By Anna Cortesi
Do you have constant cravings on unhealthy foods and snacks or foods that shouldn’t be on your nutrition program? Thankfully, there is a scientific explanation and therefore you can find the way to be successful, without having to indulge to this desire. You may be thinking that you cannot survive without a candy bar or some fried potatoes, but the truth is that you can actually make it and it is crucial to find out the causes of these behavior so that you can manipulate it to your own benefit.
Let’s take a look at some facts, which will change the way you think about your unhealthy cravings towards snacks:
- First of all, there is a scientific fact about the very place of your brain that is associated with the cravings. This fact suggests that this place is the same as the addiction part of your brain. In this very part of your brain, the emotions of reward are centered through memory. Therefore, the consumption of certain foods can stimulate the part of your brain that attracts positive emotions of happiness and satisfaction.
- Additionally, it is very important to mention that the effect of a food is inversely proportional with the frequency of its consumption. If you eat fried potatoes on a daily basis, then their affect to your body will be gradually decreased. This is why we all crave for unhealthy foods that we don’t have on our daily nutrition.
- At the beginning of your diet, it is very normal to feel such strong cravings for all the foods you stop eating. However, it is true that these cravings will fade out as you continue to follow the same diet.
What Can You Do about the Cravings
If you have a craving for a certain food and you know you should not eat it then here are some tips to help you deal with it:
- Use the power of visualization. Take your mind of by painting something. This procedure will stimulate the same parts of your brain and help you deal with the craving.
- Manipulate your sense of smell. One of the things that make you have cravings is the tense smell of foods. Use other great scents from essential oils or flowers to help you feel good and fight the craving as well.
- When you plan your diet try to add some ‘forbidden’ foods as well. With the right planning, you can achieve the maximum result. Without depriving yourself from a little happiness or indulging in all those cravings.
- Never let yourself get hungry. This is very important, since when you are feeling hungry you no longer have any control over your actions. As a result, you will end up eating more that you intended to and you will make some poor choices.
Now you’ve learnt that your craving for certain foods has a scientific ground. Therefore, it can be dealt with in an efficient way. Give yourself the chance to enjoy tasteful foods in every meal, and try to add a few unhealthy foods as well. This way, you will be fully satisfied from the given diet and you will reduce the chances of failing. This is the right path to adopt a healthy way of living on an everyday scale, and not only as long as you planning on following a certain diet.