You have just eaten, are actually still a little full and yet you are overcome by an incredible feeling of hunger? Then we are talking about cravings. Especially for people who are currently on a diet or want to lose weight in other ways, cravings are the biggest enemy. This is because cravings make you crave sweet, salty or fatty foods. How can you recognize food cravings and how can you effectively nip them in the bud? We will explain this in today's blog post.
What is food craving?
Food cravings are often confused with hunger, but these two types of hunger are very different. Hunger has a simple but extremely important function: the body absorbs nutrients through food, which provide it with energy.
The feeling of hunger is stimulated and regulated by highly complex mechanisms. Your brain is the control center that receives and processes various signals from the body regarding hunger. In addition, there are certain receptors in the stomach that signal the brain that it is empty and needs food.
Cravings, on the other hand, behave differently. They are the simple desire for certain foods, which in most cases are rather unhealthy. In many cases, they have a high calorie density and few nutrients, contain a lot of sugar, unhealthy fats and don't really fill you up.
Wouldn't it be amazing if you had cravings for healthy foods like porridge? That would solve many problems with losing weight.
So the difference is pretty easy to explain – but how does cravings work and why do they occur?
Where do cravings come from?
There are many different triggers for cravings. Starting with emotions like sadness, boredom or even stress, and going all the way to environmental influences like the smell of certain foods, can lead to a craving attack.
When people have food cravings, they tend to reach for snacks that contain carbohydrates, because these cause serotonin levels to rise. After eating them, you feel better, but this feeling doesn't last long either. This is another reason why food cravings are so dangerous – your body wants to maintain this serotonin rush and sends you the same signals again.
Habits are also an important factor. If you often eat a chocolate bar first thing in the morning, you will do exactly the same thing many mornings in a row. If you don't have the chocolate or other things at hand, you won't be able to get rid of the feeling of cravings.
What causes cravings?
The causes of cravings can be divided into three categories: nutrition, physical causes and psychological causes.
In terms of nutrition, you should make sure to avoid unhealthy snacks between meals. These lead to a spike in blood sugar, as does eating too many sweets. You should also avoid long gaps between meals. Recurrent dieting and an excessive calorie deficit can also increase the risk of food cravings. We have developed the Verival calorie calculator so that you know how many calories you should consume and how to achieve the right calorie deficit.
Physical causes can be pregnancy or breastfeeding. Diabetes mellitus is also often responsible for food cravings. An overactive thyroid can also trigger relentless hunger. Metabolic disorders that affect the feeling of satiety are also an indicator of food cravings.
Mental causes can be stress, depression, various eating disorders or even lack of sleep or poor sleep. When we sleep, the hormone leptin, which normally regulates our sense of satiety, is released. When you sleep, a large amount of leptin is released. So if you sleep little or poorly, you feel less satiated and therefore have stronger cravings.
The physical process in the body when you have cravings
The process in your body is relatively simple. You eat an unhealthy meal, your blood sugar level rises quickly. But then it drops just as quickly. This leads to a food craving. Thus begins a cycle of food cravings, an unhealthy meal, and then more food cravings. This should be avoided at all costs, because in the long run it can be quite unpleasant.
To avoid falling into the cravings trap at breakfast, you should make sure that you eat a healthy breakfast. Many nutrients and dietary fibers help you feel fuller for longer, thus preventing cravings.
How to stop cravings!
It's difficult to resist cravings – we've all struggled with them at some point. And to avoid having to resist, you should take the right steps in advance to escape them. Ideally, you should know where your cravings come from so that they can't take you by surprise.
Healthy eating is important in the fight against food cravings.
The perfect basis for all possible concerns about your body is a healthy diet. If you eat healthy foods and the right nutrients, you can ensure that you are getting everything you need. This is an active way to prevent cravings. With complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and high-quality proteins, you can ensure that you feel full for longer and don't have to give in to cravings.
The multiplier for food cravings: stress
Stress is not only a great strain on your body and mind. It can also affect your stomach relatively quickly. A little more time for yourself, a free weekend, exercise and maybe 20 minutes a day without any distractions – this is how you can reduce stress and thus also food cravings.
Mindfulness when eating helps you to avoid food cravings
According to studies, eating mindfully and with focus is a very helpful tool for avoiding cravings. So if you fancy something sweet, you shouldn't deny yourself every time. Make sure you really enjoy it, and you'll actively prevent cravings.
Sleep is just as important as food
The duration and quality of sleep are very important for avoiding cravings. Not getting enough quality sleep prevents the production of the important satiety hormone leptin, which is why you have that unpleasant feeling of ravenous hunger immediately after getting up.
The best solution for ravenous hunger attacks
It's a good idea to start with the right nutrients in the morning. Breakfast is considered by many experts to be the most important meal of the day, which is precisely why you should start the day with a healthy meal.
Porridge, for example, provides you with complex carbohydrates that sustainably fill your body's energy reserves for the whole day. Porridge also contains important nutrients and fiber that keep you feeling full for longer.
Complex carbohydrates and proteins are an important part of the fight against cravings. Physical activity and training are just as important as proper nutrition. Sleep, sufficient fluids, and regular food intake can also contribute to a greater or lesser extent to a healthier life without food cravings.
The right breakfast can help you start the day healthy and avoid cravings. To help you succeed, we have a few recipes with complex carbohydrates, proteins and lots of nutrients for you:
Breakfast recipe: Low-calorie porridge for weight loss (sugar-free)
A simple, classic porridge recipe for weight loss. Garnish your porridge with the right toppings and you have a delicious, healthy porridge that will help you lose weight.
Preparation time: 3 min.
Steep porridge: 3 min.
Total time: 6 min.
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 200 kcal
Ingredients
- 50 g rolled oats
- 1 pinch of salt
- 130 ml water
- Optional: healthy toppings such as berries (like blueberries), chia seeds, flax seeds, healthy oils, fresh fruits or dried fruits (like apricots or prunes). Note: dried fruits contain a lot of calories.
Preparation
- Heat the water (for example in a kettle)
- Put the oats with a pinch of salt in a bowl
- Pour the boiling water into the bowl
- Stir the porridge well until it has a creamy consistency
- Decorate it with your toppings.
Nutritional information
Calories: 200 kcal
Breakfast Recipe: Low-Calorie Weight Loss Porridge (Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
- 50 g oatmeal
- 1 pinch of salt
- 130 ml water
- To taste: Healthy toppings e.g. berries (such as blueberries), chia seeds, flax seeds, healthy oils, fresh fruits or dried fruits (such as unsweetened apricots or plums). Attention: dried fruits contain many calories.
Preparation
-
Heat the water (for example, in a kettle).
-
Put the oatmeal in a bowl with the pinch of salt.
-
Pour the boiling water into the bowl.
-
Stir the porridge well until it reaches a creamy consistency.
-
Decorate it with your toppings.
Nutritional values
Recipe: Creamy Breakfast Shake
Ingredients
- 35 g breakfast shake
- ½ banana
- 200 ml (vegetable) milk
- 30 g yoghurt
- Strawberries
