How To Stop Food Cravings In Their Tracks

Why do people crave for certain types of foods, or even food in general? Is it nutrient deficiency, low blood sugar, dehydration, or is it all in their head? Although all these might play a role in why people crave certain foods, evidence appears to point to brain chemistry as the main culprit of general craving. Areas of the brain responsible for memorizing and sensing pleasure are partially to blame for keeping food cravings coming.

But do we have to let our cravings rule us and gain weight uncontrollably? No, we don’t. The trick is to interpret the cravings and develop a line of defense. Here’s how to decode your food cravings and stop them in their tracks.

Salty foods

Salt is an electrolyte that assists the body to maintain the correct balance of fluids. Unfortunately, table salt as we know it does not contain the many trace minerals found in natural salt. As a result, salt cravings are mostly related to:

Mild dehydration from loss of electrolytes and sweating

Trace mineral deficiency

Unless it is over-consumed, salt is not necessarily a bad thing. It is the mediums for fast fixes that are really the problem. Crackers, pretzels and chips are mostly made from processed flours that turn real fast into sugars once inside the body. Rather than opting for these, it is best to settle for healthy foods such as olives, pickles or any marinated vegetables that won’t have a negative effect on calorie intake or blood sugar. Include salted nuts in your diet if you are missing out on trace minerals. Nuts are full of hard to find minerals and vitamins.

Fatty foods

French fries, ice cream, cheese pizza, or even cheese itself are all known to be comfort foods. If you are craving them beyond times of despair and stress, then you might be having what is generally referred to as a fatty acid deficiency. To counter this, include more fish, flax, seeds and nuts in your diet. These are healthy foods that also have the addition advantage of keeping your weight under control.

Red meat

Lean red meat is fine to have, but in moderation as it offers a readily available source of protein and iron. However, if you are carving red meat than is the norm, and are worried about the additional fat and calories you might be getting along your iron, then simply opt for other iron-rich foods. In this case, dried fruits such as unsulfured prunes and apricots, all types of legumes, artichokes, clams, oyster, etc, are all good sources of iron. They have the added advantage of reducing cholesterol and improving digestion.

Chocolate

While chocolate is a good source of magnesium and a number of other nutrients, you just want to make certain you are not binging on sugar-laden, low-quality chocolate. This type of a chocolate will certainly derail your health objectives. If you must have chocolate, make sure to opt for high quality, dark chocolate with around 70-percent cocoa content. You might also want to think about eating more, magnesium-rich foods such as leafy green veggies, fish, seeds, nuts and beans.

All in all, while you might not completely stop your food cravings, opting for properly balanced diets might just do the trick. It is also recommended to opt for low carb diets to give you energy to quickly conquer your quarry, in this case, the sudden weight gain due to your cravings.