The truth about food cravings

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Le Thi Minh Huong - Emergency Medicine Doctor - Department of Resuscitation - Emergency - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

1. Food cravings are very common in many people

When asking anyone about what foods they crave, most people can name a few without hesitation. Surveys estimate that almost 100% of young women and almost 70% of young men have had a craving for certain foods within the past 1 year. That's normal for most of us, isn't it?

2. Food cravings can always be in your head

People with cravings say that such cravings are "always on your mind," and studies show that to be the case. In fact, certain areas of the brain are responsible for memory and pleasure, which is partly to blame for cravings.
Brain tests show that memory regions of the brain (responsible for associating a particular food with imagination) are more important for cravings than central brain reward.

3. Reduce stress to suppress cravings

"Appetites arise to satisfy emotional needs, such as alleviating stress and reducing anxiety," says Drewnowski, a renowned researcher on food preferences and taste.
For many of us, cravings increase with stress or anxiety. Carbohydrates increase levels of the hormone serotonin, which has a calming effect on emotions. And recent research suggests that a combination of fat and sugar may also have a calming effect.
Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco exposed mice to high-stress environments and discovered two main points: stressed rats prefer sugar and fat. When rats eat fat and sugar, their brains reduce stress related hormones.

4. Food cravings also come from genetic factors

According to a recent article from the American Society for Social Psychology, getting fat is an evolution found in our genes.
Humans have been able to survive periods of famine and hardship throughout history due largely to our ability to store excess calories, potentially usable over a long period of time, as fat body. To some extent, our bodies may have been programmed to crave foods high in calories.
Also, some studies show that eating a diet lacking in variety can lead to increased appetite. But let's admit it for a fact: the foods we often crave are delicious, and we often have many fond memories associated with them.

5. Don't Blame the Starch

I've heard people say a lot that those are terrible, horrible carbohydrate foods because they have such a strong craving for them. When I ask them what "carb" foods they are talking about, they usually name them:
Chocolate Chips Mixed flavored ice cream Macaroni and cheese Chocolate chip cookies There is a difference It's true that when you crave these foods, you're not just craving carbs, you're craving fat too! According to Drewnowski, cravings are for foods that contain fat, sugar, or both.

6. Some tips to reduce cravings

Not seeing doesn't mean not thinking, "Dietary restrictions even make cravings worse," warns Drewnowski. Better to exercise your control over your food. You can satisfy your chocolate cravings by eating some chocolate or a small sized Snicker chocolate bar.
But if you're someone whose cravings are out of control (meaning you end up eating a box of ice cream, a bag of chocolates, or a box of cookies), it gets more complicated. If you can't control your cravings, it's best to just buy to stock up on the amount of food you want. For example, buy a slice of bread instead of buying a whole bag, buy a few individual chocolate bars instead of buying a whole bag, or just buy a few sets of small cookies.
Make lower-calorie options when possible If you make brownies that are lower in calories, lower in fat, and taste just as good as regular brownies, they can satisfy cravings. your brownie. If you have a soda craving and you drink a diet soda instead of half a regular soda, chances are it will make a huge difference
When Barbara Rolls, PhD, and colleagues from Pennsylvania State University studied 24 women Young women at their university laboratory, they found:
Women who ate smaller, lower-calorie dishes did not feel as hungry as those who ate large amounts of conventional foods. Dieters love the taste of low-calorie foods as much as the taste of regular foods. The reality of our environment is promoting the eating of unhealthy foods. Unhealthy foods like chips and ice cream are easy to buy anywhere. They are heavily advertised and they are also very cheap.

Don't let yourself get too hungry What happens when you skip meals, or don't eat when you're really hungry? Sooner or later, you will get too hungry and you end up overeating to make up for it. It is during this moment of extreme hunger that we tend to crave potentially satisfying foods, such as a candy bar. The advice is that if we eat many meals a day can help control cravings and eat as light as possible.
Let's Start with an Appetite Diary If you really have a problem with your cravings, try creating your own 1 month appetite diary. Make a list of the foods you crave, the emotions you usually feel at that time, the types of foods you crave, and the amount you can eat.
When you look back at that diary, ask yourself if there is a trend, such as what specific times of day you crave food, and what situations bring that feeling.
Choose healthy carbs We've established that our bodies crave high-fat and high-sugar (or highly refined) foods because they calm our bodies down. So choose “smart carbs” instead, such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. These foods give your body the carbs you're craving along with valuable nutritional value from fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Take care of ourselves If we take care of ourselves every day, we will feel less stressed, angry, unhappy, etc. and therefore less food cravings. For example, we should spend time hanging out with friends, exercising, getting a massage, doing our favorite sports activities. This way, you will feel less stressed, and also have less cravings.
To reduce cravings, it is important that you lead a healthier lifestyle by avoiding stress, taking time for self-care and relaxation, combined with a regimen of food choices be suitable.
MSc. Le Thi Minh Huong has more than 06 years of experience in examining and treating medical, emergency and emergency resuscitation diseases. In addition, there is the ability to perform catheterization techniques, artificial kidney in patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease, continuous dialysis, plasma exchange.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support.
Reference article source: webmd.com