Friday, 20 April 2012


What Does Your Food Craving Mean?

Every food corresponds to a certain mood. When your cravings are out of control, 
it’s because you want to feel more energetic, happier, or more relaxed. Your 
cravings are for the food that will produce the desired effect.  Hunger and cravings 
are two very different things: if you were just hungry for a bowl of ice cream, 
you’d stop eating it at the first sign of satiation instead of finishing off the bowl, 
having another, and then maybe two more spoonfuls right from the carton.
 Or maybe you would’ve opted for something else.

Every food contains minerals, amino acids, textures, smells and other 
mood- and energy-affecting properties. Some are stimulants, some are
 depressants, and some activate the pleasure centre in our brains. Many 
mood-altering or “psychoactive” properties of food are identical 
to those found in prescription medications for depression, anxiety and
 asthma! For example, the feel-good chemical in chocolate is
 phenylethylamine (PEA). This is also the main ingredeint in Ecstasy
 and MDMA. Actually, it’s found in such high amounts in raw cacao
 that people have “cacao parties” and get buzzed off of this chemical,
 naturally (I’m not kidding, you can Google it). Tyramine and pyrazine, 
found in foods like nuts, coffee, pickled foods, sour cream, and aged
 cheese are the main ingredients in antidepressants and asthma
 bronchodilators. There are also reasons behind craving certain
 textures (crunchy, soft and creamy, and chewy). Two peopl
e that crave the same food, but with different textures, would
 have two very different issues. (More on food texture cravings here.)

Chocolate: Hungry for Love

The chemical I mentioned before, PEA, is the chemical that 
the brain creates when we’re feeling romantic love. “Chocoholism” 
is way of seeking love, intimacy and romance.

Dairy for Antidepressants

Tyramine (found in higher levels in cheese) is a stimulant. 
Choline (found in milk) has a soothing effect.  L-tryptophan 
(also found largely in milk) combined with carbohydrates stimulates 
the production of serotonin, creating a happy sensation. This 
combination is found in ice cream, pizza, creamy sauces, and a 
long list of other common foods.

Salty Snacks for Stress

Well, actually for stress, anger, and anxiety. Craving salty 
foods is a sign of adrenal weakness. Your adrenals manage 
your stress response. Often salty snacks are also crunchy - the 
crunch gives your jaw a physical outlet for stress (people usually
 hold anger in by clenching their jaw).

Spices for Excitement

Chances are if you like to spice up your food, you like the rest
 your life to follow suit. Feeling stuck, bored or generally
 dull might make your body convert this frustration into cravings
 for spicy foods. Bernard Lyman, a psychologist, researcher
 and author writes that “sensation seekers [are people who]
 seem to need extra excitement and often enjoy taking risks.”
 Sensation seekers have been correlated with cravings for spicy, 
crunchy or sour foods with strong cravings for novelty and change.

Breads, Rice and Pasta for Comfort

Comforting and calming. Usually craved in times when you need 
a friend to talk to or some way to express your feelings. 

Fat for Fear

These kinds of cravings indicate a fear of feeling empty, 
being alone, of facing the truth of taking responsibility…
basically, a feeling of fear in general.

Everyone is different. Your cravings could also be very 
physiological, so take a second to check in with yourself 
and see how you're feeling. Are you hungry, or are you emotional?

No comments:

Post a Comment