Cravings, Cravings Cravings – Getting a Handle on Cravings

 Do you find yourself constantly reaching for a snack driven by an overwhelming urge, often seemingly for no reason? If so, then you are not alone. In fact, research by Marcia Pelchat at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia shows that if you experience food cravings, then you join the 90 – 100 percent of women and 67 percent of men aged 18-35 who also have food cravings. Which means you are perfectly normal!

Technically, a food craving is having a strong desire for a specific, individual food item. Carbohydrates get the blame for most food cravings, however studies have shown that most people actually crave “high density” foods – foods that are high in calories that have a combination of carbohydrates and fats (and sometimes some protein too) for a calorie-packed punch in a small amount of food.

Why do we experience food cravings? This has been and still is under great debate among researchers and is being studied from many different angles. It is thought that a major factor in initiating food cravings is lower levels of or lack of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain called a neurotransmitter that helps relay signals between cells. It is thought that serotonin helps regulate carbohydrate intake and that low levels of carbohydrates may result in lower levels of serotonin, which in turn flips the switch for cravings.

However, this is only part of the story. As you have probably already experienced when walking by that donut store, pizza outlet, hamburger joint or any other food place, the smell alone may initiate intense hunger cravings. And what may stimulate your olfactory senses may not have the same effect on the person next to you. Researchers believe that the physiological reaction to foods is also based on a number of cultural and emotional experiences that work together to relate strong, positive experiences to certain foods. For example, foods with pleasurable experiences are often used within a reward structure or as a means of providing comfort that most often begins in childhood. As it continues to be reinforced throughout life, the association with certain foods grows stronger. The psychological desire can be made even stronger when a time of duress causes one to reach for “comfort foods” to help soothe away the stress and accompanying troubles.

So we know we have them, then how best to manage those cravings? Researchers at Tufts University believe that it may be more useful to acknowledge the cravings and practice moderation rather than straight out denial of food cravings. In other words, it is better to have a very small portion of the food that’s been craved every once in awhile rather than complete denial of the craving. Complete denial of the craving more often than not causes the craving to intensify to the point that once the initial barrier is broken (giving in to the craving), dieters frequently overindulge. Thus begins the vicious cycle all over again: denial, overindulge, denial, etc.

Alternately, by getting in the habit of substituting a similar food that is lower in calories and preferably better for you, then you also increase the likelihood that you can change your cravings for the better food. And even though the original craving won’t completely go away, it gives you more personal power to be able to control when and how much you do eat when you do give in to the craving. By controlling the frequency of giving in to your cravings rather than suppressing them, you are more likely to stay within the context of a well-balanced diet.

 If cravings are your downfall, then I encourage you to work out a personal plan for gaining control over them and thus give yourself a better chance to attain your weight loss goals and stay there for a healthier life.