The Telegraph: Seven unhealthy food cravings – and how to beat them
We just can't help ourselves – or can we? Here's a little help from the experts in mastering our appetite
If you regularly find yourself gripped by an unconquerable urge to reach into the cookie jar, then take comfort. Researchers from the German University of Tuebingen have uncovered the science behind a phenomenon familiar to women across the globe: cravings for junk food are simply unconquerable at certain times of the month.
Previous research has suggested that insulin in the brain helps to regulate the hunger sensation. This new study, however, found that the brain’s sensitivity to insulin fluctuates across different phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle, potentially explaining any powerful cravings in the second half of your cycle.
But gender is not the only factor that affects our susceptibility to junk food. Our personal history can play a role too, says Dr Saira Hameed, an NHS weight-loss expert and author of The Full Diet.
“My clinical observation is that we crave foods that we have an emotional connection with, and that association usually stems from childhood,” she says. “Think about a food you crave when you are sad or bored. You may well be able to trace a line back. If your mum made you hot buttered toast when you came home from school, for example, that association with love and comfort and connection will remain long after.”
Whatever you were raised on, you are unlikely, however, to crave healthy foods. “Carb-rich or sugary foods give us a feel-good high, activating the nucleus accumbens – the brain’s so-called ‘pleasure area’ – giving us a transient dopamine high,” she explains. “Carrots may taste good, but they don’t give us that same dopamine rush needed for an immediate pick-me-up.”
So are we at the mercy of our cravings? Not quite, explains Giles Yeo, a Cambridge University neuroscientist who studies brain control of body weight: “Cravings have genetic and environmental drivers. Your genes might predispose you to reach more frequently for sugary food. But if you are hungry, you will experience that craving feeling more powerfully. If you are stressed and super-busy, you’ll have less executive power available to put to use resisting your craving. In other words, you may be biologically susceptible to cravings, but your environment will affect your capacity to resist them.”
You can choose to interpret this either in a ‘glass half full’ or ‘glass half empty’ way, he suggests. “You can’t do anything about your genetic predisposition to cravings, but you can unpick the learnt and environmental elements.” So what can the experts tell us about specific cravings and how to curtail them?
Crisps – after exercise
Why?
If your body is screaming for crisps specifically, dehydration can also be the culprit, says nutritional therapist Lucy Miller. The fluids in your body carry vital minerals and electrolytes, including sodium (found in salt). These can become imbalanced due to dehydration. “When this happens, we can find ourselves craving salty foods.”
What to do?
Swap crisps for lower-salt sourdough crackers from Peter’s Yard and have with a savoury hummus dip,” suggests Miller. Drink water and if you want to actively replenish electrolytes after a work-out, avoid effervescent ones full of unnatural ingredients. Miller recommends Viridian Electrolyte Fix.
Ultra Processed Foods at first just once a week, then three times, then four...
Why?
The most common reason for food cravings is blood sugar imbalance, says Miller. “When you consume foods high in sugar or refined carbs, they have a notable effect on your blood-sugar levels, prompting the release of insulin in order to transport the sugar from our bloodstream into our cells. Shortly thereafter, you may experience a swift decline in blood-sugar levels, which can result in increased cravings for more of the same.”
What to do?
Prioritise eating whole foods that contain plenty of protein and fibre, suggests Miller: “It’ll keep you feeling fuller for longer and help to manage your blood-sugar levels.”
All kinds of peculiar things – while pregnant
Why?
Although pregnancy food cravings are relatively understudied, says Miller: “they are most likely due to the fluctuations in hormones, nutritional needs and a maternal instinct to protect the foetus from toxins.” A recent study suggested that the most common were for sweets, fruits, pickles, ice cream and pizza.
What to do?
Don’t worry too much, says Miller. The most important thing is to look after yourself, body and mind. That said: “Excessive gestational weight is emerging as a potential threat to the health and wellbeing of both women and children, so a well-balanced diet throughout pregnancy is important.” If sickness is playing a role in your cravings, Miller recommends the Cytoplan Pregna-Plan prenatal multi-vitamin and Bare Biology Mums and Bumps’ Omega-3 supplement.