Food cravings are down right annoying. There you are, diligently working away at your desk when the thought of a chocolate bar (or potato chips, or other high-fat or high-sugar treat) pops into your head. You can't stop thinking about the chocolate bar, and before too long those thoughts of the chocolate bar are so consuming you can no longer focus on your work. Images of chocolate bars are flying through your head and becoming more and more desirable by the minute.
What Are Food Cravings?
A craving, by definition, is a longing or desire for something. Somehow though, a 'food craving' seems to carry more gravity than a craving for anything other than food... at least while you're in the midst of a food craving battle!
Why Do We Crave Certain Foods?
That's the million dollar question. It's often said that food cravings are a response to our body's nutritional needs. For example, that a desire for salty potato chips is really caused by our body being low in sodium. Or that a craving for sugar-laden sweets is the result of low blood sugar levels. While these ideas are great in theory, there is little scientific evidence to support them.
Fatty Foods Are Often The Focus Of Food Cravings
Perhaps the most telling thing about food cravings is that they're usually for foods high in fat and energy, and low in fibre and protein. In other words, foods that have few redeemable nutritional characteristics and aren't often consumed in our day-to-day diet. And we're also more likely to suffer from food cravings when we're dieting or limiting our eating for some reason, or specifically limiting the very food we're craving... yes it's a cruel irony, but it's true.
Our Brains Remember Fatty Food Consumption For A Long Time
Our brains form a long-term memory of our experiences of eating high-fat foods, according to researchers from the University of California. When we eat high-fat foods, the fatty acids arrive in our gut and are digested, in the process a compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA)is created and sent to the brain to reduce appetite. Unfortunately, OEA also helps to consolidate the memory of this fatty food eating experience in our brain; ensuring it isn't just a short-term memory but rather a long-term memory.
This memory promoting action of fatty foods was probably really handy in times centuries gone by. But, in todays world of abundant food, excess consumption and obesity, it's the last thing we need. Worst of all, scientists believe this process may actually cause food cravings for fatty foods, but more research is needed to confirm this finding.
How Do We Beat Food Cravings?
You know the old saying - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em? Well that's almost the approach that we need to take to food cravings. Only in a modified and healthier way. Consider the following points:
1. Cravings Often Occur When We're Hungry
Often it's really not the specific food that we're after, it's just food in general we're needing. Instead of caving into a food craving for an energy dense, high fat or high sugar treat food, muster up your energies and get yourself a healthy snack to tide you over until your next meal time. Check out our healthy snack ideas.
2. What Are The Consequences Of Fulfilling Your Food Craving?
If you're still fixated on that one particular food then consider this - how will you feel after you've eaten a pile of it? What will the consequences be? Will you be disappointed in yourself? Guilty? Regretful? Wishing you had more willpower beforehand? Or maybe you won't care at all?
Consider the consequences carefully and if you feel it's not a big issue in the scheme of your diet (i.e. you're eating a generally healthy diet) then have a small serving of your desired food.... the operative word is small. If you don't want to succumb to this food craving and you're hungry then you're back at step 1. If you're not hungry, then it's time to get moving and get food off your mind - go for a walk, do a little gardening, phone a friend, have a glass of water or a cup of tea, do something to take your mind off food until your next planned meal.
3. Complete 'Treat' Deprivation Causes More Harm Than Good
If you're concerned about your food cravings impacting your long-term health goals (maybe you're trying to lose weight, or you're trying to cut down on your chocolate intake because you know you eat too much, or you don't want to be building up "long-term memories of fatty foods") then it's time for some long-term planning.
Completely depriving ourselves of a treat food we enjoy can actually cause us to crave that very food, according to scientists. So rather than completely denying yourself, plan how to eat a balanced diet that includes a little something special occasionally. I book myself in for a small piece of dark chocolate in the evening after dinner around 3-4 times a week. It gives me something to look forward to and I can cope with any mid-afternoon sugar cravings by eating a healthy snack right then (fruit and herbal tea, or a glass of milk and crackers with cheese and relish) to satiate my hunger and still look forward to the chocolate later.
Don't Stoke The Food Craving Fire
Deprivation isn't the key to beating food cravings, in fact it's more likely to cause the cravings. If you want to manage your food cravings then try giving yourself a small treat every so often and manage your hunger appropriately with good healthy food.
And if we needed more incentive to stay away from high-fat foods this latest research from the University of California is it. Eating high-fat foods may be imprinting new long-term memories about those foods in your mind and setting us up for future food cravings. As a general rule don't include high-fat and high-sugar foods in your everyday diet, as it seems your brain will remember them and potentially the more you eat the more you'll end up craving them... a vicious circle, that it's best to stay away from.
The Take Home Message On Food Cravings...
Sound confusing? Eat a little bit of your favourite treat, occasionally. Not a lot of your favourite treat, often. That about sums it up! Now I'm off to enjoy some chocolate, just a little bit mind you...
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