Why I don't crave pizza, burgers and sweets any more

I use to be seriously addicted to pizza, burgers and sweets. Pasta was another favourite. Ten years later and these bad boys aren't foods that I crave any more.

The secret is understanding the physical and psychological needs that we have. Physically your body needs vitamins, minerals and sugar.

Burger = Iron
I realised that when I crave lasagne or a burger or a Bolognese, really I just wanted some iron. A lean piece of steak or lamb does the trick.

Pizza = calcium
When it came to pizza, that was my body not getting enough calcium. I would buy a pizza express from tesco and load it with extra cheese once upon a time. I would drool (and kind of still remember fondly) fugazzetta pizza in Argentina which is a heavenly concoction you must try if you ever go. These days I have full fat cheese and milk throughout the day.

Sweets = energy and / or rest
Sweets and sugar were my energy fix. A good meal was not complete without some pudding. When we visited NYC last year, we did some major donut and cheesecake investigating. You'll also see that I've blogges about macarons, M&M world and afternoon tea. They were one of my great loves. These days, I eat a lot of fruit because it is full of nutrients and fibre. They tend to be my breakfast feast and my afternoon sweet snack. That way I can burn the sugar throughout the day. Exercise makes me want to eat more healthily. It also gives me that lovely endorphin rush that sugar used to provide. Sleep, drinking enough water and being mindful of just needing to rest also help manage energy levels. I tend to want sweets if I haven't slept enough or properly. So just making a point to get rest of sleep makes such a difference. Sugar is addictive so watching what additives are in foods and checking product labels makes a difference.

Psychologically the pizza, burgers and sweets made me feel good. They were habitual. These days I focus on a variety of fruit and vegetables, fish, whole grains like spelt and proteins such as nuts, beans and lean meat.

If I am out to dinner, I will enjoy pizza, a burger or dessert. These occasions are the exception rather than the norm.

I feel so much happier and healthier. It's amazing how being in control of your cravings can help you be more positive and empowered. I've won the battle against pizza, burgers and sweet cravings, if only I didn't have so many other bad habits to kick!