Most people experience cravings, so let’s explore what causes them and what to do when you have them.
When I asked about your cravings Facebook, you shared what, when, and why you crave certain foods. Not surprisingly, you tend to crave sweets, carbs (specifically mentioned were bread and pasta), and salty foods. Some of you have very specific cravings for very specific reasons. Barbara craves Gianduja, a paste made of cocoa, sugar and piemontese hazelnuts, as her “reward after a hard day.”
Several people mentioned cravings (especially for sweets) at certain times of the day, like mid-afternoon when, as Genevieve said, your blood sugar is low and you need a reward. Others crave something sweet after a meal, which Pat says may be “a habit left over from childhood.” Two people crave ice cream in the evenings—make that three, counting me!
Connie likes cold, sweet food when it’s hot (we’ll count that as another vote for ice cream) and Nicole has cravings for chocolate during her period (although that was only comment about that, I’m certain she’s not the only one!).
It’s not just sweets people crave though. Cristina says, “I crave raw meat like coppa or prosciutto” and Liz wants “a grilled steak or pork chop at times.” Wanja in New Zealand craves salty foods—crackers, potato chips, cheese—or a salty meal.
You are sometimes very specific about the textures you crave. Jane in Australia sometimes craves “crispy, crunchy, salty, fatty chippies” (potato chips) but says she’s not quite sure why. Um Jane? Could it be that they are crispy, crunchy, salty, and fatty?
But seriously, let’s explore cravings further.
What are cravings?
Cravings are an intense desire for a specific food. Hunger and cravings are different; hunger is the need for fuel while cravings are more about strongly wanting a specific food—with or without hunger. Learning strategies for handling cravings is essential! So let’s break this down into two main parts, beginning with what causes cravings.
What Causes Cravings?
I won’t go into the neurobiology of cravings here, but let’s focus on some of the factors that contribute to cravings.
Hunger
While hunger and cravings are different, you can be hungry and crave a specific food to satisfy that hunger. Whenever you feel like eating, pause to ask, “Am I hungry?” If you have symptoms of hunger, assess how hungry you are by giving yourself a hunger and fullness number (see chapter 2 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat).
Being overly hungry can make it harder to think rationally and eat mindfully. Remind yourself that being really hungry means you need to eat soon, not more than usual.
Stress
Most people are aware of the correlation between increased stress and cravings. People commonly crave foods like chocolate, cookies, chips, and other foods with fat, sugar, and/or salt because they stimulate the reward center of your brain. These foods cause your body to release endorphins—“feel good”—chemicals.
Associations and memories
Remember Pavlov’s dogs from Psych 101? Pairing certain foods with certain places, events, or people creates a link in the brain. Due to this condition, in the future, similar circumstances—or a need for the feeling you had in those circumstances such as pleasure or comfort—can trigger a craving for that particular food.
Deprivation
This is an often overlooked cause of cravings. Dietary restrictions can lead to cravings for the foods you aren’t “allowed” to have. (Just look at the list at the beginning of this article! Not a stalk of broccoli in sight!)
As you resist those “forbidden” foods, the cravings may increase, eventually leading to eating—then overeating—those foods. The ensuing guilt reinforces the belief that you must restrict those foods, so the “eat-repent-repeat” cycle goes on and on!
How to Handle Cravings
Now that we’ve explored some basic causes of cravings, let’s talk about how to handle cravings mindfully.
Mindfulness—awareness of the present moment—puts space between your cravings and your reaction, giving you an opportunity to gather information and choose how you’ll respond.
1) Pause for a Body-Mind-Heart scan.
Pause to notice what’s going on when you’re craving a particular food.
- Body: Focus on your physical sensations including hunger, thirst, fatigue, discomfort, or pain.
- Mind: Notice your thoughts. Besides the food you are craving, what other thoughts do you have? For example, “I’ll never get this all done!” might be driving the desire for an escape into a bag of potato chips.
- Heart: Next, focus on your emotions. What are you feeling right now? For example, could feeling stressed out be the reason you’re craving homemade chocolate chip cookies—a treat that reminds you of a simpler time in your life?
2) Get curious!
See if you can connect the dots to figure out where your craving came from. For example, had you recently seen a commercial, billboard, or ad for that particular food? (There’s a reason companies spend billions of dollars on advertising!) Do you have an association with this particular person, place, or event? Does your craving give you any clues about what your needs are right now? (Think comfort food!)
3) Is there some other way to meet your need right now?
Often, that nagging desire to eat something even though you’re not hungry is a hint of an unmet need. We have a saying: When a craving doesn’t come from hunger, eating probably won’t satisfy it.
By identifying what you’re feeling, you’ll be better able to identify the underlying need. For example, if you feel lonely, you may need connection. If you feel overwhelmed, you may need help, prioritization, or a break.
What small step can you take to meet your need? Ultimately, meeting your true needs will be more satisfying than eating.
4) Don’t feed the Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle.
What you resist persists—and insists! Notice whether you really, really, really, really want that particular food (the 4 Really test). If so, allow yourself to enjoy it fully, mindfully, and without guilt.
If you are experiencing guilt and telling yourself you shouldn’t be eating that food, you may paradoxically find yourself eating more of it! (Read Got Cravings? Three Words to Eliminate from Your Vocabulary.)
5) Eat mindfully.
There’s nothing wrong with eating a food you’re craving! Granted, you’ll enjoy it more when you’re hungry, but either way, eat it mindfully without distractions. After all, if you wanted it that bad, then it deserves your full attention.
6) Remember balance, variety, and moderation.
All foods can fit in a healthy diet, so there are no good or bad foods. There’s plenty of room for eating the foods you love using the simple principles of balance, variety, and moderation to guide you.
7) Build a self-care buffer zone.
By taking care of yourself consistently, you’re less likely to crave food to fill the other holes in your life!
This article has been updated from a previously published version.
Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you:
Duck your cravings with mindfulness
What if we aren’t craving more food?
