“Dear Stomach. Your Bored. Not Hungry. So Shut Up. “

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Cravings are like that annoying kid in grade school who wouldn’t leave you alone. They would ask you a million questions, poke you in the back or act as your shadow every second of every day. Yea, cravings are a like that little b!+$h. Cravings seem to hit at the worst times, and can be completely relentless until you give in. If I am being honest here, I have fallen shame to eating an entire tray of popcorn ‘rice crispy’ treats, scarfed two slices of greasy pizza in 30 seconds flat, and have definitely more than once sucked down a bottle of wine in one sitting with Cory, but hey who hasn’t? The common denominator in all of it is that although ‘the takedown’ leads to moments of great pleasure, but is almost immediately followed by a bloated belly and regret of succumbing to the craving.

If I am home I can very easily stick to my workout and eating schedule. When I travel…it is  almost a whole different story! There have been times that I walk aimlessly around an airport praying that menus will have miraculously changed, and the smell of Aunt Annie’s will stop wafting in my direction so that I can focus and concentrate on finding at least a relatively healthy option. Thankfully, slowly but surely there are more and more healthy options popping up in high traffic areas like the airport, but unfortunately they aren’t available everywhere.

I spend most of my days planning out what I am going to put in my mouth that day. I wake up thinking about food and I usually go to bed thinking about what I am going to cook and consume the next day. I always say there are two types of people in this world. The ‘live to eat’ person and the ‘eat to live’ person. I am definitely the ‘live to eat’ person.  I hoard cookbooks, love going to the farmers market, and if you have been following my blog, you know that I love to create healthy meals that actually taste good! If you haven’t been following long then subscribe today to get recipes sent straight to your inbox.

After a week on the road, and a few unhealthy choices along the way, I am going to kick my booty into overtime to get back on track. So when those pesky cravings kick in try to SPEND. SPEND is an acronym I made up to help me indulge without the bulge!

Snack: Snacking or grazing on healthy snacks all day like nuts or fruit will help keep your blood sugar stable and keep your belly happy. If you work at an office try to swap the candy drawer for healthier options like almonds, individual nut butters, dark chocolate and popcorn. Snacks act as a bridge to the bigger more fulfilling meals. So make sure to have two a day that will satisfy your tastebuds and keep you fuller longer. Apples with peanut butter are my favorite afternoon snack.

Prep: Preparation is the key to success. For any successful person whether it is an athlete, a student or an accountant; if they aren’t adequately prepared to do their job the chances are they are not going to have success. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So if you are on-the-run try overnight oats or prep baggies full of your favorite smoothie fixins’. This way you can throw them in a NutriBullet, and in no time you have an on-the-go breakfast that you can tailor to your tastebuds.

Enjoy: Another office birthday? When I am at Zappos it seems that every day of the week they are celebrating something. Yesterday they had an ‘appreciation celebration’. There was a buffet of sweets from rice crispy treats to buckeyes to funfetti cupcakes. After lunch, I decided to graze and chose a delicious preservative filled, sugar laden funfetti cupcake and enjoyed every bite. If there’s an office gathering feel free to enjoy it. Have a cheat meal once a week. It will keep you sane. Just try to set your portions. Most of the time a few bites of something will be more than enough to satisfy even the most pesky of cravings. 

New Things: Do not be afraid to try new things. We have a plethora of new restaurants popping up every single day. Last year I met a friend at a Vegan restaurant in Atlanta called ‘Juicy Jenny’. I had a preconceived idea that vegan food tasted like dirt. When I filled my plate with the energy inducing salads and patties and treats I couldn’t believe how full of flavor everything was. I was in heaven, and I couldn’t believe that I almost talked myself out of it. There are so many healthy places popping up around town, and you should take advantage! You may be pleasantly surprised. 

Drink water: I cannot stress how important it is to drink as much water as you can all day everyday. You want to drink at least half your body weight in ounces. For example, I am 130 pounds, so I want to drink AT LEAST 65 oz of water per day. More if I am in dry climates like Las Vegas, have a drink or two or eat something salty. Try to keep a bottle with you at all times, and fill it up as many times as possible throughout the day. If you become starving or get a headache, drink a full bottle of room-temp water to help you get a clearer mind and keep your cravings at bay so that you can make some healthier choices. Add lemon for an added  boost of Vitamin C and kick-start that digestion. When you wake up in the morning, keep a liter bottle of water next to your bed or in an convenient place and chug it first thing in the morning. This will help reinvigorate your cells and get yourself ready to make healthy choices throughout the day.

When those cravings hit have a snack arsenal ready to rock!

Sweet: My Peanut Butter Energy Bites are the best on-the-go sweet treats.

Salty: Roasted almonds with a little sea salt. Add a little coconut oil to a pan, add almonds and lightly coat in oil. DO NOT leave unattended. Continue to flip until warmed through and sprinkle with sea salt. Add to a zip lock and snack away.

Crunchy: Kale chips are the best for a healthy crunch! Here is a great and simple recipe for homemade Kale Chips.

Spicy: I love supremely spicy red pepper hummus with cruditès.