Why do cravings occur?

Have you ever felt the almost uncontrollable need to eat chocolate, pizza, chips or even something as specific as anchovies? That intense feeling that appears without any warning, even when you’re not hungry, has a name: cravings. 

What is a craving?

A craving is an urgent and intense desire to consume a food or drink. Although it is often associated with a lack of self-control, it is actually due to multiple physical, emotional or sensory factors. Therefore, the answer to the question what is a craving? is that it’s a sign from the body that can reveal anything from a nutritional need to a specific emotional state. For example, craving banana can indicate a lack of potassium, and craving an ounce of dark chocolate may indicate a magnesium deficiency. 

Main causes of cravings: why do we have them?

Cravings can have many different causes and they are closely linked to the body, brain and our past experiences. There are some common factors that can also explain why we have cravings: 

• Nutritional deficiencies. When the body lacks minerals like iron, magnesium or potassium, it can ask us for foods that contain them. Cravings can also be a response to a search for fast energy. Sugar, in this sense, is an immediate source of energy, and is particularly closely related to this phenomenon.
• Hormonal imbalances or changes. Hormone fluctuations (such as those that influence the menstrual cycle or pregnancy) affect our need to eat certain foods. It’s also important to bear in mind that consuming sugar, for example, releases serotonin, the happy hormone. That’s why, when we feel stressed, in a bad mood or even sad, we look for sweet foods as a way of finding happiness or comfort. 
• Stress and emotions. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is also involved in cravings. When we are faced with situations that are out of our control, our body looks for foods that provide an immediate feeling of wellness, such as simple carbohydrates or fats, like industrial pastries or processed snacks. 
• Habits and conditioning. We associate sweets with celebration and pleasure, so we may subconsciously look for them in situations of reward or emotional comfort. Our traditions and rituals can also have an impact: if we are used to eating something specific at certain times of day (such as biscuits with a coffee in the afternoon), our body and mind will seek it out and associate it with that moment of relaxation. 
• Lack of sleep. A lack of sleep can alter the balance of hormones that control the appetite, such as ghrelin (which stimulates hunger) and leptin (which reduces it). When we don’t get enough sleep, the body increases the production of ghrelin, which can mean we opt for high-calorie foods. 
   

How to control cravings in a healthy way?

Cravings are the most natural thing in the world; what’s important is knowing how to manage them to prevent them from becoming a barrier to our well-being. There are some strategies that can turn these impulses into conscious choices and healthy cravings:

1. A balanced diet. If we follow a balanced diet, which includes all the essential nutrients (such as proteins, healthy fats and fibre), we can prevent deficiencies that cause cravings. Plus, eating properly will help us to feel fuller for longer and reduce the urge to eat unhealthy foods. 
2. Healthy snacks. Instead of succumbing to the craving for fast food or refined sugars, there are other options that fill you up and provide nutrients. This includes fruits, natural yoghurts, nuts or dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao. It’s worth having these foods to hand rather than opting for less healthy options.
3. Proper hydration. We sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. Drinking water isn’t just necessary for our body, but it can also soothe fleeting cravings. So always drink lots of water!
4. Emotional origin. We can sometimes feel that the desire to eat something comes from stress, sadness or boredom. When this happens, we can practise mindfulness, as well as other techniques, to try to discern what is real hunger and what is emotional hunger. Research has shown that emotional cravings sometimes disappear in a question of minutes, so it can also be useful to spend time thinking about what we really want. 
5. Sleep habits. Sleeping for between 7 and 9 hours isn’t just important for your health but, as we’ve already seen, it also helps to regulate the hormones associated with appetite and reduce the intensity of cravings. 
6. Exercise and switching off. Physical activity improves mood and controls appetite naturally. Plus, it also helps to break the cycle of anxiety-food-guild. 

Cravings aren’t a weakness, but a communication tool between body and mind. They are sometimes a physiological warning, while others can be an emotional sign. It’s important not to suppress them, but to learn to understand them.