Time after time many of us suffer from food cravings. People usually crave for a certain food or type of food and it is not connected with the hunger satisfaction. Typically cravings are for something that will give sugar or carbohydrates to the body, like sweets, chocolate or even it can be potato chips or a glass of beer. Well, craving for an extra glass of beer may have different reasons but this is not that case.
There is a opinion that food carvings are because of bad habits or poor will power but that’s not true. The food cravings have biological reasons and to beat the food craving we must understand these underlying reasons.
Food craving reasons
Every time when we are depressed or we have low blood sugar condition, the body signals brain that it needs something to pep-it-up. This results in a craving for sugar or carbohydrates. One of the causes for this behaviour is Serotonin, our basic feel-good hormone. The conditions of low level of Serotonin and low level of blood-sugar go hand-in-hand. That is the reason whenever there is less of Serotonin; we crave for sweet foods to compensate the shortage of sugar in blood and this is where chocolate and other sweets come to play.
Serotonin released by sugar and carbohydrates, unfortunately, lasts short time and after the level of hormone decreases, the craving returns. It forms a spiral.
Adrenal Fatigue is another reason. When you feel stressed out, when you have not had a good and relaxing sleep or you are fed up for no specific reason, you are suffering from Adrenal Fatigue. In very severe cases the condition is called adrenal exhaustion. This disorder is quite common in the modern world.
If Adrenal Fatigue is a case, the body sends a signal to the brain for a pick-me-up and that is when you are craving for sugar or carbohydrate snacks, or may be, coffee during the day; at night you may look for alcohol or carbohydrates and problem gets even bigger.
Persons, who keep themselves on a low fat, low carbohydrate diet on a long time or have been taking appetite suppressants, do have food craving; it is because they have become at least partially insulin resistant without realizing this condition. In the normal course blood sugar level of the body is maintained stable by the action of insulin; insulin signals the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the bloodstream when necessary. Because of their insulin resistant condition, the cells do not respond to the signal and cannot mop up glucose they need. This results in a distress signal to the brain asking for more carbohydrates or sugar. In this case person starts gaining the weight with eating less.
Fighting and winning on the craving
Understanding the basics of the craving can easily help you to reduce and beat it. It takes some time but it’s possible and it’s quite easily can be done. Real healthy foods and additional nutritional supplements can help in breaking food cravings. Some moderate physical exercise can improve your battle against the cravings. Process can require some patience and time but it pays off and it’s not as hard as it seems in the beginning.
