Q&A: Why do people crave certain foods?
I NEED CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone has those special foods that they love to eat in abundance and those feelings of 'I am going to die if I dont eat it right now' always seem to happen when you are not in the position to get any sought of food. Go figure. But why do we get these sudden urges and why are they always so strong?
According to 'Psychology Today', "Up to 97 percent of Americans get seized by strong and specific urges to indulge."
The causes of cravings have ranged from the effects of hormones in the body to stress to emotional instability. Pregnant women showcase a unique variety of cravings and this has been linked to the hormone fluctuations that are taking place in their body during their pregnancy as well to ensure that the fetus is being properly fed. Stress, lack of sleep and other activities that affect the wellness of the body can also cause cravings for certain foods that are not always good for the body. These may be our comfort foods, which are foods that make us feel full and happy and therefore we crave for them often. Serotonin is the feel-good hormone in the body and many simple sugars and carbohydrates release a small amount of serotonin which will allow us to feel good for a small period of time and then we regress to our former stressed disposition and the cravings will continue.
Simpler things like seeing food in commercials can also trigger cravings. Food cravings usually last 4-12 minutes. A way to break these cravings is to realize that after a few minutes they will no longer be there and giving in to them as you feel them is not always the best decision for your body.
That being said I think allowing your body to have what it wants is sometimes a good thing especially when it wants a slice of pizza.
I NEED CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone has those special foods that they love to eat in abundance and those feelings of 'I am going to die if I dont eat it right now' always seem to happen when you are not in the position to get any sought of food. Go figure. But why do we get these sudden urges and why are they always so strong?
According to 'Psychology Today', "Up to 97 percent of Americans get seized by strong and specific urges to indulge."
The causes of cravings have ranged from the effects of hormones in the body to stress to emotional instability. Pregnant women showcase a unique variety of cravings and this has been linked to the hormone fluctuations that are taking place in their body during their pregnancy as well to ensure that the fetus is being properly fed. Stress, lack of sleep and other activities that affect the wellness of the body can also cause cravings for certain foods that are not always good for the body. These may be our comfort foods, which are foods that make us feel full and happy and therefore we crave for them often. Serotonin is the feel-good hormone in the body and many simple sugars and carbohydrates release a small amount of serotonin which will allow us to feel good for a small period of time and then we regress to our former stressed disposition and the cravings will continue.
Simpler things like seeing food in commercials can also trigger cravings. Food cravings usually last 4-12 minutes. A way to break these cravings is to realize that after a few minutes they will no longer be there and giving in to them as you feel them is not always the best decision for your body.
That being said I think allowing your body to have what it wants is sometimes a good thing especially when it wants a slice of pizza.
Nick, nice to know that cravings may disappear after 5 minutes or so. I'll remember that next time I'm in the ice-cream aisle.
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