeds. Remove all the canned, sugar and white flour containing and processed food out of your cupboards. Eat more vegetarian meals, then eventually vegan meals. Replace cooked fats with raw fats. Shop at natural food stores, or markets that sell organic produce and avoid regular grocery stores. Select foods organic and in season as much as possible. An alternative to cooking is to “cook” without heat, instead marinate, ferment or dehydrate. Salt, oil, lemon, pureeing, and drying, are all ways of making food familiar, in some cases, without destroying the vitality of enzymes. Dehydrated dishes can take the place of cooked meals. Only extended conditions of food shortage should cause one to eat food that is less than ideal. Find other ways to reward yourself. An aromatherapy bath, a long distance phone call, or reading for enjoyment. Write down all your temptations. The hardest withdrawal time is about two months. Eat avocados for PMS cravings. Craving salt may indicate a need for more minerals. Use Celtic or Himalayan salt, which contains more minerals than white salt. Instead of potato chips, eat seaweeds. Eating celery diminishes sweet food cravings. Excess sweet foods can cause excess urination, tooth sensitivity, constipation, mouth sores, and grogginess. If you strongly crave fats – avocados and nuts, eat them, but balance it with lots of greens, celery and cucumbers. The one thing you hold one to (potato chips, coffee, etc.) is very likely your greatest health impediment. Rotate the colors of foods you eat, to diminish cravings. Drink green drinks to discourage cravings, as they are very alkalinizing. Look at what you are craving. Desiring something sweet, creamy or carbohydrate rich is often about a need for warmth and nourishment. Drink some fennel tea or take ten deep inhalations of fennel essential oil. Call a loving friend. Wanting chips and salty crunchy foods may indicate anger and frustration. When craving stimulants, which may indicate feeling dull or depressed, play upbeat music or drink some ginger or peppermint tea. Drink cardamom tea or smell cardamom, or jasmine essential oil. Start a journal. Take a before photo of yourself. Take one after six months after your healthier journey. Write about your health history. Keep a food journal for a few days. Write down goals in the present tense. Write down five limiting beliefs and replace them with affirmations. For example: "I am fat." Can be replaced with "Everyday I am making healthier choices. Make a list of five foods you would be better off giving up. Put a wedge between you and the craving. Do something else. It’s best to not eat between meals, but if you do a few suggestions are: Celery sticks Nuts Flax crackers Sun cured olives It is ideal to drink six or more glasses of water in the morning and then only have fruit until noon daily. Eat only during daylight. For deficient people with low digestive fire (or someone very sick), juicing, fermenting, sprouting and blending of foods can facilitate digestion. People use food like a drug – for reward, comfort, to numb out or for kicks. It is possible to experience a withdrawal effect when giving up some things. If you get off the path, learn from the experience, rather than feel guilty. Observe how you feel. Get back on track as soon as possible. If you are suffering from a serious illness, stay on the path. For best results and ultimate health, stick with the program and don’t deviate. Just because a food has widespread use, doesn’t mean it is beneficial. After a while, your tastes will change. It can be so helpful to have friends that eat healthfully. Make your friends a delicious meal. Lend them books on the subject. Plan healthy pot lucks (raw, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free) or theme dinners (Mexican, Indian, etc.) Offer to teach a class, to find other interested folks in your area. Put up a sign in the local health food store to connect with others for a discussion, support or meal sharing. To stop cravings: Take a dose of herbal bitter. Be sure to get adequate protein and fats. GTF chromium, or glucose tolerance factor chromium helps stabilize blood sugar levels and decreases sweet cravings. Try 200 mcg. Between meals three times daily. Many blessings! Brigitte Mars is an herbalist and nutritional consultant with over forty years experience. She is the author of Beauty by Nature, Rawsome!, The Sexual Herbal, Addiction Free Naturally, Healing Herbal Teas, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine, and co-author of The Country Almanac of Home Remedies, and The Hemp Nut Health and Cookbook. Brigitte has had a radio show on KGNU called Naturally for over twenty years. She is a professional member of The American Herbalist Guild. Ms. Mars teaches at Naropa University, Boulder College of Massage, Omega Institute, Kripalu, and Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. Brigitte is a blogger for The Huffington Post and Care2. www.brigittemars.com