"You know what I'm craving right now..", said everyone at some time or another, but why do you crave these things?
Have you ever craved something or someone you know you shouldn’t have? Why does our brain tell us we want this certain thing? For example, food is the most common craving that people have. A food craving is a strong desire for a particular food.
A person may not be satisfied until they get that specific food. The most common cravings are for junk foods and processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. Ask someone what foods they crave, and most people can name some off with no hesitation. In my case, I always crave fast food or chocolate, which my stomach gets mad at me for. For some reason every time I crave Chick-fil-A it's a Sunday. Honestly, that's probably a sign that I should not be eating it. My friends always crave pizza and then it makes me crave pizza. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. Recent studies have shown that almost 100% of young women and 70% of young men have food cravings.
Annoyingly enough, if you have ever heard anyone say that cravings are "all in your head", they are right. Food cravings are caused by the regions of the brain that are responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward. Three parts of the brain light up when you are craving foods: the hippocampus, insula, and caudate. They can also come from an imbalance of hormones, such as leptin and serotonin. Another factor would be a person's emotions. Everyone has heard of wanting to eat junk food as comfort food after a traumatic experience. Or when you're sad and just want to lay in bed and eat ice cream, because I relate. Have you ever wondered why pregnant women are known for having cravings all the time? It is because the change in hormones disrupt their taste and smell receptors. But we give them what they want because they are caring a child in their stomach after all.
It's more than just physiological reasons as to why we crave foods. There are plenty of things to do when you are having a craving. Researchers say that dietary restrictions make food cravings worse. I can testify to that first hand. Every time I try to go on a diet, I end up craving junk and eating everything I can find that's unhealthy in my house. Stress and emotional eating are a common health issue. Carbohydrates boost our levels of the hormone serotonin, which has a calming effect. And recent research suggests that the combination of fat and sugar may also have a calming effect. No wonder every time I smash some crab rangoon's I'm always feeling great, minus my stomach screaming at me. Reducing stress and anxiety levels can play a huge factor in your weight and health in general.
What To Do...
Something you tend to hear a lot is: drink a lot of water. People can get hunger and thirst confused. If you feel like you’re always hungry, try drinking plenty of water and waiting for the food to digest. A common helpful hint for teens is: chewing gum. Chewing gum keeps the mouth busy and may help reduce both sweet and salty cravings. However, don't be chomping on your gum with your mouth open, because that's just gross. There is hope for those of us that are constantly craving junk food. You just have to make sure to have portion-controlled of your desired foods.