Why We Crave Certain Foods: Understanding What Drives Snacking
Cravings are frequent, specific, intense desires to eat a particular type of food. Cravings often involve ultra-processed, salty, sweet, or crunchy snacks. According to Erin Morse, chief clinical dietitian at UCLA Health, cravings are not about hunger. She explains, “Hunger is the need for food for fuel, for nutrition, for all the good things that our bodies and our brains need." In contrast, with cravings, "Our bodies are telling us that we want something to eat."
People might experience food cravings seemingly out of nowhere, or they may be related to seeing, smelling, or hearing about a specific food. For example, seeing an advertisement for French fries could trigger a craving for them. But because cravings are about what we want to eat and not what our bodies need to eat to function optimally, we are at risk of eating too many calories and becoming under-nourished. This is because unhealthy food items that we may come to crave often have little or no nutritive value. So why do we crave them? Continue reading to find out more about the causes of food cravings and for some tips on how to reduce them.

Common Triggers for Cravings:
The brain regions responsible for memory, pleasure and reward play a role in cravings, as do hormonal fluctuations, emotions, and even hunger (though they are not the same as hunger). Seeing an advertisement for particular food items, stress or “comfort eating”, menstruation or pregnancy, and even waiting too long between or skipping meals can all trigger cravings. Additional triggers may include:
1. External cues, like watching a favorite TV show that you have a habit of watching while eating ice cream. You'll be-come conditioned to reach for that bowl of ice cream when you watch an episode,
2. Internal cues, such as sadness, can prompt people to crave certain foods too.
3. Deprivation. If you're restricting food or dieting, you may find yourself craving certain foods by the end of the day. .
4. Poor sleep. "Studies show that lack of sleep can increase appetite and increase cravings," .
5. Social environment. Think of the workplace vending ma-chine or your partner who is constantly baking treats. "They're seeing it all the time; they want it all the time,"
Sources for this newsletter: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318441#replacing-cravings https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318441#replacing-cravings

Tips For Reducing Food Cravings
1. Being dehydrated can make you feel hungry or increase food cravings.
2. Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep (at least 7 hours) can contribute to increased hunger and cravings.
3. Eat enough protein. It will help you feel satisfied longer and reduce craving.
4. Snack smart.
5. Remove triggers.

Healthy Snack Ideas for Every Kind of Food Craving
1. Instead of chips, try 1/4 cup of lightly salted nuts.
2. Instead of milk chocolate, choose antioxidant-rich dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or more.
3. Instead of pastries or can-dies, switch to fresh or dried fruit.
4. Instead of soda, try seltzer water with a squeeze of fruit juice or a slice of fresh orange, lemon, lime or sprig of mint.
5. Instead of full-fat cheese, switch to low-fat cheese. And remember, always in moderation.

The Food-Feeling Connection: Emotional Eating and Your Health

The challenges of daily life can, at times, leave us all feeling tired, stressed and overwhelmed. In response to some of these emotions, you may find yourself seeking comfort in food. This manner of coping with difficult emotions is called Emotional Eating. Because this type of eating is not the result of hunger, it is common to eat a lot more calories than our bodies need or will use, and we often gravitate towards food that are high in fat, sugar and salt. While these types of foods may be more appealing when you are feeling stress, are in a bad mood, or feel bad about yourself, the satisfaction they provide is short-lived. In fact, these types of high fat, high sugar foods may leave you feeling worse than before, and can have negative and long-lasting effects on your physical and emotional health and well-being.

