How do I fight food cravings?

Have you ever felt like you might commit a crime just to eat something you so desperately crave? You're not alone. We're on your side, and so is over 90 percent of the population (1). (Don't do it, though.)

What are food cravings?

Food craving can be defined as an intense desire to eat a specific food and is made up of two elements. First, “craving” refers to an intense appetitive motivation to eat, so strong that we might go to great lengths to do so. The second critical aspect is “specificity.” This refers to the idea that we crave a certain type of food, because of the sensory pleasure derived from eating that given food.

The element of specificity is also crucial in distinguishing the desire to eat from hunger. When we are hungry, any of a wide variety of foods can be satisfying. However, when it comes to food craving, there is a sensory memory that must be matched in order to satisfy that craving (2). We can experience food craving even when we are completely full. But if you are curious to know more about the science behind feeling full or hungry, we suggest you read this article .



Now, picture this, you just finished a starter and a main course at your favorite restaurant and you’re already more or less in a “ food coma .” However, they have that crazy cheesecake on the menu. You know the one with raspberries and an extra layer of chocolate on top. What are the chances that you’ll say no to it? The dopamine “craving” system in our brain is powerful. It’s able to influence us to keep eating, even if the pleasure of eating has diminished. This is simply because we humans are wired with an insatiable feeling of nostalgia. If we switch to a different food, that cheesecake for example, the pleasure can be prolonged until we’re completely stuffed. And from now on regret and guilt often follow (3).

  

Why do we experience food cravings? Do we experience food cravings?

Research identifies two main reasons why we experience food cravings. The first stream of research highlights that food cravings arise in response to a nutrient or calorie deficit. For example, if you crave salty snacks, nutritional research suggests that you are deprived of chloride or silicon and can reduce the craving by eating fish or nuts. Or if you crave sweet foods, you are lacking in chromium, carbon, sulfur or phosphorus, and can satisfy them by eating foods such as broccoli, grapes, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Correct us if we're wrong, but broccoli is not the same as a bar of milk chocolate and sea salt caramel, right? That's why the second stream of research argues that craving is actually caused by our minds and not by nutritional deficiencies. Experiencing an uncontrolled desire to consume chocolate cannot really be explained by a nutritional deficit, since chocolate does not actually contain high levels of any nutrient that we might be so extremely deficient in.

So, the most common belief is that cravings arise due to the fact that if we don’t get something we want, we will “crave” it even more. It’s a vicious cycle. Take chocolate, for example. It is perceived as the most appetizing sweet and highly emotionally calming. Sad? Eat a piece of chocolate. Stressed? Here’s some chocolate. Chocolate undoubtedly makes the world a better place. But we also all know that it should be consumed in moderation as it is high in sugar and fat. Attempting to restrict its intake, however, can trigger our brain to react impulsively and uncontrollably, triggering a desire to eat it even more (3).

Another way we can explain food cravings is by looking at them through the lens of behavioral psychology. Have you ever wondered why every time you “crave” popcorn, you just happen to be standing in the movie theater? In the early 1900s, Nobel Prize winner Ivan Pavlov proposed the idea of ​​classical conditioning. It refers to the idea that behaviors are a consequence of preceding external stimuli. Our nervous system creates “reflexes,” which are not in an individuals conscious control, to respond to certain stimuli.

In terms of classical conditioning, it goes like this. Before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus of smelling that fresh popcorn leads to an unconditioned response of craving popcorn. During conditioning, we are pairing the conditional and unconditional stimulus, which is walking into the movie theater and smelling popcorn. After conditioning, the conditioned stimulus becomes the movie theater. So even if we were to walk into the movie theater and there were no signs or smell of popcorn, we would most likely experience the sensation of craving popcorn.

We believe that both arguments are valid. It is important to create a balance in your daily diet and consume sufficient levels of all the necessary nutrients. In fact, we know of some pretty good products that can help you with that – these foods contain all the nutrients your body needs to function at its optimal level and reduce those food cravings. But we also believe that it is important to be aware of your internal satiety signals. A recent practice developed to deal with food cravings is known as “mindful eating.”

 

Fight food cravings with mindful eating

Mindful eating is not a diet; it is the practice of being aware and present while you eat. You won’t need to count calories or restrict any foods. It simply means that you will pay attention to what you are eating and how it feels to eat it. You will tune into your body’s physical and psychological signals before and after you eat. Cravings are one of the many ways your body communicates with you. So, by using mindful eating, you can figure out why you are experiencing cravings and how you can adapt to give your body what it needs (4).

   

Practicing mindful eating can benefit you in many ways. For example, you can let your body’s internal clock know when it’s the optimal time to start or stop eating. Additionally, it can lead to better management of your emotions. It’s commonly known that some people respond by overeating or restricting food to deal with negative emotions. And finally, mindfulness can help you take full control of your food cravings (5).

