Why Do We Get Food Cravings?

Food cravings vary by person and are formed as a result of genetics, lifestyle, physiological factors, and emotional factors. Here are some of the common causes of food cravings and how to avoid them.

Nutrient Deficient Diets

People often crave a certain food if they have a deficiency in their diet. For example, low blood sugar can cause cravings for sugary foods or refined carbohydrates. To avoid low blood sugar or satisfy your sugar craving eat fruit instead of reaching for a donut or candy bar. The fiber in fruit slows down the breakdown of glucose in the body, which helps maintain even blood sugar levels. In general, make sure you are eating a variety of whole plant foods and whole grains to ensure you are getting all of the nutrients your body needs.

Processed Foods

Processed foods, such as cereals, frozen dinners, and baked goods, contain tons of added salt, sugar, oils, and fats. They may be advertised as “low-calorie” or “low-fat” but they are processed to the point where they should not even considered real food anymore. When we eat these types of processed foods, out body tends to crave more of them because the salt, sugar, and fat can be addictive. In addition, these foods are so lacking in nutrients that they leave us feeling unsatisfied and craving even more food.

Habit

Humans are creatures of habit. Studies have shown that people generally eat the same foods on a routine basis because certain foods are more familiar to them, which adds a level of comfort and ease in preparation. If you are used to eating a bowl of ice cream for dessert every night after dinner, this habit can be very hard to break. We crave what is in our blood, so if we eat unhealthy foods on a regular basis out of habit, our bodies will crave these foods. Alternately, if you regularly eat healthy foods, your body will crave healthy foods. It is important to get into healthy eating and exercise habits rather than unhealthy ones because they can be very hard to break for most people.

Emotions

Certain foods can be comforting to us in times of stress or sadness. In addition, humans tend to associate certain foods with times of happiness. Eating is not only a physical act, it is an emotional one and, often, our emotions win out over our physical needs. This results in unhealthy foods cravings, especially for “comfort” foods such as sugary snacks and fatty foods. In addition, we may eat when our body is not even hungry which can lead to consumption of excess calories and weight gain over time.

Most Addictive Foods – these foods contain chemicals and additives in them that are physically addictive

• Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta
• Salty foods such as chips and French fries
• Non-fat, low-fat or sugar-free foods
• Sugar
• Cheese
• Caffeinated beverages
• Fatty foods such as fried foods and ice cream

How to Avoid Food Cravings

Now that you know what can cause unhealthy food cravings, here are some tips to avoid them

• Make sure you eating a calorie sufficient, high-nutrient diet
• Avoid processed foods (hint: stick to the outside of the grocery store where the fresh, whole foods are and avoid the middle aisles where the packaged, canned foods are located)
• Develop healthy eating and exercise habits – make an exercise and diet plan and track your performance over time, rewarding yourself at milestones
• Try to deal with emotions in healthy ways – exercise is a great way to manage stress and feel happier overall, replace traditional comfort foods with healthy ones such as sweet fruits and/or filling smoothies
• Avoid the addictive foods listed above – these foods activate pleasure centers in the brain which make them addictive and hard to stop eating

The good news is, once you start battling your food cravings, they become easier and easier to avoid, and before you know it you won’t get cravings for unhealthy foods anymore. After changing my diet, I actually crave fruits and vegetables on a regular basis and I don’t have to worry about battling these cravings!!! You can do it too. Change your diet, change your attitude, and change your life!