Food cravings happen to the best of us. In fact, 97% of women and 68% of men say they crave specific foods. You might wonder if cravings are a sign that your body needs specific nutrients or if you’re lacking in something essential. While this could sometimes be the case, for most people, it’s not that simple. The truth is, many of us crave the same types of foods – salty, sweet, and fatty – which aren’t always the healthiest options.
Moreover, food cravings become even more intense when you try to diet. Your brain sabotages your efforts by urging you to consume the very foods you’re trying to avoid, such as potato chips, French fries, ice cream, and cookies. Interestingly, research suggests that there is a common denominator among all these craving-inducing foods: they’re high in sugar, salt, bad fats, and calories.
Triggers for Cravings
There’s a complex interplay of factors that contribute to food cravings. Some of the key triggers include:
- Dieting: A monotonous diet can make you more susceptible to food cravings.
-
Stress: Stressful situations, coupled with hormonal changes, may prompt you to reach for comfort foods like chocolate.
-
Scent: Smells are closely linked to memories, so certain scents can trigger cravings for foods associated with happy experiences.
Overcoming Cravings
To keep those hard-to-resist urges in check, try the following strategies:
- Walk the craving away: Studies show that walking on a treadmill reduces chocolate cravings. When you feel a craving, get active – not only will it help curb the urge, but it’ll also count as a workout.
-
Visualize: Engage the neural pathways responsible for cravings with another activity, such as vividly picturing a pleasant memory. The more detailed the imagery, the better.
-
Don’t go cold turkey: Don’t deprive yourself entirely of your favorite treats. Enjoy them occasionally in controlled portions to deprive the craving of its power.
-
Get some satisfaction: Add seaweed to your dishes as powder or granules. Seaweed contains umami, a taste that promotes satiety, making it easier to control your appetite and reduce cravings for salt, sugar, and fat. Check out this article for more information on the benefits of incorporating seaweed into your meals.
-
Don’t give up dessert: According to German research, cutting out sweets altogether can backfire, making it more difficult to stick to a diet and increasing the likelihood of adding extra pounds. Enjoying a sensible dessert has a positive effect. Learn more about balancing dessert and your diet here.
By understanding the reasons behind your food cravings, you’ll be better equipped to overcome them. When you feel the urge to reach for that bag of chips or chocolate bar, try exercising or visualizing a happy memory first. Remember, allowing yourself to enjoy a treat now and then helps to prevent your diet from becoming monotonous, ultimately keeping those cravings at bay.
