Food Cravings Decoded!

Control the munchies by learning why you have them

- Amy Hadley, Alicia Pyke

It can be difficult to resist food cravings, whether it’s a 3pm pick-me-up or a sneaky midnight snack. But have you ever wondered why your cravings exist? Amazonia’s accredited sports dietitian Tara Kaffexplains the reason behind your urge to snack.

HOW DO CRAVINGS DEVELOP?

“Food cravings arise from psychological, social and biological factors,” says Tara. “For example, low blood sugar levels are a biological factor, someone’s upbringing and their conditioning is a social factor, and stress is a psychological factor.”

You may have heard the idea that if you’re craving a certain food, like chocolate, then you may not be consuming enough of a certain nutrient, like magnesium. Tara dispels this myth and adds, “In the vast majority of cases, there is no truth to the theory that food cravings are due to the body’s effort to correct any underlying nutritional deficiencies.”