How To Overcome Cravings

[Andrew Gubb]

Perhaps a little short to be a serious how-to, but here's something I did that helped me overcome my cravings for cooked cashews.

First, a little context. I'm on the 80/10/10 raw diet, a low fat raw diet which aims to eat what humans ate in nature, and uses health results as evidence that the theories are correct.

Cashew Cravings

On cashews. Even raw cashews I don't consider healthy food, because in nature their shells are full of a caustic acid which makes it impossible to eat them without tools.

Raw cashews, then, can be assumed to be unhealthy. The assumption is confirmed by results, at least to my satisfaction: I find them very addictive, and if I find I don't feel I have a *choice* whether to eat something, something is wrong.

Cashews also tend to have too much fat in the quantities I'm pulled to eating them in. Add on top of that the fact that they're never really raw when I buy them to give into my cravings, and we have an issue.

Overcoming Cravings

Here's what I did to overcome my cashew craving.

I was in a shop with my friend and was unfortunate enough to be hungry, which makes it harder for me to overcome cravings. My friend bought a pack of cashews. I started to feel a very strong pull towards buying some, so much that my rational mind tried to shut down.

So I stopped and said aloud:

"Pros of buying cashews: I'm addicted so they will grant me a momentary pleasure."

"Cons of buying cashews: they won't do my body any good at all. They could contribute to a future sickness, and I'll feel less than optimum in the short term too."

For some reason, saying this aloud did the trick. The pressure to buy cashews dropped, and I continued on my merry way.

In Closing: How To Overcome Cravings And Still Eat Non Optimum Foods

From this post you may have got the idea that I'm extremely strict in my diet. I do feel like I'm priveliged to have an understanding that I'm very confident in regarding what foods are optimum or not. But the great thing is, that understanding is all you need. You can know what food is not optimum and still eat it. But then when you get sub optimum health, you'll know why.

I currently choose to eat a what I feel are sub optimum foods (cooked foods, grains, etc) in one or two meals a month or so, mostly when I go out to a restaurant etc. I do it for the experience of being in a restaurant, which I don't want to give up.

I know the body is very powerful and can clear up any mess you give it when you fuel it well (with sweet fruits and leafy green vegetables). But obviously, if you don't fuel it well and expect it to clear up horrible messes day after day, its capabilities will wear down.

That's my viewpoint atm anyway.

Andrew

Relevant links:

Something that might help you overcome your cashew cravings
This might help you overcome your cashew cravings too
How To Overcome Cravings

[lifetimelearner]

thanks Andrew

[marinik]

Hope this diet is making you healthier and feeling even better.

[Lifeisamazing]

Sorry, but your logic is awkward. The same logic as fruit is bad because it grows up high and you have to climb to get to eat them. Clearly vegetables are the real deal and fruits are bad.

[spacecadetglow]

I'm also raising an eyebrow at the person who's opposed to eating foods that require the use of tools, yet is sitting and typing at a computer? Hmm...

Really, where do you draw the line?

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Monkeys use tools to get to the food that they eat.



Nut cracking monkey finds the right tool for the job

[spacecadetglow]

Yeah, the whole distinction we draw between "natural" and "unnatural" is a false one. If it happens, it's natural. I always chuckle at the idea that humans are "meant to eat" a certain way, too. Sounds like dogma to me.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

thanks Andrew

Welcome!

Originally Posted by Marinik

Hope this diet is making you healthier and feeling even better.

Thanks Marinik, it is, and I wish the same for you and your diet

Originally Posted by lifeisamazing

Sorry, but your logic is awkward

Don't worry about it, it works for me!

Originally Posted by spacecadetglow

I'm also raising an eyebrow at the person who's opposed to eating foods that require the use of tools, yet is sitting and typing at a computer? Hmm...

Really, where do you draw the line?

Well, I do what makes me feel best. That's where I find out where to draw the line. If it were only based on mental concepts with no grounding in reality, then obviously it could become totally senseless.

Originally Posted by Lak

Monkeys use tools to get to the food that they eat.

Sure, and squirrels use their teeth to bite open nut shells. But neither squirrels nor monkeys eat cashews, which are full of poison.

We can assume that if the outside of the cashew cointains poison, the inside is likely to contain at least traces. How can we be assured that all of that is washed out?

Anyway, that's roughly my reasoning. I'm not trying to make converts here, so it doesn't really matter that much.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

FYI "raw" cashews aren't raw anyways, they are steamed to release the toxin.

So you probably can't eat them according to your dietary restrictions anyway.

Interestingly my pediatrician recommended offering cashews instead of peanuts to my son, since there is a much lower incidence of allergic reactions to shelled cashews than shelled peanuts. Go fig.

[Angela]

The seeds of plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, and apples are all poisonous, too. As with cashews, it's a fairly simple workaround.

[spacecadetglow]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Well, I do what makes me feel best. That's where I find out where to draw the line. If it were only based on mental concepts with no grounding in reality, then obviously it could become totally senseless.