Recognizing Emotional Eating

Everyone has bad days, but not everyone uses food to get through them. Some behaviors and thought patterns can increase your chance of becoming an emotional eater. Some risk factors include:
• Difficulty managing your emotions.
• Poor body image; being unhappy with your body.
• Dieting and/or feeling deprived of foods.
Emotional eating often becomes a habit. If you use food to self-sooth difficult emotions, you will be more likely to crave the same (unhealthy) foods the next time you are feeling bad. This happens be-cause when you eat foods you enjoy, you stimulate the feel-good centers in your brain, triggering you to eat even more. This makes it more diffi-cult to resist the temptation of unhealthy choices in the future, thus setting up a pattern of unhealthy eating.
Sources: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/special-topic/break-the-bonds-of-emotional-eating: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heres-the-deal-with-your-junk-food-cravings

Breaking the Pattern of Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is a learned behavior that can be unlearned through awareness and attention to your stress management habits. The first step in stopping the pattern of emotional eating is to recognize when it is happening. With this awareness you can take steps to make different choices when the urge to emotional eat appears.
1. Do something else when the urge appears; take a walk, call a friend, engage in an activity you enjoy or are good at.
2. Know your strengths; take note of your suc-cesses and things you are good at.
3. Plan ahead; Do not go hungry. When you are both hungry and stressed, pizza and other fast foods become much more tempting.
4. Make comfort food healthier. Prepare your favorite dishes with fewer calories.

Are you an Emotional Eater?

• Do you eat when you feel angry, depressed, hurt, or otherwise upset?
• Do you eat in response to certain people or situations?
• Do certain places or times of day trigger food cravings?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a tendency toward emotional eating. Speak with your health professional about additional ways to manage this behavior.

The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between. nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program at 781-599-0110.

This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.

The Skinny on Sugar; the good, the bad and the case for moderation! 

Many people celebrate connection, friendship and love relationships with Valentine’s Day sweets. In moderation this is fine for most people. But did you know that too much added sugar (sugar that is not naturally occurring in foods), can lead to low mood, brain fog and even depression? This month’s Food and Thought Newsletter is dedicated to exploring the healthy (and less-healthy) sources of sugar and their impact on emotional health, as well as giving you some practical tips to decrease the amount of added sugar in your diet.

Do We Need Sugar to Survive? Yes, But…. What Type and How Much We Eat Matters…. A Lot!

Sugar is a form of carbohydrate, which the body needs for its preferred source of fuel. The body breaks down all carbohydrates into glucose, which enters the bloodstream and acts as a source of energy. Some sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and lactose, occur naturally in foods and drinks, while others do not. Added sugars refer to any sugars in foods that are NOT naturally occurring, such as sugar in baked goods. According to the American Hearth Association, the body does not need any form of added sugar to function healthily. Eating too much sugar can have an impact on your mental
health and cause issues in your daily life including sugar addiction, inflammation and depression.

How Much Is Too Much?

The American Heart Association recommends a maximum daily added sugar intakes of no more than 10% of calorie intake (less than 36g or 9 teaspoons for males and less than 25g, or 6 teaspoons, for females). Children aged 2–18 years should have less than 25g a day. Studies show, however, that adults are consuming roughly 77 g of added sugar each day, which is more than three times the recommended daily intake for females. Meanwhile, children are consuming close to 81 g each day.

Tips For Cutting Back on Sugar:

1. When thirsty, replace sugary drinks like sodas with water.
2. Reduce the amount of sugar you add to foods like pancakes,
cereal, tea, and coffee. Start by cutting the amount
of sugar by half and gradually reduce it from there.
3. Use fresh or dried fruit in cereal instead of sugar.
4. Reduce the amount of non-nutritive sweeteners.
(Sweet’N Low, Splenda, Equal.)
5. Eat foods that contain natural sweeteners like fruit. If
canned, purchase fruit in water or natural fruit juices and
not syrup.
6. Read nutrition labels and avoid foods with high sugar
content.

The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and
provide short term counselling around the important link between.
nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral
to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program
at 781-599-0110.

This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex
County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.

Making (and Keeping) New Year’s Resolutions!
The end of the year is, for many, a time for reflection on the past and for aspirations for the future. Many people make resolutions for healthier choices in the new year. However, researchers suggest that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them. There are many reasons for this and this issue of Food and Thought would like to address them and help you to make—and keep—your New Year’s resolutions.

