Food cravings theyre all in your brain nghĩa là gì năm 2024
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Do you find that biscuits beckon, tarts tempt and chocolates cry out to be eaten at around 4pm in the afternoon? Is it your body sending you signals? What about when you crave a big, juicy steak – could it mean that your iron stores are low? Or is it all just in your mind? Show Food cravings are different from normal hunger because they usually involve a desire for a specific food that may not be part of your usual diet. The cravings may also involve an urgency to eat more or to eat differently – perhaps gobbling the food or eating it in secret. Cravings are also often for a food that’s difficult to find, or one that you may perceive as “bad for you”. Should you listen to your cravings?While many people would like to justify scoffing a bucket of French fries because their body “needs” the potassium found in potatoes, few nutritionists believe cravings have anything to do with your body telling you you’re missing certain nutrients. Thirst tells us when we need fluid, but the persuasive powers of modern advertising and the sheer volume of food now available to us have almost certainly distorted any in-built ability our hunter-gatherer ancestors might have had to warn them that specific nutrient stores were low. This is supported by the fact that most people with nutrient deficiencies do not crave the foods that would supply their needs. Some people even refuse to eat them. For example, a woman who needs iron may crave sweets (which, of course, contain no iron) but refuse to eat the red meat that would provide the iron that she is lacking. Why do cravings occur?Medical researchers still don’t know why we have cravings for certain foods, but there are two main theories. Comfort eatingWhen babies and small children need a little comforting, they’re often given food. At first, it will be sweet milk from the breast or bottle but, as the child grows, it may become lollies, biscuits, chocolate, ice-cream, cakes or a special dessert. So, it’s not surprising that we learn to associate eating sweet foods with meeting emotional needs. In some cases, eating fills an emotional void and some overweight people will never be able to address their weight problems until they have had the opportunity to sort out the emotional turmoil of their lives. Strict dietingHave you noticed how, as soon as you’ve decided you’re not going to eat chips or chocolate any more, all you can think of is chips and chocolate? “Forbidden fruits” can become irresistible, but in this case it’s more psychological than physiological. Being told you can’t have something simply sets the thing to be avoided firmly at the front of your mind. Studies have shown that feelings of deprivation can also lead to food cravings and overeating. However, this mainly occurs among dieters who cut back the quantity of food they’re eating rather than switching to healthier alternatives and eating the same amount of food. Low-carbohydrate diets often induce cravings, but this time it may be more than a case of your mind playing tricks on you. A lack of carbohydrates can cause blood sugar levels to fall, and rather than going through the complicated rigmarole of converting proteins to glucose, it could be that your body knows it’s easier to boost blood sugar by eating something sweet. This can also explain those mid-afternoon munchies. If you haven’t had enough carbohydrates at lunch, by 4pm your blood sugar levels will have dropped and your energy levels will be flagging, so your body sends a signal to your brain to crave a sugary treat. But this doesn’t mean you should listen – a piece of fruit, a slice of bread or a small tub of low-fat yoghurt are healthier choices than chocolate, cakes or biscuits and achieve the same result. How to fight those cravingsEven if we know cravings are mainly in our mind, that doesn’t mean they’re easy to ignore. Here are a few tips that will help you cope:
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December 29, 2017 Embed Food Cravings: They're All in Your Brain.Embed The code has been copied to your clipboard. The URL has been copied to your clipboard No media source currently available 0:00 0:06:36 0:00 Direct link
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