By Penny L Lee
What is a food craving?
The definition of a food craving is an intensity of desire to find and eat a specific food. It is really not about being hungry but is often the result of food restrictions that happen when someone is on a strict weight loss program. At least, cravings are intensified when a person is changing eating patterns and eliminating certain comfort foods from their daily food intake.
What are the causes of food cravings?
Some food cravings are simple responses to a deficiency of a particular nutrient in the body like a deficiency of vitamin C or iron. The theory is that the body sends a message that a certain food containing the deficient ingredient needs to be consumed to correct the imbalance. Foods like chocolate are one of the commonly craved foods because of their high levels of glucose. Cravings can also be for foods with a lower glucose level like cabbage or broccoli or even liver if Vitamin A is deficient in the body.
Women who are pregnant frequently have food cravings as the chemistry of their body changes. Hunger comes from a need the body is experiencing to satisfy nutritional needs while cravings are more something the mind controls. The brain is stimulated by signals from the body letting you know it is time to eat because impulses have been sent alerting the brain that insulin and blood sugar levels are beginning to drop. This signal is received in the hypothalamus of the brain which manages the basic functions like sleep, sex drive and thirst. Neuropeptide Y is released from the hypothalamus trigger that fires up the appetite.
When cravings kick in it is not a chemical response stimulating the appetite but rather a desire. The mind is a powerful thing and can make you feel hungry even though you have just eaten a nutritious and satisfying meal. You know you are not hungry and do not need more food but you still experience an appetite response for a certain food.
What makes us want to honor cravings we know are not good for our bodies?
The truth of the matter is that a food craving for a food that is considered an 'unhealthy' food like cookies, ice cream, pastries, pasta, white bread with butter have no correlation to a real body need because of a lacking nutrition. This type of craving is purely a 'mind craving'. Foods that are bad for your body which are high in calories and fat release chemical responses called Opioids that can provide feelings of a mild kind of euphoria and pleasure.
This is about instant gratification and a feeling of comfort that your mind tells your brain your body must have immediately. Cravings can be from memories of foods you have eaten that bring up happy moments in your life. Your subconscious mind wants to live through these pleasurable times again so the food is then associated with the happy feeling. These memories can go all the way back to childhood or something you experienced last month. Television, magazines, cookbooks all can present images that will trigger the idea of foods that have brought you pleasure. Commercials are designed to make you crave certain foods. In other words, if you are not guarding your subconscious mind you will find yourself desiring a particular food because you remember the subliminal promise made during a repetitive television commercial that you have seen. Ever watch a commercial about yummy pizza and find yourself dialing the phone to place an order to pizza delivery even though you are not really hungry? This is why it is called 'mind cravings'. The first step in managing your 'mind cravings' is to identify the craving and then recognize why you have the desire.
To learn what foods are good for your body go to Healthy Foods for Healthier Body. Here you will find many food lists that let you see at a glance the foods that will not only be beneficial for your body but will be preventative measures in protecting you against diseases.
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