Part 1: Mastering Your Cravings: The Real Cause

Cravings for unhealthy foods like sweets and starches are your worst enemy when you are on HCG diet. Fortunately you’re not alone in your fight. Top nutritionists have revealed the secrets to help you master your cravings and how to keep them under control.

What are the causes of food craving?

For you to understand how to fight your cravings you have to determine where they come from. When you think of cravings- like the pint of ice cream from the freezer or the chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen counter. You often assume they’re the result of some physical need for a certain type of food. But is it the food that’s bothering you? Definitely not- it’s your cravings!

Our cravings have more of a psychological cause than physical. Some experts believe that food cravings can only last from 3-5 minutes. And those cravings are often for junk foods and processed foods high in salt, sugar and fat. Cravings originate from the reward processing activity in the brain. This becomes conscious and integrated with the feeling of “longing”. When you eat foods that you like, your brain releases a chemical that gives you “happy feelings”. Craving is a way for our brain to “request” a substance that will make us feel good.

There are many factors that can contribute to your cravings while on HCG diet but the three major factors include:

Emotional eating

People turn to desserts, sweets and other high carbohydrate food because of the feel good effect it has on the brain. Emotional eating can result from different causes such as sadness, anger, loneliness and even boredom.

Stress

Stress can cause people to resort to unhealthy eating. Situations like fatigue from lack of sleep, relationship problems and work stress can food cravings.

Hormones

Your serotonin level fall as your body estrogen falls in your every cycle. But your stress hormone increases. This can leave you with a feeling of being cranky and a need for a sundae or a pint of ice cream.

There may be other factors depending on your personal needs and situations. But once you will understand that cravings are not just the results of wanting the foods physically you’ll be able to apply the secrets in mastering your cravings.