Food cravings...they can be harmful to your health!

Food Cravings can be Harmful

According to a study published by the US National Library of Medicine’s National Institute of Health on the effects of food cravings and depression, “Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption may have a detrimental effect on depression risk.” In other words, eating junk food may be linked to an increased incidence and tendency toward depression. If not managed and controlled, cravings can have many harmful effects on you. Let’s talk about some of them…

Weight gain – Eating excessive amounts of sugar, processed foods, fatty foods, drinking alcohol, and consuming salt can add extra pounds… even to the healthiest person.
Health issues – Consumption of salty and fatty foods can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Sugary foods like diet soft drinks can lead to heart attacks, dangerous blood clots and other cardiovascular problems.
Alcohol cravings – Craving alcohol can lead to physical problems like depression, liver disease, gout, cancer, pancreas and problems with your immune system.
Dental problems –.Sugary, processed foods as well as alcohol can lead to dental problems ranging from tooth decay to gum disease.
Psychological issues –.Trying to control your craving for certain foods and not being able to stop can lead to thoughts of low self-esteem, believing something is wrong with you and other negative thoughts.

Food cravings can be harmful to your physical and mental health in many ways. It’s important to learn how to manage and overcome these cravings in healthy ways that will benefit you long term.

Overcoming Cravings

Now that you know why you are craving certain foods, let’s talk about ways to overcome them. It might seem simple, but overcoming food cravings can be one of the most challenging things to do.

Here are a few suggestions from researchers and experts:

Avoid your triggers.

“You crave what you eat, so if you switch what you’re eating, you can weaken your old cravings and strengthen new ones,” says Marcia Pelchat, PhD, of the Monell Center. Gradually cutting out and avoiding what you are craving helps you to begin to want them less. Even better, if you can just stop eating something that is not good for you, take that route.

Do away with temptation.

Go through your kitchen pantry and get rid of all the foods that you crave and shouldn’t be eating; it’s time to purge your pantry! If you bought a box of cookies on your last shopping trip, throw them out (or give them away).