The top 10 reasons we get food cravings

1. When we reduce the number of calories we eat, we automatically increase our hunger by increasing activity in the hunger centre
2. Low blood sugar from poor food choices promotes hunger and snacking
3. We like to reward ourselves with snacks as it makes us feel good, the effect of the brain’s in-built incentive programme
4. Sugary or fatty foods actually promote snacking and the desire for more foods of this type
5. Ongoing daily stress increases hunger and the seeking out of comfort foods
6. Emotional upheaval, feeling low or depressed leads us to seek out snacks that will increase our brain’s happy hormone, serotonin
7. The hormonal changes associated with PMS (premenstrual syndrome) cause major food cravings
8. Resistance to the fat hormone leptin leads to snacking and the midnight munchies
9. Large meals or being overweight can increase levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, making us feel more hungry
10. Snacking itself leads to more snacking. – the reason it is so hard to have just one crisp or one biscuit

The No-Crave Diet changes what you eat and when you eat

Changing what you eat reduces food cravings by:

• Stabilising your blood sugar
• Rebalancing your metabolism, which reduces snacking
• Keeping you feeling fuller for longer
• Improving access to your body’s fat stores
• Reducing your desire for foods that increase cravings
• Avoiding foods that promote cravings
• Reducing your sugar and fat intake leads to less snacking

Changing when you eat reduces food cravings by:

• Stabilising your blood sugar
• Optimising the action of insulin
• Maximising the energy function of your liver
• Allowing leptin to turn off your hunger

Next: The Frequent Small Meal Myth