Author: Angela Swaan – Nutritional Therapist, Ambassador of the World Healthy Living Foundation

Cravings for junk food are a common reason that people can’t keep their healthy eating plans. They can lead to unhealthy eating habits and be the reason why you can’t lose weight.

Let me explain, there is nothing wrong with occasionally eating junk food or sweets, the problem begins when you have no control over it. Have you ever found yourself craving a second portion of dessert after a massive dinner, or finishing a massive bag of crisps or chocolate? You are not alone. It can be incredibly hard with some foods to know when to say ‘stop’.

What keeps us coming back for more, even when we know we’re totally full? What makes us binge on foods we know are bad for us so what is the winning formula? Did you realize that in nature we can’t find food that contains a mix of saturated fat and sugar altogether? Wait, there is one… cashews 😉 But we cannot count this I guess, and I think the difference between cashews and chocolate bars are obvious.

That’s the point where you should realize that no matter how full you are after a meal you can always make space for a dessert?

As we consume more of a particular flavour, our taste buds slowly get more and more tired of it, and we stop eating that food like e.g., how many times this happens to you when accidentally you ate too much broccoli or potatoes, feeling full already but, you know, that thought ‘I will eat just a little bit more, just little bit’ and end up not being able to move?

When presented with a new flavour, we get more reward from it, and so we continue eating. We can see this concept in action at an all-you-eat buffet; we are likely to eat more because there are a variety of flavours to keep our taste buds interested.

However, our taste system can be tricked when salt, fat, and sugar are carefully combined in expertly measured amounts to be ‘the right one’. At this point, we keep coming back for more, even when our bodies are trying to tell us to stop because we keep experiencing pleasure.

Our bodies respond to foods and are hit by triggering pathways in our brain and encouraging dopamine signalling. (Hormone of happiness – chemical messenger which involved feelings of euphoria, bliss, motivation, and pleasure).

We can’t forget about our diet culture and the fact that especially chocolate is associated with joy, happiness, relax, not because of the sweet taste but also think about TV commercials? Kinder Bueno commercial usually shows a flying woman in clouds full of the joy of the sweet taste, enjoying the time with chocolate.

Commercials never show the risk of overeating sugar and saturated fat, of course, they will not do this. I believe one day there will be a low under which commercials need to leave at least a message about the risk that comes with it but so far we need to forget about it.

The same thing happened with cigarettes, but even though everyone knows about the potential risk of lungs cancer and other things related to smoking, the fact is as some study shows the number of people who smoke is not decreasing, it’s actually increasing all the time.

This also shows how much we are ‘soaked’ with the addiction or joy behind the scenes which is more powerful than the rational thinking of a human being.

A study demonstrated when rats eat sugars and fats separately, their brains send them messages to stop when they are full, the interesting fact is when we are looking at the sugar and fat combined, we can see rats’ brains didn’t send the message to stop it. 

Watching TED TALK – Judson Brewer – simple way to break a bad habit – inspired me to write the article about food cravings as realizing the system of how it works is the first step to understanding and controlling our cravings and making long-term healthy habits. Judson Brewer explains that the best way to break a habit, like junk food eating, is to become aware of what is happening in your mind and body when you crave.

Rather than trying to ignore your cravings, try getting curious and recognising how you feel when you crave or eat a particular food. Understanding what happens when we eat junk food helps us to step back and become less interested in this habit.

Next time you have a craving for some junk food, getting curious about what’s happening (‘am I feeling sad, stressed, or hungry?’) will help you let the craving go. Then, repeating this process enough will help you break the habit of feeling compelled to eat from cravings. Consider finding other avenues for emotional release if you notice that you crave junk food when you are stressed or sad. Walking, listening to music, or writing in a journal can all be great stress busters.

Always remember that the gym’s door (or other activities, whatever you like including swimming, cycling, tennis, skiing etc.) is a good choice when you need it for an extra stress buster 😉

Food cravings are caused by the regions of the brain that are responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward.

It can be caused by our culture and habits we already have. While watching television or searching online we are ‘attacked’ by information’s about chocolate and junk food-related to our emotions – after all, you so deserve this moment of relaxation and reward for yourself after a stressful day at work or different struggles you are facing at the moment. TV commercials will never tell you about the ‘side effects like obesity, diabetics or anti-nutrients which are reducing the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients. In different words – anti-nutrients are robbing you of the vitamins and minerals you already have. Same as a drug dealer will provide you with all the ‘good information’ on how to feel happy and what you could get from it rather than ‘once you get in, it’s hard to get out’.

Yes! It is your mind telling you this and while no proof exists that chocolate is an aphrodisiac.

An imbalance of hormones, such as leptin and serotonin, can also cause food cravings. It is also possible that food cravings are due to endorphins that are released into the body after someone has eaten. Emotions may also be involved in producing a food craving, especially if a person eats for comfort.

Pregnant women experience especially strong cravings, which may be due to hormonal changes that can disrupt their taste and smell receptors.

There is also the possibility of a connection between cravings and nutrients. This is the idea that the body craves certain foods because it lacks certain nutrients.

Craving can be selective or non-selective.

Selective cravings are cravings for specific foods, which may be a person’s favourite chocolate bar, a specific burger from their favourite restaurant, or a bag of potato chips.

Non-selective cravings are the desire to eat anything. It may be the result of real hunger and hunger pangs, but it can also be a sign of thirst. Drinking water may help with intense non-selective cravings.

If you feel like cravings are holding you back and you can’t keep it under control (which may be a disorder called binge eating, and it’s not as simple as regular cravings) you may consider help from a registered professional to help you with it, and trust me this may change your life for better.

Reference list

• Hajkiewicz-Mielniczuk, M. (2020). Jak schudnąć, kiedy nic nie działa. [online] WARSAW: how2. Available at: https://how2.shop/produkt/jak-schudnac-kiedy-nic-nie-dziala/.
• Pietrangelo, A. (2019). Dopamine Effects on the Body, Plus Drug and Hormone Interactions. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/dopamine-effects.
• www.secondnature.io. (2022). Can’t Stop Eating Junk Food? Here’s Why | Second Nature Guides. [online] Available at: https://www.secondnature.io/guides/nutrition/cant-stop-eating-junk-food.