Understanding the difference between: Physiological cravings VS Psychological cravings
Main Reasons for eating:
#1 Physiological cravings
You REQUIRE Fuel – only reason to eat … Eat to increase the nutritional density of your body. This is like putting fuel or oil into an automobile. It is so that it can function efficiently.
You REQUIRE Nutrients – When you are Not Nutritionally Dense or lacking Nutrients
Nutritional deficit – Losing the nutritional density of your body leaves it physiologically craving … problem is you don’t always identify & eat what you require, but subsitute what you require with foods that make you feel better … often we substitute starchy carbs and sugar, fats, and other things that fires brain chemistry aimed at making us feel better!
Thirst – the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
#2 Psychological cravings (Eating when you’re feeling empty) 
Comfort – This is like giving a child candy because you are leaving or because they feel bad.
Trigger foods – Beware of foods that breakdown your self-discipline and control.
“Bet you can’t eat just one” or they leave you craving more of the sameother things.”
Habit – Eating ice cream or a cookie or wine before bed or with a meal.
Boredom – Eating is something to do when you have nothing to do
Emotional cravings … The 2’s TOO EMPTY
You must develop a strategy for dealing with emotional emptiness. To do this, realize that at certain times emotions get a little too too/2 much and feel too/2 unbearable. This uncomfortable feeling is often too or 2 empty. These empty feelings are often reasons people break their eating plans. Some examples of these 2’s are 2 angry, 2 lonely, 2 hungry, 2 bored, 2 depressed, 2 tense, 2 anxious, 2 unhappy, 2 tired, 2 overworked, 2 stressed, 2 busy, 2 frustrated, 2 intense, 2 apathetic, 2 not loved, loved 2 much, 2 inadequate, 2-crazy, etc. These feelings (often empty feelings) are signals that ask you to do something to relieve yourself.
Eating lowers your brainwaves when you are excited or Anxious 
EATING TO LOWER BRAIN WAVES … It is uncomfortable to have your brain too active and food calms your brain down!
. 12-13 MHZ Excited state
10-12 MHz Efficiency state
8-10 MHZ Relaxed or trance state … Don’t use food to bring us down here!
4–6 MHZ Sleeping
FIND another way to do this other than FOOD … read, call a friend, listen to music, exercise, etc.
Medicating with food/Consoling yourself with food
Medicate – This is eating until you are so fuel you can get relaxed. It is normally done when you are in an anxious or excited state and it allows you to calm down or feel satiated. You are really lowering your brain waves.
Recreational Eating … try getting together with friends to do something other than eat!!! 
(Entertainment, social eating) Social – “lets do lunch or drinks”
#1 Strategies: Manage Physiological cravings
Establish & EAT a Nutritionally Dense Food Plan
If you are not satiated, determine what your physical needs are and resolve:
*You must work hard to avoid
1-Physiological cravings due to not having nutritional density … Particularly Athletes who demand more from their bodies!!!
These make you feel better, but does not manage the bodies requirement for nutrients!
When your body requires nutrients it craves them. It is something your body requires and we mistakenly substitute substances that fires brain chemistry (dopamine). This brain chemistry fires with addictive substances like:
- Sugar
- salt
- fat
- Artificial sweeteners
- MSG
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
MANAGE YOUR Bodies requirements: needing fuel, needing macro nutrients, needing micro nutrients, thirst … (Eat when its time, not when you’re hungry)
Nutritional Density is MEETING YOUR BODIES DAILY REQUIREMENTS FOR Macro & Micro Nutrients!
- Essential Fatty Acids
- Anti-oxidants
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Protein … Essential Amino acids
- Adequate Carbohydrates … Low Glycemic
- Adequate healthy Fats … Essential Fatty Acids
- The bodies Water Requirements
MANAGE YOUR MINDS Psychological Management Strategies: Your CHOICES!
A. Understanding Permission thoughts
Permission Thoughts … Giving yourself permission consciously or unconsciously permission to deviate from your plan.
Cognitive Behavior … What you do vs why you do it!
GENERALLY GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS …
The Behavior sequence:
- Set in place a Plan or Personal commitment to Follow Eating Plan
- A Trigger: A feeling … Crave … an Urge
- A Thought: Well I deserve
- Action: (permission) … Cross the line
Use the 5 D’s … Strategy to not deviate
DELAY … Take time Out
DISTRACT … With yourself another activity
DISTANCE … Yourself form food physically
DETERMINE … Why your desire to eat is so high
DECIDE … Consciously what to do about food
EAT when it’s time on your Plan, not when you feel like it!