Why We Crave Junk Food and What to Do About it
We’ve all been there before: out of nowhere a craving for fast food, sweets, or anything high in calories and relatively low in nutrition hits us to the point where there’s no turning back. And while we might kick ourselves later for indulging, there may be more at play than just our lack of willpower—our junk food cravings may be something we’re evolutionarily hardwired to get. Learn about healthy ways to satisfy your fast food cravings with this video from Dr. Oz.
Because of their hunter-gatherer nature, humans living in the prehistoric era experienced an inconsistent supply of the calories that were necessary for survival. While low caloric plants were available, high caloric foods—usually in the form of meat—were in low supply and high demand. Therefore, after a successful hunt and high intake of calories and fat, these folks’ brains would release the feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin into the body, linking foods high in fat and calories with happy feelings. Thus our prehistoric ancestors adapted by becoming hard-wired to search for the rare fat, calories and protein essential to their survival.
We haven’t changed too much, but high caloric foods are no longer hard to come by. Instead of spending days stalking our next meal, we’re bombarded with deep fried, sugar coated options from a multitude of fast food joints. What’s more, our survival instincts cause us to compensate for a lack of resources, even if one does not exist. For example, financial stresses like a bad economy, layoffs at work and impending bills can all make one feel that resources will soon be scarce and trigger these cravings.
However, not all hope is lost. It’s all about conditioning, being mindful of our activities and rewiring our brains. Susan Albers, author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, says we tend to eat without thinking, on autopilot. “The antidote to doing things on autopilot whether it is reading, driving, or stress eating is to do all of your activities with full awareness,” she says in her book. “Be mindful of your body and its sensations at all times, instead of allowing your mind take over.” Cravings are different from actual physical hunger, they can be triggered by a number of things—stress, boredom, emotions—and come at any time. Be mindful of this and start associating cravings with an activity other than snacking.
Cravings still might get the best of us. The good news is that Dr. Oz gives you tips for how to make healthier alternatives to your favorite fast food guilty pleasures like sweet potato fries, chicken fingers and even pizza in this video.
