Must Have Some Chocolate Now: How to Deal with Sweet Cravings
We all occasionally get a craving for a specific food, usually junk food or something sweet.
When this happens, it seems like the urge will never end unless we satisfy it with the specific food we desire.
Where do cravings even come from (hint: they have nothing to do with hunger), what influences them, and most importantly: how can we really deal with them?
Food cravings are frequent, specific, and intense desires to eat a certain type of food.
The craving is not a product of hunger since hunger is our need to provide fuel for our body through essential nutrients that our body and brain require.
In contrast, a food craving is a strong urge for a certain food that is by definition not healthy, usually high in fat, sugar, or salt.
We are programmed to quickly learn which food is tasty and smells good and where we can find it again.
Foods high in fat, sugar, or salt activate the reward system in our brain.
It is believed that this is a survival remnant from the past when high-energy foods were rare.
The issue is that today, in the age of abundance, these foods are everywhere at all times.
We are “bombarded” with aggressive advertising of unhealthy foods, emphasizing appearance, smell, and taste.
Our brain reacts to these strong triggers and initiates a physical response expressed in increased saliva production and stomach activity.
These are automatic responses that are hard to control.
At the same time, it is possible to control what we do with the physical reaction and what follows.
Our response is influenced by several factors such as food availability, cost, whether it aligns with our health goals, and more.
We all know what healthy eating is, but most of us find it difficult to maintain over time and avoid consuming processed foods with empty calories.
The reason is that we tend to prioritize immediate short term rewards like the pleasure of eating over delayed or abstract rewards, such as improved health and long-term well-being.
One study showed that if we crave a specific food due to exposure to a trigger but the food is unavailable, we are motivated to find an alternative that provides immediate reward the pleasure of eating. It is important to understand that the urge is quite specific: if we saw someone eating a donut but could not get one, we would not settle for another fatty alternative like chips; we would remain in the category of sweet desserts.
External triggers include abundance of conditioning.
For example, if there is a habit of watching a favorite TV show while eating a salty or sweet snack, there will be conditioning that makes it difficult to watch the show without the snack.
Alongside external triggers, there are many internal triggers that can cause a strong desire for unhealthy food:
- Emotional state: feelings like sadness, irritability, or frustration
- Restriction: extreme dieting leading to prolonged avoidance of certain foods can cause deprivation that triggers cravings
- Sleep: lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can increase craving for certain foods
- Social environment: friends who spend time eating, a family member who enjoys baking, or a workplace full of temptations can influence cravings
- Food industry: food companies create endless triggers through media, supermarkets, and production that stimulate all senses through the optimal fat, salt, and sugar levels, smell, sound from crispiness, packaging, and labeling
Besides external and internal triggers, genetics and eating habits affect the suppression of food cravings.
Willpower can be a tool, but for most people, it is challenging to nearly impossible.
In most cases, when the urge for food arises, willpower alone is insufficient.
Food triggers are so strong that they can overcome willpower even if it is strong.
Of course, if the food is available, the effect is greater and most of these foods are very accessible. Sometimes, even when the urge is not strong, we end up eating it just because it is available.
This explains situations where we eat a snack from a large bag until it is gone, even though the pleasure decreases.
In this case, even though the urge decreases, the signal to stop eating is simply finishing the bag.
How Can You Resist Cravings?
Unfortunately, we cannot control triggers in our environment or the cravings they cause, but there are some ways to try to control the food we eat.
Smart Shopping
Avoid shopping when hungry, and prepare a list in advance.
Ordering delivery from the supermarket can help because the supermarket environment even when not hungry is full of sensory cues that trigger urges.
Self Awareness
It is worth knowing our cravings and thinking in advance about healthier ways to satisfy them.
For example, if the urge is for chips, salted roasted nuts may be an alternative.
If the urge is for something sweet, try fruits. It may not always work, but it is worth trying.
Avoidance or Moderate Eating?
There are two approaches. One suggests complete avoidance over time to reduce the urge, while the other claims there is no reason to avoid entirely since food is also a source of pleasure, assuming consumption is moderate. The answer is individual.
Adequate Hydration
Dehydration may be misinterpreted as hunger and increase food cravings.
It is important to drink water. In winter, warm herbal tea can be comforting.
Sleep
Adults should aim for 7 hours of quality sleep.
Routine
Maintain regular meals. A structured eating routine can reduce food cravings.
On the other hand, disorder, long gaps between meals, or skipping meals will likely cause overeating and lead to giving in to the urge, especially when food is available.
Protein
Eating sufficient protein increases satiety and reduces cravings.
Removing Triggers
Ensure fruits and vegetables are available and within reach. Simultaneously, keep triggering foods out of sight and replace them with alternatives. Possible snack alternatives include a small amount of dark chocolate, yogurt with fruit, nuts, almonds, homemade popcorn, and similar.
Stress
Stress can increase cravings. Recognize it and find effective ways to relieve tension, such as a short walk outdoors, a warm shower, talking with a friend, writing, drawing, or any creative activity.
Supportive Environment
Do those around you support you? If family members do not cooperate, discuss it with them to get support and avoid resistance.