Food Cravings- more to them than you think …
It’s a well-known fact that sweet and salty foods and drinks are highly addictive and that it’s no coincidence that processed foods are loaded with them. But have you ever wondered if there might be more at play here than weak will and/or addiction?
The human body is always working to keep balanced and protect us from illness. Could it be that food cravings are the body’s way of telling you it’s out of balance and is trying to protect you? The reasons we crave certain foods are physiological, partly psychological and partly because of the environment in which we live.
Consider some of the factors I’ve listed below that might actually be the real reason you’re struggling to kick the cravings...
In addition I highly recommend keeping a food journal for 3 weeks to a month (scroll to the bottom of the page for details and further actions you can take)
1. Gut microbiome
Your gut hosts up to 1,000 species of bacteria and each of them plays a different role in your body and are extremely important for your health. An imbalance of these gut bacteria can lead to food cravings especially candida/yeast over growth. These hungry bacteria use sugars to ferment and feed. When there is over growth of these ‘bad bacteria’ the gut will tell our brain that it needs more sugar (cravings) -the viscous cycle continues… The good news is that the same rule applies to good gut bugs that thrive off of things like resistant starches, fibre and other nutrients. These are foods they would tell the brain to eat.
2. Stress
Cortisol (the stress hormone) increases the demand for energy that the body needs in order to respond to the stressor (the stress response) Long term chronic stress is associated with craving for foods, such as sugar which give instant spikes in blood sugar (energy). In addition to this it also fuels behaviours that feed the dopamine and serotonin pathways.
3. Poor sleep
When we’re lacking in energy our brain will tell us to seek foods to restore the energy particularly through sweet foods. Furthermore, a lack of sleep activates the body’s stress response and the release of cortisol.
4. Neurotransmitters
Dopamine - Salts and sugars trigger the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that makes us feel good. It leaves us wanting to experience that good feeling over and over again. Over time, our tolerance for sweet and salty foods builds up, and we need more to reward ourselves. This creates a vicious cycle, because our taste buds typically crave what we feed them.
Serotonin - If the body is low in serotonin, you will crave carbs/sweet things which will help to produce more serotonin. Especially at the end of the day as your body knows you want to begin to wind down. Serotonin is required to make melatonin for sleep.
5. Blood sugar and Insulin
Spikes and drops can be caused from under-eating, skipping meals, imbalanced meals and/or stress. If blood sugar is constantly spiking and dropping throughout the day and/or cells are starving for energy this will impact food cravings and cause the body to crave a quick fix, such as sugar.
Insulin resistance- Your body is having trouble using carbs for fuel, instead the glucose from carbs sit in the bloodstream rather than insulin succeeding in its job of converting the glucose in to the body for stored energy.
6. How much and when you eat
Under eating, not eating on the regular or eating too much of one thing and not enough of the other…. if you’re not getting enough calories, your body will tell you it’s still hungry, it will begin to crave all the foods it’s most deficient in.
7. Carb free diets
Carbs are the preferred fuel source of the body and the brain and going too low on this macronutrient can trigger hunger and food cravings. Insufficient carbohydrates strip the body of this needed energy source, potentially dropping blood sugar levels below the healthy range and triggering sugar cravings for quick energy. This is particularly the case when we are stressed – more on that below.
8. Protein
Protein is a thermogenic food which means it takes longer to break down and uses more energy to do so. This in turn keeps you satiated for longer. Protein is also essential in helping to balance blood sugar and insulin levels by slowing the release of sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. If you are hungry within 60-90 mins of eating, 8 times out of 10 there was not enough protein in that meal. It’s easy to get fats. But what we’re missing is the protein.
9. Fibre
Helps create more bulk in stomach and intestines. When the intestines have enough bulk it sends signals to gut and brain that there is enough bulk to start peristaltic movement. If peristaltic movement is delayed we will crave more food to create the ‘bulk’ required.
10. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Common culprits include magnesium & zinc. These minerals are involved in hundreds of vital processes in the body.
11. Rituals and associations
Do you have childhood memories of being told ‘if you eat your dinner you get desert’, ‘If you’re good- you get a sweet treat’? . As adults we don’t forget this- if we’ve had a hard day, we have learnt to reward ourselves with something ‘special’ .
What can you do?
I mentioned earlier how keep a food journal can give you an insight in to what the underlying root cause of your food cravings. When you journal, take note of what, how much and when you are eating. In addition to this note down times of food cravings, what you were doing, what food you craved and any emotions you were feeling at the timeyou’re craving. When you look back through your journal, ask yourself if there are any patterns, such as certain times of day when you tend to experience food cravings.
When it comes to making moves to reducing your food cravings firstly consider your diet. Eating nutrient rich, balanced meals that contain protein, healthy fats and un-refined carbs. When choosing the foods you’re eating, can you cut down on refined, sugary, processed foods (white pasta / rice / bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, processed meat) and replace with those that are high in vitamins, minerals and natural sugars: fish, meat, legumes, whole grains, fruits nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables. This will help to balance blood sugar, hormones, gut microbiome and produce more ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters. Plus eating regularly is key to balancing blood sugar and decreasing cravings.
Boost your happy hormones with exercise, good quality sleep, stress reducing activities (breath-work, meditation, Yoga, doing something creative) so that the brain doesn’t need to seek serotonin & dopamine through sugar.
If you would like to find out more about how you can eliminate your food cravings permanently and exactly how I achieve this with my coaching clients, get in touch to arrange a free discovery call. Also sign up to the Kefi mailing list to receive info just like this straight to your inbox.