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What causes food cravings

December 27, 2008

Have you ever caught yourself thinking about a dessert even after you have had a full dinner? This might be a food craving. It has nothing to do with hunger. Here are a few facts about food cravings:

A food craving
When you desire to have a specific food or taste and keep binging on it only to feel guilty and depressed later on, you are having a food craving. It is different from eating when hungry because when you are hungry, you eat to satisfy your hunger. However, you can have craving regardless of whether you are hungry or not and it is always for some specific food.

Causes
Dieting is a common cause for having such cravings. The mind always wants what it cannot have and so it craves the foods that you are not supposed to eat.

Another reason would be that your body needs it. If your body is low on sugar, it will crave carbs.

Sometimes cravings are the result of a formed habit over the years. If you have been having chips when you watch TV right from your childhood, then you are bound to crave for chips when you watch TV.

Emotional needs can also lead to cravings. If you associate some foods to feeling better, the next time you are sad or stressed you will crave for that food to make you feel better.

Evolution can also be a reason. In the early times, high calorie foods were a rarity. So even now, the human mind craves high caloric foods.

Curb your cravings
If you have regular meals, your body will not become deficient in blood sugar and crave carbs.
Be prepared for times when you have to go long before you can have a meal. Keep healthy snacks like fresh fruits, whole-wheat crackers ready for such times.

Food cravings last at the most for 20 minutes. Therefore, try to distract yourself for that time.
If the TV is showing your favourite food, then turn it off so that you can stop the craving before it can start.
Drink a lot of water so that you can keep yourself full.
Do not ban foods from your diet. Doing so will only lead you to crave for more. Have an occasional bite.

Be safe
Next time you have cravings, you know what to do. So enjoy yourself.


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