Taking Control of Your Food Cravings
Taking Control of Your Food Cravings
Core - Edition Nº25
Constant food cravings happen to most of us at some point, and it’s normal to worry about forming a habit of overeating. But it’s also true that just a few days of healthy eating habits can help us foster changes in our microbiome that make positive, lasting changes in our mood, energy levels, strength, stamina, and overall healthspan.
Cravings tend to be fueled by senses, like the smell of warm and fresh bread in the morning from the nearby bakery. Our cravings can also depend on our emotions or situation: people often desire fast food after a stressful day at work. Or crave popcorn and soft drinks at the cinema. Usually the tantalising mixture of fat, sugar and salt interferes with our brain signals to make us crave more food—even when we’re full.
As it turns out, most people look to mistaken methods to curb their cravings, such as restrictions, avoidance, or forceful distractions. But we’re naturally engineered to crave the food we like; nothing will change that.
As psychology professor Evan Forman puts it:
“It’s about understanding that these kinds of cravings are a natural part of being a person (…) You don’t have to make cravings go away, but you also don’t have to eat because of them. It’s accepting rather than pushing away or suppressing them.”
Diets can make it worse
In the starvation study of the 1940s, 36 men were asked to reduce their daily calorie intake from 3,500 to around 1,600 calories. As a result, drastic psychological changes occurred. Their minds became preoccupied with cooking (they had likely never cooked before), and they even considered food-related careers. Food was all they could talk or think about.
Another set of more recent studies by Harvard found that while there is some benefit to the macronutrient-based dietary approach (counting your calories), there will never be a one-size-fits-all diet. I hate the idea of a “diet” for this reason. You can’t copy someone else’s eating habits and expect them to work the same (or better) for you. You could try 100 different diets and have none of them work. Forcing yourself to change your behaviour for a short span like this is frankly unhealthy and unsustainable.
How to cope
What works is having the right habits that focus on consistency and quality. Here are some ideas from Mindbodygreen:
Go outside in the morning for 2-20 minutes: Recently, it became hard for me to eat in the morning, and I couldn’t figure out why. But as I started going for walks first thing in the morning, I found the problem. My circadian rhythm was off-track and only improved by following the lead of the sun, having a consistent waking routine, and waking up my body and muscles first thing in the morning.
Replenish, don’t restrict: Food is fuel and needs replenishment with nutrient-dense options such as vegetables, porridge, nuts, etc. That way, you will be less likely to choose those ultra-processed simple carbs and sugars. Instead, you will be left feeling fuller for longer and with fewer snack cravings.
Move: Regular movement is my favourite probiotic. It will help you feel more satisfied and less inflamed. Especially when you spend hours at the desk without realising. A simple walk around the block or a few squats and stretches throughout the day will make an enormous difference to how you feel by bedtime compared to staying still.
Eat fermented food: Eating cultured yoghurt, tempeh, kimchi, or sauerkraut is a great way to balance your gut health and reduce hunger.
Coping with cravings is easier than it feels. The solutions don’t only help satisfy our cravings—they also help teach us to learn acceptance, observe our feelings, and pay attention to what our body is telling us. Think about how you feel when you give your desires what it wants. Do you feel better or worse afterwards? Were there healthier options you would’ve preferred? You’ll know what to do next time.
The most important thing is you don’t ignore your cravings. Ignoring them rarely works. Instead: identify them, accept them, and give yourself options that help your mind and body feel healthy and satisfied. Our cravings rise and fall like waves in an ocean. So embrace it, and ride the waves.