How do you manage food cravings?

Food cravings are intense, sometimes irresistible urges to eat. A person usually desires a specific food or taste. Foods high in sugars or other carbohydrates commonly cause cravings, and these can be especially difficult to control.

Sweet foods and those rich in other carbohydrates fire off feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and other relaxing endorphins in the brain. The effects of these chemicals may make a person more likely to seek them out repeatedly.

Satisfying cravings can become a habit, and it may be easy to eat sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods without thinking about the consequences.

Once a person kicks the habit, for example by following a restrictive diet, the cravings usually end soon afterward.

The strategies below can help with managing food cravings.

1. Drinking water

The body can misinterpret signals from the brain, and what feels like a food craving may be a sign of thirst.

Some people benefit from drinking water as soon as a food craving hits. Drinking more water may also help people who are dieting to lose weight.

Authors of a study from 2014 examined overweight female participants who drank an extra 1.5 liters of water per day.

The study found the participants who drank water weighed less, had less body fat, and reported more significant appetite reduction than matched participants who did not drink the water.

Results of a study from 2013 indicated that drinking 2 cups of water before meals while following a calorie-restricted diet, helped middle-aged and older people with obesity to lose weight.

When a food craving strikes, try drinking a large glass of water and waiting a few minutes. If the craving goes away, the body may just have been thirsty.

In 2015, researchers published the results of an investigation into the effects of quick exercise sessions on cravings for chocolate in people who were overweight.

They found that brisk, 15-minute walks were more effective at reducing cravings than sitting passively.

The next time a craving hits, it may help to try taking a quick walk or using the stairs instead of the elevator.

One way to differentiate between cravings and real hunger is to ask questions, such as:

Would I eat a piece of fruit?

This exercise is called the fruit test. If a person cannot tell whether they are really hungry or just craving a sugary sweet, asking themselves whether they would eat a piece of whole fruit can help.

If the answer is yes, the body is likely hungry, and if the answer is no, a person may be having a craving.

Is it worth it in the long term?

Visualizing the long-term consequences of snacking or otherwise indulging can help some people to curb cravings.

These consequences may include:

·         difficulty losing weight

·         health risks

·         feeling reduced levels of energy and happiness throughout the day

This exercise can also help a person to see the big picture and remember why they are dieting or trying to restrict their intake of certain foods.

Source: Medical News Today