BDC #13 - Food Craving: Why does it exist?

This is the 4th week of my eating problem. After a cruel 3 and a half consecutive weeks of losing my appetite and not being able to eat due to ulcer, this last 2 days has become another cruel set of heavy craving. I deeply desire to eat anything extremely sweets, despised being a sweet allergic. But oddly enough, this sudden appetite will heavily drop after 4 pm, I feel like I could throw up anytime and end up not having any other food until the next day. (Yup, I have an unhealthy eating habit)

Now, how could this crazy craving happen actually?

One of the famous statements is "It's all in your head!" Well, indeed, the sudden burst of desire is actually always coming from your head. You are working at your project for non-stop weeks, and suddenly your head explode, your desire rise to the peak in milliseconds. You have to eat something NOW!! As Drewnowski, a well-known researcher on taste and food preferences, says "Food cravings arise to satisfy emotional needs, such as calming stress and reducing anxiety."

BUT, have you ever thought why does it (nearly) has to be sweets (mostly chocolate)? Foods with high levels of sugar (glucose), such as chocolate, because when glucose interacts with opioid system in the brain an addictive triggering effect occurs. Opioid system is basically a system to kill the pain. The analgesic (painkiller) effects of opioids are due to decreased perception of pain, decreased reaction to pain as well as increased pain tolerance. The side effects of opioids include sedation, respiratory depression, and a strong sense of euphoria. In consequence, if we eat sugary food while we are under stress (either physically or in mind), we will feel more relax and calmer. However if keep this eating habit in a few repetitive action, consuming sugar will make us feel the urge to consume more glucose because the brain has become conditioned to release "happy hormones" every time glucose is present.   

The other common reason is because the heavy restriction. Are you on diet? Are you restricting your self with sudden change of eating habit? If yes is the answer, then the food craving is the sign that your diet is imbalance and too cruel for your body. A sudden cut to what you usually eat will make your body strike back at you. It makes a heavy chemical change in your body which instead of getting you slimmer as you wish, it is killing you with repetitive unbearable crave.

So, the answer of food craving (in my opinion of course) is association. Once you are under stress, your body will immediately associate it with food as the solution. It can be chocolate, cake, coffee.... ANYTHING (of course including alcohol and smoke). Therefore, to break this devilish chain, we should try to preoccupied our mind with something else. So, if you are under stress due to your research or work or study, instead of running away to food, why don't you do something else as a stress relieve? We can so some work out like a short jogging, or read some books, or anything else.

Well, actually this is what I am trying to do... (FINALLY!!! I open my card, why I suddenly start writing a blog with daily post). Instead of running to food, I am trying to write any bizarre things across my mind when I get stress to my graduate studies. It might be not 100% successful, since I have been eating trash for these 2 days, but it helps me reduce my snacking to a certain point. 

So... well, you know what I mean.Let's do our best!!!