How to head off a snack attack

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You're sitting there, tuning into your work, getting things done, when you hear it: The call of the Girl Scout cookies. What can you do with a snack attack hits?

Dr. Taz Bhatia of CentreSpring MD in Atlanta says stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself why you're craving cookies.

"So if you're hungry, that's one thing," Dr. Bhatia says.  "But, (you may) catch yourself, snacking, where it's more, you need a mental break from whatever you're doing, or you're stressed, or you've got a deadline, or it's an emotional comfort."

So, she says, clue into why you're reaching into whatever you're reaching into and divert.

Maybe, you just need a break.

"So many of us are just pounding away on our phones and computers, but just get up for a second and go talk to somebody for a few minutes and go sit back down," she says.  "Sometimes, that's a way of distracting you from wanting to snack."

Or, you could get up and head outdoors for some fresh air.

"People will get out and walk for 5 to 10 minutes, and that's a distraction."

Dr. Bhatia sometimes heads off her food cravings, by substituting something healthy, but comforting.

"Tea works for me," she says.  "I'll sip on green tea.  I like anything hot. Somehow that resets me, just even putting my hands around it."

Because Dr. Bhatia says hunger is often thirst in disguise.

"Hydration is very important because it's very hard to discern hunger cues from hydration cues," Bhatia says."So, it's really important to drink water all throughout the day."

Shoot for 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, more if you're drinking coffee, tea or sodas.

And, if you have to give in to that urge to snack, try to choose something that will give you the energy to get to the next meal.