We’re hardwired to seek out certain foods. Candy, chips, ice cream, cheeseburgers… we all have our vices. Strong cravings for unhealthy foods can make you feel out of control and impact your weight, metabolic health, and oral health. Understanding how cravings work will equip you to better respond to them.
To truly understand cravings, it’s important to understand the brain’s reward system. When you consume certain substances (such as addictive drugs or energy-rich foods) or engage in certain activities (such as sex or exercise), it stimulates neurons in the midbrain to release dopamine into the forebrain, which causes positive reinforcement for continued seeking of the behavior. It also causes endorphins produced by the central nervous system and pituitary gland to act on opiate receptors in the brain, which elicits a pleasure response. Hunger hormones also play a role. Although cravings can occur in the absence of true hunger (which is a physiological indication of energy deficit), appetite-stimulating hormones such as ghrelin have been shown to accentuate the reward response while satiety hormones such as leptin have been shown to dampen it. In short, when you eat certain foods, the body creates a biochemical response signaling that it likes them and wants more.
You may have noticed that you’re more susceptible to cravings when you’re stressed — there’s a neurobiological explanation for this as well. Stress activates a connective pathway between the brain and adrenal glands called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. This triggers the release of the steroid hormone cortisol, which can increase your appetite for foods high in sugar and/or fat. Elevated cortisol levels are also associated with enlarged fat cells and chronic systemic inflammation, indicating that body weight and food cravings are linked in a reinforcing feedback loop.
We live in a environment that is designed to cultivate cravings. Many companies specifically engineer processed foods to hit the “bliss point” – that perfect combination of sugar, fat and/or salt to optimize your desire for more. Advertisements for these products are everywhere, and just the sight of them can trigger a craving. We also celebrate and relax with edible treats: cake at a birthday party, pizza for a movie night with friends, doughnuts at the office on a Friday morning. When trying to eat better or lose weight, social obligations involving food can start to feel like a minefield.
Just because you experience cravings doesn’t mean that you have to respond to them – there are a variety of strategies that you can employ to resist their pull. Keeping your blood sugar stable with small frequent meals that emphasize complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats will help moderate cravings by keeping your hunger hormones in check. Staying hydrated is also important, as thirst can often be mistaken for hunger.
Mindfulness practices such as meditation and mindful eating are effective because they enhance awareness, emotional regulation, and self-control. Next time you notice a desire for a particular food, try to sit with that feeling for a moment. Where do you experience it in your body – is it a watering in your mouth, a gnawing in your stomach, an itch in your hand to reach out and break off a piece of that chocolate bar? Do you really want those fries or are you bored, stressed, or sad? Cravings often reach a peak and then start to diminish; in the time that it takes to identify them, you may notice that they have already started to fade. Cognitive engagement is another useful tool. Developing SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) for nutrition and fitness can help you stick to healthy habits.
Don’t beat yourself up for craving unhealthy foods – it’s natural. As a species, we’re programmed to engage in behaviors that promote survival, and high-calorie foods provide the most bang for the buck in terms of energy density. Just remmeber that knowledge is power: knowing a little bit more about why cravings happen and practicing healthy mitigation strategies can help you break the cycle of indulgence.
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