Some people’s food cravings remain constant; for example they always crave ice cream. Other people go through “food kicks,” craving peanut butter one week, blue cheese dressing the next week, and chocolate bars the following week. Neither situation is accidental or coincidental. If your emotional issues remain unaddressed, your food cravings will remain constant. If you’re emotional issues change, so will your food cravings. The only parallel between both the constant and the changing food cravings is this. There is some underlying emotional issue crying for your attention.

Emotional issues connected to food cravings usually fall into one of these categories:

• Stress, tension, anxiety, fear, or impatience
• Depression or feeling blue
• Feeling tired, having low energy levels
• Unmet needs for fun, play, excitement, or recreation; too much work and not enough play
• A desire for love, selection, appreciation, romance, or sexual satisfaction
• Anger, resentment, bitterness or frustration
• Emptiness, insecurity, or a desire for comfort

Many cravings for sweet foods are caused by fluctuating high and low blood sugar levels. To prevent this you should eat complex carbohydrates that help to keep your blood sugar levels constant.

Avoid refined foods, especially sugar, simple carbs chocolate, sweets, biscuits, pastries, soft drinks. (with the exception of fruit) are all refined foods and should be avoided. Although fruit contains fructose (fruit sugar) which is a simple carb, the fiber content of the fruit is a complex carb which slows the digestion rate. Reduce foods and drinks that are stimulants; example sugar, tobacco, caffeine in tea, coffee, chocolate and caffeinated soft drinks, all cause a fast rise in blood sugar followed by a fast dropping a perfect recipe for cravings! Avoid them whenever possible. Instead drink herbal teas, spring water and diluted pure fruit juices.

• Eat at least 3 well-balanced meals a day
• Give up guilt
• Accept food cravings as a normal part of living in a food-oriented society
• Think “management” instead of “control”
• Look at cravings as suggestions to eat, not commands to overindulge.
• Believe that cravings will pass
• Disarm you cravings with the 5 D’s Delay at least 10 minutes before you eat so that your action is conscious, not impulsive, Distract yourself by engaging in an activity that requires concentration, Distance yourself from the food, Determine how important it really is for you to eat the craved food and how much you really want it, Decide what amount is reasonable and appropriate, eat it slowly and enjoy!
• Stop labeling foods as “bad,” “illegal,” or “forbidden.”
• Aim for moderation instead of abstinence.
• Exercise regularly

• Craving chocolate? Eat a banana
• Chew sugarless gum
• Exercise
• Still craving chocolate? Try a magnesium supplement. Many women are deficient in this mineral, which is found in chocolate
• Craving fatty foods? Eat fish, or take fish oil or flaxseed oil supplement. You may be low in essential fatty acids
• Grab something to drink
• Watch you caffeine intake