Last time we talked about the importance of properly nourishing 
your body-mind system in order to diminish or eliminate cravings 
for health-robbing foods. Equally as important is balancing your 
body-mind system, particularly with regard to your emotions and 
blood sugar.

Imbalanced blood sugar can lead to almost unbearable cravings for 
poor quality foods, especially caffeine and sweets. Although 
giving in and indulging in delectable confections may give you 
temporary relief, doing so will only make things worse in the 
long run. Regularly consuming stimulant foods such as caffeine, 
alcohol and sweets is what causes and perpetuates the cycle of 
wildly fluctuating blood sugar levels and cravings in the first 
place.

Once you're hooked, it's like being on a biochemical roller 
coaster. Soon after you consume the soda, coffee, pastry or other 
stimulant, you're feeling pretty cheery. Then-pheeeeeew ---
boom!-your  blood sugar crashes and you feel like taking a nap or 
strangling somebody for your next "fix." Or both.

In addition to causing strong food cravings and fatigue, 
imbalanced glucose levels are also notorious for causing 
headaches, insomnia, brain fog, excess weight that won't go away 
and of course, pronounced emotional imbalance. This may show up 
as depression, irritability, anxiety and often, swinging from one 
mood to the next.

If you want to truly balance your emotions and conquer your food 
cravings, you must stabilize your blood sugar! Following these 
dietary recommendations will help:

1 ~ Eliminate or relegate stimulants to rare occasions, including: 
    caffeine, chocolate, refined salt, alcohol and refined 
    carbohydrates (sugars, high fructose corn syrup, white refined 
    flour, etc.)

2 ~ Eat animal protein or whole grains within an hour of waking up.

3 ~ Eat three balanced meals daily and feed cravings for sweets 
    with protein.

4 ~ Substitute stevia extract for concentrated or artificial 
    sweeteners, as this natural herbal sweetener is known to 
    balance blood sugar levels.

5 ~ Snack on a handful of wolfberries, also known as goji berries, 
    which help support pancreatic function.


When it comes to supplementation, as we discussed in Part I, you 
will also want to be sure that you're taking both a green food 
and broad-based whole food supplement -regularly and abundantly. 
In addition to supplying the body with an array of vital 
nutrients, these two products are also very effective in 
stabilizing blood sugar. Which means a double dose of assistance 
in your endeavor to curb uncontrollable urges for poor-quality 
foods.

Once your blood sugar levels are maintained in balance regularly, 
you will notice that both food cravings and emotional upsets will 
subside significantly. This could take a few weeks to a few 
months depending on the person and to what degree efforts to 
reverse this condition are followed.

Therapeutic-grade essential oils can help you through this 
transition period and to establish and maintain an ongoing sense 
of well-being.

1 ~ Bergamot and Cinnamon are both helpful for general cravings 
    and addictions. (I once had a client who put a few drops of 
    Bergamot on her feet every day and within a few days her 
    irresistible cravings for salt and salty snacks completely 
    went away!)

2 ~ Because Fennel and Dill help balance blood sugar levels, 
    they are especially effective in clearing an unhealthy 
    desire for sweets.

3 ~ Ginger, Lemon, Peppermint, and Spearmint may help with 
    emotional eating and/or overeating.

NOTE: Make sure you are using therapeutic-grade essential oils 
almost exclusively available from a few select distribution 
companies. DO NOT expect to get the same results from perfume-
grade aromatic oils, which is what is available at most retail 
outlets.

Use your intuition and experiment to see what works best for you. 
Consult reference guides to essential oils for more 
recommendations.

Most people experience a dramatic reduction in their food 
cravings within a short period of time after following the 
preceding recommendations. Balancing and nourishing your body-
mind system for the long haul, however, is a process that will 
take a bit of time to integrate as a lifestyle. Time well spent, 
as the rewards are great and will affect every area of your life!

If you find yourself struggling with suggested changes or that 
they are not as effective as you would like, chances are you also 
need to thoroughly cleanse your body-mind system. More on this 
third piece of the curb-and-conquer-your-food-cravings puzzle in 
Part III.
 

Kelly Hayford, C.N.C., is the award-winning author of 
"If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It!" As a former junk food 
junkie turned nutrition and health coach she has helped 
thousands reverse dis-ease, and restore their health, 
energy and natural weight. For tips, talks and teleclasses 
on healthy eating and holistic self-care, visit: 
http://www.FoodFitnessByPhone.com or call 303.746.8970