Got Food Cravings - What Do They Mean?

Are your food cravings related to that juicy steak with a mashed potato and gravy or are you fondly thinking of the slice of key lime pie you can’t wait to eat?

Here are some questions that I wanted to answer for you:

1. Do men and women crave the same food?

The results from a large study (Fleurbaix Laventie Ville Santé Study - Int J Eat Disord 29: 195-204, 2001) showed that not only are food cravings strongly associated with mood but they were triggered by different feelings in men and women. Women cravers reported more frequently negative feelings, whereas men reported more frequently positive feelings.

Does it mean that women eat more when unhappy and men eat more when happy?

This is very interesting finding because most studies have focused so far on negative mood state when it comes to cravings for either sweet or rich in fat foods.

2. What triggers food cravings?

I know that it does sound very simplistic , but our feelings are actually the result of chemical reactions in the brain. It is all about neurotransmitters or the brain chemicals like serotonin, endorphins, galanin and NPY that make us feel happy or miserable. These same chemicals, depending on their level, trigger cravings for sweet or fat-rich creamy food.



Here is how it works

Feeling down, sad or disappointed?

Get that bowl of ice-cream. Yes-the bigger the bowl the better you feel. Been there?

Carbohydrates like cookies, pasta and pie raise the level of serotonin. The result? The result is that we feel better.

Women crave more sugar-fat combinations like ice-cream, doughnuts, and pies while men have cravings for protein-fat combination like steak, mashed potatoes and gravy or burgers with fries.

3. Why is it that men and women are craving different types of food?

Researchers from the Rochfeller University believe that it comes from the time when men needed more protein for muscle mass while hunting and women needed to store more fat for potential pregnancies.

4. Can food cravings reveal your mood?

Most women have cravings while lonely, depressed or bored. Women may reach for comfort foods to improve a negative mood.Men relate cravings to relaxation and a state of happiness and satisfaction.

There is another difference. Women may feel better while eating, but afterwards most of them feel guilty for giving in to the craving. This is not valid for men.

Researchers believe the following cravings could mean you are feeling these moods:

1. Meat could mean you're angry

2. Sweets might be a sign of depression

3. Ice cream might mean you're anxious

4. Salty snacks could mean you're stressed

5. Pasta might signal loneliness or sexual frustration

5. What is the most craved food?

Yes. You guessed it right- Chocolate!Why?

Chocolate contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that raises the body's endorphins, our natural antidepressants. It releases endorphins in the brain that make you feel a pleasure, raises the serotonin level that improves your gloomy mood and the creamy texture satisfies the need for fat.

6. What can you do about food cravings?

Rule # 1

Take care of the four brain "centers" that create our cravings: food, water, sex, sleep. If you are an adult and don't get those things, you're going to have more cravings, mostly for food because food can easily and quickly modify your moods.

Therefore, think long and hard about the way you satisfy those basic centers. Don’t let your sleep deprivation make you fat. Don’t let your food deprivation make you fat. (I know it sound weird but this is what happens when you go on a drastic diet to lose 10 lb in a week).

Rule # 2

Listen to your body: Your cravings are telling you something:

Crave sweets?

Your serotonin or NPY level is low.

Solution: go get a cookie or a slice of pie and don’t feel bad about it.

Crave ice-cream or a steak?

Your galanin and endorphins are low:

Solution: Treat yourself with a cone of chocolate ice-cream or go out for a nice steak.

Don’t even think twice. The simple act of depriving oneself of a food can increase cravings for that food.

Rule # 3

Don’t try to use will power to overcome a chemical reaction - it simply does not work in a long range. It only gets worse if you don’t satisfy a craving. The result is bingeing.

Rule # 4

Don’t go without any food for more than 4 hours.

Cravings usually manifest between 3-6 PM especially if you didn’t have a lunch or a breakfast and your blood sugar is low. Instead of resisting the craving and making things worse you better satisfy your craving with a small amount of the craved food to avoid bingeing.

Have a snack in the midafternoon and late in the evening. That could be a spoon of peanut butter, half a banana, or a bagel. That’s it.

Copyright Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

Author's bio: Dr. Nelly Stoyanova is a physician, medical researcher and health behavior expert. She studies the effects of stress on heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep. Her website: Belly Fat, Stress and Baby Boomers (http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com) evaluates sources of stress for people over 50 and provides great tips to balance your day-to-day stress and stay healthy. Turn your life around and benefit from her expertise. For individual guidance sessions or to schedule a public speaking event use the Contact page or email at drnstoyanova@gmail.com

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Acknowledgment: The picture of chocolate by Ian Britton is courtesy of FreeFoto.com