Photo by HaoJan Chang

Have you ever attempted to eat lower on the food chain, eat more raw food, eat more fruits and veggies? And somewhere around week 2 you just want to give up…

There’s a reason for that…

It’s called the Upper Limit Problem, and it’s a concept I learned in Gay Hendrick’s book The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level. (This book is awesome for anyone who has their own business, or wants to advance in their career by the way!)

Here’s the premise for this Upper Limit Problem of ours: we as human beings are so used to struggling, that we’re not used to things going our way.

So when you’ve been on a roll, your eating patterns are effortless, and you feel great… you tend to do something to break this “lucky streak”. Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where there’s no healthy food, so you go back to an old favorite that sends you back for more.

Sometimes you think you need a “reward” and indulge in a food that gives you a hangover. And sometimes you just want to give up for some strange reason.

The Biology of Lifestyle Changes

So why do we manage to eat well for weeks at a time and then “crap out” around week 2? There’s a biology reason for that.

You see our cells are used to a certain environment. Say you eat lots of wheat, and suddenly you stop eating wheat entirely. Your body starts to change so that it can better accept what you’re replacing wheat with – say green leafy vegetables.

At this point, your cells are going through a re-arranging process and that takes lots of energy… that’s when we start to feel that uncomfortable feeling around week two. Your body is re-arranging itself to suit the new changes you’re making in your diet or lifestyle.

Except that’s when we usually give up. Because it’s hard. Because we don’t know what’s going on. Except now you know, and you know that if you push through that two week period you’ll actually have cells that are designed for your new lifestyle.

Click here to watch a short video that explains this whole process in full detail.

What That Means For You in 2011

This is revolutionary because it means that you now know how to make 2011 the year you finally do it. Whatever it is for you: eating more fresh fruit and veg, exercising regularly, or kicking your coffee addiction.

I want to help you do it. Join me now for the Cure Cravings Forever program, starting January 1st, 2011.

One of obstacles that creep up when we decide to change the way we eat is the dreaded craving for that kryptonite food of yours! The cravings, they are hard to deal with.

Photo by Guillaume Lemoine

What are Food Cravings?

Food cravings can show up in a number of different forms. They can be all consuming, taking center stage in your mind for large parts of your day. Appearing in your dreams at night, and haunting you.

They can also be a little more subtle. That pint of ice cream you didn’t intend to buy that somehow ended up in your grocery cart. Your finger punching the speed dial number of your favorite pizza place.

Usually cravings are just that. Your body trying to deal with the changes you’re making to your diet by reminding you of the way things used to be. There’s nothing wrong with you and it’s not your fault that you crave your old favorite foods.

Sugar is Addictive

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances of all. Worse, it’s not just straight “sweet stuff” sugar, but foods that convert to sugar soon after you eat them. Like bread, pasta, and potatoes.

The reason that sugar has that extra addictive pull is a little more complex, because it has to do with your beneficial intestinal flora versus the possibility of yeast developing. Yeast doesn’t just show up in the form of feminine yeast infections, it also shows up as mucus in colds and other “side effects” such a poor digestion.

The more sugar you eat, the more you feed this yeast. If you suddenly stopping feeding the yeast by reducing your sugar intake, you can bet that the yeast is going to let you know it wants to be fed. That can come in the form of cravings.

There’s a lot more science and details to this delicate digestive balance, but that’s a whole other post to itself.

Photo by Pawel Loj

MSG & Other Addictive Substances

To make matters even more complex, you’ve got to fend off the addictive effects of processed foods. Many times the reason we find certain foods to “taste good” is through some added manufacturing processes. And a combination of MSG and “taste enhancers.”

Foods with MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) actually cause your body to react by salivating, and releasing feel-good hormones in your bloodstream. Soon enough, your body gets into the groove of responding to foods this way.

If you start eating whole fresh produce and foods, you’re not going to get that stimulus. Your body will start to look for this response, and if it doesn’t find it, you can be sure that you’ll get signals to go back to the foods that gave it to you.

Get a Consultation to Learn how to Stop Your Food Cravings

One of the skills I’ve been honing for the past few months has been the ability to control and even eliminate cravings. Because I know that we all fall victim to cravings, and I personally would rather have a tool or technique to rely on rather than just caving in each time.

If you’d like to talk to me about your own cravings, and find out how I can help you reduce them, leave a comment here or we can schedule an informal chat.

I’ve created the Cure Cravings Forever program, designed to kick some craving butt.

What is Your Strongest Food Craving?

Now I’m really curious: What is your strongest food craving for? Let me know below in the comments, I want to know what’s hardest for people so I can help you.

P.S. My biggest craving tends to be for anything chocolate related, with cinnamon rolls being a close second. (Though I know of a few good raw recipes to take care of these, and with my craving spell I’ve got it covered. ;))