cravings

[spiritualgirl_]

What is the best way to stop cravings ?

[Paxiled]

The question remains, did your craving start with you taking drugs for mental illness?  Any of them can cause weight gain and cravings.  Citalopram can have that effect on some people, not on others.  There's one called Remeron that is often given to people who've stopped eating because it makes people crave food so much.  And we all know the connection between marijuana and the munchies.  Never underestimate the power of drugs to create new problems your doctors won't tell you about.  But if it's not this and there's no temporal connection, then we're on to other factors.

[spiritualgirl_]

Paxiled; no I mean I have been on many different ones ! Right now I'm taking 20 mg of citalopram I've been taking it since Dec. 2014

[Paxiled]

Which medications?  Some of them create cravings and make us gain weight no matter what we try, and if you've been on them since you were too young to be taking them, which is how you make it sound, they could have pushed you into being overly concerned about weight.  Don't know if that's a part of it or not, but those classes of medications are notorious for affecting weight and appetite.

[spiritualgirl_]

@gymdandee- I think I might have a eating disorder.. I'm indinial because it scares me. I'm obsessed with watching anorexia videos online because i want to look like them. and I eat a lot then feel bad and the next day I will only eat a little bit. I do hate my body have very low self esteem. I used to be 120 lbs when I was 16 now I'm 145 I'm 5'4 and I'm 19 Years old. I eat when I'm bored and feel always hungry. Whem I eat I don't have the feeling full satisfaction. I am on medication for depression and anxiety. I did go see a counsellor but then stopped going because I thought I didn't need to go anymore. I just want to be healthy and fit .

@miaou993: I crave junk food mostly ! I will try brushing my teeth after meals and I love gum! Hahaha :) and watching TV and stuff like that makes me Want to eat!and I will check for the cravings online!! Thank you so much!!

@paxiled I've been on meds for anxiety all my life hahaja and I do feel wayyyy better when I eat.. But like 30 mins later I'll be scared that I ate too much and that I'll gain weight

[Paxiled]

Some cravings are caused by a nutritional deficiency -- you sometimes see mineral deficient people eating dirt without knowing why, for example.  Food cravings can be caused by psychological repetition of feeling good when you eat.  Sugar, for example, or caffeine-containing foods and beverages.  You can also develop psychological cravings for things that aren't food, such as sex, that make the hurt temporarily go away.  As for serotonin, that's a very difficult thing to get a handle on.  Much of the research on this is from Eli Lilly when they introduced Prozac, and so is of questionable reliability.  It's hard to sort through this chemical, which is a hormone when in the blood stream, where it's a vasodilator, but a neurotransmitter in the brain and digestive system.  There really isn't any reliable evidence of people not having enough serotonin in large enough numbers to mean anything -- most of what we know of it is in medication, where when you prevent its breakdown and concentrate it in a small number of selected receptors you can improve mood.  So I wouldn't get all involved with serotonin.  There's probably a simpler explanation.  The only reason i emphasize this is that doctors are very quick to prescribe antidepressants, and you really want to stay away from that, which is where you end up unfortunately when the subject of serotonin comes up.

[miaou93]

You should also pay attention at what the type of food you crave.. if you want salty stuff you probably need some vitamins in your diet..or chocolate when you need magnesium(I think). .just search the internet to see what your cravings mean- if you want to eat something specific all the time like bread, pasta,sugary stuff etc

[miaou93]

I have a lot of cravings too. .even more when I'm stressed or depressed..it helps me when I drink more tea from leaves,not teabags (mint mostly or vanilla-is good for depression) and add cinnamon when I could..and also mostly when I brush my teeth after every meal or chew a gum ..or do something like watching videos,a movie,read books or the news to keep your mind distracted and away from food.. I hope I helped

[gymdandee]

Most people are not always hungry. Just after eating, the body releases chemicals into the bloodstream and directly onto nerves that create the sensation of satiety, or feeling full.

There are many causes for an increased appetite:

Increased activity (exercising), boredom, feeling sad,
depression, eating disorder like anorexia, overactive thyroid gland

Eating low-calorie foods, sugary junk foods, or low-fat foods can make you feel hunger that’s more intense and comes on sooner after eating. Foods with whole grains, healthy fats and proteins are more satisfying, take longer to digest, and stave off hunger pangs longer.

[spiritualgirl_]

Makes sense!! Thank you because I do have depression. But why am I always hungry and wanting to eat every 10 mins

[gymdandee]

Low blood sugar and low serotonin levels can both cause food cravings. Serotonin is a hormone in the brain that helps make you feel good. When it is low, sadness or depression may result. Eating sugar or other simple carbohydrates helps temporarily because they stimulate serotonin release. If you are insulin resistant your body is still making insulin but the cells do not respond to it you may also develop persistent food cravings. Adrenal imbalance can also cause food cravings, according to the National Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases.
A healthy diet, moderate exercise and pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements to help break the cycle of carbohydrate cravings. They recommend 60 to 70 grams of protein a day. For fats, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, with an emphasis on polyunsaturated, to help you feel satisfied and less likely to overeat. Avoid oxidized or rancid fats, trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated fats. Eat complex carbohydrates, which help to moderate blood sugar swings and provide fiber. 5-HTP, is a nutritional supplement that may help reduce carbohydrate cravings. Extracted from the seeds of a legume called Griffonia simplicifolia, 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin. The theory of using 5-HTP for carbohydrate cravings is linked to serotonin deficiency as the source of those cravings. 5-HTP increases serotonin secretion and helps stop cravings. A study in the October 2009 “International Journal of Obesity” reported that obese women who took 5-HTP had greater appetite control and lost weight.
The December 2010 issue of “Science” reported experiments designed to decrease response to certain types of foods. People who repeatedly imagined eating a particular food ate less of it. The researchers theorize that the act of mental imagery decreased the subjects’ responsiveness to the food and decreased desire to eat it even though they still considered the food palatable.
Research in the April 2011 “Obesity” examined the effects of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets on food preferences, food cravings and appetite. Obese adults followed one of the two diets for two years. Those on the low-carb diet had significantly higher cravings for carbohydrates and high-fat foods, although they were less bothered by hunger.