Food cravings – are treats a reward or a curse?
Do you experience an intense desire to consume specific foods in large quantities?
Are you eating to avoid expressing your emotions?
Is eating for comfort one of your favourite past-times?
Does the mid-afternoon blood sugar plummet send you looking for biscuits or chocolate?
Are you hooked on sugar?
Is your favourite thing the ‘high in calories burger and chips from Greasy-Joe’s take away joint’?
Food cravings are otherwise known as selective hunger and have little to do with real hunger, which is a signal from your brain telling you it needs nutrition. Your craving is an intense desire for a particular type of food, and seems to be uncontrollable. Some research has shown that cravings last for around 3-5 minutes. Non-selective hunger is when you just want to eat anything.
Your food cravings can come from a variety of reasons, for example, your brain holds the memory of comfort, pleasure and gratification.
Eating to push down your emotions can set you up for a life time on that merry-go-round.
There is the theory that you crave food for nutrients that are lacking, but be careful with that because there is not much nutritional value in biscuits, chocolates, cakes and pastries.
Hormonal imbalance can cause cravings, and some foods hijack the hormonal system and keep it in that unhealthy cycle.
Addiction and genetic programming can be possible causes of food cravings, and can also be the forerunner to medically named diseases.
Bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms such as candida (yeast infection) all feed on sugar, so when you think you want to eat something sweet, it might not be your own choice.
To help reduce food cravings:
There are some choices you can make to reduce your food cravings.
You will immediately begin to feel better by reducing the stress content of your life by getting out and enjoying nature. Being in nature gives rest to the nervous system which will bring long term benefits if you do it often.
Eat fresh whole foods, mostly vegetables, and plenty of protein because that helps keep blood sugar stable and reduces the need for snacking. Try eating 4 smaller meals and cut out snacks.
By drinking plenty of water and adding a squeeze of lemon or a lemon wedge to your water bottle you will help your cells to use the water more efficiently. This will keep you well hydrated as well as rid your body of toxins.
Get plenty of sleep during the night. The hours of sleep you get before midnight are when your body is in healing mode.
Contact me to discuss how I can help you with your food cravings:
Phone 0414 463 417