Doing what feels best to you is fine, but it certainly seemed like you were basing it in a mental concept that's important to you, i.e., eating foods that don't require the use of tools.

Sure, and squirrels use their teeth to bite open nut shells. But neither squirrels nor monkeys eat cashews, which are full of poison.

Even if there are traces of the toxin in the cashew nut itself, you don't think our bodies are prepared to handle that stuff and eliminate it properly? You probably inhale more toxins in the air you breathe daily than the amount you'd get from eating cashews. Idk, just seems obsessive and slightly neurotic to me, but when then again I was on the 811 diet I thought I was the sane one too.

[spacecadetglow]

Originally Posted by Angela

The seeds of plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, and apples are all poisonous, too. As with cashews, it's a fairly simple workaround.

Oh, I've definitely eaten apple seeds before. Guess I can kiss my longevity goodbye.

[Angela]

Strictly speaking, alcoholic beverages are poisonous, too. And yet, a glass of red wine a day has been shown to actually increase longevity. Go figure!

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi

FYI "raw" cashews aren't raw anyways, they are steamed to release the toxin.

So you probably can't eat them according to your dietary restrictions anyway.

Interestingly my pediatrician recommended offering cashews instead of peanuts to my son, since there is a much lower incidence of allergic reactions to shelled cashews than shelled peanuts. Go fig.

Well there are those which are sold as "really raw", though in fact I've never had them. Every time I've eaten cashews they have been cooked, and I've been aware of it.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by spacecadetglow

Even if there are traces of the toxin in the cashew nut itself, you don't think our bodies are prepared to handle that stuff and eliminate it properly? You probably inhale more toxins in the air you breathe daily than the amount you'd get from eating cashews. Idk, just seems obsessive and slightly neurotic to me, but when then again I was on the 811 diet I thought I was the sane one too.

Well, I'm walking my path, I'll let you walk yours.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Don't worry about it, it works for me!Well, I do what makes me feel best.

Sorry but I do worry about it. If your logic is based on complete science, then it's great that you distribute it, but I cannot really let you tell other people that cashews are bad because you need tools to eat them.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Well, I'm walking my path, I'll let you walk yours.

But you're spreading your dogma, so you want other people to walk your path (which is fine) but I don't really like when the correctness of your path isn't proved (at all).

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

Sorry but I do worry about it. If your logic is based on complete science, then it's great that you distribute it, but I cannot really let you tell other people that cashews are bad because you need tools to eat them.

OK, fly over to Spain then and kill me.

Otherwise I'll keep on sharing my views and allowing others to come to their own conclusion based on their personal sense of authority.

Dude, you can't stop me offering my views, just as you can't force me to argue with you. Tone down the aggressiveness a notch, it's not getting you anywhere.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

OK, fly over to Spain then and kill me.

Otherwise I'll keep on sharing my views and allowing others to come to their own conclusion based on their personal sense of authority.

Dude, you can't stop me offering my views, just as you can't force me to argue with you. Tone down the aggressiveness a notch, it's not getting you anywhere.

I didn't see any aggressiveness. I support lifeisamazing's point, and his goal IS to actually help other become healthier and more active.

When you tell someone to "come kill you" - THAT is aggressive and frankly, it repels.

If this is your path, fine, great, awesome. Go for it. But the fact is that your points are not based in real nutritional science, they are based on your own intuition - which is great for you but could be harmful for others, because you aren't applying your intuition to everyone. Just to yourself.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

OK, fly over to Spain then and kill me.

Otherwise I'll keep on sharing my views and allowing others to come to their own conclusion based on their personal sense of authority.

Dude, you can't stop me offering my views, just as you can't force me to argue with you. Tone down the aggressiveness a notch, it's not getting you anywhere.

I don't need you to be killed, I need you to be open and flexible to changes for us all to have intelligent discussions.

You can offer as many views as you wish but I'd like you to confirm them with proof if it's possible.

[sorter]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

In Closing: How To Overcome Cravings And Still Eat Non Optimum Foods

In a nutshell I don't try to overcome cravings or any other impulse. Overcoming or fighting a part of me is a losing proposition.

I try to engage the craving and let it exist with whatever I'm doing. It's a lot more complicated than that but that's about the best I can do at the moment.

For me, using affirmations or my thinking mind in general is useless for dealing with cravings or impulses. My impulses don't seem to give a damn about what I think.

It looks like, via your thinking process, that you engaged the craving enough that it didn't feel attacked. No internal conflict took place and you were able to get on with your day. But I'm guessing.
It seems we usually give into a craving just to resolve the painful internal conflict.

This is a tough subject and people easily feel offended as I see is the case here.
Personally, I think logic has no place in a discussion of diet and especially cravings.

That's my take on it, in a nutshell
.

[votoshka]

Now, I don't KNOW whether or not cashews are bad or not... But I do support Andrew's thinking with regard to cravings, which is sort of what the issue is. Many of us need to learn how to counteract those cravings for things which aren't healthy for us.

