It's generally not bad to satisfy cravings in moderation, especially if you're otherwise healthy, as denying them can sometimes make them stronger; however, it's best to listen to your body, choose healthier alternatives when possible, practice mindful portion control for treats, and address underlying emotional triggers like stress or boredom for a balanced approach. Mayo Clinic +4
Your craving is trying to tell you something, that you need nourishment, either in the form of food, or emotional nourishment. Food cravings don't need to be denied, they need to be investigated, then honored. Think of listening to your cravings as one way of building trust with your body. It's a two way relationship.
Choosing healthy snacks is key to managing food cravings and maintaining a balanced diet. Here are some tips to help you make better snack choices: High in Fiber and Protein: Opt for snacks that are high in fiber and protein, such as nuts, seeds, or yogurt. These nutrients help keep you full and satisfied.
The 20-minute rule for eating is a mindful eating strategy suggesting it takes your brain about 20 minutes to receive fullness signals from your stomach, so eating slowly, taking at least 20 minutes for a meal, and waiting 20 minutes before seconds helps prevent overeating by aligning consumption with satiety, reducing unnecessary calories, and improving digestion.
It's important to understand why you're having a craving. The goal is not to eliminate it or ignore what your body and brain are saying. Before you give in and eat whatever your heart or mind is telling you to, stop and think about what kind of craving you're having.
The 3-3-3 rule for weight loss is a simple, habit-based method focusing on three key areas: 3 balanced meals a day, 3 bottles (or ~1.5L) of water by 3 PM, and 3 hours of physical activity per week, aiming for consistency over complex diets. It simplifies fat loss by establishing rhythm through consistent eating, adequate hydration to support metabolism, and regular movement, promoting sustainable health without intense calorie counting or restrictive rules, says Five Diamond Fitness and Wellness, Joon Medical Wellness & Aesthetics, and EatingWell.
Jennifer Aniston's 80/20 rule is a balanced approach to wellness, focusing on healthy, nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time while allowing for indulgences like pizza, pasta, or martinis (the 20%) without guilt, promoting consistency and sustainability over perfection. It's about moderation, enjoying life's treats, and getting back on track with healthy choices at the next meal or workout, emphasizing that no food is inherently "bad".
Researchers believe that ADHD symptoms like impulsivity and inattention play a role. With BED, people often eat large amounts of food quickly, even when they're full. Unlike with bulimia, they don't try to purge the food by throwing up or through excessive exercise. But they do often feel shame afterward.
Lack of Calcium and Magnesium causes sweet cravings.
If you are craving sweets, such as sparkling, it may be a sign that your body is deficient in calcium and magnesium, which can result in fatigue and a lack of alertness. Caffeine, often found in carbonated drinks, can help you stay awake but is also addictive.
Top 10 Foods for Health
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PB&J) adds about 33 minutes to your healthy lifespan per serving, according to a University of Michigan study that measured life expectancy impacts of over 5,850 foods using the Health Nutritional Index (HNI). This sandwich tops the list for adding time, with nuts and seeds also being highly beneficial (around 25 mins) and processed items like hot dogs subtracting time.
Just try to think of your meals in terms of balance. 80% healthy, whole foods, and 20% for fun, less-nutritious treats. The key is consistency over time, not perfection at every meal. So, if one day you have a pizza, no big deal—just aim to get back on track with your next meal.
Have a Chip Craving? Here Are 6 Healthy Chip Alternatives to Try!
Michael Pollan's core eating rules, summarized as "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants," distill into several actionable guidelines, including avoiding processed items your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize, shopping the supermarket perimeter, not eating things that won't rot, paying more for better food, eating meals at a table with others, and stopping when 80% full. These rules emphasize whole foods, traditional eating patterns, and mindful consumption over processed convenience.
The ADHD "30% Rule" is a guideline suggesting that executive functions (like self-regulation, planning, and emotional control) in people with ADHD develop about 30% slower than in neurotypical individuals, meaning a 10-year-old might function more like a 7-year-old in these areas, requiring adjusted expectations for maturity, task management, and behavior. It's a tool for caregivers and adults with ADHD to set realistic goals, not a strict scientific law, helping to reduce frustration by matching demands to the person's actual developmental level (executive age) rather than just their chronological age.
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" suggests doing any task taking under two minutes immediately to build momentum, but it often backfires by derailing focus due to weak working memory, time blindness, and transition difficulties in people with ADHD. A better approach is to write down these quick tasks on a separate "catch-all" list instead of interrupting your main work, then schedule specific times to review and tackle them, or use a slightly longer timeframe like a 5-minute rule to prevent getting lost down "rabbit holes".
The top 3 core symptoms of ADHD are inattention (difficulty focusing, staying organized), hyperactivity (excess restlessness, excessive movement), and impulsivity (acting without thinking, poor self-control). People with ADHD often experience a combination of these, though some might primarily struggle with inattention (inattentive type) or hyperactivity/impulsivity (hyperactive-impulsive type).
Actress Jennifer Aniston has publicly shared that she was diagnosed with dyslexia in her 20s, a diagnosis that explained lifelong struggles with reading, writing, and retaining information, leading her to believe she wasn't smart until discovering the learning disorder. She discovered this during an eye exam, where she realized her eyes jumped words when reading, and the diagnosis helped her understand past difficulties, transforming her self-perception.
It's tied to her birthday (February 11), but it's also a spiritual number often associated with synchronicity, intuition, and alignment — a reminder to trust the universe's timing. It's also believed to be a tribute to her late dog, Norman, whom she adored and often spoke about with great affection.
At a reported 5' 5” inches, weighing 110 pounds would give Aniston a BMI of 18.5, just barely in the normal weight range.
Adele's significant weight loss wasn't from a quick fix but a two-year journey combining intense strength training, Pilates, hiking, boxing, and cardio, alongside major lifestyle changes focused on managing anxiety, not restrictive diets like the Sirtfood Diet, with workouts happening multiple times daily for mental and physical strength. Her routine included morning weights, afternoon hikes or boxing, and evening cardio, emphasizing getting stronger, which naturally led to fat loss and improved well-being.
People naturally lose muscle after 40, especially women after menopause. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, this can slow down your metabolism and make it harder to shake those stubborn pounds.
Daily: The most common form of intermittent fasting is a daily fast for 12 to 16 hours. For a 16-hour fast, this would result in an 8-hour feeding window during a 24-hour period. A “16:8” fast might look like eating breakfast at 11am and finishing dinner by 7pm.