The real reason why you’re so greedy: Your food cravings explained

Article Source: www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/

When I read the title of this article I knew I just had to blog about it.

I have for years endured the afternoon sugar-craving snack. Eating chocolate did boost my energy levels as it does for many of us.

Through my research I found that my cravings were partly due to the lack of the necessary nutrients my body needed.  Exactly what they say in this article.

Also in my research mixing protein and carbs together kept you feeling fuller for longer and by eating breakfast meant less chance of cravings later on in the day. So I started eating more protein and carb foods and found I did crave less and even ate less.

However I was also victim to emotional eating late in the evenings, which was also compounded by the habit of it.  So I had to work on healing my emotional state in order to stop emotional eating.  Now that took some work but over time as I was healing myself I did suffer less from emotional eating.

I hope you find the tips below in the article useful.

Isabella

∞★∞★∞★∞★∞

WE KNOW the feeling all too well.

The afternoon creeps around and as your energy levels slump, all you can think about is chocolate. Or cake. Or a packet of chips.

Or all of the above.

Eventually you succumb to the craving, feel guilty and vow to do better tomorrow. It’s a frustrating cycle and it’s bloody hard to beat.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. You can beat cravings and you can stop them for good. We spoke to two dietitians about why we get cravings and sure-fire ways to cure them.

Gotcha! Are you guilty of doing a sneaky run to the fridge at night? Source: ThinkStock

Why in the name of salt and vinegar chips do we get cravings?

1. Your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs.

The most common reason people experience food cravings is that their dietary intake is not balanced throughout the day.

“Often a low caloric intake throughout the first half of the day, or skipping breakfast sees people crave sweet food for the remainder of the day,” dietitian and nutritionist Susie Burrell told news.com.au.

“Not eating enough carbohydrate during the day, particularly for those people who also exercise intensely in the morning, will in turn result in fluctuating blood glucose levels which can in turn result in strong cravings for sweet food.”

If you haven’t eaten well throughout the day or if you’ve skipped a meal, your body sends a message to the brain that it’s hungry.

“It looks for quick and convenient foods,” senior nutritionist at Nutrition Australia Queensland, Aloysa Hourigan, said.

2. You’ve programmed your body to crave certain foods at certain times of day.

The 3pm slump; we’ve all been there. Source: ThinkStock

This is called “food memory”. No, you’re not going crazy everyday at 3pm. It’s actually a thing.

“If you always eat a biscuit with your coffee at 10am, your brain is going to be looking for a biscuit with your coffee every day at 10am, until you break the association over a number of days,” said Susie Burrell.

“In such scenarios poor food habits can easily become deeply entrenched as we psychologically link high fat, high sugar foods such as biscuits, cakes and chocolates to certain locations, situations and times of day, eating out of habit rather than desire or hunger.”

There are some rare situations where people find themselves craving specific foods like steak, fish or fruit, which could mean the body is deficient in a particular nutrient such as vitamin C or iron.

If you have repeated cravings like this, you should consult your doctor and a dietitian.

How to cure cravings:

1. Eat more low GI foods and protein

Mmmm. Who doesn’t love a bit of avo toast? Source: ThinkStock

“Make sure you’ve got nutritious meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner,” advises Aloysa Hourigan.

Eating low GI foods means your glucose levels will remain stable and you won’t come crashing down after each meal.

Susie Burrell says: “Remember that the body actually likes to have a constant stream of glucose to deliver to the liver and the brain and if you go without carbohydrates, particularly if you are training regularly or choose the wrong types of carbs, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to extreme sugar highs and lows.”

Include complex carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread or wraps, quinoa, bran cereal, brown rice and sweet potato in each meal.

Upping your lean protein intake will also keep you fuller for longer and stop you wandering over to the vending machine.

2. Are you actually hungry or just having a craving?

Figure out if your body actually needs to be fed, or if you just want the taste of a particular food.

“Try and differentiate between hungry and non-hungry eating,” said Ms Hourigan.

If you are hungry, eat something healthy first. Try a piece of wholegrain toast with avocado and tomato, verge sticks with hummus or a garden salad.

You’ll give your body a much-needed energy kick and fill you up.

3. Indulge in the craving, but only have a little bit

Freaking out about cravings? Feel guilty no more. Source: ThinkStock

If you’ve had something healthy to eat but you’re still craving chocolate or cake, don’t deny yourself. Have it. But only a little bit.

A few blocks of chocolate (preferably dark), a handful of chips, a slither of cake.

You’ll savour the taste more than if you binged.

“For most people, when they’re bingeing they enjoy the first couple of bites and then they’re not really engaging with the food after that,” said Ms Hourigan.

4. Change the taste in your mouth

Brushing your teeth after eating is a proven technique that stops your body from wanting more food.

“Green tea and iced cold water with a lemon slice are green ways to kill a craving for sugar as can sugar free gum and mints,” said Susie Burrell.

5. If it’s an emotional craving, seek comfort elsewhere

“You need to find some other way to deal with that emotion,” said Ms Hourigan.

“You need to try and identify what thoughts are driving that need [to eat comfort food].

Instead of having a whole block of chocolate, try some relaxation techniques, play some music, chat to a friend or go for a walk.

Ms Hourigan advises keeping a food and mood diary so you can track when you start indulging in emotion-fuelled eating.

If you’re really struggling with emotional eating, you should see a dietitian or a psychologist.

The key to combating cravings is knowing you’re never a victim and you have the ability to take control of your diet. Indulging every now and then is normal. We should never deny ourselves completely. The key is balance.