My otherwise fit and healthy brother-in-law was recently diagnosed with a hereditary condition that makes his body produce excessive amounts of cholesterol. The cure? Quit eating fat. ALL fat. It was a big change for this guy who was used to hearty meals and an unrestricted diet. I recently asked him how it was going, and he said, "It was really hard in the beginning, because I love to eat. But now I pick up an apple or a banana and it just tastes soooo good." He said he battled cravings for about 6 weeks, but that now they were virtually gone.

In this article from Women's Health, they discuss that same idea as a suggestion for battling cravings. In the long run, you just have to reteach your body what sweet means. Natural sugars from fruits can quiet a craving, and if you're consistent, you'll learn to crave those instead. They have some other great ideas for nipping those cravings in the bud, including:

• Accept and acknowledge the craving (but don't act on it!) to diffuse its power over you.
• Allow yourself a small portion of your favorite treat on occasion, if you can practice portion control.
• Fantasize about something else. Your short-term memory can only hold so much information, so if you start dreaming about that last piece of pumpkin pie, conjure up a different pleasing (and non-food) image to take its place.
• Use smart substitutes. Like I said above, you really can train your brain to crave fruit instead.

How do you handle serious cravings?

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