Why do we crave?
March 18th 2010 21:18
Why do we crave the "naughty foods" and never carrots or beans or brussell sprouts? Why do we crave? There are a number of reasons why this is so.
• Evolution
We have evolved to have a taste for sugar and fat. Fat is high in energy and it is believed that we go for the fatty food because our ancestors relied on fatty food for their survival. Plus fat does carry flavour, thus making food taste good. Naturally sugary or sweet food are preferred because are safe source of energy and nutrient and overtime we have evolved to favour sweet food.
• It’s in your genes
Research has shown that you can blame (some of) your desire for sweet food our genes. In fact, 40-50% of our liking for sweet foods could be explained by the genes that we have inherited.
• Sweet memories
We associate food with pleasant memories and feelings. We eat our favourite foods because they make us feel good. We get a buzz from eating these foods because they cause a release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine (feel good chemical, also released when we do other pleasurable things). Desirable, pleasurable foods can also can also increase hunger signals, which allows to feel that we can eat more, that’s why we almost always have room for dessert.
Stress
Research has suggested that will people will pick high fat, high-sugar snacks, rather than healthier alternatives when they are stressed. Feeling sad may also make you reach for junk food. Beat the cravings by taking a walk. After your walk, you will feel refreshed and less stressed and you may not crave the food anymore.
• Exposure
When a breast-feeding woman consumes food and the flavours from the food comes through her breast milk, which makes the food familiar to the infant, and therefore the infant will favour those foods over other foods. Plus if food used as treats and rewards people are more likely to associate those foods with good feelings and crave them. Advertising of food in media can increase your desire for the food.
• Low sugar levels
Having low low blood glucose (sugar) make, you feel hungry and crave carbohydrates. Make sure you eat regular meals so you don’t go reaching for the nearest chocolate bar or packet of chips. Nibble on low (saturated) fat, low sugar snacks, like carrot sticks and hummus, cherry tomatoes, avocado on rice wafers, or yoghurt.
• Deprivation
We all want we can’t have and the same is true when it comes to food. Generally, dieters deprive themselves of fatty, sugary foods because their diet won’t allow them to eat those foods and consequently, they crave them. So stop labelling food. Look for alternatives, for example swap ice cream for yoghurt or choose a smaller portion of the “forbidden food”
• Habit
When we are in certain situations, there are certain things that we do. This is the same eating behaviours and situations. We have learned to associate certain foods with certain situations, which explains why we may cake when we go out for coffee or pop corn at the cinema, even though we’re full from dinner or lunch.
Got any questions? Ask me. Send me your questions to nutrition.advice@gmail.com or leave your questions here.
Krissi
• Evolution
We have evolved to have a taste for sugar and fat. Fat is high in energy and it is believed that we go for the fatty food because our ancestors relied on fatty food for their survival. Plus fat does carry flavour, thus making food taste good. Naturally sugary or sweet food are preferred because are safe source of energy and nutrient and overtime we have evolved to favour sweet food.
• It’s in your genes
Research has shown that you can blame (some of) your desire for sweet food our genes. In fact, 40-50% of our liking for sweet foods could be explained by the genes that we have inherited.
• Sweet memories
We associate food with pleasant memories and feelings. We eat our favourite foods because they make us feel good. We get a buzz from eating these foods because they cause a release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine (feel good chemical, also released when we do other pleasurable things). Desirable, pleasurable foods can also can also increase hunger signals, which allows to feel that we can eat more, that’s why we almost always have room for dessert.
Stress
Research has suggested that will people will pick high fat, high-sugar snacks, rather than healthier alternatives when they are stressed. Feeling sad may also make you reach for junk food. Beat the cravings by taking a walk. After your walk, you will feel refreshed and less stressed and you may not crave the food anymore.
• Exposure
When a breast-feeding woman consumes food and the flavours from the food comes through her breast milk, which makes the food familiar to the infant, and therefore the infant will favour those foods over other foods. Plus if food used as treats and rewards people are more likely to associate those foods with good feelings and crave them. Advertising of food in media can increase your desire for the food.
• Low sugar levels
Having low low blood glucose (sugar) make, you feel hungry and crave carbohydrates. Make sure you eat regular meals so you don’t go reaching for the nearest chocolate bar or packet of chips. Nibble on low (saturated) fat, low sugar snacks, like carrot sticks and hummus, cherry tomatoes, avocado on rice wafers, or yoghurt.
• Deprivation
We all want we can’t have and the same is true when it comes to food. Generally, dieters deprive themselves of fatty, sugary foods because their diet won’t allow them to eat those foods and consequently, they crave them. So stop labelling food. Look for alternatives, for example swap ice cream for yoghurt or choose a smaller portion of the “forbidden food”
• Habit
When we are in certain situations, there are certain things that we do. This is the same eating behaviours and situations. We have learned to associate certain foods with certain situations, which explains why we may cake when we go out for coffee or pop corn at the cinema, even though we’re full from dinner or lunch.
Got any questions? Ask me. Send me your questions to nutrition.advice@gmail.com or leave your questions here.
Krissi
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