Obviously there are some foods that are worse than others, and Andrew - as he said - is very strict about his diet. For most people eating cashews isn't bad... in fact, cashews are probably better than a lot of the rubbish consumed by many people! But if you're going for a diet that's as optimal as possible, then there probably are those foods that are on the "fringe" which may not be as supportive for your health as other foods, and thus which you may choose to avoid.

For most of us, just avoiding the really bad crap like white sugar, white flour, processed foods etc. is enough, because things like that are WAAAAY worse than any natural food, such as a cashew.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

I don't need you to be killed, I need you to be open and flexible to changes for us all to have intelligent discussions.

You can offer as many views as you wish but I'd like you to confirm them with proof if it's possible.

OK, thanks for wording that a bit nicer but I still don't see why I should. For one thing I dont' really believe in proof. You can argue anything and sound authoritive if you want to. For another thing I consider my own experience with 80/10/10 to be proof enough for me. I've also posted a thread once with before and after photos of other people on 80/10/10 diets. That is massive evidence. And finally, your request is not coming from a place of harmoniousness. You want me to post proof so you can argue with it and "disprove" it - or at least assert your authoritiveness. This is why I keep on disagreeing to argue with you.

I don't need to prove my points, they're good enough for me. If other people are interested they can ask me and I'll gladly link them up with some good supporting material for what I'm saying. But I'd only do that if they were really interested in expanding their horizons and not just interested in arguments that go nowhere.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by votoshka

Now, I don't KNOW whether or not cashews are bad or not... But I do support Andrew's thinking with regard to cravings, which is sort of what the issue is. Many of us need to learn how to counteract those cravings for things which aren't healthy for us.

Obviously there are some foods that are worse than others, and Andrew - as he said - is very strict about his diet. For most people eating cashews isn't bad... in fact, cashews are probably better than a lot of the rubbish consumed by many people! But if you're going for a diet that's as optimal as possible, then there probably are those foods that are on the "fringe" which may not be as supportive for your health as other foods, and thus which you may choose to avoid.

For most of us, just avoiding the really bad crap like white sugar, white flour, processed foods etc. is enough, because things like that are WAAAAY worse than any natural food, such as a cashew.

Deeeefinitely

It's all about priorities in each stage of your journey.... cutting out white sugar is about 1000 times more important than dropping cashews.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by sorter

I don't try to overcome cravings or any other impulse. Overcoming or fighting a part of me is a losing proposition.

I agree I spent a lot of time fighting myself on this diet and it caused a lot of turbulence. Eventually I decided to "surrender" to the cravings - but every time I ate something suboptimal, I'd note what it did to me. I was looking for a way to simply drop suboptimal foods of my own volition, without any sense of guilt or conflict.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

OK, thanks for wording that a bit nicer but I still don't see why I should. For one thing I dont' really believe in proof. You can argue anything and sound authoritive if you want to. For another thing I consider my own experience with 80/10/10 to be proof enough for me. I've also posted a thread once with before and after photos of other 80/10/10 diets. That is massive evidence. And finally, your request is not coming from a place of harmoniousness. You want me to post proof so you can argue with it and "disprove" it - or at least assert your authoritiveness. This is why I keep on disagreeing to argue with you.

I don't need to prove my points, they're good enough for me. If other people are interested they can ask me and I'll gladly link them up with some good supporting material for what I'm saying. But I'd only do that if they were really interested in expanding their horizons and not just interested in arguments that go nowhere.

This is why you don't want to argue. You feel that debating leads to nothing, which is not the purpose of a good debate. The purpose is to find out what the truth is, what the most effective/best way of doing something is. If you come up with the truth, then it's great. If I come up with the truth, it's also great because we both benefit from it. It's not about winning or beating the other person. Why do you see debating/arguing as competing with each other?

I'll bring you an analogy to your story. I could seriously be in perfect shape, in awesome shape even if I ate lots of donuts daily. Now, would you say that this is proof that something works? You can be in great shape and not be healthy, you know that don't you?


This guy's diet right now constists of 2+ KFC burgers a day. Is it proof that something works?

Again, we are always looking for the most effective approaches.

[Andrew Gubb]

^I see debating as competing because that's my experience of it.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

^I see debating as competing because that's my experience of it.

I would advise to change your belief about debating and change the people you debate with, then you'll get a different experience.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

I would advise to change your belief about debating and change the people you debate with, then you'll get a different experience.

Thanks for the advice. I haven't changed my opinion though.

[gingerbaker]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

I don't need you to be killed, I need you to be open and flexible to changes for us all to have intelligent discussions.

You can offer as many views as you wish but I'd like you to confirm them with proof if it's possible.

The way I read Andrew's post, it wasn't about cashews and the wisdom (or not) of eating them, but about dealing with cravings as they arise, for whatever food you crave (that *you* deem unhealthy for you.) My understanding was that he offered up his reasoning for why *he* avoids cashews simply to make his analogy easier for others to understand (versus getting into a bunch of questions on "wait, why are you avoiding cashews??")

Even the title seems to point to this topic as one on cravings, not diet choices.