Control your food cravings

Geoffrey Reynolds, an engineer with a New York City telecommunications company, left a 10 a.m. business meeting worrying that his presentation had not gone well. Although he’d had a large breakfast, he felt an overwhelming desire to eat. He bought two bags of barbecued potato chips at a newsstand and devoured them on the spot.

As Anne-Marie Bouteiller, a high school teacher and mother of two, walked through a mall in Danbury, Conn., food was the last thing on her mind. She had downed a hearty bowl of soup and a sandwich before leaving home. Then she saw a sign outside a bakery: “Special Today – Strawberry Cheescake.” She bolted inside and ordered a hefty chunk.

Reynolds and Bouteiller fell victim to a sudden food craving – distinct from hunger – an urge that attacks most Americans from time to time. In research conducted by Harvey Weingarten, professor of Psychology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, at least 70% of his male subjects and 100% of his female subjects reported these intense food longings.

Such food urges are one of the biggest enemies of weight-loss plans. Most dieters develop an obsessiveness about particular foods. So when cravings strike, they are almost impossible to dismiss. The mere thought of satisfying the hankering launches the body into a “feeding frenzy” of predigestive action. The heart beats faster, the salivary glands start flowing the stomach lining secretes acid. Also the pancreas releases the hormone insulin, causing a drop in blood-sugar levels that leads to a feeling of hunger. Sitting down to a meal triggers a similar response, however, the psychological reaction to a craving, experts believe, is far stronger. Eating can involve cravings as intense as a drug addict’s.

In the past a craving was regarded as just the body’s signal for a lacking nutrient. An ice-cream addict would rationalize three bowl of mint-chocolate-chip as something “my body is trying to tell me.” Even today some experts feel that “the wisdom of the body” can play at least some role in cravings. But most now believe that the mind plays a larger role in cravings than the body does.

One of the most important causes of cravings is stress. When we are under stress, the act of digesting food switches off that part of the nervous system that makes us tense, and this acts as an effective relaxant. Scientists now know that certain foods trigger the release of chemicals in the brain. For example, carbohydrates increase levels of serotonin – the “calming” chemical. Thus, a bedtime snack of hot chocolate and cookies may be a kind of self-medication to help ease the strains of a bad day.

Along with brain chemicals, psychological factors play a strong role in food urges. Scholars have traced some cravings to pleasant recollections which are often associated with some foods. Sweets, crisps and other foods are frequently given to children when they are sad or upset, or as a reward for something. This is the reason why ice-cream is such a common craving.

Experts suggest several strategies for keeping your urges under control:

Know your triggers. If you know when and where you can expect a food craving you are better able to deal with it. For example, if you have to attend a meeting that may cause stress, have a low-calorie snack on hand to keep you afterward from running out for potato chips or candy.

Separate food from other activities. People eat while they read, while they watch TV, or while they drive. If they stop associating certain activities with food, the cravings that occur in such situations will subside.

Exercise regularly. An aerobic work-out – biking, running, fast walking – releases the same feel-good chemicals in the brain that many experts believe are released by food. Besides, active people tend to choose diets lower in fat.

Substitute low-fat alternatives. Complex carbohydrates like potatoes, pasta, whole-grain bread and rice can satisfy your appetite with fewer than half the calories of an equivalent portion of fat-rich food. Try hard candies in place of chocolate, low-fat yogurt in place of ice-cream, pretzels instead of potato chips.

“Urge surfing” strategy. Cravings begin slowly, build steadily, reach their peak and then subside. If you allow the wave to pass, you can often wait it out. Delay as long as you can. Distract yourself with a walk, a book, or a telephone call. If you still crave the food, decide on a reasonable amount and then eat it slowly.

Don’t go to extremes. The body needs fuel every four or five hours. When people skip meals, blood-sugar levels drop and energy wanes, setting them up to cravings. Extreme diets are especially dangerous, they create feelings of deprivation that result in overeating.

Give in – sometimes. Experts agree that the most important piece of advice is to guard against absolute denial, which sets people up for what scientists call “abstinence violation.” Dr. Minear worked with a woman who tried to control her weight by giving up cookies. Weeks would go by when she didn’t so much as nibble a cookie, though she frequently baked them for her children her craving would build up to the bursting point – and finally she would give in, eating mountains of cookies. So denial never works. If a food craving overpowers you, give in but just a little. Be reasonable as you enjoy.

(by Per Ola & Emily d’Aulaire http://www.rd.com)

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