We all know the feeling of hunger and probably also extreme hunger. Been there, done that.
However, feeling hungry and therefore wanting to eat something is a completely different story than actual food cravings.
This raises the questions, what then are food cravings and why do we have them?
Let’s find out…
Content
What are food cravings? – food cravings explained
Difference between hunger and food craving
What are the causes? – reasons
How can I control my cravings?
What your food cravings mean, what you need and how you can stop them
What are food cravings? – food cravings explained
Food cravings are both mental and physical. Will power is mental. Therefore a craving is not only mental.
A food craving is an extreme desire for a specific food. This feeling may not go away until the one exact craving of food has been consumed.
It also may seem uncontrollable.
Difference between hunger and food craving
We usually crave calory dense foods and such with a high sugar percentage – chocolate cravings are more common than lettuce cravings. Therefore food cravings often lead to weight gain.
Some experts say food cravings last no longer than 5 minutes. Not giving in for 10 minutes might be the solution to putting an end to your food cravings.
What are the causes? – reasons
Certain foods create physical addictions. They trick our brain into feeling good, happy & relaxed. As a consequence we want more. Typically chocolate, processed carbs, refined sugar, salt or cheese.
Dehydration
If you are deydrated, your body is very likely to confuse thirst with hunger.
Physical reasons
Food cravings are caused by parts of the brain that are responsible for memory, reward and pleasure.
An imbalance of certain hormones raise the possibillity of cravings drasticly.
Another aspect are emotions. Eating for comfort is a common occurance.
Lack of nutrients
Another reason could be a lack in certain nutrients. For more information keep on reading.
Memory & habits
If you always eat half a bar of chocolate after arriving home from a long day at work, it becomes a ritual or a habit that will make you want another half bar of chocolate the next evening again.
How can I control my cravings?
Drink enough
If your body is dehydrated, it confuses hunger with thirst. Therefore first reach out for a big glass of water… aaand bottoms up.
Hydration will help with keeping your cravings at bay.
Stress management
Cravings go hand in hand with stress.
Stress plays a major role in our health – it affects our sleep, metabolism, focus, energy levels, hormones and overall well-being. Stress not only increases the chance of food cravings, but also is responsible for weight gain on its own.
Therefore invest your time in stress management tools and start incorporating them into your daily routine, such as meditation or practicing mindfulness.
Brush your teeth
Firstly, right after brushing your teeth, it is less likely to go back to eating immediately.
Secondly, by taking out a few minutes to brush your teeth, you shift your focus from the craving to another task.
Find alternatives
Another simple yet effective tool, is to replicate the foods you’re craving with healthier & more satisfying options.
Eat a healthy diet
Cravings might be a signal from your body, trying to tell you that something is wrong, missing or not enough. By consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet composed of natural Whole Foods, processed as little as possible, you are making sure you are getting all the nutrients and essential vitamins & minerals your body needs for daily functions.
Choose fiber and protein snacks to dial down cravings & hunger.
Make sure you are consuming healthy proteins and fats. Both are important for your body to function properly.
Sleep enough
Not getting enough sleep may negatively influence your hormones, contributing to overeating.
Avoid hunger
We should not wait to eat until our hunger is so big that we would literally eat anything and everything. Extreme hunger leads to choosing foods that are high in sugar and calories, but low nutritional value.
Make sure to eat before your hunger takes over.
Eat real foods
Eating other foods than those you crave and choosing real foods (such as fruits and veggies), will help our brain rewire, heal our addictions and choose real foods over unhealthy options.
Reset your taste buds
Our taste buds have a great memory. Reset them and your cravings will naturally decrease.
Create new habits
Take a break from addictive foods for 21 days. That’s how long it takes to create a habit.
Also this way your taste buds will automatically have time to reset.
Understand it
Knowledge is power. Familiarizing yourself with this topic and the feelings you have when cravings arise is what will allow you to deal better with it. If you don’t know what’s happening, how can you do the right things?
Understand your feelings, when it is likely to happen, what causes it might have for you and learn to feel the difference between true hunger vs emotional eating.
This way you are much stronger than your cravings and you are in control of them.
What your food cravings mean, what you need and how you can stop them
Cravings might be way how your body is trying to communicate with you. Our bodies are extremely complex & smart – they know what we need to stay healthy.
It is worth investing a little deeper look into the foods you’re craving and what your body might be trying to tell you therethrough.
If you have doubts, questions or experiences you would like to share, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. You can contact me via the contact form or send me a dm on Instagram @sarahgluschke
I’m looking forward hearing from you.
To your health,
Sarah