People eat every day, inevitably having favorite foods and even developing strong cravings that they cannot resist. If these foods are high in salt, sugar, or fat, then enjoying them is definitely not beneficial for health. In response to this, experts have shared several methods on how to resist these cravings.
Gabrielle Weidemann, associate professor of psychology at Western Sydney University, and Justin Mahlberg, a research fellow in psychology at Monash University, wrote on The Conversation website that food craving is a strong desire or impulse to eat something, usually targeting a specific type of food.
They stated that people learn about the taste and smell of food through experience, and they know where to find these foods again, especially those rich in salt, sugar, or fat.
Certain things can trigger people to indulge in certain foods, such as enticing advertisements or appetizing smells, which can create cravings for food.
This can trigger physiological responses, such as salivating or stomach activity, which are mostly automatic and hard to control.
After experiencing these physiological responses, the choice between eating or not eating depends on various complex factors such as the cost of food, accessibility, and whether eating will still help achieve health goals.
Stress can also lead people to eat more. When people are hungry, they tend to eat more, underestimate the impact of calories, and believe that eating is more advantageous than abstaining.
In case someone wants to eat a particular food due to external stimuli but does not have that specific food available, what should they do?
According to the two scholars, previous studies have shown that in such situations, you will seek something that makes you feel good. For example, if you see someone eating donuts but you do not have any donuts available, you might end up eating potato chips or even drinking a beverage.
However, their new research found that people in such situations tend to seek out more specific types of food. For instance, if an advertisement for potato chips triggers your craving, you might crave salty foods rather than sweet cakes.
Environmental cues not only trigger cravings for certain foods but also lead people to seek out specific types of food, such as salty, sweet, or dairy-rich foods.
Erin Morse, chief clinical dietitian at UCLA Health, previously told WebMD that this kind of food craving is not related to hunger.
Morse explained, “Hunger is the body and brain telling us we need food and healthy things to fuel our energy and nutrition.” In contrast, food cravings are just signals from our bodies saying, “I want to eat something.”
She mentioned that she often hears from her patients about cravings for “ultra-processed” and “salty, sweet, crunchy” snacks. Potato chips and fries top the list, followed by donuts, cookies, and cakes.
Weidemann and Mahlberg pointed out that most people cannot control the food cues in their environment and the cravings they trigger. However, you can try the following 5 methods to control your food choices:
– Acknowledge your cravings and think of healthier ways to satisfy them. For example, if you love potato chips, can you switch to nuts with lower salt content? If you crave sweet snacks, you can opt for fruits instead.
– Avoid shopping on an empty stomach and always make a shopping list beforehand. Make use of online shopping or delivery services to avoid impulsive buying due to advertisements.
– At home, make vegetables and fruits easily visible and accessible, and consume more unprocessed foods rich in nutrients and fiber like nuts or plain yogurt. If possible, remove unhealthy foods high in salt, sugar, or fat from your home.
– Ensure that your dietary goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
– Be kind to yourself. Do not blame yourself for eating something that does not align with your health goals. Just keep making efforts towards your goals.
Having an understanding of how cravings work and implementing strategies to manage them can help individuals make healthier choices and maintain overall well-being.