Combating CravingsAlthough cravings seem to be a part of daily life for some, there are ways to take care of the body to avoid the imbalances that may cause them.”Learning to listen to the body is extremely important. Cravings always mean something whether it is a cellular and/or metabolic need or an emotional state or need,” says Kelle. “Mindfulness and body awareness practice are important tools that we often ignore and might provide answers or clues to why we have particular food cravings.”If you’ve adjusted your diet to make up for nutritional deficiencies and are still suffering from cravings, Kelle says that you may need to abstain from an intensely craved food entirely.”Research has shown that reducing carbohydrates over time reduces those cravings,” she says. “Similarly, low-fat eaters tend to have a better control of high-fat foods such as fried and rich foods over time.”Just as important as the nutritional reasoning behind your cravings is the emotional reasoning that could be the root cause for intense food desires, says Kelle.”Always check in with emotions before you give in to a particular craving. If it appears suddenly as a ‘must have it now,’ most likely it is related to feelings,” she says. “Ask yourself if the food will solve the emotions you are experiencing and how the craved food experience will affect your mood in an hour or two.”Food addiction and food cravings can be serious problems, so if you are experiencing persistent food issues and suspect that it is truly uncontrollable, contact a registered nutrition professional and licensed therapist for support.
Have you ever wondered why every day around 3 p.m. you get a hankering for a candy bar? Or why you have a terrible day if your morning doesn’t begin with a cup (or two, or three) of Joe?
Most everyone has felt an overwhelming craving at some point, and some believe that through those cravings our body is trying to send a message notifying us of legitimate deficiencies.
“The word crave has several meanings and definitions. Typically it’s an intense desire for a specific food beyond typical hunger that comes on suddenly. A wanting that will not end until the food is consumed. It is often called ‘head hunger’ or ‘mouth hunger’ because it originates in the mind in thoughts as opposed to stomach hunger,” says registered dietician and licensed nutritionist Pam Kelle. “Listening to our bodies can help inform us of possible deficiencies or needs.”
While experts have theories on the connection between cravings and actual deficiencies, most will agree that controlling diet can help control or eliminate cravings entirely. “Cravings almost disappear when we learn the proper ratios of fats, carbs and proteins that we should eat. Starting the day with all carbs can set us up for cravings all day that can’t be reduced regardless of how good the diet is the rest of that day,” says Ed Jones, owner and founder of Nutrition World. “Knowing that over exercise, chemicals in foods, MSG, food colorings, high fructose corn syrup and too much gluten can maintain cravings.”