Why do all of the sudden our taste buds feign for that one thing? Why is that I sit in class and daydream about the burrito I am going to devour at the Hub after class, more often than I should? It is because there are many things that people have an intense desire for. Whether it be food, shelter, safety, belonging, mattering, or desire caused by pregnancy, all humans have their own types of cravings. Cravings vary based on the person; however, I have always wondered where this strange feeling comes from.

Cravings are caused by a number of things. The most common causes include low levels of serotonin, “feel good” endorphins, happy casomorphins, a “wonky gut,” and most frequent, emotional triggers. For many of us, cravings are caused when there is an increase of stress, anxiety, or depressed and sad feeling. Have you ever caught yourself watching a sad movie and come to realize you just ate an entire tub of ice cream? This is an example of an emotional trigger believe it or not, and for each mood we have there might be a different craving that goes along with it.

Other studies state that food cravings are all in our head. There are specific areas of our brain that are held accountable for sensing pleasure and for remembering things, they are to blame for the annoying food cravings you and I both experience.

So now, all I want to know how to stop these cravings! After reading an article explaining why taking a walk and participating in exercise can reduce cravings, I may have found the answer. During a test on regular chocolate bar eaters, researchers concluded that if their patients were to walk on the treadmills at a normal pace for at least 15 minutes they were surprisingly less likely to show signs of craving their chocolate bars.

Other ways to stop and fight the temptation to eat something you will later regret, include asking yourself whether or not you are actually hungry, consider what your body needs and not what it wants, pay attention to what you crave when you crave it, stop your train of thought and think about something else when cravings come to mind, and the easiest look for a distraction to get you mind off of the desired substance.

It is amazing how cravings are so relevant and occur so rapidly in the lives of millions that are surprisingly confused to what cravings actually mean. As you can see, there are a myriad of ways to cut these bad habits and fight the urge to over indulge a craving, so you don’t end up like this girl.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2013/03/13/the-3-things-all-humans-crave-and-how-to-motivate-anyone-anytime-anywhere/

http://kriscarr.com/blog-video/how-to-stop-food-cravings/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/the-facts-about-food-cravings?page=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/health/04really.html?_r=1

http://dailyburn.com/life/health/tips-stop-unhealthy-food-cravings/

What Do Your Food Cravings Really Mean?

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/21965/20141211/weird-craving-woman-develops-taste-for-toilet-paper-eats-one-entire-roll-every-day.htm