Managing Your CravingsGoing for the 3 Increases: Increase in Health, Increase in

Happiness & Increase in Energy

Strategies for Success in Weight ManagementBy: James J. Messina, Ph.D.

It starts with the Neurotransmitters

Serotonin – triggers cravings for sweets NPY - triggers a desire for pancakes and

waffles in the morning Galanin - triggers cravings to sweet-and-

creamy or meat-and-potatoes by mid-afternoon

Endorphins – triggers eating desserts pleasurable

Eating to boost one’s mood

Feel sad, down, disappointed, low…?

Carbohydrates: starches, pasta, or sweets, raise levels of serotonin in the brain

Carbohydrates boost mood but we need to eat them in moderation!

Craving differences between men & women

Typically women crave - sugar-fat mixtures: ice cream, chocolate, cookies, pies, doughnuts & cake

Typically men “prefer” protein-fat mixtures - steak, meatloaf, potatoes and gravy, or hamburgers

These cravings have existed since the cavepeople…

Researchers at Rockefeller University theorize that these are age-old craving differences between men & women

These cravings were useful in days when:cavemen needed to maintain high levels

of muscle mass to huntcavewomen needed to maintain body fat

stores in the event of pregnancy

Cravings are mood related

Women have reported feeling bored, lonely or depressed when they indulged in their desired food

Men associated giving in to cravings with feelings of happiness and relaxation.

Less than 40 percent of cravers said they were hungry when they experienced cravings

You are born with a “craving” set

Each person is born with a unique nerve chemical profile & set of cravings

This fact is not a license to bingeYou can’t change your genetic makeupYou can coax these neurotransmittersEven small changes in balance of nerve

chemicals can have far-reaching effects on your mood, energy levels & appetite

PMS and Over Indulging Cravings

Cravings amplify during the two weeks prior to a woman’s period, probably because fluctuating estrogen levels have a domino effect on brain chemistry, sending many appetite control chemicals into a tailspin

But overeating sugar, salty or high-fat snack foods, or caffeine will only make PMS symptoms worse

Give in to it or let the craving pass

Sometimes a craving may pass after about 15 minutes

Repeatedly resisting cravings may set you up for bingeing

Many dietitians recommend giving in when you’ve got it bad, it takes 100 calories of a craved food to quell the yearning e.g.Eight Nacho chips, 14 Gummi Bears or one fun-size package of M&Ms.

Timing of Cravings

Skipping breakfast or lunch can cause blood sugar to drop - leading to afternoon cravings

3-6 pm is prime time for cravingsNever let more than four hours go by

between meals or snacks

Chocolate the Most Craved Food

Taste of chocolate on the tongue is likely to release endorphins in brain producing euphoric or pleasurable feeling

Sugar in chocolate may raise Serotonin levels & soothe gloomy mood & relax you

Creamy taste of chocolate may soothe need for fat fueled by Galanin

Aroma of chocolate may affect brain chemistry

Nothing curbs chocolate craving but chocolate:for crave-prone times

Plan: Late afternoon snack: 3 to 4 Hershey’s Kisses, not entire bag or Five

dried apricots dipped in chocolate or Slice chocolate angel food cake topped with raspberries

Plan: In the evening snack:Two cups of oranges, bananas & strawberries

dipped in 1/4 cup dark chocolate syrup or cup of fat-free chocolate cocoa

Steps to control cravings: 1. Listen to your cravings

They’re telling you somethingCravings for sweets are an unconscious

effort to raise Serotonin or NPY levelsDesire for creamy or fatty foods ice

cream to steak may be a basic need to satisfy Galanin or Endorphin levels

Steps to control cravings: 1. Listen to your cravings

Willpower won’t work with these powerful brain chemicals, so work with them instead, by using nutritious foods to calm cravings and boost mood

If mid-afternoon you crave something sweet, turn to fig bars, graham crackers with peanut butter, air-popped popcorn, or a raisin bagel with all-fruit jam

Steps to control cravings: 2. Cut back on sugar and caffeine

These quick-fix solutions only amplify or aggravate cravings in the long run

Steps to control cravings: 3. Give in to it

If the craving doesn’t go awayEat the desired food instead of stuffing

yourself with everything but kitchen sink Stop short of a bingeBuy single-serve food packagesServe a reasonable portion and eat it

outside of the kitchen

Steps to control cravings: 4. Create a ritual

Make eating treats specialInstead of eating a half-gallon of ice

cream in front of the freezer, spoon some into a nice bowl, sit in your favorite chair, eat slowly and savor each bite

Steps to control cravings: 5. Exercise

People who exercise report fewer cravings than non-exercisers due in part to the mood altering Endorphins released during physical activity

Exercisers tend to feel more in control of their bodies & may be less likely to binge