LIALI Newsletter 

December 2007 

Volume 1, Issue 7

Notes from Angie:

Why Do I Have Food Cravings?

By: Diana Walker

Obviously we crave food – It’s called hunger. However, there are all kinds of food and drink cravings that can be caused by a nutritional deficiency, your emotional state or by habit.

Some people crave food to self medicate themselves when they are lonely, sad or just feel bad in general. Eating a lot of food, especially foods filled with sugar causes the blood to rush to the stomach and a release of serotonin, making us feel better, at least temporarily.

You may also crave certain foods when you are lacking nutrients. You may find yourself craving red meat when you don’t have enough iron for example.

We also tend to get in a habit of thinking we need a certain type of food at a certain time. If you always have popcorn while watching a movie, sooner or later you will crave it as soon as you sit down to enjoy a new film. You're training yourself to eat popcorn whenever you watch a movie.

Is Food Really Dangerous Or Addictive?

In general food of course isn’t dangerous or necessarily addictive. In fact it is necessary for us to eat every single day. However, food can become dangerous or addictive when we become too emotionally involved with it, or overeat because of the food addiction. Food cravings can also cause us to make unhealthy food choices which can affect our overall health and well being and even shorten our life-spans.

Unhealthy food choices, such as too many fatty or sugary foods can lead to diabetes, obesity, heart problems and a variety of other health conditions. This is why it is so important that you take control of your food cravings as soon as possible.

What Can I Do To Curb My Food Cravings?

The best way to curb food cravings is to make sure you eat a balanced diet and provide your body with all the nutrients it needs. If you are an emotional eater, you also need to make a conscious effort to not allow your emotions to control what you eat and stop emotional eating altogether. When you encounter a craving for let’s say chocolate, ask yourself… “Why am I craving this chocolate bar? Is it because I feel sad?” Acknowledging the emotional connection is the first step to stopping your emotional eating. A good next step would be to deal with the feeling instead of medicating it with food.

Become more aware of your food cravings and the reason behind them. Then take steps toward dealing with the cravings. If you eat out of habit, break the habit by doing something else. If you crave food when you are bored, call a friend or go for a walk instead. Speak to your physician or a nutritionist about an appropriate supplement if you feel your food cravings are caused by nutritional deficiencies. Take it one step at a time and before you know it, you will have control over your food cravings.

Article by:
Are cravings controlling your life? Diana Walker's book Craving Secrets will show you why you have certain food cravings, how they affect your health and your mood, and what you can do to beat them and live a healthier life.

In The Kitchen

This sounds like a tasty recipe!

Grilled Salmon Skewers posted on the Prevention.com website

Enjoy