Understanding why we crave
A craving is a persistent and strong desire to eat a specific type of food, driven by factors including brain responses and easy access to foods. While we cannot blame ourselves entirely for food cravings, they can be a great challenge to maintaining a healthy weight. Therefore, it is important to learn how to stop cravings and make smarter food choices.
Several factors are responsible for food cravings. For instance, emotional eating is all about how you feel and the need for pleasure, relief or comfort. Hyperpalatable foods which are high in sugar, fats and salts also contribute to cravings. These foods stimulate the pleasure centres of the brain, causing a massive release of feel-good hormones. This may disrupt normal feeding patterns and brain responses.
Hormonal changes in women can also be a trigger. As oestrogen levels change during the menstrual cycle, appetite may increase. By understanding these factors, we can make better choices for a healthier life.
Hunger Versus Cravings
Hunger is a normal body response. If the stomach has not received food in some hours, it produces ghrelin which tells your brain that you need to eat. It also develops gradually with physical symptoms such as dizziness or weakness and can be satisfied by any kind of food.
On the other hand, cravings are usually sudden desires for a specific type of food and can only be satisfied by it. While they may occur together, hunger is not always associated with food cravings.
Tips To Control Your Cravings and Choose Healthy Foods
Are you trying to limit your desire for junk foods? Here are some tips on how to stop cravings:
Manage stress
Stress is a major trigger for food cravings. When you are stressed, there is increase in cortisol. This changes responses in the brain, leading to low dopamine. Low dopamine, in turn, increases cravings.
Practise mindful eating
Whenever you are craving a particular food, your first response should not be to get what you want. It is important to understand if what you feel is hunger or craving. Instead of mindless snacking, consider taking a walk, playing a game, doing a chore or other fun activities. Usually, if it is a craving, the urge reduces in a while.
Plan your meals
Having a meal plan is a great way to choose healthy foods. Planning in advance also makes you aware of what you will eat at a particular time. This approach reduces the risk of impulsive and unhealthy food choices whenever you are hungry.
ALSO READ: 6 Nigerian Foods That Can Fight Sugar Cravings
Choose a Healthy Eating Plate
Eating a diet centred on protein is a great way to reduce your appetite throughout the day. Protein-rich foods help you feel fuller for longer. According to a study, increasing protein intake to 25% of calories reduced cravings by 60% in overweight men.
Healthy eating plate helps you create a balanced meal. It consists of 50% fruits and vegetables, 25% whole grains and 25% protein, with healthy fats.
Drink more water
Are you craving pizza, soda, burger? Firstly, you should drink water. Similar brain centres are stimulated by hunger and thirst. What this means is that you might think you are hungry or need to eat something when you actually just need some water.
Get enough sleep
A good sleep is important for overall health. Staying up late may promote unhealthy feeding habits like midnight snacking. Lack of sleep is also linked to imbalance in hormones regulating appetite. This may increase cravings for starchy, high-fat and salty foods.
Limit Triggers
Cravings can be triggered by the smell, taste and thought of foods. Food advertisements for unhealthy snack foods may cause overeating and obesity. Habits such as scrolling through social media posts about junk foods should also be avoided.
Moving Forward
Overcoming cravings is a continuous process that requires commitment. In some cases, cravings are caused by nutritional deficiency. So, it is good to identify triggers and replace cravings with healthier alternatives. Ultimately, good health lies in paying attention to what our cravings mean and making positive changes.
