Part of defending yourself against the onslaught of ultra-processed foods is having tried and true strategies you can fall back on when temptation hits.
- Prepare Your Own Meals. Preparing your own meals puts you in the driver’s seat. Check out our COR-4 Food Guide for a list of healthy, whole foods.
- Don’t Deprive Yourself. There is nothing wrong with having an occasional treat as long as your food isn’t controlling you—think occasional indulgence.
- Make It Easy on Yourself. Don’t surround yourself with highly tempting food or you will have to constantly use willpower to stay out of the pantry.
- Include Your Tribe. Talk to family and friends about your goals. While not everyone is interested in changing their lifestyle, having a partner that can support you will definitely give you a leg up.
- Drink Water. Sometimes thirst can be confused with hunger, so drinking a glass of water or non-calorie beverage can quell your urges to eat and reduce hunger cravings.
- Eat Protein and Fiber. Protein and fiber have a satiating effect on our appetite center. The lack of fiber and protein in ultra-processed foods is one of the main reasons we can find it hard to moderate our intake.
- Get a Handle on Stress. Stress-relieving activities like meditation, journaling, and exercise can lead to healthier responses to cravings. You’ll learn about this in detail later in the program.
- Focus on Sleep. When you don’t sleep enough it puts your body in a state of stress which can cause unhealthy food cravings. Plus, when you’re tired, you typically have less self-control. We will cover sleep in detail later in the program.
