FOOD CRAVINGS
To start off with, are all food cravings bad? Think about it. You’ve been working out in the gym. The sweat is running down your back and all you can think of is quenching your thirst. You need something to cool off and stop you from getting dehydrated. Feeling thirsty is a kind of craving and it’s one that’s definitely good for you. Any kind of craving–healthy or not–is a signal from your brain that you want something. But where does that craving begin?
Some cravings come from our habits. Maybe you like to eat potato chips while you’re watching your favorite TV show. That one habit can fuel a craving for chips anytime you sit down to relax. And you might not even think about how many chips you’ve had because it’s so ingrained in you to munch while the TV’s on.
Many cravings come from our emotions. Have you ever heard, “It’s all in your head?” Quite often, cravings are like that. They are far more emotional than physical. That’s because food carries with it so many memories, feelings, and traditions. When we crave a special food, we’re often missing the person who used to make that food for us. Maybe it’s your mom’s chocolate chip cookies or grandma’s blueberry pie. Or we might be craving the experiences these foods are linked to. I think that’s what happens over the holidays. 9 times out of 10, cravings are linked to our emotions.
Cravings can come from stress. Maybe you’ve had a long, tiring day or a big argument with your boss. How do you cope? Too often, we turn to food to make us feel better. We soothe ourselves with a 3 Muskateers bar or a bag of Pringles. We might tell ourselves, “I can handle this better if just have a piece of pizza!” But is that really true? Can pizza give you peace of mind when you’ve lost a loved one or will it help you cope better when you’ve just lost your job? It’s really only a quick fix that we’ll end up paying for later. And I say that because runaway cravings can set you up for some serious health problems if you don’t learn to control them.
Cravings can come from built-in triggers. Some of our food cravings actually have built-in triggers to make things worse. Dairy products are a good example of this. During digestion, our body breaks down the milk protein casein into casomorphins. When a calf drinks his mother’s milk, casomorphins help him feel warm and relaxed. It also keeps that baby coming back for more. Milk is essential for the calf’s survival. It’s what enables him to grow up so quickly. But it can do the same for you and me. We can get hooked by the same casomorphins present in all dairy foods. It may be one reason why so many Americans can’t seem to live without them.
HOW DO CRAVINGS WORK IN OUR BRAIN?
The area of the brain that has the greatest impact on controlling our cravings is called the frontal lobe or the prefrontal cortex. The frontal lobe handles all the executive functions of the brain. It is our body’s control center–where our power to make decisions and choices are controlled. It’s also the morality center, helping us to know right from wrong, or what’s healthy and what’s not. Spirituality is also governed here, enabling us to forge trusting relationships with those around us and especially with God.
But when there’s little activity going on in the frontal lobe, there’s always a decrease in self-restraint. Brain studies show that this is what causes us to overeat more calorie-dense foods–more chips, more cheese, more meat, and more sugar. These are the foods that seduce us into eating more and more. And what’s even more amazing, when we eat these foods, our brains actually change to the point that it increases our habit of overeating.
How did that occur? When you eat that piece of chocolate cake, the sugars and fats release all of your feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are what makes you feel good. But they also give you an unnatural high. But now, your body is depleted of its stores of endorphins, seratonin, and dopamine. You used them up all at one time by eating that chocolate cake. So that once happy feeling isn’t going to last. You’re going to end up crashing and hitting an unnatural low.
Dr. Nicole Avena, Assistant Professor of Psychology from the University of Florida College of Medicine explains, “It’s possible for foods to be addictive in much the same way that drugs and alcohol are. Just as a night of drinking gives you a nasty hangover, foods that are high in fat, sugar, or caffeine can set you up for withdrawal.” This occurs due to a “second meal effect,” which leaves you hungrier than usual. She writes, “It takes 2 or 3 days to forget that sugar high. So if you eat that piece of cake on Monday, be prepared to have that craving until Thursday.”
8 STRATEGIES TO CALM RUNAWAY FOOD CRAVINGS
What are some simple strategies we can use to control those runaway cravings?
- EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST: Researchers from the University of Missouri found that people who ate a good breakfast had dramatically fewer cravings for both sweet and salty foods during the day. A breakfast with some protein helped most of all. Some healthy options include scrambled tofu with whole=grain toast, a breakfast bean burrito, a vegetarian burger or patty, or simply some baked beans with brown rice.
- OUT OF SIGHT-OUT OF MIND: Keep your home and workplace food-trigger free. If you’re craving potato chips, don’t bring them home from the store. Or if you’re craving a chocolate bar, don’t keep it on hand. Save them for a special occasion like a birthday or Thanksgiving. After a party or a holiday celebration and you have some leftover cake or pie, send the leftovers home with your guests. If it’s not in plain sight, it’s not going to be there to tempt you.
- STAY HYDRATED: Daily drink half your body’s weight in ounces of water. For instance, if you weight 140 pounds, drink 70 ounces of water (about 9 cups). Staying hydrated will help with any hunger pangs and it will prevent your food cravings from kicking up as well. So when you feel a food craving coming on, drink 2 glasses of water right away. If it’s hard to drink that much at one time, why not add a bit of lemon or use herbal tea?
- EAT CONSCIOUSLY: Ask yourself, “Am I really hungry? Or am I feeling worried or a little sad?” What exactly am I feeling? If you’re craving some sugar but aren’t really hungry, try going out for a quick walk and get some fresh air. Or when a craving hits, set the timer for 30 minutes. Time is a big difference between real hunger and a craving. A craving will eventually go away but hunger won’t be satisfied until you give it some food.
- EAT ON TIME: Try to stick to a regular eating schedule of 3 meals with 5 hours in between, with no snacking. Remember, when you think you’re hungry, it may be your body crying out for more water.
- GO TO BED EARLIER: The longer you stay up, the greater the chance that you’re going to eat. In the Journal of Obesity, the authors pointed out, “It’s the work of your ciradian system, which amps up cravings when sundown comes around, telling you to keep eating in order to store more energy.” How can you bring down those cravings? Go to bed earlier–no later than 10 pm. Because if you’re not getting enough sleep, your body will release the hormone ghrelin, often called the “hunger hormone.” This is what stimulates your appetite and can spark more cravings the next day.
- TAKE THE 21 DAY CHALLENGE: Your taste buds and mine have a fantastic memory. So one of the best ways to break a food craving is to avoid eating it for a set period of time. That’s where the 21 Day Challenge comes in. Studies show it takes about 21 days to form a new habit. For some people, it takes a little longer, but no more than 60 days (which is only 2 months). In the meantime, you can swap your food craving for a healthier option. For example, if you’re craving ice-cream, swap it for a delicious fruit smoothie. Or if you’re longing for a chocolate bar, try a bowl of raspberries instead. And the longer you distance yourself from the food trigger–whatever it is–the easier it will be to boot them out.
- YOU NEED POWER: There was a time when my life was spinning out of control. I was bingeing on sweets and snacking in between meals. Cheese was something I ate every single day. I knew all these things were sabotaging my health but I couldn’t seem to stop. I needed a power outside of myself. That’s when I asked God to be on my team. By spending time with Him and claiming His promises for victory, I found a new strength to curb my addictions and not let food control me anymore. It happens one day at a time.
Long ago, a very wise king once said, “Blessed are you, O land…whose princes eat at the proper time–for strength and not for drunkenness!” (Ecclesiastes 10:17) That’s what health is all about–enjoying greater strength in our lives. Whatever changes you need to make in your life, this strength can be yours. I encourage you to tap into it as you move ahead to live well naturally.
