Take Control of Your Cravings

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What are cravings?

A food craving is an intense desire to consume a specific food, and is different from normal hunger. 

What causes food cravings?

Our emotions can trigger physical hunger. Emotional eaters eat to reduce stress but also because it feels so much better than how they feel. When you don’t have a good day, your brain’s production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that keeps you from feeling anxious and depressed) can drop. Studies link low levels of serotonin in women to irritability and increased appetite. The mood and appetite-regulating chemicals in the brain like to stay balanced. So when you experience unpleasant emotions that throw off that balance, your brain will try to compensate. 

Research has shown the things that cause low serotonin – including stress, PMS, exhaustion, lack of sleep and sex hit women harder than men because women start out with only about 25% less of the chemical. 

To maintain its proper levels, your brain issues an order for carbohydrates, which contain the amino acid tryptophan, a building block of serotonin. That’s why when you are hungry you want to scarf down a slice of pizza instead of grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. When you do, your body pumps out more serotonin, which takes the edge off instantly. Then your blood sugar plummets and you end up craving another slice of pizza. You probably aren’t hungry but it really feels that way. 

How can I control my cravings?

The most common time to binge is after a meal. Hunger is actually not the reason for overeating. Low serotonin can impair your ability to tell when you’re full, making you want to eat more when you don’t need to and overeat.

1. Skipping meals sets you up for cravings! Eat regular meals of complex carbs – not refined, like white bread and pasta – with protein and a small amount of healthy fat. This will keep your blood sugar steady and you will feel satisfied. Make smart choices when snacking between meals. Try low-fat yogurt and granola or half a whole wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter.
2. Keep a food log for a week. Record what you eat along with your mood, stress, and how hungry you feel before you eat. This will help you identify the things that make you raid your candy stash so you can stop yourself from eating half a bag of chocolate.
3. You’re most likely to overindulge during the first 20 minutes after a stressful event. If you can resist temptation for that long, the urge will probably fade.
4. Gulp a glass of water or decaf hot tea, caffeine can trigger the release of stress chemicals.
5. If you feel you need to “chew” something grab a stick of sugar- free gum. Researchers in Australia measured levels of cortisol in the saliva of study subjects and found gum chewers had 16% less stress hormone than non-chewers and respond better to stressful situations.
6. Studies show laughter cuts stress, releases feel-good endorphins, and burns calories.
   

How can I survive a craving?

You don’t plan to scarf down 2 large candy bars at 3 PM, but it can happen. Research shows that many people tend to inhale a jaw-dropping 530 calories in snacks every day. Make these easy, single-serve kits ready when the feeling hits. Each one is 250 calories or less and full of satisfying fuel that revs the metabolism and burns fat. Stash them in your car, gym bag, desk, or purse.

Sweet Tropical Trail Mix

1/2 cup freeze-dried banana chips

2 T dark chocolate chips

1 T unsweetened shredded coconut

Mix all ingredients in a zip-top sandwich bag. Seal and shake gently to combine.

Per serving: 230 cal, 11 g fat (7 g sat), 38 g carbs, 28 g sugar, 10mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 3 g protein

Salty Mediterranean Cracker Bites

7 small whole grain crackers

7 sun-dried tomatoes

7 tsp premade olive tapenade

Spoon 1 t tapenade onto each cracker and top with 1 sun-dried tomato.

per serving: 210 cal, 7 g fat (0.5 sat), 33 g carbs, 6 g sugar, 780 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 5 g protein

Chewy Apricot-Gorgonzola Sammies

3 dried apricots, cut in halves

1 oz creamy gorgonzola cheese

6 almonds

Place one-third cheese and 2 almonds between each set of apricot halves.

per serving: 250 cal, 18 g fat (9 g sat), 16 g carbs, 12 g sugar, 590 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 11 g protein

Spicy Curried Popcorn Crunch

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3 cups air-popped popcorn

1 tsp hot curry powder

3 T shelled salted pistachios

Place ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and shake gently to combine.

per bag: 240 cals, 12 g fat (1.5 g sat), 27 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 210 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 9 g protein

You can change the way your react when stressed, it takes time. You can still treat yourself. If you want to relax with a bowl of ice cream use the serving size label on the package. Put it in a small bowl. Only have 3 cookies instead of a whole sleeve.

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