External Craving Hack

Ever walked past a bakery early in the morning, right as soon as they open? Sniffing up the delicious bouquets of fresh goods you get the sudden urge to stop in and pick something up. If so, you just experienced an external food craving.

External food cravings are one of the toughest uphill battles we face when changing our dietary lifestyle. Whether we’re in a social setting, bombarded with advertisements, or even walking past a good smelling bakery, it hits pretty hard. We have to stick to our guns.

Luckily I have a small strategy that helps my team mates and I stay on course. As competitive combat athletes we have to maintain a respective weight range. We also come up with some pretty wacky hacks for keeping our weight at bay. The easiest one I've notice is brushing or mouth rinsing.

We simply carry a portable toothbrush with paste or mouth wash and use them right before a social setting or after a meal to help thwart off a craving. The toothpaste or mouth rinse will alter the taste in your mouth, which can help you turn off the switch on a external craving.Cinnamon and clove flavor is the most effective for me.

Now as you’re walking past this bakery you dig into your pocket and realize you forgot your mouth rinse. Another simple option is to stop breathing from your nose and go into mouth breathing mode. This way you will at least get a little taste of the aroma. 

Gum can be another option, but since the flavor dies off rather quickly you’ll most likely end up chewing a baseball size wad. Carrying the toothbrush with paste and mouth rinse helps us stay on track and keep our sanity when it comes to weight management.