FOOD CRAVINGS

The Webster’s dictionary defines a craving as an intense, urgent desire or longing. A food craving therefore is a strong wish for a type of food – solid or liquid. It is an imbalance of sorts that forces the body to long for satisfaction. So what causes these cravings?

It all starts with our lifestyles; what, when and how we eat. A good diet is extremely important to our health and weight and by altering our eating patterns irregularly we send stress messages to our bodies and with it, the instructions to hold on to fat and breakdown muscle to provide fuel. Simply put, we experience irregular blood-sugar swings.

 As we eat or drink, our blood sugar goes up and insulin is released. If refined foods like sugar, white bread, cakes and biscuits or stimulant drinks like coffee, tea or cola are consumed, they will hit the bloodstream quickly. More insulin is then released to deal with this sudden rise in blood sugar. Once dealt with, this level drops, but because the release of excess insulin has been triggered, the levels drop too low and we start to feel hungry again. The HIGHER the blood sugar highs, the LOWER the lows will be afterwards. Excesses in the blood stream not expended as energy turns into fat.

The drop in blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) does two things: creates a physical craving for something sweet to up the blood sugar and triggers the production of adrenaline and cortisol to help to release stores of sugar. This rollercoaster cycle leaves you irritable, causes aggressive outbursts, palpitations, lack of sex drive, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, fatigue, insomnia, headaches and muscle cramps [which ones have you experienced either at home or in the office?]

To control blood sugar levels or unnecessary food cravings, we need to stop comfort or stress eating. This means we produce less adrenaline and less cortisol. Here are a few ways to curb future ‘harmful’ cravings:

1.     STOP DIETING: Eventually, we realise they don’t really work as we weigh much more afterwards. It doesn’t give your body enough fuel to do the jobs it needs to do thus causing cravings. It is simply “energy in” = “less energy out” and this is a biologically unnatural state. Dieting tells your body it’s starving, leading to hypoglycaemia. Yo-yo dieting is equally bad, firstly, it disrupts your metabolism, slowing it down, then maybe after two weeks you try to go back to normal, you will be eating on a slower metabolism as your body needs time to readjust. This gives your body time to pack on the weight. The advice here is to keep your body on an even keel by eating right.

2.     EAT LITTLE AND OFTEN: The idea is to convince your body that food is abundant and it doesn’t need to store extra fat and that it can burn off any excess that is already stored. The trick is to eat three hourly. If you go longer than three hours without food, your body will start to make preparations for going into survival mode, eventually causing cravings due to low blood sugar. Eating little and often has three main advantages: you get your energy back as your blood sugar is stable; your cravings for sweet foods and refined carbohydrate will stop; and your mood will be more positive. Advice: Train yourself to become a healthy grazer. Don’t eat three big meals; eat something small every three hours.

3.     DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST: Many people are stressed out very early in the morning. Depending on where you live, commuting to work or preparation to do so sometimes start off as early as 4am for some; then add school run and you can forget breakfast. The best you get is an on-the-go cup of coffee usually with sugar (and sometimes lots of milk). This is a recipe for failure because once you miss breakfast; your body starts to attack the muscles, breaking them down for fuel. Our muscles are metabolically active and help to burn fat; you therefore won’t want your body attacking them for the much needed fuel to take you through the day. The importance of breakfast can’t be ignored, so the advice is to train yourself to do this (e.g. a sugar-free bowl of cereal or porridge – cut in pieces of fruit or use cinnamon – this gives a steady rise in blood sugar).

4.     ELIMINATE SUGAR AND REFINED CARBOHYDRATE FROM YOUR LIFE: Another step in the right direction is to avoid foods that make your blood sugar rise quickly, that is, eliminate foods that are digested very quickly. Research has shown that eating slow-release foods like wholemeal bread helps to balance our blood sugar, benefit the heart and reduces or prevents diabetes. Examples of slow-releasing carbohydrates are grains (whole wheat, oats, rye, brown rice, barley, maize, millet, and quinoa), beans (lentils, kidney beans, soya), vegetables (exclude potatoes and sweet potatoes), fruits (berries, apples, pears, citrus, cherries).

Please note that our bodies need carbohydrate because it is the most preferred source of fuel. Our brain run on carbs, therefore, the quality of the carb we eat is very important. It is also essential to balance carb with protein in any meal. A low-carb diet is a big no-no as it affects thyroid function by lowering hormones, thus affecting our metabolism.

So what about artificial sweeteners? Saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose, aspartame to mention a few are known to help lose and control weight, but this is a common misconception as they eventually increase appetite (craving and binge eating).

5.     ADD PROTEIN TO EACH MEAL: It is the basic building block for all the cells, muscles, bones, hair, skin and nails. They contain twenty-five amino acids, eight are essential and sourced from food and the other seventeen are made naturally by the body. Our muscles are made from protein, so we need to eat enough (in good balance) to maintain our muscle mass. Protein also helps to control insulin because it slows the rate of digestion, preventing cravings. A high-protein or protein-only diet is dangerous and unhealthy; it causes ketosis, a condition that makes your body literarily eat itself to stay alive due to the absence of carbs. It also causes a high build-up of nitrogen in the body that can damage the liver and kidneys

6.     DON’T EAT ON THE RUN: Doing this gives your body the message that time is scarce, and you are under pressure are stressed. When under stress, your digestive system shuts down and as a result after your rushed meal, you end up feeling bloated and uncomfortable and the food isn’t being digested but just fermenting in your gut. End result is that you are not nourished and will feel peckish quickly thus craving for something fast, quick and sweet. Advice: give your body a different message – sit down and eat your meals as calmly as possible ensuring you chew well and slowly. Snacks may be eaten on the run as they are usually in small quantities and within the three hourly meal intervals. Remember, there is a big difference between hunger and appetite J

7.     CHANGE THE WAY IN WHICH YOU THINK ABOUT FOOD: Start thinking about food and eating in terms of your lifestyle so that enjoyable eating becomes a habit you do every day without a thought. This way you curb food cravings and set yourself up to be healthier with a good chance of preventing serious illnesses later on. Enjoy!