An experiment was set up among the Dutch population, investigating the effectiveness of coping with and reducing food cravings using mindfulness methods (6). The results showed that participants in the experimental group practicing mindfulness experienced significantly less food craving. In particular, mindfulness reduced the feeling of losing control when exposed to sensory cues of food.

Another applicable finding is also that we humans largely develop our taste buds in the first 24 months of our life. We are first exposed to milk through senses and taste and we also develop an attraction to the foods our mother ate when we were still in her womb (7). But interestingly, research shows that taste buds can change. What you found tasty years ago, may not seem so appealing to you today. Food trends and environments also shape our minds and desires. The recent food movement has put a huge emphasis on adopting plant-based diets. If you are one of those people who has tried to consume less meat, perhaps for health or environmental reasons, you might have noticed how its taste changed over time. Taste buds typically need about a month to adjust to a new taste. If a month ago you thought a medium-rare steak was what made you drool, today you might cringe at the thought of eating meat.


Mindful eating is important to maintain a healthy and nutritious balance, and to break that vicious cycle of food cravings. So, let's get down to business: How can you practice mindful eating? There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mindful eating, because it is not a strict practice, it is simply the development of a new habit. Did you know that it usually takes 21 days to consciously commit to the goal we set for ourselves to become our new habit? What do you say? We do a little test first and start with 7 days of mindful eating. Enjoyment and feeling good are the main goals. So if after 7 days you are not convinced, you can always say "well, at least I tried it."

  

Step-by-step guide to conscious eating

Here we go! There are 7 steps to mindful eating. We’ve listed them for your convenience below. The steps work on a continuous basis, reinforcing each other, and mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.

Step 1 - Listen to your body: Are you hungry or thirsty? Have you had enough water today? When you don't drink enough water, your body receives mixed hunger signals. Dehydration makes you think you need to eat when you really need to drink fluids.

Step 2 - Be mindful: Eat when your body tells you to eat. For example, when you hear your stomach growling or you feel low on energy. But avoid eating out of snacking habits or boredom. You can't control everything in your life, but you can control what foods your body consumes.

 

Step 3 – Be present: Before you eat, pause for a second. Look around where you are. Are you sitting comfortably? Do you feel safe? Is there fresh air in the room? Try to stop thinking about anything else, instead of enjoying the food in front of you. Avoid distractions. Take a break from staring at the screen and simply appreciate the food you are about to eat. Consider where your food comes from.

Step 4 - Slow down: Don't rush through your meal. Taking the time to chew slowly results in better digestion and a feeling of fullness that lasts longer and faster. And stop eating when you feel full. You can always store and save what you can't finish for the next day. Don't just eat to finish the whole plate.

 

Step 5 – Engage your senses: Try closing your eyes at the first bite of your food. Think about what aromas, flavors, textures you are experiencing. Notice the sound and smell of your food. Think about why this combination of foods fits together. Why do you enjoy it? How does it make you feel?

 

Step 6 – Focus on Nutrition: Incorporate foods into your diet that are nutritionally healthy and beneficial for your body. You can read everything you need to know about nutrition in the following article: macronutrients and micronutrients . How about replacing rice crackers and hummus for lunch with Jimmy Joy products , which give you the most convenient way to enjoy a delicious and nutritionally complete meal?

Step 7 – Be kind and non-judgemental: This is your body and food is the fuel that keeps it going. Accept your body and its needs. If you don’t have the time or energy to approach a meal mindfully, that’s okay. There will be plenty more meals where you can practice mindfulness. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes you just have to go for what you crave! And don’t judge yourself. We sure as hell won’t. Cheesecake, anyone?

 

After practicing mindful eating, we would like you to reflect on your experience. Maybe you will gain a different perspective on your relationship with food. If you are interested in how you can combine mindfulness with weight management, we suggest you read these articles below: fat loss , weight gain , weight maintenance . And feel free to tell us about your experience with mindful eating and how Jimmy Joy products can help you.

 

Sources

(1) Weingarten, HP, & Elston, D. (1991). Food cravings in a college population. Appetite , 17 (3), 167-175.

(2) Pelchat, M.L., Johnson, A., Chan, R., Valdez, J., & Ragland, J.D. (2004). Images of desire: food-craving activation during fMRI. Neuroimage , 23 (4), 1486-1493.

(3) Baerten, C. (2016). Understanding Our Cravings to Eat. Educational Handout .

(4) Kooienga, M. (2019). Reasons Why You're Experiencing Food Cravings .

(5) Germino, D. (2018). This Practice Will Make You Stop Your Food Cravings .

(6) Hugo, JEM, et al. (2010). Coping with food cravings. Investigating the potential of a mindfulness-based intervention. Appetite, 55:1, 160-163.

(7) Schaal B, Marlier L, Soussignan R. Human foetuses learn odors from their pregnant mother's diet. Chem Senses . 2000;25(6):729-737. doi:10.1093/chemse/25.6.729