Making New Year’s Resolutions that Last
There are several reasons why New Year’s resolu-tions don’t last beyond a few months (or in some cas-es, a few days!). These can include setting goals that are not meaningful, unexpected obstacles occur, goals are not measurable or are too vague, or lack of accountability. So, to make your New Year’s resolu-tions more likely to stick, keep these simple recom-mendations in mind as you set your own goals for 2024.
1. Choose something meaningful..
2. Set very specific goals.
3. Have a clear plan for your resolution.
4. Keep it simple.
5. Choose something new; don’t repeat past efforts.
6. Identify your support system to help you be accounta-ble.
7. Give your resolution time to be-come a habit.

Making small changes can bring big rewards.
Keep Your 'Eat Better' New Year's Resolution With These Helpful Tips.

1. Make time for breakfast; start the day with yogurt, fruit or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk.
2. Don’t skip any meals or snacks; fruit & nuts are healthy choices.
3. Include a total of 30 minutes of activity every day; 10 minutes here and there goes a long way.
4. Drink fewer sodas and other sweetened drinks, like iced tea.
5. Meet your goal. Aim to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
6. Buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Convenience makes you more likely to choose them when you're hungry.
7. Pack healthy snacks. Save time and money by bringing snacks like hummus, yogurt, cut-up veggies, and string cheese to work, school, or other activities.
8. Upgrade your salad. Add whole grains to boost the fiber, so you'll feel full.
9. Fix pasta dishes with veggies and lean protein (like canned tiny shrimp, tuna canned in water, precooked chicken breast, or soy crumbles)
10. Go for variety. Eat a variety of fruits & veggies.

Eating Healthy for the Holidays (& Loving It!)
The holiday season is a time for celebration and spending time with loved ones, and for many it involves gathering together for a shared meal. The temptation to overindulge can be strong, especially with the desserts, holiday beverages, and extra carbohydrate load many of these gatherings include. Did you know that consuming just 200 extra calories a day, consistently, can result in weight gain of two to six extra pounds—just over the holidays! But this doesn’t have to happen. Continue reading this month’s newsletter for some tips that can help you stay healthy and trim while also enjoying those special foods and family favorites!

Twelve Tips to Stay on Track With Healthy Eating This Holiday Season
1. Pace yourself. Don’t eat everything at every gathering. Choose your calories carefully, prioritizing the foods you love most.
2. Pause before taking seconds. It take several minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. Take a 10 minute pause before going in for seconds. You may find that you are full or only want a small second portion.
3. Distance helps the heart stay healthy. Don’t stand next to the food table. That makes it harder to mindlessly reach for food as you talk.
4. Don’t go out with an empty tank. Before setting out for a party, eat a small, healthy snack so you don’t arrive famished. An apple or handful of nuts is a great choice.
5. Drink to your health. Limit high calorie beverages such as egg nog (up to 500 calories per glass), wine and beer (125-200 calories per serving). Alternate with a glass of water.
6. Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach. Alcohol increases your appetite and decreases your ability to control what you eat.
7. Keep moving. If you're at a party, dancing is a fun way to burn off calories. If you are at a family gathering, suggest a walk before the feast or even between dinner and dessert. Get up and stretch or take the stairs whenever possible.
8. Make room for veggies. At meals and parties, don’t ignore fruits and vegetables. They make great snacks and even better side or main dishes — unless they’re slathered with creamy sauces or butter.
9. Be buffet savvy. Check out all the options before putting anything on your plate. You may be less inclined to pile on items one after another.
10. Don’t shop hungry. Eat before you go shopping so the scent of baked goods and fast food don’t tempt you.
Cook from (and for) the heart. To show family and friends that you really care about them, try recipes that use less butter, cream, lard, vegetable shortening, and other ingredients rich in saturated fats. Prepare turkey or fish instead of red meat.
Pay attention to what really matters. Although food is an integral part of the holidays, put the focus on family and friends, laughter and cheer. If balance and moderation are your usual guides, it’s okay to indulge or overeat once in a while. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/12-tips-for-holiday-eating-201212242506

The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link be-tween. nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program at 781-599-0110.

This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program and the Essex County Community Foundation Behavioral Health Partnership Grant.